With the help of a 300 game, PBA50 Tour rookie
Eddie Graham of Centerville, Ohio, averaged 257 to lead the first round of the PBA50 South Shore Open Tuesday at Olympia Lanes. Graham (pictured), winner of five PBA regional titles including the 2007 Regional Players Invitational, fired a 2,058 eight-game pinfall total. He got his low game out of the way in the first game bowling 235 and then followed it up with games of 247, 269, 246, 300, 269, 248 and 244. "This is the kind of round you want to have at least once in your life," said Graham.
Shannon O'Keefe of O'Fallon, Illinois, endured a heart-breaking loss in the 2015 U.S. Women's Open title match, falling 190-189 to Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, New York. The loss continued a string of close finishes at the prestigious major, which includes finishing third in 2012, fifth in 2011 and another runner-up finish in 2007. But with two PWBA titles this season, and having qualified for at least two other TV shows, O'Keefe will head into the 2016 U.S. Women's Open more confident than ever.
Entries are now open for the PBA World Series of Bowling VIII, presented by Silver Legacy, which returns to the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., Nov. 27-Dec. 11 with a number of enhancements. The multi-event competition will include four animal pattern championships, each offering a guaranteed $20,000 first prize, and the live nationally-televised ESPN finals of PBA World Championship, offering a $60,000 first prize. Entries are open to PBA members only on a first-come basis.
PBA Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. averaged 246 to lead qualifying in the PBA50 South Shore Open presented by DV8 Wednesday putting him in good position to reach another record in a career that has lasted more than three decades. Heading into Thursday's match play rounds, Williams (pictured) led qualifying with a 3,941 16-game pinfall total at Olympia Lanes in Hammond, Ind., and if he can win his 11th PBA50 Tour title, the all-time leader on the PBA Tour titles list with 47 wins will have won a combined 100 titles in PBA competition.
The largest field in the 17-year history of Donna Conners' tribute to her late friend, Luci Bonneau, will arrive in Houston this weekend to compete for titles in the PBA-PWBA Xtra Frame Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles, sponsored by Storm. After raising nearly $750,000 to help fund breast cancer research and assist those who may not be able to afford proper care, Conners continues to enhance the tournament to accommodate an increasing number of PBA and PWBA competitors who want to participate.
Pete Weber, the crotch chopping, sunglasses wearing, bad boy of the lanes, will be making his Hollywood debut in the August 2 digital release of Split, the world's first romantic bowling comedy from independent writer/director, Jamie Buckner. Split is the story of Cassie and her quest to find love in 30 days. However, she idolized her professional bowler dad, and only a man of the lanes will do. Unfortunately, Cassie finds herself with a notorious split between a lovable 7 and a self involved 10.
When PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke looks for motivation, he finds it in the milestone PBA50 Tour season that longtime rival and fellow hall member Pete Weber is having this year. Duke had extra motivation in the title match of the PBA50 Treasure Island Resort & Casino World Championship Saturday beating Weber (right), 234-215, in the title match at Island Xtreme Bowl for his second PBA50 Tour major and third title of his career on the tour for players 50 years of age and older.
After qualifying for two PBA50 Treasure Island Resort & Casino Championship stepladder finals Thursday, PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber has his eyes set on the career milestone of 100 career titles in PBA competition. Weber, who along with fellow hall of famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. currently has 98 combined career titles in PBA Tour, PBA50 Tour, PBA regional and PBA50 regional tournaments, qualified for the finals of the Viper and Scorpion Championships at Island Xtreme Bowl.
Walter Ray Williams Jr., PBA's all-time titles leader, recently returned from a trip to China where he helped friend Frank Zhao, the founder and president of Longmarch Bowling, promote the opening of a new six-lane bowling center. The new center, located in the Bund district of Shanghai, is the fourth built by Zhao's organization in China. Longmarch is also turning its sights to the promotion of the sport at the competitive level with the hope of growing the sport professionally, according to Williams.
Bowling in his first PBA50 Tour tournament, non-member Ron Nelson Jr. (pictured) of Bridgeview, Ill., averaged 256.6 in Wednesday's final qualifying round to lead 24 players who advanced to match play in the PBA50 Treasure Island Resort & Casino World Championship presented by Storm at Island Xtreme Bowl in Welch, Minn. For the three qualifying rounds, Nelson had a 3,585 15-game qualifying pinfall good for a 239 overall average. Finishing second was PBA Hall of Famer Parker Bohn III of Jackson, N.J., who had a 3,568 15-game pinfall.
Rocio Restrepo admits her emotions can sometimes get the better of her when she's on the lanes, but she allowed those strong emotions to drive her to the title of the PWBA Greater Detroit Open. Restrepo (l.) jumped to an early lead against Malaysia's Sin Li Jane (r.), striking in four of her first six frames, on her way to a 217-185 victory at The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley in Green Bay, Wis. Restrepo claimed her first PWBA title with the victory. 
In last month's Suncoast PBA Senior U.S. Open, PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla., dominated qualifying as the tournament leader only to falter in match play eventually finishing 11th. It's something the PBA Hall of Famer hopes to avoid in the PBA50 World Championship. After Tuesday's second round bowling on PBA's 43-foot Chameleon lane condition pattern at Island Xtreme Bowl in Welch, Minn., Duke retained his qualifying lead with a 2,422 10-game pinfall total.
Setting goals provides a player in any sport a special focus during a long season. For Lindsay Boomershine, the goal for the 2016 PWBA Tour season was simple – to not be 17th. Boomershine, of Perry, Utah, went 5-1 in match play at the PWBA St. Petersburg-Clearwater Open on Saturday to earn the top seed for the televised stepladder finals. She will be joined on the TV show by Colombia's Rocio Restrepo along with Stefanie Johnson and Kelly Kulick.
Making the cut at the end of the first day of competition means making a paycheck on the PWBA Tour. Colombian native Maria Jose Rodriguez of Austin, Texas, not only is on her way to cashing another PWBA check, she also has put herself in a better position than what she has seen lately as the leader after 12 games of qualifying at the PWBA St. Petersburg-Clearwater Open, taking place at Seminole Lanes. The tournament continues Saturday with six more games to determine the 12 players for match play. 
The last time the Professional Women's Bowling Association visited Florida, Ashly Galante just had entered her teen years and still was a few years away from hitting her stride as one of the nation's top junior bowlers. Currently, the 27-year-old Palm Harbor resident is a role model for the young bowlers at nearby Countryside Lanes in Clearwater, Florida, and she's hoping to have her own breakthrough PWBA performance in front of her friends and family this week at the 2016 PWBA St. Petersburg-Clearwater Open.
Los Angeles Clippers all-star point guard Chris Paul has been named ESPN's second annual Sports Humanitarian of the Year for using the power of sports to make a positive impact on society, ESPN announced Wednesday. PBA champions Ryan Ciminelli, Jason Belmonte and Anthony Simonsen (l-r) – three of the four nominees for the "Best Bowler" ESPY award – attended the event. Belmonte won the ESPY for the second year in a row and the third time overall.
Jason Belmonte of Australia earned his second consecutive and third overall Best Bowler ESPY Award Wednesday evening during the 2016 ESPY Awards ceremonies at the Microsoft Theater. Belmonte, who won his first ESPY Award in 2011, was among winners in a variety of sports and special moment categories that were determined by fan voting. The winners were announced during ABC-TV's live ESPY Awards telecast. Also nominated were Ryan Ciminelli, Jesper Svensson and Anthony Simonsen.
Shannon O'Keefe of O'Fallon, Illinois, wasted no time in the title match, defeating Colombia native Clara Guerrero of Pflugerville, Texas, 252-203, to win the Pepsi Professional Women's Bowling Association Lincoln Open, her third career PWBA title and second of the 2016 season. For O'Keefe, her success in 2016 might not be possible without her previous television experiences. Through repetition, the 37-year-old right-hander has learned how to control her emotions when competing on television.
Defending PBA50 Player of the Year Pete Weber, who will be trying for his third consecutive major win of the season, tops the list of PBA stars 50 and over who will compete in the inaugural PBA50 Treasure Island Resort & Casino World Championship presented by Storm July 17-23 at Island Xtreme Bowl in Welch, Minn. The Treasure Island Resort & Casino Open continues a busy month of July on PBA's online bowling channel Xtra Frame. PBA fans will be able to catch all the action beginning Monday, July 18 with first round qualifying.