Denver Broncos’ CJ Anderson to compete in PBA Regional

21 May, 2016

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The PBA has learned that Denver Broncos’ running back CJ Anderson is going to compete in the PBA Planet Bowl Southwest Open in Oklahoma City this weekend.

Anderson, who made his PBA debut as a celebrity guest in the Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational in Los Angeles in January, is serious about bowling and reportedly has been practicing diligently with guidance from PBA competitors, including fellow Denver area PBA member Brett Cooper.

“My 1st PBA tourney this weekend man should be fun,” Anderson noted on his Twitter feed this week.

Regarding his chances, he also noted, “I’ll do my best, I’m pretty confident. The goal is to make the cut. If I’m rolling it really well I know I have a shot. I will try to win and show the world I’m serious.”

Anderson, who is accompanying Cooper to the PBA Southwest Region event in Oklahoma City, scored a touchdown in helping the underdog Broncos win Super Bowl L, 24-10, over the heavily-favored Carolina Panthers.

Among his ongoing bowling activities was hosting a “Strikes for Kids” fundraiser last weekend in Lone Tree, Colo., to provide scholarship assistance to deserving young people.

Top 10 PBA Fall Swing money-winners to earn berths in 2017 DHC Japan Open

In addition to titles in the PBA’s Wolf, Badger, Bear and Detroit Open titles, PBA members bowling in the PBA Fall Swing at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Mich., Sept. 4-11, will be competing for 15 invitations to participate in the 2017 DHC PBA Japan Invitational in January in Tokyo.

The 2016 PBA Fall Swing – formerly conducted in the summer – will award PBA Tour titles in the Wolf, Bear, Badger and Detroit Opens. Qualifying rounds in the Wolf, Bear and Badger events will qualify players advancing to the Detroit Open, and the winners of all four of those events – plus the points leader who doesn’t win a title – will compete in the Fall King of the Swing special event to conclude the Detroit event.

The top 10 PBA members based on total earnings for the Fall Swing will be invited to participate in the DHC PBA Japan Invitational along with defending champion Amleto Monacelli, one PWBA-PBA Women’s member, three players selected by tournament sponsor DHC, one Korea PBA member, and 16 representatives of the Japan PBA in a 32-game head-to-head match play competition.

The Japan Invitational will offer a $150,000 prize fund with $40,000 and a PBA Tour title to the winner (title will be awarded if the winner is a PBA member).

If the leading female bowler is among the top 10 earnings leaders, one additional bowler from the earnings list will be invited. If a PWBA-PBA Women’s member is not among the top 10 in money earned, the invitation will go to the highest-finishing woman in the Detroit Open.

Xtra Frame kicks into high gear with multi-event June schedule

The future of access to professional bowling will be on full display during the summer months, leading off with a June schedule that is filled with live PBA Tour, PBA50 Tour and PWBA competition.

PBA’s Xtra Frame online video-streaming service, which fans can watch on home computers, laptops, mobile devices and even on television screens using modern digital technology, will provide hours of world-class competition, beginning with the PBA50 Tour’s first major championship of the year, the Suncoast PBA Senior U.S. Open May 29-June 3 in Las Vegas.

As the PBA Senior U.S. Open wraps up in Las Vegas, the PBA Tour returns to action with the Downums Waste Services PBA Jonesboro Open presented by Xtra Frame at Jonesboro Bowling Center in Jonesboro, Ark., June 3-5.

Bowling fans will also be able to watch the world’s best women bowlers over the June 3-5 weekend when Xtra Frame provides live coverage of the PWBA Wichita Open from Northrock Lanes in Wichita, Kan.

PBA50 Tour action on Xtra Frame will continue with the Fountain Valley Open presented by Track at Fountain Bowl, Fountain Valley, Calif., June 5-8, and the Northern California Classic presented by MOTIV at Harvest Park Bowl, Brentwood, Calif., June 12-15, before returning to Sam’s Town in Las Vegas for the year’s second major, the USBC Senior Masters, June 19-25.

PWBA Tour competition will continue throughout June as well with the Lincoln Open at Sun Valley Lanes in Lincoln, Neb., June 9-12; the Greater Detroit Open from Super Bowl in Canton, Mich., June 16-19; the PWBA Players Championship from The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley in Green Bay, Wis., June 23-26, and the Lexington Open from Collins Bowling Center in Lexington, Ky., June 30-July 3.

All preliminary rounds of PWBA events leading up to the CBS Sports Network-televised stepladder finals air live on Xtra Frame.

Rounding out the June Xtra Frame schedule will be the fourth of 10 Xtra Frame PBA Tour tournaments of the year, the Xtra Frame PBA Lubbock Sports Open from South Plains Lanes in Lubbock, Texas.

PBA50 National Championship host center making major upgrades

Signature Lanes in Elkhart, Ind., the host center of the season-ending PBA50 National Championship to Benefit Riley Hospital for Children Aug. 14-17, is undergoing $300,000 in upgrades in anticipation of the event.

Signature Lanes is working with QubicaAMF to do a comprehensive technology upgrade that includes 50-inch flat screen 3D scoring monitors and new tablet-based lane consoles, new scoring and game software, and a major upgrade of existing pinsetters among other upgrades.

A number of activities for fans also are planned leading up to the event including an auction, special dinner with the pros, celebrity BBQ contest and live entertainment.

QubicaAMF PBA Regional Update: Wodka, Verble, Shafer notch regional wins

Dave Wodka (right) of Beavercreek, Ohio defeated Patrick Dombrowski of Parma, Ohio by six pins to win his 20th QubicaAMF PBA Regional title Sunday in the Baldo Campana Memorial/Ohio Lottery Central/Midwest Open presented by Storm at Rebman Recreation in Lorain, Ohio.

Larry Verble (left) of Mason, Mich. defeated non-member Gary Schluchter of Fremont, Ohio by 66 pins to win the PBA50 companion event.

Wodka finished with an 11-1 match play record and a total of 4,569 pins for 20 games, including match play bonus pins, to win the $2,100 first prize in the standard regional event while Verble finished with a 7-5 match play record and 4,637 pins for 20 games to win his sixth PBA50 regional title along with the $1,400 first prize.

Ryan Shafer (pictured left, with Rockaway Lanes GM Dori Tingoli and proprietor Richard Mark) of Horseheads, N.Y. defeated Anthony Pepe of Elmhurst, N.Y., 200-199, to win his 27th QubicaAMF PBA Regional title in the PBA Al Jones Memorial Eastern Open presented by Storm at Rockaway Lanes in Rockaway, N.J., Sunday.

Shafer qualified third for the stepladder finals and defeated Foy Jr., Seaford, Del., 227-188, and Steven Arehart, Chesapeake, Va., 233-174, to advance to the title match where he led throughout after Pepe began with two splits. Another open gave Shafer a 20-pin lead, but when Shafer left a 2-8-10 split and opened, Pepe was again within a mark.

Pepe then struck in the ninth frame and got the first two in the 10th before leaving three pins on his fill ball. Shafer struck on his first shot in the 10th, left a 10 pin on his second, and converted the spare to claim the $3,000 first prize by a single pin.

The long-running event was named to honor the late Al Jones, co-owner of Pro Image Bowling pro shop at Rockaway Lanes. Jones, who suffered from cystic fibrosis since childhood, twice endured a double lung transplant, but lost his life to an infection in January, eight years after his second transplant. Jones joined the PBA in 2001 and competed until 2007, just prior to his second transplant.

The May 20-22 QubicaAMF PBA Regional Tour schedule includes the J.D. Producing/Star Strategies/Orrivilon Inc. Central Open presented by Hammer at Triway Lanes in Wooster, Ohio; the Planet Bowl Southwest Open in Oklahoma City, and a Northwest Region doubleheader – The Shock Top/Budweiser Open presented by US Foods and Brunswick plus the PBA50 Daffodil Bowl Open presented by Sunset Chevrolet and Brunswick in Puyallup, Wash. The Midwest Region will conduct a one-day Tony Grigat Allstate Midwest Open presented by Hammer on May 21 at Fox Bowl in Wheaton, Ill.

As PBA50 players head toward Las Vegas and the Suncoast PBA U.S. Senior Open presented by 900 Global May 29-June 3, they’ll have a couple of regional opportunities in Arizona – the 7th annual Lona King Saguaro West Open at Johnson Lanes in Sun City West, May 23-25, and the PBA50 Miller Lite Western Open at Starlite Lanes in Flagstaff May 25-27.

Over the May 27-29 Memorial Day weekend, QubicaAMF PBA Regional competition will include the Junction City Bowl Southwest/Midwest Open presented by MOTIV in Junction City, Kan. (which was originally scheduled for May 13-15); and the Colony Park Lanes East Challenge for non-title winners in York, Pa.

For complete QubicaAMF PBA Regional schedules, rules and entry information, click here to find the event(s) in your area.

Quick Notes

Correction: Walter Ray Williams Jr. has won a grand total of 98 PBA titles across the organization’s different levels of competition, not 96 as noted in last week’s Spare Shots. Pete Weber has a combined total of 96 titles.