Brian Kretzer takes the pole in Chameleon Championship after Round One

    10/28/10

    2010-11 PBA Tour #3

    Sean Rash moves into the PBA World Championship qualifying lead

    201011PBABrianKretzer.jpg201011PBA02TylerJensen.jpgBrian Kretzer (pictured left) of Dayton, Ohio, averaged 244 for his first six of 12 games in the Chameleon Championship qualifying round during the PBA World Series of Bowling at South Point Bowling Center Wednesday to take the lead away from Squad A leader Tyler Jensen (right) of Fort Worth, Texas.

    Kretzer, who won his first Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour title during the 2009-10 season, rolled games of 254, 259, 279, 238, 233 and 202 for a 1,465 pinfall total and a 13-pin lead over Jensen heading into the final six games later Wednesday.

    201011PBADannyWiseman.jpg201011PBAWesMalott.jpgDanny Wiseman (left), Baltimore, was third with 1,433 and was followed by Wes Malott (right), Pflugerville, Texas in fourth place with 1,407.

    South Korea's Kim Jun-Yung is the best of three international bowlers in the top 16 in fifth place with 1,395. Finland's two-hander Osku Palermaa (below left) is right behind in sixth place with 1,391.

    Martin Larsen (below right), Sweden is tied with Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., for 12th place at 1,370. With six more games to go Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., holds the 16th and final spot to advance with 1,360 or an average of 226.67.

    2010EBT15OskuPalermaa.jpg2010EBT15MartinLarsen.jpg"I was able to move in deep and use my hand. I hooked the lanes the whole time," Kretzer said. "It worked last night and the same theory worked today. I made the right ball choice and I also bowled well.

    "I finished 43rd on the Cheetah pattern and 19th on the Viper, so if I wasn't in the top eight in the PBA World Championship standings, I'm close now (he was 23rd after 24 games)."

    Kretzer said he didn't feel bad about knocking Jensen out of the early lead, even though both work for the same company. "We can't have some salesman who bowls part-time beating us tour guys," he grinned.

    Jensen, who has never won a PBA Tour title, got off to an impressive start earlier in the day, and promptly got fired.

    It may not be as bad as it sounds.

    Jensen, 26, qualified for the match play portion of the Viper Championship on Tuesday, which means he needs to stick around until next week to try for a berth in the Viper Championship stepladder final on Nov. 5. But he has already made plans to return home and go back to work in his real job as a regional salesman for Storm Products.

    "I'm just here having some fun," Jensen said Wednesday after posting a 1,452 total for his first six Chameleon games. "I'm here on vacation. My real job is working for Storm Products, so I wanted to come and see some friends, hang out with the boss. There's no pressure like there used to be."

    Jensen, an eight-time PBA regional champion, tried the PBA Tour on a full-time basis after college a few years back, but "I was probably a little too green at that point. I had a great time and learned a lot."

    But: "My love has always been in sales, so when the opportunity to join the Storm staff came up, I jumped all over it. It's my dream job and I get to bowl as much as I want.

    "My goal in coming out here was to make cash for World Championship. These guys are the best in the world. I didn't have the expectation of making the round of 16, so I made arrangements to go home on Saturday."

    The thing is, Hank Boomershine is Jensen's boss. Boomershine, who is Vice President-Sales for Storm and Roto Grip bowling products, is also bowling in the World Series. After Jensen's second brilliant performance on Wednesday, "Hank just fired me," Jensen laughed. "He told me I had to go back out on tour, that I'm no longer a salesman."

    The reality of Jensen's situation will play itself out over the next couple of days. If, in fact, he heads for home on Saturday, he will vacate his spot as the No. 16 match play finalist in the Viper Championship, theoretically to the player who finished 17th.

    201011PBASeanRash.jpg201011PBALonnieWaliczek.jpgIf, in fact, Jensen or any other player who qualified for next week's match play rounds is not able to bowl, the PBA will asked the next-highest-finishing players in each respective segment to serve as "alternates to match play."

    The next available player in the Viper round? Chris Barnes. "We'll have to play it by ear," Jensen said.

    After the first six games in the Chameleon round, Sean Rash (pictured left) of Wichita, Kan., moved into the PBA World Championship qualifying lead with a 30-game total of 6,997 pins, 13 ahead of fellow Wichita resident Lonnie Waliczek (right).

    The PBA World Championship standings will be based on a total of 60 games on five different lane conditions over a span of five days.

    All competition in the PBA World Series of Bowling is being webcast live on PBA's Xtra Frame video-streaming service. For one-day, World Series-only and full-season subscriptions, visit xtraframe.tv.

     


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    Chameleon Championship - Round 1 (six games)


    The top 16 after 12 games advance to round-robin match play Tuesday, Nov. 2.
    * indicates non-member bowler. INT = international. bowler.


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