Wu Siu Hong, Rebecca Whiting overtake lead in AMF Australian Masters

    10/19/11

    Australia

    Sean Rash shoots third perfecto of the World Bowling Tour event

    2011AUSMWuSiuHong.jpgHong Kong's Wu Siu Hong (pictured left) and Rebecca Whiting, of Victoria, Australia, powered their way into the lead in the AMF Australian Masters on Wednesday at AMF Bowling Rooty Hill RSL in Sydney, NSW, Australia.

    Siu Hong, a multiple Asian ranking champion, posted the second 800-plus series in the men's division with 801 and added 761 to lead the 141-player men's field with 1562 total and an average of 260.33 for six games.

    The two highest three-game series bowled during the 2011 Australian Adult National Championships are being used for the Masters qualifying.

    Australian two-hander Jason Belmonte, NSW, slipped to second place with 131 and was followed by Chris Castle, VIC, and defending champion Sam Cooley, NSW, with 1489 and 1488, respectively.

    2011AUSMTommyJones2.jpg2011AUSMSaraSeanRash.jpgFour-time PBA champion Sean Rash (left with his wife Sara), United States, used the third 300 game of the tournament for his second highest 735 series but remained in fifth place with 1486. Craig Rem and Christian Purdue, who had the other perfectos, were sixth and seventh with 1485 and 1466 resp.

    13-time PBA champion Tommy Jones (right) had sets of 782 and 673 Wednesday to jump into eighth place with 1455. Seven-time PBA champion Robert Smith, who now lives in Hong Kong, was in tenth place with 1418.

    Michael Tsang, Hong Kong, currently holds the 33rd and last place in the men's division to qualify for the finals with 1330 or an average of 221.67. Rounding out the top 40, who will advance to finals, are seven State representatives who cannot be eliminated from qualifying.

    Rebecca Whiting added 673 to her high series of 679 to overtake the lead in the 59-player women's field with 1352 and an average of 225.33. Michaela Oehler, Singapore, who owns the women's high game of 280, topped her previous high set of 661 by two pins during Wednesday's qualifying to move from seventh to second place with 1324.

    2011AUSMCarolGianotti.jpg2011AUSMShannonPluhowsky.jpgPrevious leader Rochelle Mottlee, QLD, fell to third place with 1311 and was followed by b>Bec Voukolos, NT, in fourth place with 1304. The top four men and the top four women will earn two byes for the finals.

    Just outside the box looking in was 16-time Professional Women's Bowling Association champion and USBC Hall of Famer, Carol Gianotti (left), WA, in fifth place with 1302.

    Four-time World Champion Shannon Pluhowsky (right) slipped three spots to eighth place with 1271.

    2011AUSMSandraAndersson.jpgSwedish national team member Sandra Andersson (right) leaped sixth spots into a 13th place tie with 1212, Sara Rash moved from 30th to 17th place with 1208.

    Janet Baker, ACT, currently holds the 36th and last place to advance (places 37 to 40 are occupied by State reps) with 1089 or an average of 181.50.

    Qualifying runs through Friday, Oct. 21st, with the last qualifying squad scheduled for 11.30 a.m. local time (CET -9; EST -15).

    2011AUSMastersLogo3.jpg The AMF Australian Masters is the 8th and last stop of the 2011 World Bowling Tour. The tournament will be held from Monday Oct. 10 through Saturday Oct. 22, 2011 at AMF Bowling Rooty Hill RSL in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

    The tournament offers total prize fund of 112,400 Australian Dollar or approx. USD116,000 with $25,000 and $15,000 going to the men's and women's champion, respectively. Applicable taxes will be withheld from prize-funds paid to non-resident entrants.

    2010AUSMastersJordanRodgersAMFLyndaBarnes.jpg2010AUSMastersJordanRodgersAMFSamCooley.jpg In the 2010 AMF Australian Masters, Lynda Barnes, United States and Sam Cooley, New South Wales, claimed the women's and men's title.

    Barnes (pictured left) defeated compatriot and fellow Team USA member, Wendy Macpherson, in the women's title match in best-of-five format, three-games-to-one to win the $15,000 women's top prize.

    On the men's side, top seeded Sam Cooley (pictured right) topped defending champion Paul Trotter in an all-Australian affair in the deciding fifth game, 237-234, to win the title and the $25,000 men's top prize.

    WBTLogo.jpg The 2011 World Bowling Tour consists of 8 tour stops in seven countries - Finland, France, Kuwait, Korea, Thailand, Australia and United States (2). The top 50 men and the top 50 women in each event earn ranking points (from 50 points for the winner to 1 point for 50th place).

    Those points will be tabulated throughout the season to determine the top three men and top three women who will be invited to compete in the World Bowling Tour Finals presented by the Professional Bowlers Association.

    The WBT Finals are scheduled to take place at the PBA's World Series of Bowling in November and will feature a total prize fund of $40,000. The event will be aired nationally in the United States.

    The top three men and top three women will bowl a stepladder finals format in their respective divisions. The prize money for each division is the same, with the winner taking $10,000, second place earning $6,000 and third place winning $4,000.

    2011AUSMastersLogo_small.jpg Qualifying of the 2011 AMF Australian Masters will be over six games, using the two highest three-game series in singles or doubles attempts bowled during the 2011 Adult National Championships until completion of the 12.00pm squad on Friday 21st October.

    A total of 40 men and 40 women will advance to the finals. The defending champion and the State representatives cannot be eliminated from qualifying.

    The top 4 in each division will receive two byes to Round 3 while bowlers seeded positions 5 through 16 will receive one bye to Round 2. Bowlers filling qualifying positions 17 through 40 will compete in Round 1. No pinfall will carry over in any of the final rounds.

    In the event of a tie for fourth, 16th or 40th qualifying positions, a single game will be played to break the tie. Any subsequent tie will require a 10th frame playoff until the tie is broken.

    Bowlers seeded 17th to 40th will bowl 6 games scratch to cut to the top 12 bowlers who will join bowlers seeded positions 5 through 16 in Round 2. These 24 bowlers will then play 6 games scratch. The top 12 bowlers on total pinfall meet the top 4 qualifiers in Round 3.

    These 16 bowlers will then play 6 games scratch. The top 8 bowlers on total pinfall will determine the champion in single-elimination best-of-three games match play. The field will be cut to four and then two players who will bowl for the titles and the $25,000 and $15,000 top prizes, respectively. The winners will also get free entry into the 2012 event.

     


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