Just two days after Phil Mickelson's heartbreaking collapse at golf's U.S. Open, Michael Nape of Aurora, Ill., suffered a similar fate at the 2006 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships.

Mickelson squandered a two-shot lead with four holes to go and settled for his fourth career runner-up finish at the event. Nape had the Regular All-Events lead within his grasp with two frames to go, but ended his run at a title with two consecutive open frames to finish tied for ninth place with 2,156. Dave Mitchell of Farmington, Minn., leads with 2,189.

Nape, a 37-year-old right-hander, had 741 in team and 692 in doubles and knew that along with his shot at the lead, he also was on pace to eclipse his career-high all-events total of 2,103. He started singles with games of 277 and 243 and began the final game with strikes in six of the first eight frames.

"I moved inside about halfway through the third game of doubles, and by the end of singles I was into about the sixth arrow and running out of room on the lane," Nape said. "I probably didn't loft it enough to get it though the heads in the ninth frame and it checked up early. Then in the 10th frame I guess I threw it a little too hard and it never really finished. I put myself in position to do it, and it just didn't happen today."

Nape is no stranger to pressure or success. He owns 13 Professional Bowlers Association regional titles, including a win at the National Resident Pro Championship in 2001. He also has found success at the Open Championships, which includes a 300 game in doubles in 1996 and a second-place team finish at the 2004 event in Reno, Nev.

Aside from his individual performance this year, Nape helped Fox Bowl 1 of Wheaton, Ill., into ninth place in Team All-Events with 9,814. Dan Bachar added 2,083 and was followed by Greg Bollinger (1,896), Gregg Zicha (1,843) and Tom Sims (1,836). Linds Lakers 1 of Minneapolis leads with 9,940.

Despite falling short in the end, Nape was glad he was able to reach his personal goal, and now he's extra motivated heading back into Reno next year.

"Being in that position is something I've always dreamed about," said Nape, who made his 19th Open Championships appearance. "Unfortunately in bowling there are so many ups and downs. I'm glad I was able to reach the goals I had set for myself, but I'm disappointed about bowling great all day and then having it end the way it did. There's only one place in bowling and that's first, but I'll get over the disappointment."

Presenting sponsors for the 2006 USBC Open Championships are Eldorado, Silver Legacy and Circus Circus Hotel/Casinos in Reno, Nev. Other participating sponsors are Kegel, official lane maintenance provider, Texas State Aquarium, Majestic Ventures Yacht Charters, Inc., USS Lexington Museum and Texas Treasure Casino Cruises.



Top 10 division leaders with hometown and pinfalls:

Team
1, Browning Pontiac (Steve Fehr, George Gohagan III, Ken Jessee, Jon Murph, Ken Abner), Cincinnati, 3,496. 2, Bowlers Universe 1, Rockford, Ill., 3,472. 3, Brunswick Shox, Wichita, Kan., 3,436. 4, The Benik Corporation, Silverdale, Wash., 3,402. 5, Bowling Dynamics Inc., Phoenix, 3,400. 6, Trophy King Pro Shop, Davenport, Iowa, 3,394. 7, Red Carpet Waukesha, Waukesha, Wis., 3,387. 8, Fran's Pro Shop 3, Waterloo, Iowa, 3,382. 9, True Amateur Tournament 1, Upland, Calif., 3,372. 10, Chilton Billiard Supply, Wichita, Kan., 3,365.

Doubles
1, Paul Yoder, Albuquerque, N.M./Bobby Stives, El Paso, Texas, 1,497. 2, Pat McGainey Jr., Baltimore/Brian Bennett, Lewes, Del., 1,496. 3, Paul Zuehlke, Oshkosh, Wis./Jon Schure, Ripon, Wis., 1,461. 4, Kevin Adam/Jacques Jacobson, Reading, Pa., 1,447. 5, Shane Keefauver, Canton, Ill./Doug Manhart, Bloomington, Ill., 1,432. 6, Gary Skidmore, Albuquerque, N.M./John Weltzien, Wellington, Fla., 1,425. 7, Scott Terzo/Mark McClain, Rochester, N.Y., 1,421. 8, Aaron Pawloski, Volcano, Calif./Bobby Huckaby, Santa Cruz, Calif., 1,420. 9, Mike Friedman, Adams, Tenn./Tony Szeluga, Clarksville, Tenn., 1,413. 10, Ryan Lever, New Berlin, Wis./Chad Maas, Brookfield, Wis., 1.412.

Singles
1, Norm Titus, Columbia, Tenn., 811. 2, Dave Barker, Springfield Ill., 793. 3, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 792. 4, Michael Chontos, Finleyville, Pa., 791. 5, Janette Piesczynski, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 789. 6 (tie), Dave Hewitt, Fremont, Calif., and Jeff Carter, Springfield Ill., 788. 8, David Williams Jr., Omaha, Neb., 783. 9, Ernest Goedicke, Brigham City, Utah, 774. 10, Mike Danielson, Vancouver, Wash., 773.

All-Events
1, Dave Mitchell, Farmington, Minn., 2,189. 2, Andrew Neuer, Milton, Pa., 2,183. 3, Aaron Walsh, Amarillo, Texas, 2,180. 4, Kelly Ray, Arlington, Texas, 2,179. 5, Norm Titus, Columbia, Tenn., 2,177. 6, Shane Keefauver, Canton, Ill., 2,171. 7, Rob Schuh, Neenah, Wis., 2,161. 8, Robert Dillman, Albuquerque, N.M., 2,158. 9, Mitch Sacks, Mundelein, Ill., and Michael Nape, Aurora, Ill., 2,156.

Team All-Events
1, Linds Lakers 1 (Sam Lantto, Gary Green, Charles Vashaw, Todd Savoy, John Eiss), Minneapolis, 9,940. 2, MoRich Ball Company, Milwaukee, 9,893. 3, Bowling Dynamics Inc., Phoenix, 9,866. 4, Montgomery Industries Inc., Braintree, Mass., 9,851. 5, Smith Barney 1, Madison, Wis., 9,849. 6, Warrior Lanes, Des Moines, Iowa, 9,837. 7, Browning Pontiac, Cincinnati, 9,829. 8, Ebonite HQ 1, Hopkinsville, Ky., 9,816. 9, Fox Bowl 1, Wheaton, Ill., 9,814. 10, On Track/Custom Thumb A, Brooklyn Center, Minn., 9,799.

Team
1, Torkelson Construction (Greg Schipull, Roger Haupt, Troy Schultz, Dustin Elston, Eric Douglass), Clarion, Iowa, 2,878. 2, Suburban Lanes, Meade, Kan., 2,851. 3, Sportsman Bowling Club 3, Cerritos, Calif., 2,807. 4, Grogan's Dairy Queen, Dyersburg, Tenn., 2,789. 5, D&R Golf, New Iberia, La., 2,750. 6, Sparta Pro Shop, Sparta, Mich., 2,745. 7, Hole in the Wall 2, Newton, Iowa, 2,744. 8, Lucky-Lucky, Lubbock, Texas, 2,743. 9, Dos Amigos, Page, Ariz., 2,742. 10, Cardinal Lanes, Hoisington, Kan., 2,740.

Doubles
1, Robert Tukker, Mount Prospect, Ill./David Clauss, Chicago, 1,248. 2, Richard Cockerhan, Davison, Mich./Ron Caldwell, North Branch, Mich., 1,234. 3, Chris Lott, Murfreesboro, Tenn./Ronald Morris, Nashville, Tenn., 1,229. 4, Kevin Mitchell, Millbrae, Calif./Robert Stephens, San Francisco, 1,214. 5, Jared Gould, Jamestown, N.Y./Harvey Osterstuck, Perrysburg, N.Y., 1,212. 6, Kirby Lomax, Gainesville, Ga./Samuel Murray, Toccoa, Ga., 1,211. 7, Ron Hester/Ken Varner, Lexington, N.C., 1,209. 8, Leroy Bellemin, Grand Coteau, La./Rodney Leblanc, Lafayette, La., 1,201. 9 (tie), Larry Sorenson/Virgil Taylor, Streator, Ill., Tim Anderson, Dawson, Minn./Rob Bennett, Montevideo, Minn., and Glynn Arceneaux, Lafayette, La./Rob Clark, Duson, La., 1,198.

Singles
1, Shawn Fisher, Albuquerque, N.M., 684. 2 (tie), Steve Jacoby, Gowen, Mich., and Ted Skrzynecki Jr., Ida, Mich., 679. 4 (tie), Darlene Baker, Mahomet, Ill., and Todd Guidry, Lafayette, La., 675. 6, Rand Syverson, Onamia, Minn., 665. 7, Aaron Biagioni, Ottawa, Ill., 661. 8, Frederick Green, Waterford Township, Mich., 660. 9, Chris Case, Knoxville, Tenn., 657. 10, Greg Hidalgo, Austin, Texas, 655.

All-Events
1, Kirby Lomax, Gainesville, Ga., 1,861. 2, John Millet Jr., Greenland, N.H., 1,851. 3, Todd Guidry, Lafayette, La., 1,824. 4, John Murray, Pompano Beach, Fla., 1,802. 5, Jeffery Schrupp, Lester Prairie, Minn., 1,800. 6, Keith Braun, Celina, Ohio, 1,797. 7, Billy Haferkamp, Clifton, Texas, 1,788. 8, Michael Licko, Carol Stream, Ill., 1,787. 9, Robyn Haires, Panama City, Fla., 1,785. 10, James McLendon, Charlotte, N.C., 1,781.