All-star field heads to Arkansas for PBA Jonesboro Open

03 June, 2016

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Jonesboro, Ark., a city of 71,000-plus residents, the home of Riceland Rice and Arkansas State University, and the birthplace of novelist John Grisham, will be in bowling’s spotlight this weekend when an all-star cast of PBA champions invades 32-lane Jonesboro Bowling Center for the Downums Waste Services PBA Jonesboro Open presented by Xtra Frame.

Among the players who will compete for the $15,000 first prize and a PBA Tour title are PBA Tour champions Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C.; Patrick Allen, Mount Kisco, N.Y.; DJ Archer, Friendswood, Texas; Chris Barnes (pictured above), Double Oak, Texas; Josh Blanchard, Mesa, Ariz.; Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y.; Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla.; Andres Gomez (left), Colombia; Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa; Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C.; Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash.; Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio; Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas; Scott Newell, Deland, Fla.; Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill.; Ronnie Russell (right), Marion, Ind.; Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y.; Anthony Simonsen, Princeton, Texas; Jason Sterner, Coca, Fla.; EJ Tackett, Huntington, Ind., Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., and Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind.

Chasing the 22 players who have already won PBA Tour titles will be a talented group of young players who are looking to make a name for themselves among the roster of PBA champions.

Also on the line are points toward the Xtra Frame PBA Tour series $10,000 winner-take-all bonus for the top 25 players. Heading into Jonesboro, bowlingball.com PBA Maine Shootout winner Ryan Ciminelli (left) holds a seven-point lead over Xtra Frame PBA Storm Open winner EJ Tackett (right).

The tournament is expected to get underway at 8 a.m. Saturday with the first eight-game qualifying squad. The other half of the field will bowl its qualifying round at 2:30 p.m., with the top one-third of the field advancing to a five-game cashers round Sunday at 8:30 a.m.

The top 16 players after 13 games will bowl an eight-game match play round at noon, and the top four after 21 games will compete in the stepladder finals Sunday at 5:45 p.m. All times are Central.

All of Saturday’s and Sunday’s action will be video-streamed live, exclusively on PBA’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel.

Xtra Frame set for live coverage from Arkansas, Vegas, California

Xtra Frame fans will have all kinds of options this weekend, starting with Friday’s final rounds of the Suncoast PBA Senior U.S. Open from Suncoast Bowling Center in Las Vegas, including the stepladder finals at 7:15 p.m. ET (4:15 p.m. PT).

As the PBA Senior U.S. Open wraps up, the PBA Tour returns to action with the Downums Waste Services PBA Jonesboro Open presented by Xtra Frame at Jonesboro Bowling Center in Jonesboro, Ark., June 4-5, and PWBA fans will be able to watch live coverage of the preliminary rounds of the PWBA Wichita Open from Northrock Lanes in Wichita, Kan., also over the June 3-5 weekend.

PBA50 Tour resumes with coverage of the PBA50 Fountain Valley Open presented by Track, June 6-8, and the PBA50 Northern California Classic presented by MOTIV, June 13-15 The USBC Senior Masters, June 19-25, will be covered by BowlTV on bowl.com.

PWBA competition continues with the PWBA Pepsi Lincoln Open from Lincoln, Neb., June 10-11; the PWBA Greater Detroit Open from Canton, Mich., June 17-18 and the Go Bowling PWBA Players Championship from Green Bay, Wis., June 24-25. All preliminary rounds to determine PWBA’s CBS Sports Network stepladder finalists air live on Xtra Frame.

Funeral services set for PBA Hall of Famer Ted Hoffman Jr.

Funeral services for PBA Hall of Famer Ted Hoffman Jr., who died Monday at age 76, will be held on Monday, June 13, at 11 a.m. at St. Joan of Arc Church, 2601 San Ramon Valley Blvd., San Ramon, Calif.

Cards or letters can be sent to Hoffman’s wife: Marilynn Hoffman c/o Earl Anthony’s Dublin Bowl, 6750 Regional St, Dublin, CA 94568.

Bosox bowling enthusiast Mookie Betts is on a tear

Boston Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts, who made his enthusiasm – and talent – for bowling known last fall when he participated in the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling VII in Reno, is on a record-setting tear with the American League Eastern Division leaders.

Betts, Boston’s lead-off hitter, made history over two games against the Baltimore Orioles Tuesday and Wednesday when he hit home runs in his first two plate appearances both nights – a first in major league history. With a third home run Tuesday night, his total of five home runs in consecutive games by a lead-off hitter also made major league history.

Betts, 23, is currently leading all major league lead-off hitters with 14 home runs and 42 RBIs.

Just for the record, Betts has advised the PBA he wants to bowl in the World Series again this winter – if he’s invited… It shouldn’t be a problem.

QubicaAMF PBA Regional Update: Mohr, Kretzer win pre-Senior U.S. Open titles

Ron Mohr (left) of North Las Vegas, Nev., and “rookie” Brian Kretzer of Dayton, Ohio, won PBA50 West Region titles in a pair of traditional Arizona stops prior to the start of the Suncoast PBA Senior U.S. Open in Las Vegas.

Mohr, a two-time PBA50 Player of the Year, posted a 10-1-1 match play record and a 4,894 pinfall total on Friday, May 27, to win $1,500 and his 17th career regional title in the PBA50 Miller High Life West Open at Starlite Lanes in Flagstaff. Mohr defeated Paul McCordic of Sugar Land, Texas, by four pins for his title.

Two-days earlier, Kretzer (right), who made his PBA50 debut after turning 50 on May 20, earned his first PBA50 regional title in the PBA50 Lona King Saguaro West Open at Johnson Lanes in Sun City West. Kretzer posted a 12-4 match play record and a 5,666 pinfall total for a $4,000 first prize and a 42-pin margin of victory over Bob Learn Jr. of Erie, Pa.

Matthew Tomsu from Omaha, Neb., had two firsts at the ninth annual PBA Junction City Bowl Southwest/Midwest Open presented by MOTIV at Junction City Bowl in Junction City, Kan., Sunday.

The 15-year PBA member rolled his first PBA 300 game during the qualifying round and then pulled away from the field, securing his first QubicaAMF PBA Regional title with a 279-269 victory over Tom Hess of Urbandale, Iowa, in the position round. Tomsu finished with a 21-game total of 5,175 pins, including match play bonus pins, to Hess’ 5,059.

In addition to his $2,500 first prize, Tomsu also became eligible to enter the 2017 PBA Tournament of Champions.

Gary Haines (left) of West Babylon, N.Y., defeated Thomas Coco Jr. of Cortlandt Manor, N.Y., 211-167, to win the PBA Colony Park Lanes Eastern Challenge on Saturday. PBA Challenge events are open to any member or non-member who has never won a PBA event.

Haines, a fourth year member, had three runner-up finishes prior to this event. Along with his $2,000 first prize, he also became eligible to enter the 2017 PBA Tournament of Champions.

A busy summer of QubicaAMF PBA Regional competition continues over the June 10-12 weekend with the Homefield Bowl Eastern Open presented by MOTIV in Yonkers, N.Y., and the PBA50 and PBA Vanessa Brown Homes West Opens, both presented by Hammer, at Yosemite Lanes in Modesto, Calif.

QubicaAMF PBA Regional events scheduled for the June 17-19 weekend include the Timmy See Memorial South Open at Nassau Bowling Center in Yulee, Fla.; the PWBA, PBA and PBA50 Secoma Lanes West/Northwest Opens presented by Storm in Federal Way, Wash.; the Rackbusters Pro Shop East Challenge at Bowlerama in New Castle, Del., and the Strike n Spare II Adrenaline Midwest Classic in Lockport, Ill. PBA Challenge events are open to players who have not won a PBA title.

Closing out the June schedule of QubicaAMF PBA Regional events over the June 24-26 weekend will be the Battle at Black Oak Casino West Open at Black Oak Lanes in Tuolumne, Calif.; the Pro Bowl West Center/Midwest Challenge presented by Columbia 300 in Fort Wayne, Ind., and the PBA/PBA50 AMF Fredericksburg Over/Under 50 Doubles presented by Radical in Fredericksburg, Va. The June 24-26 weekend also will include the Xtra Frame Lubbock Sports PBA Open in Lubbock, Texas.

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