Rhino charges toward the top of the Denny's PBA Tour
12/28/07
Team USA star Rhino Page couldn't have scripted a much better first two months of his professional bowling career.
Page, a 24-year-old San Diego native who is currently residing in Topeka, Kan., has been the surprise success story through the first half of the Denny's Professional Bowling Association Tour season. As a non-exempt player, the left-hander has advanced through the weekly Tour Qualifying Round in six of seven events, and has advanced to the 32-player match play five times. Photo: Lucas Wiseman.
Topping all of that was becoming the first non-exempt player to advance to two ESPN-televised championship rounds in the final two events before the holiday break, highlighted by earning the No. 1 seed in the Spartanburg (S.C.) Classic for a spot in the title match. Page fell in thrilling fashion, 267-257, to his mentor, PBA Hall of Famer Parker Bohn III, in the final - thwarting Page from claiming his first title and season exemption for the time being.
"This has been a surreal experience so far ... something I've worked for my whole life," said Page, the 2005 U.S. Amateur champion and member of Team USA since 2004. "Let alone to make it out of the TQR, but to also make two championship rounds has exceeded my expectations. I've gained the confidence knowing I can compete with these guys at the highest level."
Page, a former Junior Team USA member and collegiate standout at the University of Kansas, is the latest young Denny's PBA Tour player to emerge from the United States Bowling Congress pipeline - following in the footsteps of those like Sean Rash, Bill O'Neill and Chris Loschetter. Photo: PBA LLC/Hicks.
"When I first bowled Junior Gold in 2000, I had never heard of a Sport Bowling pattern," said Page, who will remain a part of Team USA in 2008 due to the recent World Tenpin Bowling Association legislation that permits professionals in competitions. "I managed to fight my way through and make Junior Team USA. Bowling on tough patterns like Sport conditions throughout college along with the knowledge I've gained with Team USA has meant everything to me."
Barring a setback in the final 10 events of the season, Page is close to becoming a virtual lock for the 2008-09 season exemption by finishing in the top 40 in the World Point Rankings, being the top non-exempt player in points or even by winning an event title. He currently ranks 13th in points, an impressive feat considering he isn't guaranteed any points - or even a paycheck - for each tournament he enters.
"I told Rhino this summer, 'You're a young gun and there's no way you shouldn't be on tour,'" Bohn told pba.com. "He's perked up everyone's ears and shown that he's a great player and he's here to stay."
"Just to have these guys I've looked up to pat me on the back means a great deal to me," said Page, who also has been mentored by Patrick Allen during his budding pro career. "Parker told me before the telecast, 'We know we both want to win, but I like to see a guy like you in position to win his first title so inside I'm rooting for you.'"
His early success on the Denny's PBA Tour capped off an impressive 2007 for Page, who won a pair of gold medals at the Pan American Games in Brazil, three gold medals at the Men's American Zone Championships in Guatemala and the $25,000 High Roller title. It's also earning him more fans and more attention - something which fuels Page. Photo: PBA LLC/Hicks.
"When you see people watching you and talking about you, you know you are doing it right," said Page, who led Kansas to the men's national title and was named most valuable player at the 2004 USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships. "If I wasn't doing well, they wouldn't be paying attention. I feed off the extra attention. When you have people cheering and screaming for you on a telecast, it makes you feel good."
Page continues his odyssey toward a tour exemption next week in the ConstructionJobs.com Classic, beginning with the Tour Qualifying Round on Wednesday, at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev.
PBA News
As a non-exempt player, Team USA's Page currently ranks 13th in points
Team USA star Rhino Page couldn't have scripted a much better first two months of his professional bowling career. Page, a 24-year-old San Diego native who is currently residing in Topeka, Kan., has been the surprise success story through the first half of the Denny's Professional Bowling Association Tour season. As a non-exempt player, the left-hander has advanced through the weekly Tour Qualifying Round in six of seven events, and has advanced to the 32-player match play five times. Photo: Lucas Wiseman.
Topping all of that was becoming the first non-exempt player to advance to two ESPN-televised championship rounds in the final two events before the holiday break, highlighted by earning the No. 1 seed in the Spartanburg (S.C.) Classic for a spot in the title match. Page fell in thrilling fashion, 267-257, to his mentor, PBA Hall of Famer Parker Bohn III, in the final - thwarting Page from claiming his first title and season exemption for the time being.
"This has been a surreal experience so far ... something I've worked for my whole life," said Page, the 2005 U.S. Amateur champion and member of Team USA since 2004. "Let alone to make it out of the TQR, but to also make two championship rounds has exceeded my expectations. I've gained the confidence knowing I can compete with these guys at the highest level."
Page, a former Junior Team USA member and collegiate standout at the University of Kansas, is the latest young Denny's PBA Tour player to emerge from the United States Bowling Congress pipeline - following in the footsteps of those like Sean Rash, Bill O'Neill and Chris Loschetter. Photo: PBA LLC/Hicks."When I first bowled Junior Gold in 2000, I had never heard of a Sport Bowling pattern," said Page, who will remain a part of Team USA in 2008 due to the recent World Tenpin Bowling Association legislation that permits professionals in competitions. "I managed to fight my way through and make Junior Team USA. Bowling on tough patterns like Sport conditions throughout college along with the knowledge I've gained with Team USA has meant everything to me."
Barring a setback in the final 10 events of the season, Page is close to becoming a virtual lock for the 2008-09 season exemption by finishing in the top 40 in the World Point Rankings, being the top non-exempt player in points or even by winning an event title. He currently ranks 13th in points, an impressive feat considering he isn't guaranteed any points - or even a paycheck - for each tournament he enters.
"I told Rhino this summer, 'You're a young gun and there's no way you shouldn't be on tour,'" Bohn told pba.com. "He's perked up everyone's ears and shown that he's a great player and he's here to stay."
"Just to have these guys I've looked up to pat me on the back means a great deal to me," said Page, who also has been mentored by Patrick Allen during his budding pro career. "Parker told me before the telecast, 'We know we both want to win, but I like to see a guy like you in position to win his first title so inside I'm rooting for you.'"
His early success on the Denny's PBA Tour capped off an impressive 2007 for Page, who won a pair of gold medals at the Pan American Games in Brazil, three gold medals at the Men's American Zone Championships in Guatemala and the $25,000 High Roller title. It's also earning him more fans and more attention - something which fuels Page. Photo: PBA LLC/Hicks."When you see people watching you and talking about you, you know you are doing it right," said Page, who led Kansas to the men's national title and was named most valuable player at the 2004 USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships. "If I wasn't doing well, they wouldn't be paying attention. I feed off the extra attention. When you have people cheering and screaming for you on a telecast, it makes you feel good."
Page continues his odyssey toward a tour exemption next week in the ConstructionJobs.com Classic, beginning with the Tour Qualifying Round on Wednesday, at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev.