For four days, Australian two-hander Jason Belmonte (pictured left) has dominated the field at the 2013 Lipton Bowling's U.S. Open, and he's now one game away from capping off the wire-to-wire run as the top seed for Saturday's final round at Columbus Western Bowl.

The seven-time Professional Bowlers Association Tour champion started the week with a 289 game and never looked back, out-averaging the field by more than five pins on the way to a 54-game pinfall total of 12272, which included an 11-12-1 match-play record and 30 bonus pins for each win. The final round will be televised live on ESPN at noon EDT.

Defending champion Kelly Kulick (above right) of Union, N.J., took a less direct route to the No. 1 seed on the women's side but earned the distinction for the third consecutive year. The 36-year-old right-hander never fell below second place this week and finished her 54 games with a 20-4 match-play record and 12062 total pinfall.

"Last year, I had a ghost on my shoulder because I led it and lost the year before," said Kulick, who is one of 11 women to win the event more than once (2003, '10 and '12) and is looking to become the first bowler since Dorothy Fothergill in 1969 to win in back-to-back years.

"I have to think the same way I did last year and play offense and really attack. All you can do is put yourself in a position to win, and I did that. I really want to win. I want to repeat."

Belmonte, who will celebrate his 30th birthday Monday, will be joined in the championship round by defending champion and five-time U.S. Open winner Pete Weber of St. Ann, Mo. (12098), Team USA member Marshall Kent of Yakima, Wash. (12069) and seven-time PBA champion Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas (12049).

On the women's side, two-time U.S. Women's Open titlist Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., earned the second seed with an 11778 total and was followed by reigning USBC Queens champion Diandra Asbaty of Chicago (11495) and Team USA member Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, N.Y. (11465).

L-R Belmonte, Weber, Kent, Malott, Kulick Johnson, Asbaty and McEwan.

"I am mentally and physically exhausted, but this tournament is supposed to take everything out of you," said Belmonte, who won the 2013 USBC Masters and is in position to become the 11th player in PBA history to win two majors in one season. "I am glad I was able to start the way I did and carry it through."

The combined U.S. Open events have a prize fund of more than $400,000 and will culminate with the live two-hour telecast, which will end with a special Battle of the Sexes match to crown the ultimate U.S. Open winner. The special match will feature the men's and women's champions and be broadcast live on ESPN immediately following the men's and women's finals.

Each U.S. Open winner will receive $50,000, while the winner of the Battle of the Sexes will take home an additional $10,000.

The 2013 Lipton Bowling's U.S. Open started with nearly 400 of the best men and women bowlers in the world, competing side by side (in separate events) at three Columbus-area bowling centers - Wayne Webb's Columbus Bowl, Columbus Western Bowl and Holiday Lanes. The cashers round and all match play was held at Columbus Bowl.

 

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2013 Lipton Bowling's U.S. Open - Men's Division after Match Play Round Three

Players with position, hometown, match play record and 54-game total. The top four advance to the stepladder finals

1, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 11-12-1, 12,272
2, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 16-8-0, 12,098
3, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 16-7-1, 12,069
4, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 16-8-0, 12,049

Missed Cut:
5, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 15-9-0, 11,856, $9,000
6, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 14-10-0, 11,803, $8,825
7, Stuart Williams, England, 12-12-0, 11,798, $6,000
8, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 12-11-1, 11,740, $5,000
9, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 11-13-0, 11,673, $4,500
10, Mike Fagan, Ft. Worth, Texas, 12-12-0, 11,624, $4,000
11, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 16-8-0, 11,617, $3,750
12, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 14-10-0, 11,584, $3,500
13, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 12-12-0, 11,581, $3,250
14, Connor Pickford, Charlotte, N.C., 9-15-0, 11,550, $3,000
15, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 12-12-0, 11,491, $2,900
16, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 12-12-0, 11,490, $2,800
17, Adam Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 8-16-0, 11,477, $2,700
18, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, MI, 12-12-0, 11,472, $2,600
19, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 11-12-1, 11,359, $2,500
20, Brian LeClair, Albany, N.Y., 9-15-0, 11,351, $2,400
21, Michael Snell, Plattsmouth, Neb., 12-12-0, 11,335, $2,300
22, Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill., 10-14-0, 11,268, $2,200
23, Brett Wolfe, Tempe, Ariz., 7-17-0, 11,142, $2,100
24, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 7-17-0, 11,132, $2,000

 

Official Results

 

2013 Lipton Bowling's U.S. Open - Women's Division after Match Play Round Three

Players with position, hometown, match play record and 54-game total. The top four advance to the stepladder finals

1, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 20-4-0, 12,062
2, Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 17-7-0, 11,778
3, Diandra Asbaty, Chicago, 18-6-0, 11,495
4, Danielle McEwan, Stony Point, N.Y., 12-11-1, 11,465

Did not advance: 5, Leanne Hulsenberg, Roseville, Calif., 14-10-0, 11,401, $7,000
6, Stefanie Nation, Grand Prairie, Texas, 14-10-0, 11,329, $4,000
7, Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, 12-12-0, 11,316, $3,500
8, Shannon O'Keefe, Arlington, Texas, 14-10-0, 11,254, $3,000
9, Rocio Restrepo, Colombia, 13-11-0, 11,223, $2,500
10, Jodi Woessner, Oregon, Ohio, 11-13-0, 11,157, $2,250
11, Josie Earnest, Vandalia, Ill., 10-14-0, 11,095, $2,000
12, Krista Pöllänen, Finland, 12-12-0, 11,026, $1,950
13, Jacqui Reese, Bangor, Pa., 12-12-0, 11,001, $1,900
14, Clara Guerrero, Colombia, 9-15-0, 10,991, $1,800
15, Brenda Padilla, Mansfield, Texas, 9-15-0, 10,948, $1,750
16, Sandra Andersson, Sweden, 9-15-0, 10,913, $1,700
17, Brandi Branka, Momence, Ill., 14-10-0, 10,911, $1,675
18, Ashly Galante, Palm Harbor, Fla., 9-12-3, 10,907, $1,650
19, Lynda Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 9-15-0, 10,901, $1,625
20, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Keller, Texas, 10-12-2, 10,862, $1,600
21, Lindsay Boomershine, Brigham City, Utah, 10-12-2, 10,809, $1,575
22, Kim Yioulos, Rochester, N.Y., 9-15-0, 10,798, $1,550
23, Brittni Hamilton, Webster, N.Y., 10-13-1, 10,742, $1,525

 

Official Results