Colombia's Andres Gomez wins first PBA Tour title in Carmen Salvino Classic
04/02/12
Colombian native Andres Gomez (pictured left) became the fourth player to win his first Professional Bowlers Association Tour title during the 2011-12 season when he defeated Wes Malott (right) of Pflugerville, Texas, 246-207, to win the Carmen Salvino Classic.
The finals of the seventh of eight events in the PBA World Series of Bowling were conducted November 20, 2011 on a pair of lanes specially installed in an exhibit hall at South Point Hotel and Casino in suburban Las Vegas. The tape-delay telecast of the championship round aired Sunday on ESPN.
Gomez, who began pursuing his dream of winning a PBA title 30 years ago as an 8-year-old living in Bogota, watching PBA Tour videotapes given to the family by American friends, finally added his coveted title after nearly 20 years of success in the international arena, individually and as a member of Colombia's national bowling team.
"I had the experience in international tournaments, I had the experience in open tournaments, but I needed the experience with the PBA in order to win," Gomez said. "It was going to take time."
Gomez, who joined England's Stuart Williams and Dom Barrett (pictured right, l-r), and Scott Newell of Deland, Fla., on the current season's first-time winners list, joined in the PBA in 2005.
He bowled full-time for one season but then left touring life for three years before returning for the 2009-10 season. During the 2010 PBA World Series, he made his first PBA television appearance, finishing second in the Pepsi Viper Championship. Later in the season, he finished fourth in the PBA Tournament of Champions.
Winning the Salvino Classic title "means everything to me," he said. "Since I was 8 years old, I watched tapes of Mike Aulby, Walter Ray (Williams Jr.), (Norm) Duke, Pete Weber…and then I'd go practice for six hours (at a four-lane bowling center in a Bogota country club managed by his father). To be able to come here and bowl with these same guys, most of whom are still bowling, means the world to me."
Gomez came out firing, winning the first "eliminator" round with a 253 game. Malott posted a 250, Australia's Jason Belmonte (left) was third with a 247 and Ronnie Russell (right) of Marion, Ind., was "low man out" with a 215 game.
As the lane conditions changed in round two, Malott (left) rose to the top with a 227. Gomez struggled to a 189, but Belmonte ran into split problems, exiting the finals after a 162 game.
Gomez (right) put his recently-found experience to good use in the title game, changing to a more aggressive ball and moving farther left on the lane. After converting a 10 pin for a spare in the first frame, he ran off a string of six strikes to build a 31-pin lead that Malott couldn't overcome.
With his victory, Gomez became the first Colombian to win a PBA Tour title and he became the sixth international winner in the first six PBA World Series of Bowling events.
Although he has lived in Florida for nearly 15 years, where he attended Central Florida University and obtained a degree in business administration, Gomez remains the pride of his homeland.
"The international dominance at the World Series is tough to explain," he said. "I don't think anyone expected it. You saw great players like Duke and Weber and Sean Rash and (Chris) Barnes make TV shows. These guys are very, very good. But what happened in title matches is really hard to explain.
"I guess right now I'm just glad I'm Colombian, and not American. Maybe I would have lost."
PBA World Series of Bowling tape-delay telecasts on ESPN conclude with the Pepsi PBA Elite Players Championship finals on Sunday, April 8, at 1 p.m. ET. Finalists are Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla.; Australia's Jason Belmonte; Mike Scroggins of Amarillo, Texas, and Mike DeVaney of Murrieta, Calif.
A free pre-finals preview will be webcast on Xtra Frame, the PBA's online bowling channel, beginning Wednesday afternoon and a post-event recap show will air on Xtra Frame immediately following the ESPN telecast.
South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas, Nev., on Nov. 20, 2011 (aired on tape delay on April 1, 2012)
Round One (lowest score eliminated):
Andres Gomez, Colombia, 253; Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 250; Jason Belmonte, Australia, 247; Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 215 ($4,000).
Round Two (lowest score eliminated):
Malott 227, Gomez 189, Belmonte 162 ($4,500).
Championship:
Gomez ($15,000) def. Malott ($7,500), 246-207.
Colombia's Andres Gomez leads field for tape-delay Carmen Salvino Classic TV finals
Colombian Andres Gomez is top qualifier of the Carmen Salvino Classic TV finals
Jason Sterner leads Carmen Salvino Classic Tour Qualifying Round
2011-12 PBA Tour Schedule & Champions
2011-12 PBA Tour #6
Veteran international player becomes fourth player to win first title during 2011-12 season
Colombian native Andres Gomez (pictured left) became the fourth player to win his first Professional Bowlers Association Tour title during the 2011-12 season when he defeated Wes Malott (right) of Pflugerville, Texas, 246-207, to win the Carmen Salvino Classic.The finals of the seventh of eight events in the PBA World Series of Bowling were conducted November 20, 2011 on a pair of lanes specially installed in an exhibit hall at South Point Hotel and Casino in suburban Las Vegas. The tape-delay telecast of the championship round aired Sunday on ESPN.
Gomez, who began pursuing his dream of winning a PBA title 30 years ago as an 8-year-old living in Bogota, watching PBA Tour videotapes given to the family by American friends, finally added his coveted title after nearly 20 years of success in the international arena, individually and as a member of Colombia's national bowling team.
"I had the experience in international tournaments, I had the experience in open tournaments, but I needed the experience with the PBA in order to win," Gomez said. "It was going to take time."Gomez, who joined England's Stuart Williams and Dom Barrett (pictured right, l-r), and Scott Newell of Deland, Fla., on the current season's first-time winners list, joined in the PBA in 2005.
He bowled full-time for one season but then left touring life for three years before returning for the 2009-10 season. During the 2010 PBA World Series, he made his first PBA television appearance, finishing second in the Pepsi Viper Championship. Later in the season, he finished fourth in the PBA Tournament of Champions.
Winning the Salvino Classic title "means everything to me," he said. "Since I was 8 years old, I watched tapes of Mike Aulby, Walter Ray (Williams Jr.), (Norm) Duke, Pete Weber…and then I'd go practice for six hours (at a four-lane bowling center in a Bogota country club managed by his father). To be able to come here and bowl with these same guys, most of whom are still bowling, means the world to me."Gomez came out firing, winning the first "eliminator" round with a 253 game. Malott posted a 250, Australia's Jason Belmonte (left) was third with a 247 and Ronnie Russell (right) of Marion, Ind., was "low man out" with a 215 game.
As the lane conditions changed in round two, Malott (left) rose to the top with a 227. Gomez struggled to a 189, but Belmonte ran into split problems, exiting the finals after a 162 game.Gomez (right) put his recently-found experience to good use in the title game, changing to a more aggressive ball and moving farther left on the lane. After converting a 10 pin for a spare in the first frame, he ran off a string of six strikes to build a 31-pin lead that Malott couldn't overcome.
With his victory, Gomez became the first Colombian to win a PBA Tour title and he became the sixth international winner in the first six PBA World Series of Bowling events.
Although he has lived in Florida for nearly 15 years, where he attended Central Florida University and obtained a degree in business administration, Gomez remains the pride of his homeland."The international dominance at the World Series is tough to explain," he said. "I don't think anyone expected it. You saw great players like Duke and Weber and Sean Rash and (Chris) Barnes make TV shows. These guys are very, very good. But what happened in title matches is really hard to explain.
"I guess right now I'm just glad I'm Colombian, and not American. Maybe I would have lost."
PBA World Series of Bowling tape-delay telecasts on ESPN conclude with the Pepsi PBA Elite Players Championship finals on Sunday, April 8, at 1 p.m. ET. Finalists are Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla.; Australia's Jason Belmonte; Mike Scroggins of Amarillo, Texas, and Mike DeVaney of Murrieta, Calif.
A free pre-finals preview will be webcast on Xtra Frame, the PBA's online bowling channel, beginning Wednesday afternoon and a post-event recap show will air on Xtra Frame immediately following the ESPN telecast.
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Carmen Salvino Classic
South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas, Nev., on Nov. 20, 2011 (aired on tape delay on April 1, 2012)
Round One (lowest score eliminated):
Andres Gomez, Colombia, 253; Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 250; Jason Belmonte, Australia, 247; Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 215 ($4,000).
Round Two (lowest score eliminated):
Malott 227, Gomez 189, Belmonte 162 ($4,500).
Championship:
Gomez ($15,000) def. Malott ($7,500), 246-207.
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