Chris Barnes (pictured left) of Double Oak, Texas, and Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., raced into the first round qualifying leads in the Professional Bowlers Association Scorpion and Women's Scorpion Championships, respectively, at Thunderbowl Lanes Monday.

The Scorpion Championships are part of the inaugural PBA World Series of Bowling, a festival of professional bowling which will include 13 championship events by the time it ends on Sept. 6.

Barnes averaged 235.7 for the first seven qualifying games, finishing with a 1,650 pinfall total and an 89-pin lead over Jason Couch of Clermont, Fla. Steve Jaros of Yorkville, Ill., was third with 1,543 pins followed by Ronnie Russell of Camby, Ind., at 1,530 and Australia's two-handed sensation Jason Belmonte (right) at 1,523 pins.

"I started playing straight up the gutter, which is OB (out of bounds) for most guys who are trying to play the lane left-to-right, but I was able to make good shots," Barnes said. "That's the great thing about bowling this many tournaments in a row; you get real sharp. Playing outside got me out of the blocks and then I moved inside. I left a couple of splits, but once I got lined up, I bowled pretty well.

"I think that's the best block I've had in a long, long time."

Johnson (pictured left), who has won every major women's title available over the past two years except for a PBA Women's Series presented by BOWL.COM title, was surprised to be in the lead.

"My timing hasn't been good the past few days, so I was really trying to make good shots in the little scoring area I had," she said. "I made some good hand position adjustments and let the ball do the work.

"Winning a Women's Series title this season is definitely a goal," she added. "I made the TV show for the Viper Championship, and there are three more events in the World Series, so I'll just keep plugging. I'm feeling good."

Johnson averaged 224.7 for her seven games, finishing with a 1,573 total and a 15-pin edge over two-time 2008-09 Women's Series winner Michelle Feldman of Auburn, N.Y. 2009 World Champion (All Events and Masters) Clara Juliana Guerrero (right), Colombia, was third with 1,528 pins followed by 2007 World Singles Champion Shannon O'Keefe of Arlington, Texas, at 1,520 and Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J., at 1,514.

After qualifying concludes Monday evening the top 28 players in the men's Scorpion Championship and the top eight in the Women's Series Scorpion Championship will advance to best-of-seven game match play beginning Tuesday morning.

The finals of both events will be taped on Sept. 6 at Thunderbowl Lanes for airing on ESPN Nov. 29 at 1 p.m. ET.

 

PBA Scorpion Championship - Round One Qualifying after Block 1/2

Players with position, hometown and 7-game total

1, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 1,650
2, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 1,561
3, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 1,543
4, Ronnie Russell, Camby, Ind., 1,530
5, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 1,523
6, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 1,515
7, Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 1,493
8, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 1,490
9, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 1,478
10, Rhino Page, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 1,471
11, John Nolen, Grand Blanc, Mich., 1,463
12, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 1,462
13, Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan., 1,448
14, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 1,445
15, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 1,444
16, Mike DeVaney, San Diego, 1,443
17, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 1,442
18, Andrew Cain, Scottsdale, Ariz., 1,440
18, Stuart Williams, England, 1,440
20, Daniel Patterson, Utica, N.Y., 1,438
21, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 1,428
22, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 1,427
23, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 1,425
24, John May, Lincolnton, N.C., 1,422
25, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 1,420
26, Tim Mack, Indianapolis, 1,417
27, Stevie Weber, Chalmette, La, 1,414
27, Thomas Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 1,414
29, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 1,413
30, Brian Voss, Alpharetta, Ga., 1,411
31, Jeff Carter, Springfield, Ill., 1,410
31, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 1,410
33, PJ Haggerty, Clovis, Calif., 1,409
34, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 1,406
35, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 1,405
36, Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., 1,402
37, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 1,397
38, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 1,386
38, Steve Harman, Indianapolis, 1,386
40, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 1,384
41, Ken Simard, Greenville, S.C., 1,380
42, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 1,379
43, Mitch Beasley, Puyallup, Wash., 1,378
44, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 1,376
44, Brian Waliczek, Birch Run, Mich., 1,376
46, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 1,368
47, Edward VanDaniker Jr., Essex, Md., 1,366
47, Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C., 1,366
47, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 1,366
50, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 1,358
51, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 1,357
52, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 1,356
53, Michael Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 1,352
54, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 1,351
55, Michael Cimba, Monroeville, Pa., 1,345
56, Wayne Garber, Modesto, Calif., 1,342
57, Tae-Hwa Jeong, South Korea, 1,325
58, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 1,322
59, George Lambert IV, Canada, 1,318
60, Todd Book, Wapakoneta, Ohio, 1,314
61, Jeffrey Roche, Dearborn, Mich., 1,309
62, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 1,308
63, Cassidy Schaub, Ashland, Ohio, 1,300
64, Steven Black, Phoenix, 1,296
65, Derek Sapp, Keokuk, Iowa, 1,287
66, Bo Goergen, Midland, Mich., 1,277
67, Ritchie Allen, Columbia, S.C., 1,265
68, Troy Wollenbecker, Miami, 1,256
69, Jay Futrell, Derby, Kan., 1,240
70, Joseph Hostetler, Minerva, Ohio, 1,228
71, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 1,205
72, Robert Smith, Columbus, Ohio, withdrew

 

PBA Women's Series Scorpion Championship - Round One Qualifying after Block 1/2

Players with position, hometown and 7-game total

1, Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 1,573
2, Michelle Feldman, Auburn, N.Y., 1,558
3, Clara Guerrero, Colombia, 1,528
4, Shannon O'Keefe, Arlington, Texas, 1,520
5, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 1,514
6, Shannon Pluhowsky, Phoenix, 1,467
7, Aumi Guerra, Dominican Republic, 1,435
8, Diandra Asbaty, Chicago, 1,398
9, Stefanie Nation, Arlington, Texas, 1,387
10, Adrienne Miller, Albuquerque, N.M., 1,384
11, Jodi Woessner, Oregon, Ohio, 1,382
12, Missy Bellinder, Fullerton, Calif., 1,378
13, Shalin Zulkifli, Malaysia, 1,369
14, Amanda Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 1,328
15, Jennifer Petrick, Canton, Ohio, 1,318
16, Tina Stickney, Chandler, Ariz., 1,316
17, Wendy Macpherson, Henderson, Nev., 1,311
18, Lee Sun Hee, South Korea, 1,245
19, Tammy Boomershine, North Ogden, Utah, 1,238
20, Andrea Lucente, Youngstown, Ohio, 1,214