Bill O'Neill in the driver's seat in PBA World Championship preliminaries

    10/28/10

    2010-11 PBA Tour #6

    Three players move into the top 8 on Chameleon pattern

    201011PBABillONeill.jpg201011PBASeanRash.jpgThe first five days of the PBA World Series of Bowling will serve as qualifying for the PBA World Championship, the first major tournament of the 2010-11 PBA Tour season.

    After the third day of qualifying on the Chameleon pattern, reigning U.S. Open champion and defending Chameleon champion Bill O'Neill (pictured left) of Southampton, Pa. sits in the driver's seat.

    O'Neill, who has made the cut to the top 16 in all three championships so far, averaged 226.17 on Wednesday to moved from sixth to first place with 8,283 pinfall total and an average of 230.08.

    201011PBARitchieAllen.jpg201011PBAMikaKoivuniemi.jpgSean Rash (above right), Wichita, Kan., made the second consecutive cut and leaped from fourth to second place in the World Championships standings with 8,263. Previous leader Ritchie Allen (left), Columbia, S.C., slipped to third place with 8,239 after finishing in 63rd place on the Chameleon patter after averaging 210.33 for the day.

    Mika Koivuniemi (right), Finland is one of three players, who cracked the top 8, and currently the sole international bowler inside the cut. The 8-time PBA champion and PBA exempt player moved from ninth to fourth place with 8,232 pinfall total.

    201011PBAMichaelHaugen.jpg201011PBALonnieWaliczek.jpgMichael Haugen Jr. (left), Carefree, Ariz., the only other player than O'Neill, who made the cut in all three tournaments, moved from seventh to fifth place with 8,193. Lonnie Waliczek (right) of Wichita, Kan., fell from second to sixth place with 8,230.

    Tyler Jensen (below left), Ft. Worth, Texas, jumped from 16th to seventh place with 8,193 behind a third-place finish on Chameleon. With 36 out of 60 games in the books, Chameleon Championship qualifying leader Wes Malott (below right), Pflugerville, Texas, rocketed from a tied 31st place into the eighth and final place to advance with 8185 and an average of 227.36.

    201011PBA02TylerJensen.jpg201011PBAWesMalott.jpgAll 252 competitors bowl five 12-game qualifying rounds on the PBA's Cheetah, Viper, Chameleon, Scorpion and Shark lane conditions to complete the 60-game PBA World Championship standings.

    The top 63 based upon 60 games will cash and the top eight will return to South Point Jan. 14-16, 2011 to battle for a $50,000 top prize in the PBA World Championship stepladder finals live on ESPN.

    The top qualifier will have the advantage of selecting the lane conditioning pattern for the televised finals. Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, Mich., is defending PBA World Champion.

    In addition, the top 6 U.S. and the top 6 international bowlers advance to USA vs. the World TV finals, which will be taped on Nov. 6. and broadcasted on Sunday, Jan. 9, 2011 at 1pm ET on ESPN.

     


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    PBA World Championship - Qualifying after 36 out of 60 games


    The top 8 after 60 games advance to the stepladder finals Jan. 14-16, 2011. The top 63 will cash. * indicates non-member bowler. INT = international. bowler.

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