Bill O'Neill hangs on to claim No. 1 berth for PBA World Championship finals
11/01/10
Bill O'Neill (pictured) of Southampton, Pa., almost pulled off a seemingly impossible feat during Week One of the Professional Bowlers Association World Series of Bowling on his way to earning the No. 1 qualifying position for the PBA World Championship finals.
Heading into Friday's fifth and final stage of the World Series marathon – the opening event of the 2010-11 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season – O'Neill had qualified for next week's match play finals by finishing in the top 16 in a field of 252 players in the Brunswick Pro Bowler Cheetah Championship; Pepsi Viper Championship, Chameleon Championship and Scorpion Championship.
The reigning U.S. Open champion missed a "sweep" when he finished 23rd in Friday's GEICO Shark Championship qualifying round.
Despite that minor glitch, O'Neill won the marathon, compiling 13,606 pins over 60 games to top all qualifiers for the PBA World Championship finals, which will be contested live on ESPN and ESPN2.
The top eight qualifiers will return to South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas Jan. 14, 15 and 16 to decide the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour's first major championship of the 2010-11 season.
"It was a 60-game event, a grueling test of versatility," O'Neill said. "You have to be smart. You have to know why you're picking up a certain ball, what you're doing with your hand. I made all the right decisions this week, and that's why I am where I am."
Joining O'Neill for the January showdown will be Sean Rash (left); Wichita, Kan.; Osku Palermaa, Finland; Chris Barnes (right), Double Oak, Texas; Finland's Mika Koivuniemi, who now lives in Hartland, Mich.; Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz.; Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, and Jason Belmonte, Australia.
Of the eight finalists, Belmonte's finish probably was the most remarkable. After the first 24 games of the World Series, the Australian two-handed sensation was 407 pins out of eight place. Over the next 36 games, he made up a remarkable average of 10-plus pins per game on the entire field.
The second annual PBA World Series of Bowling more than lived up to its billing as an all-star international competition. Players from 14 countries, including the United States, joined the battle and in the end, the international players proved they didn't make the trip to serve as interested spectators.
Three of the five "animal pattern" qualifying stages were won by the international contingent. Finland left-hander Kimmo Lehtonen (left) led the Pepsi Viper round, with his best friend Mika Koivuniemi (right) in second place.
Australia's Jason Belmonte (left) and Finland's Osku Palermaa (right) – both two-handed players – led the Scorpion and Shark qualifying rounds, respectively. Ritchie Allen of Columbia, S.C., was the Cheetah leader on opening day and Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, paced the Chameleon round.
The strength of the international field will be tested again during a special USA vs. The World team competition which will take place on Nov. 6 for delayed airing on ESPN. The top six United States players (Bill O'Neill, Sean Rash, Chris Barnes, Michael Haugen Jr., Wes Malott and Ronnie Russell) will bowl a one-game match against six top international bowlers (Finland's Mika Koivuniemi, Kimmo Lehtonen and Osku Palermaa; Venezuela's Amleto Monacelli, Australia's Jason Belmonte and Canada's Dan MacLelland).
In late August, Team USA defeated Team Finland, 1,071-1,057, to win the gold medal in the World Tenpin Bowling Association's World Men's Championships in Munich, Germany. O'Neill, Barnes and Malott were members of Team USA. Koivuniemi and Palermaa were members of Team Finland.
After 60 games; top 63 cash; top 8 advance to live ESPN/ESPN2 stepladder finals on Jan. 14, 15 and 16 at South Point Bowling Center
1, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 13,606
2, Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan., 13,563
3, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 13,544
4, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 13,506
5, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 13,496
6, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 13,425
7, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 13,408
8, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 13,405
Other Cashers:
9, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 13,375, $5,000
10, Ritchie Allen, Columbia, S.C., 13,369, $4500
11, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 13,365, $4,000
12, Tyler Jensen, Ft. Worth, Texas, 13,358, $3,500
13, Mike Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 13,328, $3,000
14, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 13,319, $2,800
15, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 13,290, $2,600
16, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 13,286, $2,500
17, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 13,284, $2,450
18, Mike DeVaney, Murrieta, Calif., 13,269, $2,375
18, Kimmo Lehtonen, Finland, 13,269, $2,375
20, (tie) Dan MacLelland, Canada, and Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 13,267, $2,290
22, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 13,256, $2,260
23, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 13,192, $2,240
24, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 13,185, $2,220
25, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 13,165, $2,200
26, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 13,162, $2,180
27, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 13,142, $2,160
28, Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 13,121, $2,150
29, (tie) Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., and Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 13,084, $2,130
31, Kip Roberts, Glenallen, Va., 13,082, $2,120
32, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 13,079, $2,110
33, Jeff Carter, Springfield, Ill., 13,072, $2,100
34, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 13,047, $2,090
35, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 13,046, $2,080
36, Patrick Girard, Canada, 13,038, $2,070
37, Eddie VanDaniker Jr., Essex, Md., 13,033, $2,060
38, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 13,029, $2,050
39, Scott Norton, Costa Mesa, Calif., 13,025, $2,040
40, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 13,007, $2,030
41, Gregory Thompson Jr., Dayton, Ohio, 12,984, $2,020
42, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 12,972, $2,010
43, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 12,962, $2,000
44, Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., 12,953, $1,990
45, Dominic Barrett, England, 12,948, $1,980
46, Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., 12,921, $1,970
47, (tie) Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., and Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 12,905, $1,950
49, D.J. Archer, Mineral Wells, Texas, 12,880, $1,940
50, Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 12,875,$1,930
51, Stevie Weber, Chalmette, La., 12,870, $1,920
52, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 12,868, 1,910
53, Jun-Yung Kim, Korea, 12,860, $1,900
54, Manuel Otalora, Colombia, 12,845, $1,890
55, David Haynes, Las Vegas, 12,838, $1,880
56, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 12,827, $1,870
57, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 12,812, $1,860
58, (tie) Tim Mack, Indianapolis, and Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 12,794, $1,840
60, Andy Mortensen, Irving, Texas, 12,786, $1,830
61, Dave Wodka, Chatsworth, Calif., 12,778, $1,820
62, Mitch Beasley, Puyallup, Wash., 12,773, $1,810
63, (tie) Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., and Dennis Horan Jr., Temecula, Calif., 12,764, $900
56 of 252 players remain as PBA World Series of Bowling enters Week Two
Osku Palermaa becomes third international player to win one of five "animal pattern" stages
Joe Ciccone sets the tone in GEICO Shark Championship Qualifier
Bill O'Neill continues to lead PBA World Championship preliminaries
Australia's Jason Belmonte tops Scorpion Championship qualifying
Defending champion Mike DeVaney paces the field in Scorpion Championship
Bill O'Neill in the driver's seat in PBA World Championship preliminaries
Wes Malott leads top 16 into Match play in Chameleon Championship
Brian Kretzer takes the pole in Chameleon Championship after Round One
Ritchie Allen continues to lead the qualifying of the PBA World Championship
Finland's Lehtonen, Koivuniemi 1-2 in WSOB Viper Championship
Sean Rash takes early lead in Viper Championship
Ritchie Allen wins qualifying of Brunswick Pro Bowling Cheetah Championship
Mike DeVaney leads after 6 games in Cheetah Championship
All eyes on Las Vegas as PBA World Series of Bowling gets ready to roll
England's Stuart Williams among international bowling stars headed to Las Vegas
PBA's 2010 World Series of Bowling closing in on sellout
Howard Stern Show's Scott "The Engineer" to bowl in PBA World Series
Will the 2010 World Series of Bowling produce another Tom Smallwood?
2010 PBA World Series of Bowling Questions & Answers
South Point to host 2010 PBA World Series of Bowling in Las Vegas
2010-11 PBA Tour #6
Bill O'Neill (pictured) of Southampton, Pa., almost pulled off a seemingly impossible feat during Week One of the Professional Bowlers Association World Series of Bowling on his way to earning the No. 1 qualifying position for the PBA World Championship finals.Heading into Friday's fifth and final stage of the World Series marathon – the opening event of the 2010-11 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season – O'Neill had qualified for next week's match play finals by finishing in the top 16 in a field of 252 players in the Brunswick Pro Bowler Cheetah Championship; Pepsi Viper Championship, Chameleon Championship and Scorpion Championship.
The reigning U.S. Open champion missed a "sweep" when he finished 23rd in Friday's GEICO Shark Championship qualifying round.
Despite that minor glitch, O'Neill won the marathon, compiling 13,606 pins over 60 games to top all qualifiers for the PBA World Championship finals, which will be contested live on ESPN and ESPN2.
The top eight qualifiers will return to South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas Jan. 14, 15 and 16 to decide the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour's first major championship of the 2010-11 season.
"It was a 60-game event, a grueling test of versatility," O'Neill said. "You have to be smart. You have to know why you're picking up a certain ball, what you're doing with your hand. I made all the right decisions this week, and that's why I am where I am."Joining O'Neill for the January showdown will be Sean Rash (left); Wichita, Kan.; Osku Palermaa, Finland; Chris Barnes (right), Double Oak, Texas; Finland's Mika Koivuniemi, who now lives in Hartland, Mich.; Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz.; Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, and Jason Belmonte, Australia.
Of the eight finalists, Belmonte's finish probably was the most remarkable. After the first 24 games of the World Series, the Australian two-handed sensation was 407 pins out of eight place. Over the next 36 games, he made up a remarkable average of 10-plus pins per game on the entire field.
The second annual PBA World Series of Bowling more than lived up to its billing as an all-star international competition. Players from 14 countries, including the United States, joined the battle and in the end, the international players proved they didn't make the trip to serve as interested spectators.Three of the five "animal pattern" qualifying stages were won by the international contingent. Finland left-hander Kimmo Lehtonen (left) led the Pepsi Viper round, with his best friend Mika Koivuniemi (right) in second place.
Australia's Jason Belmonte (left) and Finland's Osku Palermaa (right) – both two-handed players – led the Scorpion and Shark qualifying rounds, respectively. Ritchie Allen of Columbia, S.C., was the Cheetah leader on opening day and Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, paced the Chameleon round.The strength of the international field will be tested again during a special USA vs. The World team competition which will take place on Nov. 6 for delayed airing on ESPN. The top six United States players (Bill O'Neill, Sean Rash, Chris Barnes, Michael Haugen Jr., Wes Malott and Ronnie Russell) will bowl a one-game match against six top international bowlers (Finland's Mika Koivuniemi, Kimmo Lehtonen and Osku Palermaa; Venezuela's Amleto Monacelli, Australia's Jason Belmonte and Canada's Dan MacLelland).
In late August, Team USA defeated Team Finland, 1,071-1,057, to win the gold medal in the World Tenpin Bowling Association's World Men's Championships in Munich, Germany. O'Neill, Barnes and Malott were members of Team USA. Koivuniemi and Palermaa were members of Team Finland.
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PBA World Championship Qualifying Standings
After 60 games; top 63 cash; top 8 advance to live ESPN/ESPN2 stepladder finals on Jan. 14, 15 and 16 at South Point Bowling Center
1, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 13,606
2, Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan., 13,563
3, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 13,544
4, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 13,506
5, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 13,496
6, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 13,425
7, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 13,408
8, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 13,405
Other Cashers:
9, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 13,375, $5,000
10, Ritchie Allen, Columbia, S.C., 13,369, $4500
11, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 13,365, $4,000
12, Tyler Jensen, Ft. Worth, Texas, 13,358, $3,500
13, Mike Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 13,328, $3,000
14, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 13,319, $2,800
15, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 13,290, $2,600
16, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 13,286, $2,500
17, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 13,284, $2,450
18, Mike DeVaney, Murrieta, Calif., 13,269, $2,375
18, Kimmo Lehtonen, Finland, 13,269, $2,375
20, (tie) Dan MacLelland, Canada, and Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 13,267, $2,290
22, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 13,256, $2,260
23, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 13,192, $2,240
24, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 13,185, $2,220
25, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 13,165, $2,200
26, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 13,162, $2,180
27, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 13,142, $2,160
28, Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 13,121, $2,150
29, (tie) Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., and Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 13,084, $2,130
31, Kip Roberts, Glenallen, Va., 13,082, $2,120
32, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 13,079, $2,110
33, Jeff Carter, Springfield, Ill., 13,072, $2,100
34, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 13,047, $2,090
35, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 13,046, $2,080
36, Patrick Girard, Canada, 13,038, $2,070
37, Eddie VanDaniker Jr., Essex, Md., 13,033, $2,060
38, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 13,029, $2,050
39, Scott Norton, Costa Mesa, Calif., 13,025, $2,040
40, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 13,007, $2,030
41, Gregory Thompson Jr., Dayton, Ohio, 12,984, $2,020
42, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 12,972, $2,010
43, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 12,962, $2,000
44, Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., 12,953, $1,990
45, Dominic Barrett, England, 12,948, $1,980
46, Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., 12,921, $1,970
47, (tie) Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., and Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 12,905, $1,950
49, D.J. Archer, Mineral Wells, Texas, 12,880, $1,940
50, Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 12,875,$1,930
51, Stevie Weber, Chalmette, La., 12,870, $1,920
52, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 12,868, 1,910
53, Jun-Yung Kim, Korea, 12,860, $1,900
54, Manuel Otalora, Colombia, 12,845, $1,890
55, David Haynes, Las Vegas, 12,838, $1,880
56, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 12,827, $1,870
57, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 12,812, $1,860
58, (tie) Tim Mack, Indianapolis, and Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 12,794, $1,840
60, Andy Mortensen, Irving, Texas, 12,786, $1,830
61, Dave Wodka, Chatsworth, Calif., 12,778, $1,820
62, Mitch Beasley, Puyallup, Wash., 12,773, $1,810
63, (tie) Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., and Dennis Horan Jr., Temecula, Calif., 12,764, $900
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