Connor Pickford wins No. 1 berth for PBA Viper Championship finals
10/27/14
Connor Pickford (pictured left) of Charlotte, North Carolina, who has never finished higher than 14th in his abbreviated four-year Professional Bowlers Association Tour career, will make his national television debut as the top qualifier in the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling VI's Viper Championship.
Pickford, 22, averaged 230.57 for 14 games on the Viper lane condition at South Point Bowling Center Sunday, finishing with a 3,228 pinfall total to capture the No. 1 berth in the Viper Championship ESPN finals by 32 pins over Ronnie Russell (right) of Marion, Indiana.
England's Dom Barrett (left) jumped for fifth to third with a 223 final game and veteran Mika Koivuniemi (right), a native Finn who lives in Hartland, Michigan, held on to fourth place with a 3,141 total, six pins ahead of Australia's Jason Belmonte and 11 ahead of first-round leader B.J. Moore III of Apex, North Carolina.
The top four players will bowl for the Viper Championship title on Saturday, Nov. 1, in the new South Point Bowling Plaza. The finals will air on ESPN on Sunday, Dec. 21.
"I had an amazing ball reaction tonight," Pickford said. "I've had all of my success with a MOTIV Venom Shock, my purple ball. I told my ball rep when I got into that ball tonight, it was game on. I didn't realize scores were so low because my ball reaction was so good."
Being in position to win his first national professional title is a dream Pickford began chasing at age 14 when he entered a PBA regional tournament, with parental consent. His dreams were temporarily derailed, he said, when he won $100 in a youth tournament, which resulted in a year-long suspension from the national governing body.
After sitting out a year, he was reinstated and returned to PBA competition, earning 2011-12 PBA South Region Player of the Year honors.
"That's when I decided this is what I'm supposed to do with my life," he said. "It's unbelievable to know (making his first TV final) is what I've worked for. A couple of years ago, I watched Jason Sterner – a fellow South Region competitor and a good friend – three all three strikes in 10th to make the show and I remember it was an incredible feeling. Now I get to bowl for my first title. I don't know what to think, but I'm pretty sure I won't get much sleep tonight."
World Series competition continues with qualifying for the PBA Chameleon Championship, the third of four qualifying legs in the PBA World Championship, Monday. Qualifying squads will bowl at 8 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. local time.
All qualifying and match play rounds of the animal pattern events and PBA World Championship will be covered live on Xtra Frame. For subscription information, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame Season Ticket link.
Photos by Randy Gulley.
B.J. Moore III paces the field after first round in PBA Viper Championship
Dick Allen earns No. 1 seed for PBA Cheetah Championship stepladder finals
Dick Allen takes first round lead in PBA Cheetah Championship
Hall of Famers Monacelli, Williams lead field of PBA Challenge finalists
Players with position, hometown/country and 14-game total; ; top four advance to ESPN finals Saturday, Nov. 1
1, Connor Pickford, Charlotte, N.C., 3,228
2, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 3,196
3, Dom Barrett, England, 3,148, $100
4, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 3,141
L-R Pickford, Russell, Barrett, and Koivuniemi.
Missed Cut:
5, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 3,135, $4,000
6, B.J. Moore III, Apex, N.C., 3,130, $3,500
7, Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 3,116, $3,000
8, Mike Fagan, Ft. Worth, Texas, 3,101, $2,500
9, Shuichi Heki, Japan, 3,080, $2,200
10, Eddie Van Daniker Jr., Chatsworth, Calif., 3,064, $2,000
11, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 3,063, $1,800
12, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 3,061, $1,700
13 (tie), Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., and Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 3,060, $1,625
15, Devin Bidwell, Wichita, Kan., 3,049, $1,550
16, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 3,042, $1,500
17, Mike DeVaney, Winchester, Calif., 3,041, $1,450
18, Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 3,037, $1,400
19, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 3,008, $1,350
20, John Furey, Freehold, N.J., 3,002, $1,300
21, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 2,995, $1,275
22, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 2,965, $1,250
23, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 2,913, $1,225
24, John Ferraro, Kingston, N.Y., 2,853, $1,200
Other Cashers (after 7 games):
25 (tie), Giorgio Clinaz Jr., Venezuela; Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, and Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 1,546, $773
28, D.J. Archer, Friendswood, Texas, 1,542, $740
29, Josh Blanchard, Mesa, Ariz., 1,541, $730
30, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 1,540, $720
31, Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 1,538, $710
32, Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill., 1,537, $700
300 Game: Dom Barrett.
Top 50 after 14 games in Cheetah and Viper Championships; Chameleon and Scorpion rounds will be conducted Monday and Tuesday, respectively. Top 24 after 28 combined games advance to PBA World Championship match play rounds Wednesday and Thursday
1, Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 3,316
2, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 3,310
3, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 3,297
4, B.J. Moore III, Apex, N.C., 3,287
5 (tie), Mike Fagan, Ft. Worth, Texas, and Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 3,257
7, Shuichi Heki, Japan, 3,255
8, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 3,249
9, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 3,242
10, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 3,233
11, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 3,228
12, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 3,224
13, Jason Sterner, Covington, Ga., 3,219
14, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 3,217
15, Eddie VanDaniker Jr., Chatsworth, Calif., 3,202
16, Dom Barrett, England, 3,201
17, Todd Book, Russells Point, Ohio, 3,200
18, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 3,197
19, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 3,196
20, Connor Pickford, Charlotte, N.C., 3,195
21, Dale Coleman, High Springs, Fla., 3,190
22, Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 3,187
23, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 3,184
24, John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y., 3,182
25, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 3,181
26, Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, 3,180
27, Brian LeClair, Albany, N.Y., 3,177
28, Mike DeVaney, Winchester, Calif., 3,171
29, Patrick Girard, Canada, 3,169
30, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 3,166
31, Jim Pratt, Glendale, Ariz., 3,161
32 (tie), Devin Bidwell, Wichita, Kan., and Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 3,159
34 (tie), Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, and Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 3,154
36, Scott Norton, Mission Viejo, Calif., 3,153
37, Stuart Williams, England, 3,152, $100
38, Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 3,150
39, Perttu Jussila, Finland, 3,148
40, John Furey, Freehold, N.J., 3,147
41, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 3,146
42, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 3,142
43, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 3,141
44 (tie), Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., and Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 3,139
46 (tie), Peter Nordenson, Sweden, and Joe Findling, Mesquite, Texas, 3,137
48, Anthony Pepe, Elmhurst, N.Y., 3,136
49, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 3,133
50 (tie), Craig Nidiffer, Trenton, Mich., and Joonas Jehkinen, Finland, 3,125
2014 PBA Tour #8
Fourth-year pro from North Carolina to make national television debut
Connor Pickford (pictured left) of Charlotte, North Carolina, who has never finished higher than 14th in his abbreviated four-year Professional Bowlers Association Tour career, will make his national television debut as the top qualifier in the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling VI's Viper Championship.Pickford, 22, averaged 230.57 for 14 games on the Viper lane condition at South Point Bowling Center Sunday, finishing with a 3,228 pinfall total to capture the No. 1 berth in the Viper Championship ESPN finals by 32 pins over Ronnie Russell (right) of Marion, Indiana.
England's Dom Barrett (left) jumped for fifth to third with a 223 final game and veteran Mika Koivuniemi (right), a native Finn who lives in Hartland, Michigan, held on to fourth place with a 3,141 total, six pins ahead of Australia's Jason Belmonte and 11 ahead of first-round leader B.J. Moore III of Apex, North Carolina.The top four players will bowl for the Viper Championship title on Saturday, Nov. 1, in the new South Point Bowling Plaza. The finals will air on ESPN on Sunday, Dec. 21.
"I had an amazing ball reaction tonight," Pickford said. "I've had all of my success with a MOTIV Venom Shock, my purple ball. I told my ball rep when I got into that ball tonight, it was game on. I didn't realize scores were so low because my ball reaction was so good."
Being in position to win his first national professional title is a dream Pickford began chasing at age 14 when he entered a PBA regional tournament, with parental consent. His dreams were temporarily derailed, he said, when he won $100 in a youth tournament, which resulted in a year-long suspension from the national governing body.
After sitting out a year, he was reinstated and returned to PBA competition, earning 2011-12 PBA South Region Player of the Year honors.
"That's when I decided this is what I'm supposed to do with my life," he said. "It's unbelievable to know (making his first TV final) is what I've worked for. A couple of years ago, I watched Jason Sterner – a fellow South Region competitor and a good friend – three all three strikes in 10th to make the show and I remember it was an incredible feeling. Now I get to bowl for my first title. I don't know what to think, but I'm pretty sure I won't get much sleep tonight."
World Series competition continues with qualifying for the PBA Chameleon Championship, the third of four qualifying legs in the PBA World Championship, Monday. Qualifying squads will bowl at 8 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. local time.All qualifying and match play rounds of the animal pattern events and PBA World Championship will be covered live on Xtra Frame. For subscription information, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame Season Ticket link.
Photos by Randy Gulley.
Â
Related Articles
B.J. Moore III paces the field after first round in PBA Viper Championship
Dick Allen earns No. 1 seed for PBA Cheetah Championship stepladder finals
Dick Allen takes first round lead in PBA Cheetah Championship
Hall of Famers Monacelli, Williams lead field of PBA Challenge finalists
Â
PBA Viper Championship - Second Round Standings
Players with position, hometown/country and 14-game total; ; top four advance to ESPN finals Saturday, Nov. 1
1, Connor Pickford, Charlotte, N.C., 3,2282, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 3,196
3, Dom Barrett, England, 3,148, $100
4, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 3,141
L-R Pickford, Russell, Barrett, and Koivuniemi.
Missed Cut:
5, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 3,135, $4,000
6, B.J. Moore III, Apex, N.C., 3,130, $3,500
7, Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 3,116, $3,000
8, Mike Fagan, Ft. Worth, Texas, 3,101, $2,500
9, Shuichi Heki, Japan, 3,080, $2,200
10, Eddie Van Daniker Jr., Chatsworth, Calif., 3,064, $2,000
11, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 3,063, $1,800
12, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 3,061, $1,700
13 (tie), Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., and Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 3,060, $1,625
15, Devin Bidwell, Wichita, Kan., 3,049, $1,550
16, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 3,042, $1,500
17, Mike DeVaney, Winchester, Calif., 3,041, $1,450
18, Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 3,037, $1,400
19, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 3,008, $1,350
20, John Furey, Freehold, N.J., 3,002, $1,300
21, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 2,995, $1,275
22, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 2,965, $1,250
23, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 2,913, $1,225
24, John Ferraro, Kingston, N.Y., 2,853, $1,200
Other Cashers (after 7 games):
25 (tie), Giorgio Clinaz Jr., Venezuela; Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, and Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 1,546, $773
28, D.J. Archer, Friendswood, Texas, 1,542, $740
29, Josh Blanchard, Mesa, Ariz., 1,541, $730
30, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 1,540, $720
31, Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 1,538, $710
32, Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill., 1,537, $700
300 Game: Dom Barrett.
Â
PBA World Championship Qualifying Standings
Top 50 after 14 games in Cheetah and Viper Championships; Chameleon and Scorpion rounds will be conducted Monday and Tuesday, respectively. Top 24 after 28 combined games advance to PBA World Championship match play rounds Wednesday and Thursday
1, Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 3,316
2, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 3,310
3, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 3,297
4, B.J. Moore III, Apex, N.C., 3,287
5 (tie), Mike Fagan, Ft. Worth, Texas, and Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 3,257
7, Shuichi Heki, Japan, 3,255
8, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 3,249
9, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 3,242
10, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 3,233
11, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 3,228
12, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 3,224
13, Jason Sterner, Covington, Ga., 3,219
14, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 3,217
15, Eddie VanDaniker Jr., Chatsworth, Calif., 3,202
16, Dom Barrett, England, 3,201
17, Todd Book, Russells Point, Ohio, 3,200
18, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 3,197
19, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 3,196
20, Connor Pickford, Charlotte, N.C., 3,195
21, Dale Coleman, High Springs, Fla., 3,190
22, Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 3,187
23, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 3,184
24, John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y., 3,182
25, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 3,181
26, Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, 3,180
27, Brian LeClair, Albany, N.Y., 3,177
28, Mike DeVaney, Winchester, Calif., 3,171
29, Patrick Girard, Canada, 3,169
30, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 3,166
31, Jim Pratt, Glendale, Ariz., 3,161
32 (tie), Devin Bidwell, Wichita, Kan., and Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 3,159
34 (tie), Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, and Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 3,154
36, Scott Norton, Mission Viejo, Calif., 3,153
37, Stuart Williams, England, 3,152, $100
38, Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 3,150
39, Perttu Jussila, Finland, 3,148
40, John Furey, Freehold, N.J., 3,147
41, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 3,146
42, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 3,142
43, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 3,141
44 (tie), Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., and Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 3,139
46 (tie), Peter Nordenson, Sweden, and Joe Findling, Mesquite, Texas, 3,137
48, Anthony Pepe, Elmhurst, N.Y., 3,136
49, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 3,133
50 (tie), Craig Nidiffer, Trenton, Mich., and Joonas Jehkinen, Finland, 3,125
Â