03/19/07
2006-07 PBA Tour #18
Shafer fired 18th nationally televised 300 game, but Duke wins the title in Pepsi Championship
Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis, Ind. (March 14-18, 2007)
Norm Duke knows all too well the feeling of firing a 300 game in a national TV semifinal only to lose in the title match. That’s why Duke showed no mercy in Sunday’s 2007 Pepsi Championship title match. After third-seeded Ryan Shafer fired the 18th nationally televised 300 game in Denny’s Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour history in the semifinals, the top-seeded Duke showed why he dominated the tournament from start to finish, defeating Shafer 235-219 to win his third title of the season and the 26th of his career.
Duke fired a 300 game in the semifinals of the 2003 GEICO Earl Anthony Classic against Walter Ray Williams Jr. only to lose to Mike DeVaney in the title match, who was also in this week’s championship round.
Shafer could never get on track in the title match. After striking in the first two frames to run his string of strikes to 18 in a row, he failed to strike again until the 8th frame while Duke struck six consecutive times after an open in the 1st.
It was the fourth time in his career and the second time this season Duke defeated Shafer in a title match, and it pushed Duke’s record overall against Shafer on TV to 6-1. Duke also defeated Shafer in the title match of the 2006 Columbia 300 Classic, his second of three titles this season.
The win capped a huge comeback for the 25-year veteran who withdrew from the first seven events of the second half after breaking a toe in January. He finished 11th in the Bayer Classic and fifth in the 64th U.S. Open in his first two events back before putting himself back in the PBA Player of the Year race with his third win. “What was on my mind was that Tony (Reyes) was playing a line inside of me and it was creating a lot of havoc and I knew I would have to go in cold with something,” said Duke. “Then to see Ryan shoot 300 and to start with an open was just abysmal. I went with what I thought would work best and stayed with it. I caught a couple breaks. If I had used that ball for two or three games it would have caused me trouble but with just one game I caught some breaks and did it the hard way.”
After making seven TV appearances in 2005-06 but winning just one title, Duke has taken advantage of his opportunities this season, going 8-0 on television in becoming the first bowler this season to win three times.
As for Shafer, he had a chance to move to the top of the PBA Tournament of Champions roster, but stayed on the bubble for a fourth week with Duke’s win.
In the semifinal, Shafer (left) defeated second-seeded Jeff Carter, 300-228. Shafer’s perfect game was the second 300 on TV this season, marking the first time since 1999 two televised perfect games have taken place in the same season. “Of course your legs are wobbling a little. I can’t even throw a 300 game in league so it’s just an unbelievable experience. I just tried to relax and concentrate on the game,” said Shafer of trying to recover in the title match. “I threw a pretty good game but threw one bad shot in the third frame and lost my line just like I did in the World Championship here last year.”
Ironically, the other bowler to shoot 300 on TV this season was Tony Reyes, who Shafer defeated in the second stepladder match, 224-207. Shafer struck in his last four frames to force Reyes to strike twice in the 10th, but Reyes left a 10-pin with his first shot.
In the first match, Reyes defeated the fifth-seed DeVaney, 279-248, nearly becoming the first bowler to fire two perfect games on TV in their career. Reyes struck in 11 of 12 frames, the only blemish being a 10-pin in the 6th frame.
Duke (Clermont, Fla.) took home $25,000 for the win, while Shafer (Horseheads, N.Y.) earned $13,000 for second, plus a $10,000 bonus for the 300 game. Carter (Springfield, Ill.) took home $6,500 for third, Reyes (San Bruno, Calif.) earned $5,500 for fourth while DeVaney (Temecula, Calif.) earned $5,000 for fifth.
The Denny’s PBA Tour heads to Wyoming, Mich., next week for the 2007 Denny’s World Championship at Spectrum Lanes, March 18-25, the third of four Majors of the 2006-07 schedule. The live ESPN televised finals take place at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids, Mich., Sunday, March 25, at 2 p.m. EST.
Pepsi Championship
Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis, Ind. (March 14-18, 2007)Championship Round:
1. Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla. 235 (1 game), $25,000
2. Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y. 743 (3 games), $23,000*
3. Jeff Carter, Springfield, Ill. 228 (1 game), $6,500
4. Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif. 486 (2 games), $5,500
5. Mike DeVaney, Temecula, Calif. 248 (1 game) $5,000
Playoff Results:
First Match: Reyes def. DeVaney, 279-248
Second ;atch: Shafer def. Reyes, 224-207
Third Match: Shafer def. Carter, 300-228**
Championship Match: Duke def. Shafer, 235-219.
*Includes $10,000 bonus for televised 300 game.
**Shafer fired the 18th nationally televised 300 game in Denny’s PBA Tour history.
This is Duke’s 26th career Denny’s PBA Tour title.
Picture courtesy of PBA LLC/Baughn.
Duke earns top seed for stepladder finals in Pepsi Championship
You can’t say much more about Norm Duke, the proof is in the performance. The 25-year veteran, who already has two titles on the 2006-07 Denny’s Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour, continued his amazing run in the 2007 Pepsi Championship Friday night at Woodland Bowl. Duke, who has led every round of the Tour’s last standard event of the season, compiled a record of 15-3 in Friday’s round-robin match play and concluded action with a 32-game pinfall of 8,346 with 30 bonus pins being awarded for a win in match play and 15 for a tie.
“It keeps getting better. A lot of the guys in the field like the boom ball and keep moving in. They leave me with something I like,” said Duke (Clermont, Fla.). “Traffic always creates havoc. I’m able to have something all by myself and that’s wonderful for me.”
With his finish, Duke is awarded the top seed in Sunday’s live ESPN televised stepladder finals.
Duke lost to his closest competitor in the Round of 16’s position round, but, it didn’t make a difference as Jeff Carter was still 450 pins behind. Carter (Springfield, Ill.), who is making his second career TV appearance in consecutive tournaments, finished match play 15-2-1 with 7,896. 
Ryan Shafer will be the No. 3 seeded bowler on Sunday’s show after racking up an 11-7 record. Shafer (Horseheads, N.Y.) finished with a 32-game pinfall of 7,868. Shafer defeated Michael Haugen Jr., 265-257, in the No. 5 vs. No. 6 position round match. 
No. 4 seed Tony Reyes (left, San Bruno, Calif.) will open Sunday’s finals taking on No. 5 seed Mike DeVaney (Temecula, Calif.). Reyes finished just 47 pins behind Shafer with 7,821 and a match play record of 10-8, including a 209-199 win over DeVaney in the position round.
DeVaney (right) made the most dramatic entrance to Sunday’s final, needing 33 games to qualify after tying Haugen for the fifth and final spot with a 32-game pinfall of 7,780. DeVaney advanced with a 248-218 win over Haugen (Cave Creek, Ariz.) in a one-game roll-off. The five bowlers advance to Sunday’s live ESPN televised finals at 12:30 p.m. EST at Woodland Bowl. The winner will take home $25,000 and a one-season Denny’s PBA Tour exemption.
Round of 16
Players with position, hometown, round robin record and 32-game total. 30 bonus pins for win, 15 for tie included in total pinfall. Pos. 6-16 eliminated, cash.
1, Norm Duke, Clermont, FL, 15-3-0, 8,346
2, Jeff Carter, Springfield, IL, 15-2-1, 7,896
3, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 11-7-0, 7,868
4, Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., 10-8-0, 7,821
5, Mike DeVaney, Temecula, Calif., 9-9-0, 7,780
DeVaney def. Haugen in a one-game roll-off, 248-218.
Missed Cut:
6, Michael Haugen Jr, Cave Creek, Ariz., 8-9-1, 7,780, $4,000
7, Tommy Delutz Jr, Flushing, N.Y., 12-6-0, 7,739, $3,700
8, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 12-6-0, 7,679, $3,500
9, Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 10-7-1, 7,660, $3,000
10, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 10-7-1, 7,629, $2,900
11, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 11-7-0, 7,581, $2,800
12, Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., 11-7-0, 7,542, $2,700
13, Wes Malott, Argyle, Texas, 7-11-0, 7,477, $2,625
13, Brian Voss, Alpharetta, Ga., 8-10-0, 7,477, $2,625
15, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 4-14-0, 7,406, $2,550
16, Rick Steelsmith, Wichita, Kan., 9-9-0, 7,295, $2,500
Round of 32
Players with position, hometown, round robin record and 23-game total. 30 bonus pins for win, 15 for tie included in total pinfall. Pos. 17-32 eliminated, cash $2,200.
1, Norm Duke, Clermont, FL, 8-1-0, 5,872
2, Mike DeVaney, Temecula, Calif., 6-3-0, 5,622
3, Jeff Carter, Springfield, IL, 7-1-1, 5,597
4, Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., 6-3-0, 5,586
5, Tommy Delutz Jr, Flushing, N.Y., 6-3-0, 5,577
6, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 3-6-0, 5,547
7, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 5-4-0, 5,538
8, Michael Haugen Jr, Cave Creek, Ariz., 5-4-0, 5,518
9, Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 5-3-1, 5,479
10, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 8-1-0, 5,449
11, Wes Malott, Argyle, Texas, 4-5-0, 5,422
12, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 5-4-0, 5,412
13, Brian Voss, Alpharetta, Ga., 4-5-0, 5,405
14, Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., 7-2-0, 5,403
15, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 6-3-0, 5,387
16, Rick Steelsmith, Wichita, Kan., 6-3-0, 5,373
Missed Cut:
17, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 6-3-0, 5,366
18, Walter Ray Williams Jr, Ocala, Fla., 3-6-0, 5,362
19, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 4-5-0, 5,359
20, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 2-7-0, 5,313
21, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 4-5-0, 5,311
22, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 3-6-0, 5,274
23, Michael Fagan, Greenlawn, N.Y., 4-5-0, 5,247
24, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 4-5-0, 5,242
25, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 2-7-0, 5,235
26, Tim Criss, Bel Air, Md., 2-6-1, 5,227
27, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore, 2-7-0, 5,213
28, Jim Pratt, Youngtown, AZ, 3-6-0, 5,197
29, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 2-7-0, 5,138
30, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 3-6-0, 5,106
31, Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 3-6-0, 5,080
32, Marv Sargent, Temecula, Calif., 4-4-1, 5,013
300 Games (3) – Mike Machuga, Tony Reyes, Chris Warren.
Duke leads top 32 into match play in Pepsi Championship
Despite withdrawing from seven events this season, Norm Duke is still making a case to be a candidate in a crowded Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Player of the Year race.The 25-time Denny's PBA Tour titlist, who suffered a broken toe in January, has rebounded in his last three events since returning, continuing with a dominating performance in Thursday's Round of 64 in the 2007 Pepsi Championship at Woodland Bowl.
Duke averaged 247.43 Thursday and finished with a 3,464 14-game pinfall, finishing more than 100 pins ahead of the next bowler, second-place Mike DeVaney (Temecula, Calif.) who finished with 3,349.
After finishing the first half of the season as the front-runner for PBA Player of the Year by winning two titles, Duke withdrew from the first seven events of the second half after sustaining a broken toe. He rebounded with an 11th-place finish his first event back in the 2007 Bayer Classic, then finished fifth in the 64th U.S. Open two weeks ago.
"If I had been out there bowling all season I could make a lot better case but I'm still in it," Duke (Clermont, Fla.) said of the Player of the Year race. "There are still two Majors left, but they're all important. But since there are only three events left, it just makes it that much more important regardless of whether I'm in the Player of the Year race or not."
Duke led nearly from start to finish Thursday, leading after the first seven games with a 258.00 average. He had four games of 278 or higher in the first seven games, but cooled off in the second block, averaging 236.86 over the final seven games. It was still enough to open up a big lead heading into round robin match play, where all pins from qualifying carry over.
"There were a lot of high scores out there and it was because you could play a number of different lines," said Duke. "It's hard to know which one is best, but I had this intuition that the straighter you'd go the better, even though it didn't look like it."
Ryan Shafer (Horseheads, N.Y.) finished third with 3,322, while non-exempt bowler Dino Castillo (Carrollton, Texas) continued his hot streak and finished fourth with 3,305. Castillo, who qualified through Wednesday's Tour Qualifying Round for a Tour-record ninth time this season, has clinched an exemption for the 2007-08 season.
PBA Hall of Famer Tom Baker (King, N.C.) rounds out the top five with 3,262.
Kelly Kulick, the first-ever woman to earn a full-season exemption on the Denny's PBA Tour, finished 14th with 3,220.
The top 32 advance to Friday's round robin match play starting at 11 a.m. EST. The field will then be narrowed to the top five who will advance to Sunday's live ESPN televised finals at 12:30 p.m. EST. The winner will take home $25,000 and an exemption for the 2007-08 Denny's PBA Tour season.
Round of 64
Players with position, hometown and 14-game total. Top 32 advance to match play. Positions 33-64 earn $1,800.
(Pos., name/hometown and 14-game pinfall. ) 1, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 3,464
2, Mike DeVaney, Temecula, Calif., 3,349
3, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 3,322
4, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 3,305
5, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 3,262
6, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 3,261
7, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 3,252
8, Brian LeClair, Athens, N.Y., 3,248
9, Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 3,247
10, Tommy Delutz Jr., Flushing, N.Y., 3,245
11, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 3,238
12, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore, 3,237
13, Wes Malott, Argyle, Texas, 3,229
14, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 3,220
15, Jeff Carter, Springfield, IL, 3,215
16, Michael Haugen Jr., Cave Creek, Ariz., 3,213
17, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 3,208
18, Jim Pratt, Youngtown, AZ, 3,197
19, Tim Criss, Bel Air, Md., 3,189
20, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 3,187
21, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 3,178
22, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 3,163
23, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 3,159
24, Brian Voss, Alpharetta, Ga., 3,158
25, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 3,155
26, Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., 3,154
27, Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 3,144
28, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 3,133
29, Michael Fagan, Greenlawn, N.Y., 3,120
30, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 3,115
31, Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., 3,113
32, Rick Steelsmith, Wichita, Kan., 3,110
Missed Cut:
33, Bill O'Neill, Levittown, Pa., 3,108
34, Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan, 3,105
35, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 3,104
36, Dale Traber, Cedarburg, Wis., 3,097
37, Michael Ragon, Marion, Ind., 3,091
38, Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 3,084
39, Chris Johnson, Garland, Texas, 3,079
40, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 3,069
41, Chris Collins, Savannah, Ga., 3,067
42, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 3,055
43, David Traber, Hebron, Ill., 3,048
44, Del Ballard Jr., N. Richland Hills, Texas, 3,039
45, Steve Harman, Camby, Ind., 3,026
46, Marv Sargent, Temecula, Calif., 3,024
47, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 3,015
48, Riga Kalfas, Florence, Ky., 3,010
49, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 3,002
50, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 3,001
51, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 2,983
52, Ronnie Russell, Indianapolis, 2,982
53, William Guszczo, Orland Park, Ill., 2,979
54, Patrick Girard, Jonquiere, Quebec, 2,971
55, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 2,942
56, Walter Schaub II, Schaumburg, Ill., 2,935
57, Jason Hurd, Titusville, Fla., 2,934
58, John May, Iron Station, NC, 2,853
59, Chris Hayden, Orlando, Fla., 2,808
60, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 2,793
61, Billy Oatman, Chicago, 2,677
62, Richard Wolfe, Vienna, Va., 2,636
63, David Tessman, Lake Placid, Fla., 2,551
64, Paul Fleming, Bedford, Texas, 982
300 games (5) – Kelly Kulick, Rick Steelsmith, Eugene McCune, Mike DeVaney, Marv Sargent.
Duke takes the lead after the first block in Round of 64 at Pepsi Championship
After his flaws were self-admittedly exposed in the 64th U.S. Open, the second of four Majors on the 2006-07 Denny's Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour, Norm Duke has put together the total package in the perfect time of the season.Duke (Clermont, Fla.), who remains in the hunt for the 2006-07 PBA Player of the Year race with two previous titles this season, posted a seven-game total pinfall of 1,806, a 258 average, in the first block of qualifying to lead the field of 64 in the 2007 Pepsi Championship at Woodland Bowl.
"I really wasn't sharp in the U.S. Open. I didn't have enough time back from my injury to take inventory of what all I was missing. The U.S. Open definitely exposed my bad traits," said Duke. "Over the break I went home and really worked hard on my flaws. I was able to be alone and address my problems by myself. I told my wife that I was locked in with what was wrong with my game."
Duke ended the first block with a 278, his fourth game of the block over the 270 mark. Chris Warren (Grants Pass, Ore.) is in second with 1,720 after finishing with a 256, his fourth game over the 250 mark.
Dino Castillo (left, Carrollton, Texas), who advanced from Wednesday's Tour Qualifying Round for a PBA record ninth time this season, is in third with 1,713. All-time PBA Tour titles leader and last year's champion in Indianapolis, Walter Ray Williams Jr. (Ocala, Fla.), sits in fourth with 1,677. Ryan Shafer (Horseheads, N.Y.) rounds out the top five with 1,655.
Kelly Kulick (right), the first-ever exempt female on the Denny's PBA Tour, is one spot back in sixth. Kulick (Union, N.J.) fired the block's only 300 game in her fourth game to finish with 1,648.All 64 bowlers return Thursday evening for another seven games at 6 p.m. EST. The top 32 will advance to Friday's round-robin match play beginning at 11 a.m.
The top five bowlers will advance to Sunday's live ESPN televised finals at 12:30 p.m. EST at Woodland Bowl. The winner will take home $25,000 and a one-season Denny's PBA Tour exemption.
Round of 64 – First Block
Players with position, hometown and seven-game pinfall.
1, Norm Duke, Clermont, FL, 1,806
2, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore, 1,720
3, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 1,713
4, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 1,677
5, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 1,655
6, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 1,648
7, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 1,647
8, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 1,635
9, Tommy Delutz Jr., Flushing, N.Y., 1,634
10, Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 1,633
11, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 1,621
11, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 1,621
13, Chris Collins, Savannah, Ga., 1,620
14, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 1,609
15, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 1,602
16, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 1,597
17, Mike DeVaney, Temecula, Calif., 1,596
17, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 1,596
17, Rick Steelsmith, Wichita, Kan., 1,596
20, Dale Traber, Cedarburg, Wis., 1,595
20, Michael Fagan, Greenlawn, N.Y., 1,595
22, Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 1,594
23, Michael Ragon, Marion, Ind., 1,587
24, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 1,580
25, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 1,577
26, Del Ballard Jr., N. Richland Hills, Texas, 1,572
27, Michael Haugen Jr., Cave Creek, Ariz., 1,567
27, Brian Voss, Alpharetta, Ga., 1,567
27, David Traber, Hebron, Ill., 1,567
30, Tim Criss, Bel Air, Md., 1,564
30, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 1,564
32, Wes Malott, Argyle, Texas, 1,559
33, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 1,558
34, Jeff Carter, Springfield, IL, 1,557
35, Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan, 1,554
36, Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., 1,547
37, Mike Machuga, Erie, Pa., 1,542
38, Jim Pratt, Youngtown, AZ, 1,539
39, Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., 1,537
40, Brian LeClair, Athens, N.Y., 1,523
41, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 1,519
42, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 1,518
43, William Guszczo, Orland Park, Ill., 1,516
44, Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 1,511
45, Patrick Girard, Jonquiere, Quebec, 1,510
46, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 1,507
47, Steve Harman, Camby, Ind., 1,503
48, Riga Kalfas, Florence, Ky., 1,497
49, Ronnie Russell, Indianapolis, 1,485
49, Chris Johnson, Garland, Texas, 1,485
51, Bill O'Neill, Levittown, Pa., 1,478
52, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 1,475
53, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 1,466
54, Marv Sargent, Temecula, Calif., 1,446
55, Jason Hurd, Titusville, Fla., 1,439
56, Walter Schaub II, Schaumburg, Ill., 1,430
57, John May, Iron Station, NC, 1,426
58, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 1,425
59, Chris Hayden, Orlando, Fla., 1,374
60, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 1,355
61, Richard Wolfe, Vienna, Va., 1,330
62, Billy Oatman, Chicago, 1,300
63, David Tessman, Lake Placid, Fla., 1,208
64, Paul Fleming, Bedford, Texas, 982
300 Games - Kelly Kulick.
Russel, Castillo advance to Round of 64 in Pepsi Championship
Despite bowling the best he's bowled all season, Ronnie Russell was more happy with one of his competitor's performances than his own in Wednesday's Denny's Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour Qualifying Round at Woodland Bowl. An Indianapolis native, Russell led the Tour Qualifying Round for the first time this season with a 1,774 seven-game pinfall, finishing just ahead of non-exempt points leader Dino Castillo, who finished second with 1,721.
Russell is currently third among non-exempt bowers in the PBA World Point Rankings with two events remaining including this week, with the top non-exempt bowler after those events earning an exemption for next season.
Castillo leads that race, but he's 38th in points and should he stay in the top 39 he would drop out of the non-exempt race and earn the exemption via the top 39. Also aiding Russell was Dave D'Entremont – who is second among non-exempt bowlers – winning the PBA Central Region points race last weekend, which gave him an exemption and dropped him out of the non-exempt race.
Thus, Russell was happy to see Castillo make Thursday's Round of 64, which gives Castillo a good chance of staying in the top 39.
"It was more satisfying seeing (Dino) do well than me. Without him none of this matters. Now we both need to bowl well tomorrow and make match play," Russell said. "I didn't sleep a lot last night because I felt like I had a lot of expectations. I've started to learn how to handle myself a little better though. I went through some failures in the past when I've been in the spotlight. This whole year I've kind of brought it back when I did need something."
Russell has always bowled well in his hometown. In last season's Denny's World Championship at Woodland Bowl, the former All-American at Vincennes University led after 27 games of qualifying and finished the event 14th overall. On Wednesday, he fired back-to-back 279s in games two and three to jump ahead early, then cruised with an average of 251.25 over the final four games including a 269 in the final game.
Six PBA members and one amateur advanced to Thursday’s Round of 64. Besides Russell and Castillo (Carrollton, Texas), Steve Harman (Camby, Ind.), Michael Ragon (Marion, Ind.) and Walter Schaub II (Schaumburg, Ill.) advanced along with amateur William Guszczo (Orland Park, Ill.). Johnson (Cheektowaga, N.Y.) was originally out of the cut by two pins, but Patrick Healey Jr. withdrew Wednesday evening to give an additional spot to PBA members.
Thursday's Round of 64 features two seven-game qualifying blocks, the first of which gets underway at 11 a.m. EST. The top 32 advance to Friday's round robin match play.
The top five bowlers after match play advance to Sunday's live ESPN televised finals at 12:30 p.m. EST. The winner will take home $25,000 and an exemption for the 2007-08 Denny's PBA Tour season.
Denny's PBA Tour Qualifying Round
Players with position, hometown, and seven-game total. Top six PBA members and top amateur (8) advance. Places 6-7 and 9-36 cash.
1, Ronnie Russell, Indianapolis, 1,774
2, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 1,721
3, Steve Harman, Camby, Ind., 1,716
4, Michael Ragon, Marion, Ind., 1,702
5, Walter Schaub II, Schaumburg, Ill., 1,689
6, Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 1,687, $1,000
7, Marc Massie, Ft. Wright, Ky., 1,659, $900
8, William Guszczo, Orland Park, Ill., 1,644
9, Neil Kassel, Beavercreek, Ohio, 1,642, $800
10, Edward VanDaniker Jr., Essex, Md., 1,637, $700
11, Mike Mineman, Belleville, Ill., 1,629, $600
12, Todd Book, Cantonment, Fla., 1,620, $550
13, Robert Volk, E Setauket, N.Y., 1,616, $500
14, Gregory Thompson Jr., Dayton, Ohio, 1,615, $450
15, Ward Rauch, Cheboygan, Mich., 1,614, $435
15, John Riffle, Highland, Ind., 1,614, $435
17, Dale Eagle, Tavares, Fla., 1,605, $420
18, Rudy Kasimakis, Tupelo, Miss., 1,601, $410
19, Brian Kjergaard, Fulton, Ill., 1,600, $400
20, Louis Franzetti, Indianapolis, 1,599, $390
21, Alex Medveditskov, St. Petersburg, Russia, 1,598, $380
22, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 1,592, $370
23, Jonathan Van Hees, Providence, R.I., 1,591, $355
23, Ricky Jewell JR, Greenville, S.C., 1,591, $355
25, Jason Muri, Louisville, Ky., 1,588, $340
26, Paul Gibson, Bunswick, Ohio, 1,585, $330
27, Steve Rogers, Bourbonnais, Ill., 1,578, $320
28, Craig LeMond, Jasper, Ind., 1,576, $310
29, Steve Weber, Chalmette, La., 1,568, $300
30, Kevin Andes, Somerset, Mass., 1,562, $300
30, Jason Francis, Macomb Township, Mich., 1,562, $300
32, Eddie Graham, Centerville, Ohio, 1,556, $300
33, Jeff Zaffino, Warren, Pa., 1,553, $300
34, James Wallace, Hicksville, N.Y., 1,552, $300
35, Ed Smaglik, Lafayette, Ind., 1,549, $300
36, Dave D'Entremont, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, 1,545, $300
37, Dustin Schmidt, Warrensburg, Mo., 1,543
37, Jeremy Clark, Webb City, Mo., 1,543
39, Brandon Balsis, Tinley Park, Ill., 1,539
40, Chris Jones, Columbus, Ind., 1,537
41, Robert Bailey, Doylestown, Ohio, 1,530
42, Vinny D'Ambrosio III, Staten Island, N.Y., 1,527
43, Bruce Falcon, Bay City, Mich., 1,525
44, DJ Archer, Mineral Wells, Texas, 1,523
45, Jack Laffey, Indianapolis, 1,519
46, Earl Reynolds, Indianapolis, 1,513
47, Aaron Buss, Freeport, Ill., 1,511
48, Richard Jobe, Grandview, Mo., 1,510
49, Chad Kloss, Greenfield, Wis., 1,509
50, Troy Wollenbecker, Toledo, Ohio, 1,508
51, Brandon Mens, Griffith, Ind., 1,506
51, Chris Cundiff, Highland, Ind., 1,506
53, Jim Tomek Jr., Camp Hill, Pa., 1,504
54, Jimmy Levendosky, Hudsonville, Mich., 1,503
55, Ken Abner, Cincinnati, 1,501
56, Steve Ludwig, Salem, Ill., 1,499
57, Robert Wildt, Brownsburg, Ind., 1,497
58, Trent Burns, Indianapolis, 1,495
59, Bob Hale, Louisville, Ky., 1,487
60, Sam Rolph, Oak Forest, Ill., 1,476
61, Michael Bankert, Fishers, Ind., 1,466
62, Jeff Weliver, Frankfort, Ind., 1,462
62, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 1,462
64, Jeff Fehr, Cincinnati, 1,460
65, Doug Anderson, Ft. Wayne, Ind., 1,457
66, Michael White, Franklin, Ind., 1,453
67, DeJuan Jordan, Indianapolis, 1,448
67, Jeff Lizzi, Sandusky, Ohio, 1,448
69, George Gohagan III, Dayton, Ohio, 1,442
70, Jimmy Johnson, Pataskala, Ohio, 1,440
71, Collin Kerschner, Ft. Wayne, Ind., 1,436
72, Brian Menini, Brookfield, Mo., 1,427
73, Mark Schoch, Indianapolis, 1,422
73, James Tagalos, Naperville, Ill., 1,422
75, Jason VanTroost, Columbia, S.C., 1,420
76, Randy Robertson, Evansville, Ind., 1,417
77, Chris Tomlinson, Franklin, Tenn., 1,416
78, Mark Sullivan, Indianapolis, 1,415
79, Christopher Glaz, Elmwood Park, Ill, 1,411
80, Joe Massey, Lafayette, Ind., 1,409
81, Michael Reyes, Chicago, 1,406
82, Louie Wemett, Platteville, Wis., 1,403
83, John Slavich IV, Schaumburg, Ill., 1,399
84, Scott Weston, Auburn, Mich., 1,396
85, Richard Rich, Terre Haute, Ind., 1,392
86, Cornell Ray, Calumet Park, Ill., 1,389
86, Bob Kammer JR, Crown Point, Ind., 1,389
86, Aaron Joseph Loveless, Sweetser, Ind., 1,389
89, Dean Howard, Highland, Mich., 1,388
90, Bryan Paul, Brooklyn, N.Y., 1,384
91, Jeffrey Thomas, Indianapolis, 1,378
92, Andrew Cain, Scottsdale, Ariz., 1,374
93, James Helmecy Sr., Portage, Ind., 1,373
94, Christofer Lee, Ashmore, Ill., 1,372
95, Daniel Puerto, St Charles, Mo., 1,369
96, Chris Curry, Greenwood Ind., 1,361
96, Bill Crane III, Noblesville, Ind., 1,361
98, Ivo Raul Chiriboga, Miami, 1,357
99, Terry Buckner, Anderson, Ind., 1,346
100, Jason Johnson, Indianapolis, 1,345
101, Paul Lemond, Jasper, Ind., 1,344
102, Scott Gilmore, Lafayette, Ind., 1,337
103, Eric Aquila, Indianapolis, 1,334
104, Brett Spangler, New Castle, Ind., 1,332
105, Frank Ensweiler, Lowell, Ind., 1,328
106, Andrew Clark, Greenfield, Ind., 1,325
107, Mark Cornelius, Peru, Ind., 1,323
108, Bill Storey, Indianapolis, 1,315
109, Marc Pruett, Terre Haute, Ind., 1,313
110, Jerald Bohlman, Milton, Fla., 1,310
111, Adam Monks, Oakland, N.J., 1,304
112, Randy Johnson, Indianapolis, 1,299
113, Jason Cheek, Jerseyville, Ill., 1,297
114, Robert Rogers, Indianapolis, 1,295
115, Hubert Harrison, Middletown, Ind., 1,294
116, Brian Taylor, Terre Haute, Ind., 1,284
117, Curtis Baker JR, Indianapolis, 1,283
118, Jeffrey Scott, Rochester, N.Y., 1,277
119, Joe Hostetler, Minerva, Ohio, 1,269
120, Jason Hunter, Ft Wayne, Ind., 1,263
120, Scott Setser, Greenwood, Ind., 1,263
122, Tracey Burroughs, Noblesville, Ind., 1,262
122, John Kidwell, Indianapolis, 1,262
124, Sean Couse, Indianapolis, 1,259
125, Matthew Tabor, Grand Blanc, Mich., 1,256
126, Bill Oravecz, Mentor, Ohio, 1,248
126, Eric Stoini, Cincinnati, 1,248
128, Steve Merten, Wills Pt., Texas, 1,246
129, William Johnson, Atlanta, Ga., 1,227
130, Brandon Monk, Union City, Ind., 1,225
131, Mike Nadolski, Westland, Mich., 1,222
132, Brandon Jewell, Batesville, Ind., 1,215
133, Gary Zwiezinski, Elyria, Ohio, 1,212
134, Lucas Kemp, Noblesville, Ind., 1,197
135, Brian Miller, Westfield, Ill., 1,183
136, Anthony Gordon, Chicago, 1,170
137, Keith Dickerson, Collinsville, Ill., 1,164
138, Mark Stone, Carollton, Texas, 1,155
139, Charles Buffano, Oakwood Hills, Ill., 1,136
140, Steven Rubenstein, Fishers, Ind., 1,134
141, Brian Lawson, New Palestine, Ind., 1,122
142, Jerimie Jowers, Peoria, Ill., 1,108
143, Carl Knowles, Huntington, Ind., 1,104
144, Joseph Williams, Bridgman, Mich., 1,102
145, Jules Judkins, Warrenville, Ill., 906
146, Allan Kellar, Indianapolis, 1,013
147, Anthony Vigliotti, Staten Island, N.Y., 539
300 games (2) - Louis Franzetti, Liz Johnson.
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