First international PBA title to be awarded in Kuwait International Open
03/15/12
The PBA Tour's new alliance with the World Tenpin Bowling Association will result in the first PBA Tour title ever awarded in the Middle East on Monday, March 19, when the 9th annual Kuwait International Open concludes at Cozmo Bowling Center in Kuwait City.
Women who compete in the Kuwait Open (or other WTBA events) on equal terms with men are eligible to win PBA Tour titles, but women who accept "handicap" pins which are commonly awarded to women in WTBA tournament are not eligible to win PBA titles.
PBA Tour exempt player Chris Loschetter (pictured left) of Avon, Ohio, is defending Kuwait International Open champion. He defeated Norway's Tore Torgeson, 255-186, to win the 2011 title.
Following the Kuwait event, the second PBA Tour international title will be awarded to the winner of the Brunswick Euro Challenge on Sunday, March 25, in Saint Maximin, France. Colombia's Clara Guerrero (right) defeated past PBA Women's Series titlist Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of Keller, Texas, 229-204 including 8 handicap pins per game for both women, to win the 2011 Euro Challenge.
Bowlingdigital.com will provide live streaming and tape-delay videos of the Brunswick Euro Challenge including the stepladder finals of WTBA International Open on Wednesday, March 21st starting at 3.30 p.m. Central European Time (10.30 a.m. EST; 10.30 p.m. Hong Kong time) and
the stepladder finals of the Brunswick Euro Challenge on Sunday, March 25th at 6.30 p.m. Central European Time (1.30 p.m. EST; 1.30 a.m. on the 26th Hong Kong time).
The PBA has announced creation of a new optional Champions Field event to be held in conjunction with the PBA Tournament of Champions April 8-15 at Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas.
For an optional $250 entry fee, the special event will offer a $4,000 first prize (based on 96 entries), and pay one-in-three down to a guaranteed last-to-cash prize of $400 and a PBA Regional title (based on a minimum of 20 entries).
The optional event will use Champions Field qualifying scores and standings will be based on 14 games, total pinfall.
The PBA Tournament of Champions "Champions Field" includes those players who have won a PBA Regional, PBA Women's Series, PBA Senior Tour or PBA Senior Regional title as of April 1, 2012. Any PBA event won by a player who was not a member at the time is not eligible.
The Champions Field will bowl practice at Red Rock Lanes on Sunday, April 8, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., and then will bowl two seven-game qualifying rounds on Monday at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., with the top two-thirds of the field advancing to the Elite Field qualifying which begins Tuesday morning.
Bowling fans who would like to attend the PBA Hall of Fame dinner and induction ceremonies at Red Rock Resort on Saturday, April 14, can purchase tickets by visiting pba.com. Tickets are available to individuals ages 21 and older (due to open bar regulations) for $125 per person.
Sixteen-time PBA Tour champion Jason Couch (left) of Clermont, Fla., the only player ever to win three consecutive Tournament of Champions titles, and PBA Senior Tour star Gene Stus (right) of Allen Park, Mich., will be inducted.
The Xtra Frame Tour Detroit Open presented by Track added some additional highlights to the Motor City's colorful bowling history. It marked the 47th time the Greater Detroit area has hosted the PBA Tour, dating back to the Pontiac Open in 1962 won by Carmen Salvino. The PBA's most recent visit was to Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park for the inaugural PBA World Series of Bowling in 2009.
The Detroit Open drew overflow crowds, showing that Michigan fans were eager to have PBA back in town.
Regarding the tournament itself, Norm Duke ran his record in title matches against Mika Koivuniemi to 5-0 with his 266-217 victory in the Detroit Open. Duke had previously defeated Koivuniemi, 197-194, to win the 2003 Greater Kansas City Classic; 236-233, in the 2006 Lake County Indiana title match; 244-216, in the 2008 U.S. Open finale, and 255-216, in the 2011 U.S. Open championship match.
With his $10,000 first prize, Duke became the third player in PBA Tour history to surpass the $3 million mark in career earnings, joining all-time leader Walter Ray Williams Jr. and Pete Weber in the elite club.
All four finalists finished in the top five in PBA Tour earnings for the 2010-11 season. Koivuniemi was first, Tom Smallwood was third, Duke was fourth and Bill O'Neill was fifth on the money list. All four also were in the top 10 in competition points last season.
Koivuniemi, Duke and O'Neill won titles during the 2010-11 season (Koivuniemi won the 2011 Tournament of Champions, Duke won the U.S. Open, and O'Neill won the 2010 Pepsi Viper Open. Smallwood finished second in the TOC.
The fourth and final PBA Xtra Frame Tour event of the season, the Dick Weber PBA Playoffs presented by Hammer, is set for March 31-April 1 at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis.
PBA fans can watch all qualifying and elimination rounds on Saturday and Sunday for the monthly rate of $7.99. All live coverage of the Weber Playoffs will be webcast exclusively on Xtra Frame, including Sunday's championship match at 8 p.m. ET.
PBA Regional activity is heating up. Over the March 16-18 weekend, the PBA Central and East Regions will combine for the second annual Hubbard Open presented by DV8 at Bell Wick Bowl in Hubbard, Ohio; the West and Northwest Regions will host the DV8 Chameleon Open at Caveman Bowl in Grants Pass, Ore.; the South Region hosts the Franklin Senior Open presented by Track at Franklin Bowling Center in Franklin, Va.; and the East Region will conduct the Rossi Lanes/Storm Senior Open in Elmira, N.Y.
The March 23-25 weekend schedule includes the Midwest/Central Region's Milan Lanes Senior Viper Open presented by Allstate Insurance in Milan, Ill.; the South Region hosts the Fayetteville (N.C.) Senior Open at Fayetteville Lanes, and the East Region will conduct the Mount Greylock Open presented by Storm at Mount Greylock Bowl in North Adams, Mass.
For complete Regional tournament schedules and entry information, click here.
Finland's Osku Palermaa (left) rolled past countryman Perttu Jussila (right), 289-255, Saturday, March 10, to win the 10th Kingdom of Bahrain International Open at Ozone Entertainment Center in Manama, Bahrain. In the semifinal match, Jussila nipped three-time PBA Tour titlist Patrick Healey Jr., 191-190.
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The PBA Tour's new alliance with the World Tenpin Bowling Association will result in the first PBA Tour title ever awarded in the Middle East on Monday, March 19, when the 9th annual Kuwait International Open concludes at Cozmo Bowling Center in Kuwait City. Women who compete in the Kuwait Open (or other WTBA events) on equal terms with men are eligible to win PBA Tour titles, but women who accept "handicap" pins which are commonly awarded to women in WTBA tournament are not eligible to win PBA titles.
PBA Tour exempt player Chris Loschetter (pictured left) of Avon, Ohio, is defending Kuwait International Open champion. He defeated Norway's Tore Torgeson, 255-186, to win the 2011 title.
Following the Kuwait event, the second PBA Tour international title will be awarded to the winner of the Brunswick Euro Challenge on Sunday, March 25, in Saint Maximin, France. Colombia's Clara Guerrero (right) defeated past PBA Women's Series titlist Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of Keller, Texas, 229-204 including 8 handicap pins per game for both women, to win the 2011 Euro Challenge.
Bowlingdigital.com will provide live streaming and tape-delay videos of the Brunswick Euro Challenge including the stepladder finals of WTBA International Open on Wednesday, March 21st starting at 3.30 p.m. Central European Time (10.30 a.m. EST; 10.30 p.m. Hong Kong time) and
the stepladder finals of the Brunswick Euro Challenge on Sunday, March 25th at 6.30 p.m. Central European Time (1.30 p.m. EST; 1.30 a.m. on the 26th Hong Kong time). Optional "Champions Field" event planned for PBA Tournament of Champions
The PBA has announced creation of a new optional Champions Field event to be held in conjunction with the PBA Tournament of Champions April 8-15 at Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas. For an optional $250 entry fee, the special event will offer a $4,000 first prize (based on 96 entries), and pay one-in-three down to a guaranteed last-to-cash prize of $400 and a PBA Regional title (based on a minimum of 20 entries).
The optional event will use Champions Field qualifying scores and standings will be based on 14 games, total pinfall.
The PBA Tournament of Champions "Champions Field" includes those players who have won a PBA Regional, PBA Women's Series, PBA Senior Tour or PBA Senior Regional title as of April 1, 2012. Any PBA event won by a player who was not a member at the time is not eligible.
The Champions Field will bowl practice at Red Rock Lanes on Sunday, April 8, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., and then will bowl two seven-game qualifying rounds on Monday at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., with the top two-thirds of the field advancing to the Elite Field qualifying which begins Tuesday morning.
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PBA Hall of Fame dinner tickets now available to public
Bowling fans who would like to attend the PBA Hall of Fame dinner and induction ceremonies at Red Rock Resort on Saturday, April 14, can purchase tickets by visiting pba.com. Tickets are available to individuals ages 21 and older (due to open bar regulations) for $125 per person. Sixteen-time PBA Tour champion Jason Couch (left) of Clermont, Fla., the only player ever to win three consecutive Tournament of Champions titles, and PBA Senior Tour star Gene Stus (right) of Allen Park, Mich., will be inducted.
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Xtra Frame Tour Detroit Open adds to Motor City, Duke history
The Xtra Frame Tour Detroit Open presented by Track added some additional highlights to the Motor City's colorful bowling history. It marked the 47th time the Greater Detroit area has hosted the PBA Tour, dating back to the Pontiac Open in 1962 won by Carmen Salvino. The PBA's most recent visit was to Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park for the inaugural PBA World Series of Bowling in 2009.
The Detroit Open drew overflow crowds, showing that Michigan fans were eager to have PBA back in town.
Regarding the tournament itself, Norm Duke ran his record in title matches against Mika Koivuniemi to 5-0 with his 266-217 victory in the Detroit Open. Duke had previously defeated Koivuniemi, 197-194, to win the 2003 Greater Kansas City Classic; 236-233, in the 2006 Lake County Indiana title match; 244-216, in the 2008 U.S. Open finale, and 255-216, in the 2011 U.S. Open championship match.
With his $10,000 first prize, Duke became the third player in PBA Tour history to surpass the $3 million mark in career earnings, joining all-time leader Walter Ray Williams Jr. and Pete Weber in the elite club.
All four finalists finished in the top five in PBA Tour earnings for the 2010-11 season. Koivuniemi was first, Tom Smallwood was third, Duke was fourth and Bill O'Neill was fifth on the money list. All four also were in the top 10 in competition points last season.
Koivuniemi, Duke and O'Neill won titles during the 2010-11 season (Koivuniemi won the 2011 Tournament of Champions, Duke won the U.S. Open, and O'Neill won the 2010 Pepsi Viper Open. Smallwood finished second in the TOC.
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Xtra Frame Tour heads to Indianapolis for Dick Weber PBA Playoffs
The fourth and final PBA Xtra Frame Tour event of the season, the Dick Weber PBA Playoffs presented by Hammer, is set for March 31-April 1 at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis.
PBA fans can watch all qualifying and elimination rounds on Saturday and Sunday for the monthly rate of $7.99. All live coverage of the Weber Playoffs will be webcast exclusively on Xtra Frame, including Sunday's championship match at 8 p.m. ET.
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Regional Roundup: Oregon to host first "Animal Pattern" Championship
PBA Regional activity is heating up. Over the March 16-18 weekend, the PBA Central and East Regions will combine for the second annual Hubbard Open presented by DV8 at Bell Wick Bowl in Hubbard, Ohio; the West and Northwest Regions will host the DV8 Chameleon Open at Caveman Bowl in Grants Pass, Ore.; the South Region hosts the Franklin Senior Open presented by Track at Franklin Bowling Center in Franklin, Va.; and the East Region will conduct the Rossi Lanes/Storm Senior Open in Elmira, N.Y.
The March 23-25 weekend schedule includes the Midwest/Central Region's Milan Lanes Senior Viper Open presented by Allstate Insurance in Milan, Ill.; the South Region hosts the Fayetteville (N.C.) Senior Open at Fayetteville Lanes, and the East Region will conduct the Mount Greylock Open presented by Storm at Mount Greylock Bowl in North Adams, Mass.
For complete Regional tournament schedules and entry information, click here.
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Quick notes:
Finland's Osku Palermaa (left) rolled past countryman Perttu Jussila (right), 289-255, Saturday, March 10, to win the 10th Kingdom of Bahrain International Open at Ozone Entertainment Center in Manama, Bahrain. In the semifinal match, Jussila nipped three-time PBA Tour titlist Patrick Healey Jr., 191-190.Â
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