Leslie and Parker Bohn III will try to become first wife-and-husband TV finalists
Norm Duke (pictured left) of Clermont, Fla., and Carolyn Dorin-Ballard (right) of Keller, Texas, led the qualifying fields in the Professional Bowlers Association Shark Championships at Thunderbowl Lanes Friday, but most eyes will be on the wife-and-husband tandem of Leslie and Parker Bohn III who will attempt to become the first TV finals couple in PBA history when the tournament begins match play competition Saturday.
Defending champions Malott, Feldman knocked out of TV finals
Tuesday was a big day for the underdogs in the PBA Scorpion Championships at Thunderbowl Lanes where defending champions Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, and Michelle Feldman of Auburn, N.Y., were among the victims, and a local player who is the face of Michigan's struggling automotive industry was one of the heroes. Thomas Smallwood (pictured) of Saginaw, who decided to give the professional tour a try after being laid off from his job at General Motors, out-lasted 34-time PBA Tour champion Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla., to make his first TV final.
Royal Scot Golf & Bowl in Lansing, Mich. (August 22-26, 2009)
With an 8-0 match play record, Hall of Famer Tom Baker (pictured left) of King, N.C., moved into the lead after the first round of match play Tuesday in the Professional Bowlers Association Senior Dick Weber Open at Royal Scot Golf & Bowl. Baker, a four-time PBA Senior Player of the Year, averaged 228.5 in match play and led with a 7,270 32-game overall pinfall. The 24-player field will return for two additional eight-game match play rounds on Wednesday.
Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Mich. (Aug. 23-25, finals on Sept. 6, 2009)
Defending champion Wes Malott (l.) of Pflugerville, Texas, advanced to the Round of 8 in the PBA Scorpion Championship at Thunderbowl Lanes Tuesday. Defending Women's Scorpion Champion Michelle Feldman (r.) of Auburn, N.Y., needed seven games to advance to Tuesday night's semifinal round.The Scorpion Championships, for men and women, are part of the inaugural PBA World Series of Bowling taking place in suburban Detroit.
Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Mich. (Aug. 23-25, finals on Sept. 6, 2009)
PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber (pictured left) and former PBA Tour exempt player Kelly Kulick (right) led their respective fields at the end of qualifying in the PBA Scorpion and Women's Scorpion Championships at Thunderbowl Lanes Monday. The Scorpion Championships are part of the inaugural PBA World Series of Bowling, a festival of professional bowling which will include 13 championship events by the time it ends on Sept. 6.
Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Mich. (Aug. 23-25, finals on Sept. 6, 2009)
Chris Barnes (pictured left) of Double Oak, Texas, and Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., raced into the first round qualifying leads in the Professional Bowlers Association Scorpion and Women's Scorpion Championships, respectively, at Thunderbowl Lanes Monday. Barnes averaged 235.7 for the first seven qualifying games, finishing with a 1,650 pinfall total and an 89-pin lead. Johnson Johnson averaged 224.7 and felled 1,573 pins.Â
Sixth PBA World Series of Bowling event gets underway Friday
Bo Goergen (l.), Midland, Mich., and Adrienne Miller, Albuquerque, N.M., will lead a field of 13 men and three women, respectively, who will advance to the PBA Shark Championship at Thunderbowl Lanes on Friday. Goergen posted a seven-game total of 1,509 pins to top a field of 66 in Saturday’s men’s Tour Qualifying Round while Miller had 1,563 pins to lead the field of 19 women. Qualifying rounds start on Friday Aug. 28 at 8 a.m.
Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Mich. (Aug. 23-25, finals on Sept. 6, 2009)
Lee Vanderhoef (l.) of Greenville, S.C., and Lee Sun-Hee (r.) of South Korea will lead a field of 13 men and four women, respectively, who will advance to the PBA Scorpion Championship at Thunderbowl Lanes on Monday. Vanderhoef posted a seven-game total of 1,537 pins to top a field of 73 in Saturday’s men’s Tour Qualifying Round while Lee’s 1,384 pins led the field of 17 women bidding for berths into the PBA Women’s Series presented by BOWL.COM event.
Dorin-Ballard, Pluhowsky to bowl for the title in PBA Women's Series Chameleon Championship
The semifinal and championship matches for the PBA Chameleon Championship and PBA Women's Series were determined in best-of-seven game match play Thursday at Thunderbowl Lanes. In the PBA Chameleon Championship semifinals, Bill O'Neill
(l.) will bowl against Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, and Sean Rash takes on Ronnie Russell. Carolyn Dorin-Ballard and Shannon Pluhowsky (r.) will battle it out for the women's title.
Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Mich. (Aug. 18-20, 2009; finals on Sept. 5)
International bowling stars Amleto Monacelli (l.) of Venezuela and Andres Gomez (r.) of Colombia, are among the match play survivors after the PBA Chameleon Championship Round of 16 Thursday at Thunderbowl Lanes. Both players will battle it out in the Round of 8 match. The players advancing to the PBA Women's Series Chameleon Championship semifinal were Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Liz Johnson, Shannon Pluhowsky and Jodi Woesnner.
Steve Jaros leads PBA World Series of Bowling Lumber Leader Contest
Sean Rash and Kelly Kulick were the top qualifiers after Wednesday's qualifying round of the Professional Bowlers Association Chameleon Championship and PBA Women's Series presented by BOWL.COM Chameleon Championship at Thunderbowl Lanes. Rash (l.) had a 3,112 14-game pinfall while Kulick (r.) finished with 3,033. The top 28 men and the top eight women advanced to best-of-seven game match play beginning Thursday morning.
Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Mich. (Aug. 18-20, 2009; finals on Sept. 5)
Andres Gomez (pictured left) and Kelly Kulick (right) were the early qualifying leaders after seven games in the Professional Bowlers Association Chameleon Championship and PBA Women's Series presented by BOWL.COM Chameleon Championship Wednesday. Both events are being held concurrently as part of the five-week-long PBA World Series of Bowling at Thunderbowl Lanes.
Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Mich. (Aug. 14-16, 2009; finals on Sept. 5)
The semifinal match-ups for the Professional Bowlers Association Viper Championship and the championship match-ups for the PBA Women's Series presented by BOWL.COM Championship were determined in best-of-seven game match play Sunday at Thunderbowl Lanes. In the PBA Viper Championship Round of 8, seven-time Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour titlist and top qualifier Steve Jaros (pictured) of Yorkville, Ill., advanced to the semifinal by defeating Stevie Weber of Chalmette, La., 4-3. Liz Johnson and Lynda Barnes will meet in the Women's Series championship final.
Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Mich. (Aug. 14-16, 2009; finals on Sept. 5)
International bowling standouts Jason Belmonte (l.) of Australia and Shalin Zulkifli (r.) of Malaysia are among the match play survivors in the Professional Bowlers Association Viper Championship and PBA Women's Series presented by BOWL.COM Viper Championship at Thunderbowl Lanes.
Two-handed specialist Belmonte heads into the Round of 8 which will determine the four Viper Championship semifinalists who will return on Sept. 5 for the semifinal and championship matches.
Jaros and Dorin-Ballard are Viper's Top Qualifiers
A pair of two-handed international stars advanced to Round of 28 match play in the PBA Viper Championship Saturday at Thunderbowl Lanes. Jason Belmonte (l.) of Australia, and Osku Palermaa (r.) of Finland, finished qualifying in fifth and 18th, resp. Seven-time Tour titlist Steve Jaros topped the 72-player field with a 3,214 pinfall (229.5 average). Carolyn Dorin-Ballard led the PBA Women's Series presented by BOWL.COM Viper Championship qualifying with 3,157 (225.5).
Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Mich. (Aug. 14-16, 2009; finals on Sept. 5)
Patrick Dombrowski and Hall of Famer Carolyn Dorin-Ballard (pictured) are the early qualifying leaders after seven games Saturday in the PBA Viper Championship and PBA Women Series presented by BOWL.COM Viper Championship. Dombrowski had a 1,654 seven-game block on the Viper pattern and Dorin-Ballard was just four pins behind with 1,650. Both events are being held concurrently this weekend as part of the PBA World Series of Bowling at Thunderbowl Lanes.
Tops non-exempt challenger Ciminelli to claim fifth place on all-time titles list
Norm Duke (pictured) added another milestone to his Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Fame career by capturing the PBA Cheetah Championship at Thunderbowl Lanes for his 33rd career title. Duke, who now ranks fifth on the list of PBA all-time title winners behind Walter Ray Williams Jr. (46), Earl Anthony (43) and Mark Roth and Pete Weber (34 each), ended an incredible run by challenger Ryan Ciminelli of Buffalo, N.Y., to win their best-of-seven-game championship match, 4-1.
First-time title hopeful among four survivors advancing to semifinals
Ryan Ciminelli (pictured) of Buffalo, N.Y., continued to march toward his first Professional Bowlers Association Tour title by advancing to the semifinal round of the PBA Cheetah Championship Thursday at Thunderbowl Lanes. The 23-year-old left-hander defeated PBA Hall of Famer Brian Voss in his Round of 8 best-seven-game match, 4-2. Joining Ciminelli in the semifinals are Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla., Derek Sapp of Keokuk, Iowa, and Stevie Weber of Chalmette, La.
Ryan Ciminelli marches on by defeating Ryan Shafer
In a battle between two PBA legends, Norm Duke (pictured left) defeated all-time Tour win leader Walter Ray Williams Jr. Wednesday to advance to the Round of 8 in the PBA Cheetah Championship at Thunderbowl Lanes. Others advancing to the Round of 8 were qualifying leader Ryan Ciminelli, Hall of Famer Brian Voss, 2007-08 PBA Player of the Year Chris Barnes, Mike Wolfe, Derek Sapp, England's Stuart Williams and Stevie Weber who eliminated reigning Player of the Year Wes Malott.The eight players will compete in the Round of 8 Thursday morning at 9
a.m.
Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Mich. (Aug. 8-13, 2009)
PBA Hall of Famer and all-time win leader Walter Ray Williams Jr. (pictured left) and 2007-08 PBA Player of the Year Chris Barnes (right) are among the survivors in the Round of 28 eliminations Wednesday in the PBA Cheetah Championship at Thunderbowl Lanes. The entire Cheetah Championship is being taped with the highlight-style telecast airing on ESPN Sunday, Nov. 8, at 1 p.m. ET.
Norm Duke (pictured left) of Clermont, Fla., and Carolyn Dorin-Ballard (right) of Keller, Texas, led the qualifying fields in the Professional Bowlers Association Shark Championships at Thunderbowl Lanes Friday, but most eyes will be on the wife-and-husband tandem of Leslie and Parker Bohn III who will attempt to become the first TV finals couple in PBA history when the tournament begins match play competition Saturday.
Tuesday was a big day for the underdogs in the PBA Scorpion Championships at Thunderbowl Lanes where defending champions Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, and Michelle Feldman of Auburn, N.Y., were among the victims, and a local player who is the face of Michigan's struggling automotive industry was one of the heroes. Thomas Smallwood (pictured) of Saginaw, who decided to give the professional tour a try after being laid off from his job at General Motors, out-lasted 34-time PBA Tour champion Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla., to make his first TV final.
With an 8-0 match play record, Hall of Famer Tom Baker (pictured left) of King, N.C., moved into the lead after the first round of match play Tuesday in the Professional Bowlers Association Senior Dick Weber Open at Royal Scot Golf & Bowl. Baker, a four-time PBA Senior Player of the Year, averaged 228.5 in match play and led with a 7,270 32-game overall pinfall. The 24-player field will return for two additional eight-game match play rounds on Wednesday. 
Defending champion Wes Malott (l.) of Pflugerville, Texas, advanced to the Round of 8 in the PBA Scorpion Championship at Thunderbowl Lanes Tuesday. Defending Women's Scorpion Champion Michelle Feldman (r.) of Auburn, N.Y., needed seven games to advance to Tuesday night's semifinal round.The Scorpion Championships, for men and women, are part of the inaugural PBA World Series of Bowling taking place in suburban Detroit.
PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber (pictured left) and former PBA Tour exempt player Kelly Kulick (right) led their respective fields at the end of qualifying in the PBA Scorpion and Women's Scorpion Championships at Thunderbowl Lanes Monday. The Scorpion Championships are part of the inaugural PBA World Series of Bowling, a festival of professional bowling which will include 13 championship events by the time it ends on Sept. 6.
Chris Barnes (pictured left) of Double Oak, Texas, and Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., raced into the first round qualifying leads in the Professional Bowlers Association Scorpion and Women's Scorpion Championships, respectively, at Thunderbowl Lanes Monday. Barnes averaged 235.7 for the first seven qualifying games, finishing with a 1,650 pinfall total and an 89-pin lead. Johnson Johnson averaged 224.7 and felled 1,573 pins. 
Bo Goergen (l.), Midland, Mich., and Adrienne Miller, Albuquerque, N.M., will lead a field of 13 men and three women, respectively, who will advance to the PBA Shark Championship at Thunderbowl Lanes on Friday. Goergen posted a seven-game total of 1,509 pins to top a field of 66 in Saturday’s men’s Tour Qualifying Round while Miller had 1,563 pins to lead the field of 19 women. Qualifying rounds start on Friday Aug. 28 at 8 a.m. 
Lee Vanderhoef (l.) of Greenville, S.C., and Lee Sun-Hee (r.) of South Korea will lead a field of 13 men and four women, respectively, who will advance to the PBA Scorpion Championship at Thunderbowl Lanes on Monday. Vanderhoef posted a seven-game total of 1,537 pins to top a field of 73 in Saturday’s men’s Tour Qualifying Round while Lee’s 1,384 pins led the field of 17 women bidding for berths into the PBA Women’s Series presented by BOWL.COM event.
The semifinal and championship matches for the PBA Chameleon Championship and PBA Women's Series were determined in best-of-seven game match play Thursday at Thunderbowl Lanes. In the PBA Chameleon Championship semifinals, Bill O'Neill
(l.) will bowl against Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, and Sean Rash takes on Ronnie Russell. Carolyn Dorin-Ballard and Shannon Pluhowsky (r.) will battle it out for the women's title. 
International bowling stars Amleto Monacelli (l.) of Venezuela and Andres Gomez (r.) of Colombia, are among the match play survivors after the PBA Chameleon Championship Round of 16 Thursday at Thunderbowl Lanes. Both players will battle it out in the Round of 8 match. The players advancing to the PBA Women's Series Chameleon Championship semifinal were Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Liz Johnson, Shannon Pluhowsky and Jodi Woesnner. 
Andres Gomez (pictured left) and Kelly Kulick (right) were the early qualifying leaders after seven games in the Professional Bowlers Association Chameleon Championship and PBA Women's Series presented by BOWL.COM Chameleon Championship Wednesday. Both events are being held concurrently as part of the five-week-long PBA World Series of Bowling at Thunderbowl Lanes.
The semifinal match-ups for the Professional Bowlers Association Viper Championship and the championship match-ups for the PBA Women's Series presented by BOWL.COM Championship were determined in best-of-seven game match play Sunday at Thunderbowl Lanes. In the PBA Viper Championship Round of 8, seven-time Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour titlist and top qualifier Steve Jaros (pictured) of Yorkville, Ill., advanced to the semifinal by defeating Stevie Weber of Chalmette, La., 4-3. Liz Johnson and Lynda Barnes will meet in the Women's Series championship final. 
International bowling standouts Jason Belmonte (l.) of Australia and Shalin Zulkifli (r.) of Malaysia are among the match play survivors in the Professional Bowlers Association Viper Championship and PBA Women's Series presented by BOWL.COM Viper Championship at Thunderbowl Lanes.
Two-handed specialist Belmonte heads into the Round of 8 which will determine the four Viper Championship semifinalists who will return on Sept. 5 for the semifinal and championship matches.
A pair of two-handed international stars advanced to Round of 28 match play in the PBA Viper Championship Saturday at Thunderbowl Lanes. Jason Belmonte (l.) of Australia, and Osku Palermaa (r.) of Finland, finished qualifying in fifth and 18th, resp. Seven-time Tour titlist Steve Jaros topped the 72-player field with a 3,214 pinfall (229.5 average). Carolyn Dorin-Ballard led the PBA Women's Series presented by BOWL.COM Viper Championship qualifying with 3,157 (225.5).
Patrick Dombrowski and Hall of Famer Carolyn Dorin-Ballard (pictured) are the early qualifying leaders after seven games Saturday in the PBA Viper Championship and PBA Women Series presented by BOWL.COM Viper Championship. Dombrowski had a 1,654 seven-game block on the Viper pattern and Dorin-Ballard was just four pins behind with 1,650. Both events are being held concurrently this weekend as part of the PBA World Series of Bowling at Thunderbowl Lanes.
Norm Duke (pictured) added another milestone to his Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Fame career by capturing the PBA Cheetah Championship at Thunderbowl Lanes for his 33rd career title. Duke, who now ranks fifth on the list of PBA all-time title winners behind Walter Ray Williams Jr. (46), Earl Anthony (43) and Mark Roth and Pete Weber (34 each), ended an incredible run by challenger Ryan Ciminelli of Buffalo, N.Y., to win their best-of-seven-game championship match, 4-1.
Ryan Ciminelli (pictured) of Buffalo, N.Y., continued to march toward his first Professional Bowlers Association Tour title by advancing to the semifinal round of the PBA Cheetah Championship Thursday at Thunderbowl Lanes. The 23-year-old left-hander defeated PBA Hall of Famer Brian Voss in his Round of 8 best-seven-game match, 4-2. Joining Ciminelli in the semifinals are Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla., Derek Sapp of Keokuk, Iowa, and Stevie Weber of Chalmette, La.
In a battle between two PBA legends, Norm Duke (pictured left) defeated all-time Tour win leader Walter Ray Williams Jr. Wednesday to advance to the Round of 8 in the PBA Cheetah Championship at Thunderbowl Lanes. Others advancing to the Round of 8 were qualifying leader Ryan Ciminelli, Hall of Famer Brian Voss, 2007-08 PBA Player of the Year Chris Barnes, Mike Wolfe, Derek Sapp, England's Stuart Williams and Stevie Weber who eliminated reigning Player of the Year Wes Malott.The eight players will compete in the Round of 8 Thursday morning at 9
a.m. 
PBA Hall of Famer and all-time win leader Walter Ray Williams Jr. (pictured left) and 2007-08 PBA Player of the Year Chris Barnes (right) are among the survivors in the Round of 28 eliminations Wednesday in the PBA Cheetah Championship at Thunderbowl Lanes. The entire Cheetah Championship is being taped with the highlight-style telecast airing on ESPN Sunday, Nov. 8, at 1 p.m. ET. 