main_menu

Tommy Jones (l.), United States, Cherie Tan (r.), Singapore, captured the men's and women's titles in the International Bowling Championship 2012 Saturday in Hakata, Japan en route to earn the 6 million Yen (approx. $77,500) top prize. 13-time PBA champion Jones, seeded first, flew past reigning PBA Player of the Year Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 290-204, to wrap up the men's title. No. 2 seed Tan defeated women's top seed Dayang Khairuniza, Malaysia, 218-179, for the biggest payday in her career.

Tommy Jones (l.), United States, and Malaysia's Dayang Khairuniza (r.) finished the six-game semifinal round of the International Bowling Championship 2012 atop the men's and women's leaderboard to earn the No. 1 seed for the stepladder finals Saturday at Hakata Star Lanes in Hakata, Japan. The top three players  in each division advanced to the TV finals. Missy Parkin, United States, earned the No. 4 seed for the women's stepladder finals in a single-game shoot-out match.

Choi Bok-Eum (r.) of Korea and Missy Parkin (l.), United States, won the qualifying of the International Bowling Championship 2012 en route to lead the top 24 men and the top 24 women into Friday's semifinals at Hakata Star Lanes in Hakata, Japan. Those 24 will bowl another two three-game blocks on Friday with the pinfall from the qualifying being carried forward. The top 9 men and the top 9 women with the highest 15-game total will proceed to TV Finals.

Choi Bok-Eum (l.) of Korea and Malaysia's Siti Shazwani (r.) moved to the top of the men's and women's leaderboard after the second qualifying block in the International Bowling Championship 2012 supported by DHC Friday morning at Hakata Star Lanes in Hakata, Japan. Bok-Eum added a 712 three-game series to the 706 from Thursday to leap from third to first place with 1418. Shazwani topped the women's field with 1423 six-game total and an average of 237.17.

Cherie Tan (l.) of Singapore and PBA champions Michael Fagan (r.) and Sean Rash took the early lead in the International Bowling Championship 2012 supported by DHC after the first of the three three-game qualifying blocks at Hakata Star Lanes in Hakata, Japan. Tan topped all 168 players with 715 total and an average of 238.33, while PBA champions Fagan and Rash, United States, were tied for first place in the men's division at 710 (236.67). All players return on Friday for another six qualifying games.

The field is set for the main event of the International Bowling Championship 2012 supported by DHC which will be held from Feb. 9-11 at Hakata Star Lanes, a 60 wooden-lane center on two floors, in Hakata, Japan. Yoshihiro Haji and Mayumi Yoshida of the Japan Professional Bowlers Association led the third and final local pre-qualifying tournament while Lee Ik-Kyu of Korea and Jacqueline Sijore of Malaysia topped the International Trials:

Liz Johnson, Chris Barnes and Walter Ray Williams Jr. advanced to the stepladder finals of the WTBA International Open, which will be held in suburban Paris, France in March. Each finalist earned an expenses-paid trips to the stepladder finals, which will be held in conjunction with the Brunswick Euro Challenge, the seventh stop of the 2012 World Bowling Tour, which takes place at Plaza Saint Maximin from March 16-25. Bowlingdigital will cover the BEC live from Plaza Bowl.

The World Bowling Tour is heading into its second season featuring 14 events in 10 countries - five in the United States and one each in Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Finland, France, Japan, Korea, Kuwait and Thailand. The top 50 men and the top 50 women earn points based on how they finish in each event. The current points system is based on a continuous two-year cycle (2011-12). The top 3 men and top 3 women in the WBT rankings will qualify for the World Bowling Tour finals at the end of 2012.

The World Bowling Tour is heading into its second season featuring 14 events in 10 countries - five in the United States and one each in Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Finland, France, Japan, Korea, Kuwait and Thailand. The top 50 men and the top 50 women earn points based on how they finish in each event. The current points system is based on a continuous two-year cycle (2011-12). The top 3 men and top 3 women in the WBT rankings will qualify for the World Bowling Tour finals at the end of 2012.

Former PBA exempt player D.J. Archer (l.) of Pt Arthur, Texas averaged over 240 in the qualifying of the USBC Masters, WTBA International Open and The International Mini en route to win $10,000 first prize in All Events with 4813 20-game total. Two-time PBA champion Mike Machuga (r.) of Erie, Pa., matched Archer's earnings when hit the jackpot at one of the Keno machines in Strike Zone Bowling Center.

PBA Hall of Famer Amleto Monacelli (l.) of Venezuela, Scott Newell (r.) of Deland, Fla. and Adam Barta of Girard, Ohio, saved their best for the 19th and last qualifying squad to advance to the finals on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5, starting at Noon Pacific. Three-time PBA champion Eugene McCune of Munster, Ind., led the field of 132 players - 123 men and nine women - with 1505 total and an average of 250.83. The cut in the Desperado Squad was 257.

Five PNA champions including three PBA Player of the Year led the penultimate qualifying squad of the WTBA International Open Saturday morning to position themselves in the top 43, who will advance to the finals on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5, starting at Noon Pacific. Wes Malott (pictured) of Pflugerville, Texas, who owns seven PBA Tour titles including three in the 2008-09 season on his way to PBA Player of the Year honors, led the 26 players of Squad 18 with 1412 six-game total and an average of 235.33.

Only two players, J. C. Zuniga of Tulsa, Okla., and Adam Barta of Girard, Ohio, cracked the top 43 at the WTBA International Open in Friday evening's Squad 17 at Sunset Station's Strike Zone Bowling Center in Las Vegas. Three-time PBA champions Eugene McCune (l.) of Munster, Ind. and Mike Fagan (r.) of Grapevine, Texas, held on to lead the field of 124 players - 116 men and eight women - with 1505 and 1503 pinfall total, respectively.

Russian international Nikita Koshelev (l.) led the 16th out of 19 qualifying squads in the WTBA International Open Friday afternoon at Sunset Station's Strike Zone Bowling Center in Las Vegas. With his 1354 six-game total, Koshelev is currently tied for the 43rd and last place to advance to the finals slated for Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5, starting at Noon Pacific with Josh Blanchard of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., and PBA champion Andres Gomez (r.) of Colombia.

Eugene McCune (pictured) of Munster, Ind. closed out his six-game series in Squad 16 Friday morning at Sunset Station's Strike Zone Bowling Center in Las Vegas with a huge game to shoot into the lead in the WTBA International Open, a World Bowling Tour event. Fresh off his victory in the PBA Cheetah Open, the three-time PBA champion started the day with 247, 266, 235, 256 and 203 before he closed things out with 298 to surpass previous leader Mike Fagan of Grapevine, Texas, by two pins.

PBA exempt player Ronnie Russell (pictured) of Marion, Ind., bowled in his own class in the 14th qualifying squad of the WTBA International Open Thursday evening at Sunset Station in Las Vegas. The three-time PBA Regional champion rolled games of 223, 234, 235, 209, 268 and 215 for 1384 total, an average of 230.67, to jump into a tie for 22nd place with PBA Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, Fla. Mike Fagan of Grapevine, Texas, leads the field of 109 players since Squad 10 with 1503.

Jason Sterner of McDonough, Ga., started the 13th qualifying squad of the WTBA International Open Thursday afternoon at Sunset Station's Strike Zone Bowling Center in Las Vegas with the second 300 game of the tournament en route to become the 16th player in the tournament's 1400-club. The 2007-08 PBA South Region Player of the Year totaled 1406 pins to lead the squad and to overtake 15th place in qualifying. Another six players of Squad 13 positioned themselves in the top 44.

Just nine players took the lanes at Sunset Station's Strike Zone Bowling Center in Las Vegas to compete in the 12th of 198 qualifying squads in the WTBA International Open. There were no changes atop the leaderboard though three players made it into the top 44 or climbed the ladder after improving their previous high scores. Those three were Bob Belmont of Clearwater, Fla., Mike Scroggins (left) of Amarillo, Texas, Scott Norton (right) of Costa Mesa, Calif.

Former Asian ranking champion Wu Siu Hong (pictured) of Hong Kong, China, led the 11th qualifying squad in the World Bowling Tour's WTBA International Open Wednesday night in Ls Vegas with 1418 and an average of 236.33 for six games to move into 13th place in the overall qualifying standings. Another two players of Squad 11, Kurt Pilon of Warren, Mich., and Lonnie Waliczek of Wichite, Kan., moved into the top 44. USBC Masters champion Mike Fagan of Grapevine, Texas, held on to the lead with 1503.

Mike Fagan (l.) of Grapevine, Texas, who won the USBC Masters last Sunday here at Sunset Station's Strike Zone Bowling Center in Las Vegas became the first player in the WTBA International Open Wednesday who cracked the 1500-bar. The three-time PBA champion had games of 240, 255, 279, 236, 258 and 235 for 1503 total to overtake previous leader, PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber (r.) of St Ann, Mo., by 53 pins.