12/06/07
2007-08 PBA Spare Shots #6
PBA Tour returns to AMF Country Club Lanes for the second consecutive season
This Week
The eighth event of the 2007-08 Denny’s PBA Tour takes place this week at AMF Country Club Lanes in Baltimore, with the 2007 Lumber Liquidators Championship, Dec. 5-9. The event, which started Wednesday with the Denny’s PBA Tour Qualifying Round, features a round robin match play format and a special prime-time, eight-bowler championship round. The finals will be taped at 1 p.m. Sunday and will air tape-delayed on ESPN from 8-10 p.m. EST. This marks the second consecutive season AMF Country Club Lanes has hosted a Tour stop after a 10-year absence. Last season, young star Sean Rash first dispatched local favorite Danny Wiseman in the semifinal before knocking off PBA Hall of Famer Parker Bohn III for his second career title. Wiseman, a Baltimore native, was looking for his second title in his home city as he captured the first of his 11 titles at Fair Lanes in Baltimore way back in 1990.
Wiseman and Bel Air, Md., native Tim Criss will look to put on a show in front of their hometown fans, along with PBA Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr., who won last week’s Great Lakes Classic for his 44th career title and second of the season. Williams and Pete Weber are the only other exempt bowlers to win in the Baltimore area as Williams captured the 1986 Fair Lanes Open and Weber won the event in 1991.
Last Week on the Denny’s PBA Tour
After receiving a couple of huge breaks to just squeak by in the semifinals of the Great Lakes Classic, Walter Ray Williams Jr. made sure the title match was nowhere near as close. Williams struck nine consecutive times after a spare to open the match, denying Chris Loschetter his first career title with a 276-204 win for career victory No. 44, three ahead of Earl Anthony.
Williams was behind the entire match against Mike Scroggins until the three-time champion missed a single-pin conversion in the seventh frame. Williams tried to take advantage by doubling in the seventh and eighth, but he then left a 2-4-5 and spared in the ninth and Scroggins recovered from his blunder to double and take back the lead. After Scroggins spared and struck to finish with 225, Williams needed a double to win. After a solid strike with his first ball, Williams went light with his second shot but caught a huge break and saw all 10 fall down, giving him a spot in the title match for the third time in five weeks.
The title match wasn’t close, as Williams blew by a stunned Loschetter, who fell in a title match for the third time in six career TV appearances.
This Week's Schedule
The 2007 Lumber Liquidators Championship at AMF Country Club Lanes got underway Wednesday with the Denny’s PBA Tour Qualifying Round (TQR), which is followed by the official PBA Practice Session at 4:30 p.m. The top nine PBA members and the top amateur in the TQR will advance to Thursday’s Round of 64, which features two seven-game qualifying blocks from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-9 p.m.
The field will be cut to the top 32 bowlers who will advance to round robin match play on Friday. The first nine-game block takes place at 11 a.m. with the top 16 advancing to bowl an additional nine games at 6 p.m. Normally, the top five advance to the final round but this week features a special two-hour championship round telecast meaning the top eight bowlers will advance to the finals round. Saturday is a day for the fans as PBA Pro-Ams and Fan Day take place at AMF Country Club Lanes, with Pro-Ams at Noon, 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
On Sunday, a unique format will see eight bowlers in the finals in a regular season event for the first time since 2000. The first match will feature a four-bowler shootout with the bowler scoring highest advancing to take on the No. 4 seed from round robin. That winner will face No. 3, with the winner of that match taking on No. 2. The No. 1 seed awaits that winner with a $25,000 top-prize and one-season exemption on the line. The finals will air tape-delayed at 8 p.m. on ESPN, the first prime time telecast for the PBA since 2001.
Last Week on the PBA Women’s Series
For those who don’t believe in fate, maybe Diandra Asbaty’s experience in last week’s Great Lakes Classic will change their minds.
Asbaty, one of the most decorated amateur bowlers of all-time, just missed one of the 16 exemptions by two spots for the all-new PBA Women’s Series, a special four-event mini tour sponsored by the United States Bowling Congress (USBC).
As the second alternate, it didn’t seem Asbaty would get a chance to bowl in any PBA Women’s Series events, but as fate would have it, exempt player Wendy Macpherson withdrew from last week’s event, and Wednesday morning – while Asbaty was bowling in the Denny’s PBA Tour Qualifying Round to try and earn a spot in the men’s field – first alternate Robin Romeo slammed her hand in her car door. Asbaty, who only bowled the TQR because she was in town doing an Etonic photo shoot, agreed to take Romeo’s place.
With her grandmother in the hospital, no less, Asbaty made it through qualifying and match play to advance to the championship round. Waiting for her was Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, who thoroughly dominated the series, winning one title and leading all women in points, earnings and average.
But on Sunday, Asbaty was not to be denied her Cinderella story. Dorin-Ballard jumped out to a huge lead while Asbaty started with a split, but the 27-year-old responded with seven strikes over the next eight frames. Dorin-Ballard lost her carry, meanwhile, and was ultimately doomed by a 4-9 split in the sixth. Asbaty kept her composure and stayed clean the rest of the way to take home the 236-225 win and her first professional title.
Did You Know?
A total of nine bowlers have won their first career title against Walter Ray Williams Jr., the Denny’s PBA Tour’s all-time titles leader. Chris Loschetter came up just short in his effort Sunday to become the 10th.
The first bowler to win title No. 1 against Williams was Harry Sullins, who won the first of his five titles in the 1986 True Value Open against the 27-year-old Williams. Since then, Sam Maccarone, Jimmy Keeth, Dave Arnold, Brian Davis, Andy Neuer, Eugene McCune, Bryon Smith and Chris Collins have also won their first titles against Williams, Collins being the last to do it in the 2006 Pepsi Championship.
Nine Spots Available This Week
This week, nine PBA members earned spots into the Round of 64 through the Denny’s PBA Tour Qualifying Round Wednesday as five exempt bowlers will not compete this week.
Jason Couch has officially received an injury deferment until the 2008-09 season due to a knee injury and his exemption will go back to the Tour Qualifying Round, giving at least five PBA members a place in the Round of 64 each week. Also withdrawing this week were Jeff Carter, Norm Duke, Patrick Healey Jr. and Tony Reyes.
Leading the way Wednesday for the third time this season was Rhino Page, who qualified for the fifth time in six events. He tied Dino Castillo’s TQR record by leading the field for the third time this season and he still has nine events left to break the record. On top of that, Page broke the PBA’s seven-game scoring record Wednesday by averaging 269.00 over the seven games for a 1,883 pinfall, breaking the old record (1,853) held by Bobby Stives and Jason Couch.
Regional Players Invitational Underway
The first of two Majors on the 2007-08 PBA Regional Tour schedule is underway at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., with the 2007 Regional Players Invitational featuring nine bowlers from each of the seven PBA regions competing for the $10,000 top prize and a spot in the 2008 H&R Block Tournament of Champions in January.
After one day of qualifying, Jon Brandon leads the 56-bowler field, with the entire field returning today to bowl a final nine-game block before the field is narrowed to the top 16 for match play. Single elimination match play takes place Friday with a best-of-five games Round of 16, a best-of-three Round of 8 and single-game matches to determine the finalists who will bowl for the title Friday evening.
Like a Fine Wine
It’s a scary thought, but Walter Ray Williams Jr. is off to what he calls the best start to a season in his career. This is coming from a guy with 44 Denny’s PBA Tour titles, seven Majors, six PBA Player of the Year awards and a record 161 championship round appearances.
A look at the statistics backs up that claim as Williams has only won two of the first seven events one other time in his career. That happened in the 1998 season when he won back-to-back titles in the sixth and seventh events after making just one other championship round in the previous five events.
On top of his two titles, Williams has a runner-up finish and a fourth-place finish in a Major, the 2007 USBC Masters. In his 26 years on Tour, Williams has made four championship rounds in the first seven events three other times but never has he coupled four events and two titles in that span.
Tough Luck
There have been a lot of bowlers who have been unlucky on television in their careers, and Chris Loschetter is quickly adding his name to that list.
In nine career matches on television, Loschetter has had to face a Hall of Famer six times, including last week’s Great Lakes Classic where he defeated PBA Hall of Famer Parker Bohn III before falling to all-time titles leader Walter Ray Williams Jr. in the title match.
Loschetter was introduced to the ESPN spotlight in the 2005 Denny’s World Championship where he had to face PBA Hall of Famer Brian Voss, whom he defeated before falling to eventual PBA Player of the Year Patrick Allen.
Following matches against Mike Machuga and Mike Scroggins, Loschetter’s last five matches have come against Hall of Famers. He fell to USBC Hall of Famer Norm Duke in the 2006 Ace Hardware Championship, PBA and USBC Hall of Famer Pete Weber in the 2006 Etonic Championship and Bohn in last season’s 2006 Beltway Classic. He broke a three-game losing streak by exacting some revenge over Bohn last week, but Williams got to the best of him for title No. 44.
Scroggins Struggling
From a bowler with bad luck on TV to one who is just plain struggling, Mike Scroggins fell to Walter Ray Williams Jr. in last week’s semifinals to drop his seventh consecutive match on TV.
Scroggins, who fell to 9-21 in his career under the lights, is now 1-9 in championship round matches since winning the 2005 USBC Masters. His seven-game losing streak is the longest of his career and is also three shy of tying the all-time mark for consecutive losses on TV. Marshall Holman and Steve Jaros share the record as each lost 10 in a row at one point in their careers. The last bowler with a streak as long as Scroggins’ was Chris Barnes, who snapped an eight-game losing streak with a win in the title match of the 62nd U.S. Open for his first career Major.
Luck of the Draw
They say a little lady luck on your side always goes a long way, but what do you do for luck if you are a lady? Well, you call on Billy Oatman.
Oatman was the lucky charm for each of the last three PBA Women’s Series winners – all amateurs – who each crossed with Oatman during qualifying.
In the Etonic Championship, Oatman crossed with Shannon Pluhowsky who ended up beating Tish Johnson for the title. In the next week’s Lake County Indiana Classic, Oatman crossed with Joy Esterson who won a one-ball roll off over Liz Johnson in the title match for her first professional title.
Last week, Oatman was paired with Diandra Asbaty, who was fortunate to be in the tournament as a late replacement. Oatman told Asbaty before they began qualifying Thursday that she would win the tournament, based on recent history. Well, Oatman was right as Asbaty went on to capture her first professional title with a win over Carolyn Dorin-Ballard.
Denny’s All-American High School Championships Makes its Return
For the second consecutive season, Denny’s, the PBA and the USBC will team up for the Denny’s All-American High School Championships.
Under the rules of the 2008 Denny’s All-American High School Championships, one female senior and one male senior will be selected from each state that recognizes bowling as a varsity sport and is a member of a high school varsity bowling team. The total field will be made up of 19 girls and 17 boys from around the country. Updates to this year’s application include a minimum GPA (grade point average) requirement of 2.7 (on a 4.0 scale) and an extension of the deadline for application into late January.
The 2008 tournament will take place March 28-30 during the 65th Denny’s U.S. Open in North Brunswick, N.J. Qualifying takes place on March 29 to narrow the tournament field down to two male and female competitors, who will compete head-to-head on March 30. Student bowlers selected for the DAAHSC will compete for up to $10,000 in scholarships and the opportunity to bowl on ESPN with PBA professionals. For more information, visit pba.com or go to the high school section at www.bowl.com, and click “Denny’s Tournament” to download the 2008 Denny’s All-American High School Championships official forms and details. Applications must be postmarked by Jan. 21, 2008.
2007-08 Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year Race
By becoming the first double winner in 2007-08 with his win in last week’s Great Lakes Classic, Walter Ray Williams Jr. opened up a big lead in the 2007-08 Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year race. Below is a look at the leaders:
1. Walter Ray Williams Jr., 44
2. Sean Rash, 24
(tie) Mike Wolfe, 24
4. Mika Koivuniemi, 22
5. Michael Haugen Jr., 16
(tie) Robert Smith, 16
2008 H&R Block Tournament of Champions Roster
With his win in the 2007 Great Lakes Classic, Walter Ray Williams Jr. moved back to the top of the 2008 H&R Block Tournament of Champions roster and kept Hugh Miller on the bubble. This year, the event features 52 bowlers including the 37 most recent Denny’s PBA Tour champions (with priority on the list going to exempt bowlers). The list is filled with past Tournament of Champions winners and PBA Hall of Famers based on most recent Denny’s PBA Tour win.
Denny’s PBA Tour Entrants
1. Walter Ray Williams Jr. - Great Lakes Classic (12/5/07)
2. Robert Smith - CLR Windy City Classic (11/25/07)
3. Michael Haugen Jr. - Lake County Indiana Classic (11/18/07)
4. Mike Wolfe - Etonic Championship (11/11/07)
5. Sean Rash - USBC Masters (10/28/07)
6. Mika Koivuniemi - Dydo Japan Cup 2007 (9/23/07)
7. Tommy Jones - PBA Tournament of Champions (4/1/07)
8. Doug Kent - Denny’s World Championship (3/25/07)
9. Norm Duke - Pepsi Championship (3/18/07)
10. Pete Weber - 64th U.S. Open (3/4/07)
11. Mike Mineman - Bayer Classic (2/25/07)
12. Patrick Allen - Go RVing Classic (2/18/07)
13. Chris Barnes - GEICO Classic (2/11/07)
14. Jason Couch - Motel 6 Classic (1/28/07)
15. Wes Malott - Discover® Card Windy City Classic (11/26/06)
16. Tony Reyes - Motor City Classic (11/5/06)
17. Ritchie Allen - Motel 6 Phoenix Classic (1/22/06)
18. Brian Himmler - Earl Anthony Medford Classic (1/8/06)
19. Mike Scroggins - USBC Masters (11/20/05)
20. Mike Machuga - Greater Omaha Classic (11/13/05)
21. Steve Jaros - Dexter Tournament of Champions (4/10/05)
22. Parker Bohn III - El Paso Classic (1/16/05)
23. Danny Wiseman - USBC Masters (10/31/04)
24. Patrick Healey Jr. - PBA Tournament of Champions (12/14/03)
25. Ryan Shafer - Empire State Open (11/23/03)
26. Mike DeVaney - GEICO Earl Anthony Classic (1/5/03)
27. Eugene McCune - Banquet Classic (11/17/02)
28. Dave D’Entremont - Wichita Open (10/13/02)
29. Tommy Delutz Jr. - Long Island Open (11/18/01)
30. Brian Voss - Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Classic (1/29/06)
31. Jason Hurd - Pepsi Open (11/28/04)
32. Rick Lawrence - BowlersParadise.com Open (11/21/04)
33. Lonnie Waliczek - Odor-Eaters Open (2/26/03)
34. Chris Hayden - VIA Bowling Open (2/16/03)
35. Bryon Smith - USBC Masters (1/19/03)
36. Randy Pedersen - Pepsi Open (11/24/02)
37. Hugh Miller - Dream Bowl 2002 (9/2/02)
PBA Senior Tour Entrants
38. Tom Baker USBC Senior Masters & PBA Senior Dick Weber Invitational
PBA Regional Tour Entrants
39. Scott Santos PBA Regional Players Championship
40. TBA PBA Regional Players Invitational
PBA Tournament of Champions Winners/PBA Hall of Famers
41. Bryan Goebel 1998 Tournament of Champions
42. David Ozio 1991 Tournament of Champions
43. Del Ballard Jr. 1989 Tournament of Champions
44. Mark Williams 1988 Tournament of Champions
45. Steve Cook 1981 Tournament of Champions
46. Wayne Webb 1980 Tournament of Champions
47. Johnny Petraglia 1971 Tournament of Champions
48. Dave Husted National/Senior Doubles (1/15/00)
49. Ernie Schlegel Bayer/Brunswick Touring Players Championship (11/8/95)
50. Mark Roth IOF Foresters Open (4/15/95)
51. Gary Dickinson B.P.A.A. U.S. Open (4/2/83)
52. Dave Soutar Syracuse Open (11/9/82)
2007-08 Denny's PBA Tour Statistical Leaders
2007-08 Denny's PBA Tour Point Leaders
1. Walter Ray Williams Jr. Ocala, Fla., 110,072
2. Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 79,573.7
3. Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan. 72,845
4. Wes Malott, Argyle, Texas, 66,666
5. Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 66,299
6. Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill. 65,252.5
7. Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich. 64,976
8. Michael Haugen Jr. Cave Creek, Ariz. 64,482.7
9. Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo. 61,314
10. Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla. 56,366
2007-08 Denny's PBA Tour Earnings Leaders
1. Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan. $116,900
2. Walter Ray Williams Jr. Ocala, Fla. $86,000
3. Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich. $69,600
4. Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill. $63,600
5. Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind. $60,211
6. Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla. $37,150
7. Michael Haugen Jr. Cave Creek, Ariz. $36,300
8. Robert Smith, Captain Cook, Hawaii, $34,000
9. Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, $29,546
10. Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, $26,400
2007-08 Denny's PBA Tour Average Leaders
1. Walter Ray Williams Jr. Ocala, Fla., 232.67
2. Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 227.83
3. Wes Malott, Argyle, Texas, 226.72
4. Rhino Page, Topeka, Kan, 226.17
5. Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 224.96
6. Michael Haugen Jr. Cave Creek, Ariz., 224.53
7. Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 223.76
8. Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 223.65
9. Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 223.15
10. Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 222.76
2007 PBA Women’s Series Statistical Leaders
2007 PBA Women’s Series Point Leaders
1. Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, N. Richland Hills, Texas, 82,997
2. Liz Jonson, Cheektowaga, N.Y. 71,167
3. Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J. 66,69
4. Joy Esterson, Annapolis, Md. 65,893
5. Shannon Pluhowsky, Phoenix, Ariz. 55,67
6. Missy Bellinder, Fullerton, Calif. 54,676
7. Tish Johnson, Colorado Springs, Colo. 53,86
8. Olivia Sandham, Wichita, Kan. 51,715
9. Amy Stolz, Castle Rock, Colo. 47,726
10. Michelle Feldman, Skaneateles, N.Y. 40,059
2007 PBA Women’s Series Earnings Leaders
1. Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, N. Richland Hills, Texas, $25,000
2. Joy Esterson, Annapolis, Md. $19,300
3. Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y. $17,111
4. Shannon Pluhowsky, Phoenix, Ariz. $16,100
5. Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J. $15,800
6. Tish Johnson, Colorado Springs, Colo. $14,700
7. Missy Bellinder, Fullerton, Calif. $12,600
8. Olivia Sandham, Wichita, Kan. $10,600
9. Amy Stolz, Castle Rock, Colo. $10,000
10. Diandra Asbaty, Chicago, $10,000
2007 PBA Women’s Series Average Leaders
1. Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, N. Richland Hills, Texas, 225.75
2. Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 222.19
3. Joy Esterson, Annapolis, Md., 216.52
4. Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 214.54
5. Olivia Sandham, Wichita, Kan., 212.26
6. Missy Bellinder, Fullerton, Calif., 211.88
7. Shannon Pluhowsky, Phoenix, Ariz., 211.36
8. Stefanie Nation, Miami, 210.48
9. Amy Stolz, Castle Rock, Colo., 209.70
10. Tish Johnson, Colorado Springs, Colo., 208.94
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