Michael Haugen Jr. locks up PBA50 Player of the Year honors

10 August, 2018

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On the basis of points earned for his runner-up finish in Tuesday’s PBA50 Security Federal Savings Bank Championship, presented by Track, in Anderson, Ind., 2017 PBA50 Rookie of the Year Michael Haugen Jr. of Phoenix has added the 2018 PBA50 Player of the Year award to his portfolio.

With only the PBA50 Cup presented by DV8 remaining on the PBA50 Tour’s regular-season schedule, Haugen ended the PBA50 Player of the Year drama in Anderson by boosting his tour-leading competition points total to 28,500 – eliminating Norm Duke (20,014), Ron Mohr (19,721) and Walter Ray Williams Jr. (19,027) from contention. All three had mathematical chances to catch Haugen entering last week’s tournament.

By locking up Player of the Year, Haugen (featured photo and right) became the second player to win PBA50 ROY and POY honors in consecutive years, joining Mark Roth who accomplished the feat in 2001 and ’02. Duke and Tom Baker are the only two to win ROY and POY in the same year. A handful of others have won both awards, but not in the same or consecutive years.

With POY settled, the PBA50 Rookie of the Year race is still up in the air heading into the PBA50 Cup in Wyoming, Mich., along with the 12 berths in a new end-of-season PBA50 Storm Invitational that will be held at Planet Fun Bowling and Entertainment Center in Shallotte, N.C., Sept. 28-30.

In addition to Haugen, Duke, Mohr and Williams, the other eight players among the top 12 in points after Anderson include Brian Kretzer (17,015), Lennie Boresch Jr. (16,089), Ryan Shafer (14,684), Parker Bohn III (14,533), Bob Learn Jr. (14,049), Amleto Monacelli (12,634), Pete Weber (10,307) and Harry Sullins (9,814). Just off the pace are Brian Voss (9,664) and Bryan Goebel (9,430).

The PBA50 Storm Invitational will feature a field of 14 including two invitational spots to be decided later. The special event will offer a $10,000 first prize.

Following the PBA50 Cup, Xtra Frame will cover the PBA60 Dick Weber Championship for players 60 and older, presented by 900 Global, at Pro Bowl West in Fort Wayne, Ind., Aug. 14-16, before the 2018 Go Bowling! PBA Tour resumes competition Aug. 17-19 with the 10th anniversary Gene Carter’s Pro Shop Classic at Mid-County Lanes in Middletown, Del., followed by the Kenn-Feld Group Classic at Pla-Mor Lanes in Coldwater, Ohio, Aug. 24-26. PBA Tour titles will be at stake in both exclusive PBA Xtra Frame Tour events.

All PBA Xtra Frame events on FloBowling are covered live, from first ball to last.

PBA CEO-Commissioner attends Terrell Owens’ NFL Hall of Fame Ceremony

PBA CEO and Commissioner Tom Clark (left) was on hand to help his long-time PBA friend, Terrell Owens (right), celebrate his entry into the NFL Hall of Fame in a unique ceremony held at Owens’ alma mater, the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, on Aug. 4.

Owens, who has been a friend of the PBA since becoming one of the original PBA League owners (Dallas Strikers) in 2013, has since competed as a player in the PBA World Series of Bowling in Las Vegas, participated in five CP3 PBA Celebrity invitational events (winning in 2013 in Los Angeles with partner Pete Weber), and hosted the 2017 Main Event Terrell Owens PBA Super Clash in Houston.

He has attended several other PBA events as a fan, and has competed in two USBC Open Championships with Clark and others on a Bowlers Journal team as an active bowler. Owens, in making a statement to the football writers who select NFL Hall of Famers, decided not to participate in the traditional induction ceremonies in Canton, Ohio, but hosted his own induction ceremony in Chattanooga.

Jason Belmonte goes Bowling at “Go Bowling at the Glen” NASCAR event

Australia’s Jason Belmonte put his bowling skills on display in a new venue last weekend, bowling on special lanes installed in a tent as part of the “Go Bowling at the Glen” NASCAR race at Watkins Glen, N.Y. Belmonte (left) did bowling exhibitions along with NASCAR driver Aric Almirola (right) who drove the Go Bowling! entry in the race at Watkins Glen, N.Y.

PBA Regional Update: Jakob Butturff wins 17th PBA Regional title

Third-year PBA member Jakob Butturff (left) of Tempe, Ariz., defeated AJ Johnson of Oswego, Ill., 249-234, to win the PBA Glo Bowl Midwest Open at Glo Bowl Fun Center in Hoffman Estates, Ill., Sunday for his 17th career PBA Regional title.

Butturff, a 24-year-old left-hander, earned $1,600 along with his second PBA Midwest Region title of the 2018 season to go along with two other titles won in the PBA’s West and Northwest Regions earlier in the season.

Johnson, the PBA Midwest Region’s reigning Player of the Year, defeated Nick Kruml of Downers Grove, Ill., 268-190, in the first stepladder match and then eliminated Tom Hess of Urbandale, Iowa, 236-197, in the semifinal game to advance to the championship match.

Harry Sullins (from left: hosts Yogi & Bill Wammes, champion Harry Sullins, sponsors Gary Luken and Jim Smith) of Chesterfield Twp., Mich. defeated Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, N.Y., 246-213, to win the 21st PBA50 Progressive/Gerdeman Insurance-Al Smith Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep Central/Midwest Classic at Al-Mar Lanes in Bowling Green, Ohio, Saturday.

The title was Sullins’ second of the year in the PBA Central Region and his 35th career PBA Regional title. He also earned $3,500.

Sullins defeated Eddie Graham of Centerville, Ohio, 181-158, to advance to the championship match after eliminating Brian Kretzer of Dayton, Ohio, 222-194, in the first stepladder match.

Darren Andretta (with proprietor Terry Brenneman, left) of Wantagh, N.Y., rallied from a 30-pin deficit after seven frames to defeat Brad Angelo of Lockport, N.Y., 228-207, in the championship round of the PBA Bowlers Supply/Storm Open at Colony Park Lanes North in York, Pa., Sunday.

Angelo was leading by 30 pins when he opened in the eighth frame. After Angelo converted a single-pin spare in the ninth frame, Andretta rolled strikes in the ninth and the first two in the 10th to clinch his third career title and his second of the 2018 season along with the $2,500 first prize.

Andretta reached the finals by defeating Tom Daugherty of Riverview, Fla., 236-211, in the semifinal round while Angelo defeated teenager Anthony Neuer of Lewisburg, Pa., 217-185, in the other semifinal match. Neuer, the 16-year old son of PBA Tour titlist Andy Neuer, recently won the U20 division of the USBC Junior Gold Championships, earned $1,000 for his SMART scholarship account.

Richard Wilburn of Adamstown, Md., defeated Mike Hastings of Millsboro, Del., 245-211, in the title match to win his first PBA title in the PBA50 Sparetimes Hampton Southern Open presented by Radical at Sparetimes Family Fun Center Sunday.

Wilburn started the title match with five strikes while Hastings had two open frames in his first five. Hastings rallied behind a string of four strikes to threaten, but Wilburn answered with strikes in the ninth and 10th frames to seal the $2,000 top prize.

In the semifinal round, Wilburn defeated Chris Johnson of Nashville, N.C., 217-167, while Hastings took out Tommy Brodowski of New Hyde Park, N.Y., 204-172.

The Aug. 10-12 PBA Regional schedule will include the AMF Western Branch South Open presented by Hammer in Chesapeake, Va.; the annual Tony Reyes Memorial West/Northwest Member/Non-Member Doubles at Fourth Street Bowl in San Jose, Calif., and the Greater Richmond Central Open at Richmond 40 Bowl in Richmond, Ind.

On tap over the Aug. 17-19 weekend will be the Emerald Bowl Southwest Challenge presented by Track and Bowling Dynamix for non-PBA title winners in Houston, Texas; the Dave Husted Northwest/West Open presented by MOTIV at Husted’s Milwaukie Bowl in Milwaukie, Ore., and the Sunday-only BowlerX.com Midwest Challenge for non-titlists at Strike N Spare II in Lockport, Ill.

PBA’s Japan Region will hold the DHC Chameleon Open and Women’s Chameleon Open Aug. 25-26 in Nagano, Japan.

Labor Day weekend will include the PBA60 Wilson & Sons Pest Control Super Senior Open and the PBA50 Mooresville South Open presented by Columbia 300 at George Pappas’ Victory Lanes in Mooresville, N.C.; the PBA50 Hammer/Strike Zone Alleys Open in Pottsville, Pa., and the annual Illinois Valley Midwest/Central Open presented by Ebonite at Illinois Valley Super Bowl in Peru, Ill.

For complete PBA Regional schedules, rules and entry information, click here to find the event(s) in your area.

Quick Notes

Sean and Sara Rash (pictured with daughter Kaylee at the 2016 PBA Badger Open) welcomed the arrival of daughter Olivia Lynn Rash on Wednesday. Olivia, who weighed in at 7 pounds, 1 ounce and measured 20 inches long, joins sister Kaylee as a member of the Rash family.

PBA Hall of Famer Parker Bohn III and 2018 USBC Masters champion Andrew Anderson will join PWBA titlist Daria Pajak on Fox & Friends on Saturday, Aug. 11, between 6 and 10 a.m. EDT to help promote National Bowling Day. The trio is expected to appear in at least three full segments featuring bowling, as well as multiple bumps and quick shots.