Professional Bowlers Association

Jacob Butturff Wins PBA Bowlero Wilmington Open for 23rd Career Title

ddziomba — Wed, 07 Oct 2020 08:29:00 -0700

Wilmington, Del. – Jacob Butturff of Tempe, Ariz., compiled an 7-1 match play record and a 15-game total of 3,479 pins to score a 68-pin victory over Jake Rollins of Gen Rock, N.J. in the PBA Bowlero Wilmington Open on Sunday.

Butturff, who normally competes in the PBA West Region, is competing in the PBA Tour Fall Swing events currently being run in Centreville, Va. He took advantage of an off day to bowl in his first East Region event. He qualified fourth, then won his first four games in match play to take over the lead throughout the remainder of the event. Rollins took advantage of a 258 game in the position round match to catapult into 2nd place, his best career finish.

The win was the 23rd in Butturff’s five-year career and earned him $2,500. Rollins earned $1,275 as the runner up while qualifying leader Matt O’Grady of Rahway, N.J. finished third and pocketed $1,150. PBA Tour champion Francois Lavoie of Canada finished fourth and earned $1,000.

The next event on the PBA East Region schedule is the PBA50 Timber Lanes Open in Oxford, Pa. on October 16-18. This event is open to bowlers aged 50 and above. The next full-field event is at AMF Strathmore Lanes in Aberdeen, N.J. on October 24.

PBA BOWLERO WILMINGTON OPEN
Bowlero Wilmington, Wilmington, Del., Sunday

Final Match Play Standings (after 15 games, including match play bonus pins)

Jacob Butturff, Tempe, Ariz., 7-1, 3,479, $2,500.
Jake Rollins, Glen Rock, N.J., 6-2, 3,411, $1,275.
Matt O’Grady, Rahway, N.J., 5-3, 3,290, $1,150.
Francois Lavoie, Canada, 6-2, 3,287, $1,000.
Todd Sigeti, Lititz, Pa., 6-2, 3,259, $850.
Jason Sterner, Rochester, N.Y., 3-5, 3,222, $750.
Rick Graham, Elizabethtown, Pa., 3-5, 3,117, $700.
Greg Ostrander, Brick, N.J., 2-6, 3,083, $650.
Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 4-4, 3,069, $630.
Keith Laing, Oakdale, Conn., 2-6, 3,019, $620.
Jeremy Domingo, Sewell, N.J., 2-6, 2,952, $610.
Michael Mirabile, Coram, N.Y., 2-6, 2,928, $600.

Editor’s Note: A photo of the winner has been posted in PBA's Media Gallery.

Brandon Curtis Wins PBA Regional Title in PBA AMF Woodstock South Open

ddziomba — Wed, 07 Oct 2020 08:25:00 -0700

Woodstock, Ga. – Brandon Curtis of Manson, N.C. won his fifth PBA South Regional title with a 30-pin victory over PBA Hall Of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Oxford, Fla., at AMF Woodstock Lanes on Saturday.

Curtis had a 63-pin lead heading into the final position round, which was enough of a lead to claim the title, despite losing the match to Williams Jr., 255-258.

Curtis who recently won the East Region PBA AMF Towson Lanes Open September 13, made this back to back wins and his overall 5th PBA Regional Title. Curtis earned $2700 for the win with a 3-3 match play record, while Williams Jr., posted a 5-1 match play record and $1400 for finishing second.

The PBA South Region’s next tournament will be the PBA50 Canton Open at Cherokee Lanes in Canton, Ga., Oct. 9, 2020.

PBA AMF WOODSTOCK SOUTH OPEN
AMF Woodstock Lanes, Woodstock, Ga., Saturday

Final Match Play Standings (after 12 games)

Brandon Curtis, Manson, N.C., 3-3, 2,766, $2700.
Walter Ray Williams, Oxford, Fla., 5-1, 2,676, $1400.
n-Ryan Lane, Powder Springs, Ga., 4-2, 2,558, $1250.
n-Charles Peavy, Lillian, Ala., 4-2, 2,543, $1150.
n-James Magennis, Charlotte, N.C., 3-3, 2,553, $1075.
Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., 2-4, 2,577, $1000.
Nick Christy, Newport, N.C., 4-2, 2,507, $875.
Mike Coffey, Melbourne, Fla., 4-2, 2,469, $775.
Trevor Roberts, Crystal River, Fla., 2-4, 2,512, $725.
n-Bryan Hahlen, Greenwood, S.C., 2-4, 2,495, $675.
n-Ryan Lopano, Little River, S.C., 2-4, 2,476, $650.
Cristian Azcona, Clermont, Fla., 3-3, 2,432, $625.
n-Eli Simmons, Anderson, S.C., 2-4, 2,413, $605.
Christopher McSwain, Kings Mountain, N.C., 4-2, 2,337, $595.
Hannah Brookins, Ocala, Fla., 2-4, 2,371, $585.
n-Josh Rondino, Lilburn, Ga., 2-4, 2,246, $575.

*n-denotes non-PBA member

PBA Playoffs Competition Begins on Saturday with Six Two-Hour Telecasts on FOX

ddziomba — Tue, 06 Oct 2020 15:25:00 -0700

The PBA Tour’s Top 24 bowlers compete for first place prize of $100,000 in Season-Culminating Event

Centreville, Va. – Big money bowling returns to FOX on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 8 p.m. with the PBA Tour’s grand finale event of the season – the PBA Playoffs. A $100,000 first place prize and the last title of the year are on the line as the Tour’s top 24 players compete head-to-head in the bracket style, single elimination tournament.

First Round action kicks off Saturday with Hall of Fame veterans battling it out against the Tour’s rising stars in a win or lose go home format. In this sudden death tournament, anything can happen!

The top 24 players earned points all year towards a spot in the playoffs, with the top eight receiving a first-round bye to advance to the Round of 16.

Those top eight players represent the Tour’s best talent including breakout star, Kris Prather, who won the inaugural PBA Playoffs last year to solidly himself as an elite PBA performer. The 2019 champion upset the world’s best bowler, Jason Belmonte, to win a spot in the final four and subsequently took down established stars Anthony Simonsen and Bill O’Neill to win the title.

Prather, Belmonte, Simonsen, and O’Neill are joined by PBA stars EJ Tackett, Jesper Svensson, Kyle Troup, and Sean Rash to round out the top eight.

The PBA Playoffs will take place at Bowlero Centreville, just outside of Washington, D.C. No fans will be in attendance and access to the venue is limited to ensure the health and safety of players, crew and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fans can catch all the action of the PBA Playoffs on FOX and Fox Sports’ FS1, and live stream the PBA on the FOX Sports and FOX NOW apps or at FOXSports.com. Select highlights will be available on @FOXSports social handles across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. International fans can watch live on FloBowling.com.

The complete TV schedule for the playoffs is as follows:

PBA Playoffs: ROUND OF 24 – Saturday, Oct. 10, 8 p.m. ET on FOX
No. 16 Tommy Jones vs. No. 17 Jakob Butturff
No. 9 Francois Lavoie vs. No. 24 Norm Duke
No. 13 Dom Barrett vs. No. 20 Dick Allen
No. 12 Marshall Kent vs. No. 21 Chris Via

PBA Playoffs: ROUND OF 24 – Saturday, Oct. 17, 6 p.m. ET on FOX
No. 15 Kyle Sherman vs. No. 18 AJ Johnson
No. 10 Darren Tang vs. No. 23 Nicholas Pate
No. 14 Tom Smallwood vs. No. 19 Chris Barnes
No. 11 Brad Miller vs. No. 22 Tom Daugherty

PBA Playoffs: ROUND OF 16 – Sunday, Oct. 25, 5 p.m. ET on FS1
Jones/Butturff vs. No. 1 Jason Belmonte
Lavoie/Duke vs. No. 8 Sean Rash
Barrett/Allen vs. No. 4 Anthony Simonsen
Kent/Via vs. No. 5 Kris Prather

PBA Playoffs: ROUND OF 16 – Sunday, Nov. 1, 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1
Sherman/Johnson vs. No. 2 Bill O'Neill
Tang/Pate vs. No. 7 Kyle Troup
Smallwood/Barnes vs. No. 3 EJ Tackett
Miller/Daugherty vs. No. 6 Jesper Svensson

PBA Playoffs: QUARTERFINALS – Sunday, Nov. 8, 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1
*Matches TBD after Round of 16

PBA Playoffs: SEMIFINALS & FINALS – Sunday, Nov. 8, 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1
*Matches TBD after Quarterfinals

The 2020 PBA Playoffs point standings are as follows:

1. Jason Belmonte - 30,295.0
2. Bill O'Neill - 20,387.5
3. EJ Tackett - 19,965.0
4. Anthony Simonsen - 19,795.0
5. Kristopher Prather - 19,470.0
6. Jesper Svensson - 15,995.0
7. Kyle Troup - 15,155.0
8. Sean Rash - 13,705.0
9. Francois Lavoie - 12,497.5
10. Darren Tang - 11,992.5
11. Brad Miller - 11,460.0
12. Marshall Kent - 10,395.0
13. Dom Barrett - 9,855.0
14. Tom Smallwood - 9,740.0
15. Kyle Sherman - 9,685.0
16. Tommy Jones - 9,410.0
17. Jakob Butturff - 8,855.0
18. AJ Johnson - 8,332.5
19. Chris Barnes - 8,185.0
20. Dick Allen - 8,177.5
21. Chris Via - 8,020.0
22. Tom Daugherty - 7,980.0
23. Nicholas Pate - 7,930.0
24. Norm Duke - 7,792.5

About the PBA
The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) is the world’s preeminent organization dedicated to the sport of bowling and its professional competition, with thousands of members and millions of fans throughout the world. The PBA plays host to bowling’s biggest tournaments from the Go Bowling! PBA Tour, PBA Regional Tour, and PBA50 Tour. In 2019, the PBA was acquired by Bowlero Corporation, the world’s largest owner and operator of bowling entertainment centers with more than 300 locations throughout North America. For more information, please visit PBA.com.

Carsten Hansen Becomes Next European to Have Break Out Performance at PBA World Series of Bowling

jlaufer — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 21:01:00 -0700

Denmark player defeats Pennsylvania's BJ Moore to win PBA Scorpion Championship

Centreville, Va. – Denmark's Carsten Hansen defeated BJ Moore, 216-193, in the PBA Scorpion Championship to win the final event of Storm World Series of Bowling XI, which started in March in Las Vegas and concluded at Bowlero Centreville on FS1 Monday night.

It wasn't Hansen's first Go Bowling PBA Tour title. That win came a year ago in Sweden at the PBA International-World Bowling Tour Storm Lucky Larsen Masters. But this Scorpion victory, coming in his first appearance on American national television, was as special, perhaps more so.

"It was my childhood dream to win on this stage I saw on TV as a kid," Hansen, 27, said. "That was what I wanted to try and do, and now to have done it, it is just amazing."

With his win on the 42-foot Scorpion pattern, Hansen joined a veritable 'who's who' of European Professional Bowlers Association players who have made a name for themselves at the PBA World Series of Bowling.

Starting with Finland's Osku Palermaa in 2010 at WSOB II, a strong group of Europeans have become PBA stars after bursting on the scene to win their first PBA title on American TV at the World Series. England's Stuart Williams and Dom Barrett each won in 2011 at WSOB III. Jesper Svensson of Sweden did it in 2015 at WSOB VII, and Richie Teece of England in 2017 was the latest at WSOB IX.

"It's what I have been fighting for my whole life. All the long hours in the bowling center or the gym. Trying to understand bowling balls or lanes," said Hansen. "Now, knowing all that hard work wasn’t all for nothing, is just amazing."

Hansen was joined in the Scorpion finals seeding round by a final four headlined by 26-year-old, 7-time PBA champ Jakob Butturff, one-time champion BJ Moore and Darren Tang, still searching for his first win after failing to cash in on a Cheetah Championship finals appearance earlier this week.

Hansen won the top seed in the stepladder with a 224, but the drama was for the No. 2 seed as Moore and Tang tied at 217. Moore won the one-ball roll-off, 10-9, to secure the top seed.

Tang disposed of Butturff in the first match, 214-160, as Butturff missed two spares during the match before also missing a meaningless third spare in the 10th.

In the semifinal match, Moore finished by stringing the last nine strikes to eliminate Tang, 255-213.

But Moore's run of strikes ended in the final. He could not muster a double, as Hansen marched to victory with a workmanlike clean game. Three 10-pin leaves were all that stood between him and the first seven strikes.

The longest WSOB ever is now complete. Jason Belmonte won the main event PBA World Championship at the event's original host, South Point Bowling Plaza in Las Vegas, back in March before the event was halted due to COVID-19. The animal pattern events were picked up in Virginia with strict safety guidelines including no fans on site. Sean Rash won the PBA Cheetah Championship, Belmonte the PBA Chameleon Championship and Hansen in the Scorpion.

Hansen, a right-hander, has been a PBA member since 2012, competing primarily in World Series PBA events because of the opportunities the WSOB presents with multiple events at one location. He won a PBA regional doubles title with Palermaa at the World Series in 2013, but this win on TV against a field as deep and strong as the 120 that entered WSOB XI could signal a new star.

"I think this is going to change a lot for me mentally, knowing I can do this," Hansen said.

Hansen did not earn enough PBA points in 2020 to qualify for the PBA Playoffs, the season-culminating event featuring the top 24 in season points which begins its exciting six-show run of survive-and-advance single-elimination matches this Saturday at 8 pm ET on FOX.

PBA SCORPION CHAMPIONSHIP

Storm WSOB XI

Bowlero Centreville

Final Standings

1, Carsten Hansen, Denmark, $25,000

2, BJ Moore, Greensburg, Pa., $13,000

3, Darren Tang, San Francisco, $7,000

4, Jakob Butturff, Temp, Az., $6,000

Playoff Results

Seeding Round – Hansen, 224; Moore, 217 (10); Tang, 217 (9); Butturff, 191.

Match 1 - Tang def. Butturff, 214-160.

Semifinal - Moore def. Tang, 255-213.

Championship – Hansen def. Moore, 216-193.

About the PBA

The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) is the world’s preeminent organization dedicated to the sport of bowling and its professional competition, with thousands of members and millions of fans throughout the world. The PBA plays host to bowling’s biggest tournaments from the Go Bowling! PBA Tour, PBA Regional Tour, and PBA50 Tour. In 2019, the PBA was acquired by Bowlero Corporation, the world’s largest owner and operator of bowling entertainment centers with more than 300 locations throughout North America. For more information, please visit PBA.com.

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Jason Belmonte Captures Milestone 25th Career PBA Title

jlaufer — Sun, 04 Oct 2020 20:46:00 -0700

Australian defeats Brad Miller at WSOB Chameleon Championship for his third win of 2020

Centreville Va. – The legend of Jason Belmonte continues to grow.

In winning his second consecutive PBA Chameleon Championship by stopping upset-minded Brad Miller, 232-202, in the title match seen Sunday on FS1, the Australian won his 25th Go Bowling PBA Tour title, now tied for 10th all time with Hall of Famer Brian Voss.

"Twenty-five means a lot, considering 11 years ago was my debut. To have won 10 years ago, it's surreal to reach a milestone like that," said Belmonte, now 37-years-old. "I don't look at it as being ranked 10th all time in wins. Right now, with my drive and motivation this is just a peg along the way, another steppingstone. The stats and rankings are things I'll reflect on at the end when I am retired."

Clearly, Belmonte is at the height of his powers and those numbers will not stop adding up any time soon.

The Chameleon win, coming as part of the Storm PBA World Series of Bowling XI, was his third PBA title of 2020, including the US Open and PBA World Championship. The US Open win in Nebraska in February completed a career Super Slam (joining his previous PBA Players Championship, PBA Tournament of Champions, USBC Masters and PBA World Championship). The World Championship victory back in March in Las Vegas, also part of WSOB XI, added to his record 13 major championships.

Belmonte is locked in as the No. 1 seed for the upcoming 2020 PBA Playoffs as the PBA points leader, has the highest average on Tour and advanced to the TV finals in both the 2020 PBA Players Championship and PBA Tournament of Champions.

In other words, a sixth Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year award seems a lock for 2020. Belmonte, who previously won the Player of the Year award in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2019, would join the legendary Earl Anthony with six, which ranks second all-time to Walter Ray Williams Jr.'s seven.

Indeed, Player of the Year was on Belmonte's mind this week.

"Coming into these WSOB events, if someone was to win three animal patterns and win the Playoffs, it was in back of your mind that a player could get on a roll like that (and become a major factor in the Player of the Year race)," Belmonte said. "So, heading into today's show and before the final shot against Brad, I told myself, 'Give it your best shot and get as many points and titles as you can.' My case for Player of the Year will be very strong to deny."

The win also added to Belmonte's lore in World Series of Bowling competition. He is the undisputed king of the event, now with eight WSOB titles including three main event World Championships in the 11 years of the PBA's international bowling spectacular. He has advanced to a record 20 TV finals at the World Series alone, in his career.

"The biggest thing for me about the World Series is there is a lot of bowling, even though the pattern events are in a shorter format," Belmonte said. "At the end of the day, you're playing the World Series to win the World Championship, every single day. I feel like I normally start slow on the Cheetah and progressively get better. I pride myself on my versatility, and you combine that with the motivation to catch people after a slow start. Then, when it's time for match-play, I've become smarter following my own transition, becoming more difficult to beat in that environment. Put it all together and I have success at the World Series."

In the Chameleon TV finals on the 39-foot pattern, he was part of an all-star cast in the final four along with EJ Tackett, Anthony Simonsen and Brad Miller. Tackett and Simonsen being Belmonte's closest competitors for the past five years on Tour, and Miller looking for his first win but well-known for his popular YouTube channel "Brad & Kyle (Sherman)," chronicling the life of a pro bowler.

The seeding game came down to the three Goliaths of the foursome, as Tackett, Simonsen and Belmonte each entered the 10th frame with a chance to earn the top seed. When the dust cleared it was Belmonte (225) who emerged on top for the stepladder, with Tackett (223) grabbing the second spot. Simonsen (203), would face Miller (171) in game 1.

Miller escaped the stepladder's first match with a 203-197 victory when Simonsen left a stone 9 pin in the 10th frame. Miller continued his march up the stepladder of superstars by striking in his fill ball to edge Tackett by one pin, 248-247. Next up was Belmonte. If Miller could continue this run it would be one of the great upsets for a first title in PBA history.

Miller started with an open in the first frame of the title match, but Belmonte let the challenger back in when he whiffed a 10-pin spare in the second frame.

"I've bowled on TV so many times, yet still can forget some basic things, like remembering that every single shot is critical," Belmonte said. "You can't get up and think this is easy spare and move on. You've got to make it."

But Belmonte reapplied the pressure and did not let up. When the right-handed Miller missed the 3-6-9-10 in the 6th frame, Belmonte took a lead he would not relinquish.

Belmonte was playing the outside part of the lane this time on the tricky pattern. He said the tournament moving to Virginia after the pause of the World Series back in March at South Point Bowling Plaza meant a new strategy to attack the lanes.

"At South Point, with the newer surface the fronts didn't blow up as quickly, so you could create shape and move left," Belmonte said. "But because of the hook in the fronts here, and it being tight down-lane, you had to play up the lane fairly straight. I was playing from 12-6 on one lane and 10-7 on the other, firing it up the lane with two different urethane balls."

Not even a global pandemic can stop the leader of the two-hand revolution in bowling. Belmonte returned to the USA from Australia for the first time since the pause in PBA Tour action, and made the most of it.

"The last thing I said to my wife when I left was that I'll throw every ball like it's my last, “ Belmonte said. “I didn't want to come all the way over here, and know the requirements for quarantining going back home, to be for nothing. From ball one, I felt very sharp and in tune with my game. I'm very happy and grateful to take this win."

PBA CHAMELEON CHAMPIONSHIP

Storm WSOB XI

Bowlero Centreville

Final Standings

1. Jason Belmonte, Australia, $25,000

2. Brad Miller, Lees Summit, Mo., $13,000

3. EJ Tackett, Bluffton, Ind., $7,000

4. Anthony Simonsen, Las Vegas, $6,000

Playoff Results

Seeding Round – Belmonte, 225; Tackett 223; Simonsen 203; Miller 171

Match 1 - Miller def. Simonsen, 203-197

Semifinal - Miller def. Tackett, 248-247

Championship – Belmonte def. Miller, 232-202

About the PBA

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Sean Rash Captures First PBA WSOB Title After Years of High Finishes

jlaufer — Sun, 04 Oct 2020 18:51:00 -0700

Future Hall of Famer runs stepladder, defeats No. 1 seed EJ Tackett to win PBA Go Bowling! Cheetah Championship

Centreville, Va. – Finally. Sean Rash is a PBA World Series of Bowling champion.

Rash of Montgomery, Ill., defeated fellow future Hall-of-Famer EJ Tackett of Bluffton, Ind., 229-215, to win the Go Bowling! PBA Cheetah Championship at Bowlero Centreville, one of four title events at the Storm WSOB XI. The finals aired Sunday on FS1.

It was Rash's 16th Go Bowling PBA Tour title overall, moving him into a tie for 24th all-time, but the 38-year-old's first WSOB title after many close calls in World Series competition.

"This one felt good," said Rash, originally from Anchorage, Alaska. "Getting to check off that (WSOB) box on my career, to beat the best of the best in the world. That is one I have wanted for a long time."

Rash, the 2011-12 PBA Player of the Year, has been one of the World Series' most prominent star players throughout the 11-year history of the PBA's annual international showcase. He previously qualified for 15 WSOB TV finals without a win, finishing runner-up four times in different events.

"The depth of the field at the World Series, with the best from so many countries taking part, is why winning means so much," said Rash, who advanced to six finals telecasts at WSOB III.

The triumph in the Cheetah Championship was Rash's second title of the PBA Tour 2020 season, following his PBA Oklahoma Open win in January. The 2,500 competition points he earned with the Cheetah victory also solidified the important 8th place position in the 2020 PBA Playoffs, which assures Rash a first-round bye in the upcoming season culminating event for the top 24 in 2020 points.

Rash also won the non-title PBA Summer Clash event in June and reigned for a time as PBA King of the Lanes in July.

His elusive first WSOB title did not come easy. He went the extreme long way in capturing the trophy during these unprecedented times in sports.

First, the event's qualifying round began when originally scheduled in March, across the country at South Point Bowling Plaza in Las Vegas. Rash barely made the cut there on the Cheetah 33-foot oil pattern, finishing in a tie for the 16th and final spot with Ryan Ciminelli. Rash advanced to match play in in a one-game roll-off.

Then the WSOB was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic that halted sports around the world.

The PBA picked up World Series animal pattern elimination best-of-5 match play this week in Virginia, and again Rash pushed things to the limit. He needed all five games to edge Matt McNiel in the round of 16. Next, to earn his spot in the TV finals, Rash defeated Kyle Troup in the round of 8 again in the fifth and deciding game.

"This is the longest event we have ever had," Rash said of the seven-month gap between the qualifying and match play. "I was just trying to survive round-by-round. I was supposed to be wiped out by now but found a way to stay alive."

On the Cheetah finals telecast, Rash joined a final four that included Tackett, who has 13 PBA titles in his young career, and two players looking for their first win, Darren Tang of San Francisco, and Packy Hanrahan of Greenwich, Conn.

The four faced off in a seeding round match to decide the stepladder, with Tackett emerging No.1 after a 247, Hanrahan earning the second seed with 225, Rash third with 207 and Tang, 202. Which again meant Rash would have to do it the hard way, by running the stepladder to win.

In the opening match, Rash disposed of Tang, 268-189. In the semifinals, Rash survived a gutter ball in the third frame to advance past fellow Wichita State alum Hanrahan, 218-191.

"I was living on the edge," Rash said of his extreme outside line to the pocket. "I had to trust it, but that one went in (the channel). Fortunately, I made the spare."

In the title match with Tackett, Rash fell behind early before a four-bagger that included a ball change in the sixth frame gave him the lead. Meanwhile, Tackett thrilled the TV audience with two big impressive spare conversions, first on a washout 1-2-4-10 in the fourth frame and then the 2-4-10 in the 8th.

"You expect him to make those spares," Rash said.

Rash said he used a full arsenal of six different bowling balls through the finals, battling the differences in lanes and the transition. "First time I've ever done that," he said.

Finally, after Tackett left an 8-pin in the 10th frame, Rash struck on his first ball in the 10th to clinch the victory. And so, in his 57th WSOB event in 11 years, Rash had another trophy and accomplishment to add to his storied career.

"This is the first time I have won a tournament stateside without a family member present," Rash said. "It's tough. I was emotional and it was hard to not be able to look in the stands and see Sara, or my mom and dad or my kids and share that moment with them."

Rash will now make a quick trip home to Illinois to celebrate with Sara and his three daughters before returning to Virginia for the Playoffs.

The Storm WSOB XI rolls on with the finals of the Chameleon Championship and Scorpion Championship Sunday and Monday on FS1.

PBA Go Bowling! CHEETAH CHAMPIONSHIP

Storm WSOB XI

Bowlero Centreville

Final Standings

1. Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., $25,000

2. EJ Tackett, Bluffton, Ind., $13,000

3. Packy Hanrahan, Greenwich, Conn., $7,000

4. Darren Tang, San Francisco, $6,000

Playoff Results

Seeding Round – Tackett, 247; Hanrahan, 225; Rash, 207; Tang, 205

Match 1 - Rash def. Tang, 268-189

Semifinal - Rash def. Hanrahan, 218-191

Championship – Rash def. Tackett, 229-215

About the PBA

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The Storm PBA World Series of Bowling XI Animal Pattern Events Resume Competition

ddziomba — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 15:48:00 -0700

The World Series of Bowling Go Bowling! Cheetah Championship, Chameleon Championship and Scorpion Championship to air on FS1 Sunday, 10/4 – Monday 10/5

Centreville, Va. – The 2020 Storm PBA World Series of Bowling XI resumed competition on Thursday at Bowlero Centerville completing the three animal pattern events that were scheduled in March.

The Go Bowling! Cheetah Championship, Chameleon Championship and Scorpion Championship will air on Fox Sports’ FS1 in three two-hour telecasts on Sunday, Oct. 4 – Monday, Oct. 5.

The animal pattern events picked up where they left off in March with the Round of 16 and Round of 8 before the WSOB paused amidst the pandemic. Players previously competed in two rounds, five games each, of qualifying competition per animal pattern to advance to match play.

Each round of competition featured a single elimination best-of-five matches with the final four players advancing to the televised finals.

The Cheetah Championship Round of 16 and Round of 8 concluded Thursday afternoon with Sean Rash, Darren Tang, Patrick Hanrahan, and EJ Tackett advancing to the championship on Sunday, Oct. 4, 5:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

The Chameleon Championship Round of 16 and Round of 8 concluded Thursday night with Anthony Simonsen, EJ Tackett, Jason Belmonte, and Brad Miller advancing to the championship on Sunday, Oct. 4, 7:30 p.m. ET.

The Scorpion Championship Round of 16 and Round of 8 concluded Friday afternoon with Darren Tang, BJ Moore, Carsten Hansen, and Jakob Butturff advancing to the championship on Monday, Oct. 5, 9 p.m. ET on FS1.

Viewers can live stream the PBA on the FOX Sports and FOX NOW apps or at FOXSports.com. Select highlights will be available on @FOXSports social handles across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. International fans can watch live on FloBowling.com.

Storm PBA World Series of Bowling XI Animal Pattern Match Play Results

PBA Cheetah Championship – Round of 16
#1 Matt McNiel vs. #16 Sean Rash, Rash advances, 3-0 (185-216, 252-234, 219-205, 199-223, 245-212)
#9 Kyle Troup vs. #8 Mykel Holliman, Troup advances 3-2 (245-226, 238-197, 226-242, 192-232, 215-203)
#12 Arturo Quintero vs. #5 Francois Lavoie, Lavoie advances, 3-0 (204-170, 223-132, 185-180)
#13 Patrick Girard vs. #4 Darren Tang, Tang advance, 3-2 (275-200, 237-233, 207-226, 233-243, 259-245)
#11 Chris Via vs. #6 Patrick Hanrahan, Hanrahan advances, 3-2 (236-208, 201-190, 245-222, 192-227, 212-203)
#3 Jakob Butturff vs. 14 Jesper Svensson, Butturff advances, 3-1 (206-254, 259-228, 202-180, 190-181)
#7 Wes Malott vs. #10 Kyle Sherman, Malott advances, 3-0 (221-177, 169-159, 205-197)
#15 Bill O'Neill vs. #2 EJ Tackett, Tackett advances, 3-1 (237-222, 225-216, 214-279, 246-225)

PBA Cheetah Champion – Round of 8
Sean Rash vs. Kyle Troup, Rash advances, 3-2 (203-249, 253-203, 235-220, 192-236, 254-189)
Francois Lavoie vs. Darren Tang, Tang advances, 3-2 (215-180, 212-205, 221-223, 196-238, 228-227)
Patrick Hanrahan vs. Jakob Butturff, Hanrahan advances, 3-1 (209-206, 192-258, 203-164, 223-181)
Wes Malott vs. EJ Tackett, Tackett advances, 3-0 (258-209, 235-231, 222-180)

PBA Chameleon Championship – Round of 16
#1 Jakob Butturff vs. #16 Anthony Simonsen, Simonsen advances, 3-1 (192-175, 214-202, 178-196, 279-220)
#9 Tom Smallwood vs. #8 Bill O’Neill, Smallwood advances, 3-2 (189-214, 203-190, 219-186, 171-237, 192-192)
#12 Stuart Williams vs. #5 Kris Prather, Prather advances, 3-0 (179-165, 244-134, 215-179)
#13 Carsten Hansen vs. #4 EJ Tackett, Tackett advances, 3-1 (215-201, 214-213, 185-169, 246-169)
#7 Josh Blanchard vs. #6 Jason Belmonte, Belmonte advances, 3-0 (254-209, 244-166, 201-192)
#3 Jesper Svensson vs. 14 Francois Lavoie, Svensson advances, 3-1 (185-197, 233-178, 197-174, 228-202)
#7 Thomas Larsen vs. #10 Pontus Andersson, Andersson advances, 3-1 (194-189, 173-200, 169-147, 196-157)
#15 Brad Miller vs. #2 Chris Via, Miller advances, 3-1 (208-216, 232-165, 226-200, 177-166)

PBA Chameleon Championship – Round of 8
Simonsen vs. Smallwood, Simonsen advances, 3-2 (176-181, 239-211, 223-197, 201-200)
Prather vs. Tackett winner, Tackett advances, 3-2 (190-169, 201-206, 214-200, 215-209)
Belmonte winner vs. Svensson winner, Belmonte advances, 3-1 (232-246, 238-174, 212-210, 247-203)
Andersson winner vs. Miller winner, Miller advances, 3-1 (125-162, 224-155, 228-194, 259-215)

PBA Scorpion Championship – Round of 16
#1 Jason Belmonte vs. #16 Anthony Simonsen, Belmonte advances, 3-0 (224-213, 213-185, 203-227, 191-177)
#9 Darren Tang vs. #8 Kenneth Ryan, Tang advances, 3-0 (213-194, 259-196, 245-209)
#12 Chris Via vs. #5 Brad Miller, Miller advances, 3-0 (184-161, 155-154, 177-175)
#13 Francois Lavoie vs. #4 BJ Moore, Moore advances, 3-1 (194-173, 183-235, 201-176, 222-171)
#11 Carsten Hansen vs. #6 Danielle McEwan, Hansen advances, 3-1 (226-247, 222-175, 228-204, 246-175)
#3 Jesper Svensson vs. #14 Kris Prather, Svennson advances, 3-1 (192-173, 176-189, 237-181, 256-194)
#7 Dino Castillo vs. #10 Marshall Kent, Kent advances, 3-0 (194-168, 243-141, 217-155)
#15 EJ Tackett vs. #2 Jakob Butturff, Butturff advances, 3-0 (222-213, 193-169, 221-176)

PBA Scorpion Championship – Round of 8
Belmonte vs. Tang, Tang advances, 3-2 (234-213, 193-257, 181-232, 232-162, 235-226)
Miller winner vs. Moore, Moore advances 3-2 (224-150, 214-186, 221-227, 181-205, 258-224)
Hansen vs. Svensson, Hansen advances, 3-2 (204-183, 220-232, 234-221, 223-230, 217-169)
Kent vs. Butturff, Buturff advances, 3-0 (197-193, 207-169, 232-155)

During this uncertain time, the PBA’s main priority is the health and safety of its players and staff, and has significantly modified event procedures for the Fall Swing. The PBA is taking all necessary precautions and following local and federal COVID-19 guidelines to reduce risks. For a complete list of the PBA’s COVID-19 related standards and procedures, please visit PBA.com.

Portland Lumberjacks Win 2020 PBA League Elias Cup

jlaufer — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 08:28:00 -0700

Centreville, Va. – The Portland Lumberjacks defeated the Las Vegas High Rollers to win back-to-back PBA League Elias Cup championships on Wednesday at Bowlero Centreville.

Portland successfully defended their title defeating the expansion Las Vegas franchise, 3-2, in a best-of-five championship match series.

In game one, Las Vegas took an early lead, winning 252-197, but Portland made necessary adjustments rebounding to win games two and three with scores of 278-218 and 235-210.

Las Vegas made a line-up change in game four winning 235-220 to tie up the match forcing a must win game five for the championship.

Portland’s Kris Prather sealed the win in the ninth frame with a strike to secure the team’s back-to-back win and final score of 257-197.

Wes Malott, Portland’s anchor player, won back-to-back MVP honors, making history winning the title twice in a row. Malott helped bring home the Elias Cup last year and can’t wait to defend the 2020 Elias Cup at Bayside Bowl in 2021.

PBA League Elias Cup Quarterfinal Round Results

Anthony Division Quarterfinals Match 1

L.A. X def. NYC KingPins, 2-0 (246-224, 277-237)

L.A. X advances to semifinals against Portland Lumberjacks

Anthony Division Quarterfinals Match 2

Brew City Ballers def. Miami Waves, 2-1 (234-182, 219-234, 10-6)

Brew City Ballers advance to semifinals against Motown Muscle

Carter Division Quarterfinals Match 1

Phoenix Fury def. Silver Lake Atom Splitters, 2-1 (243-214, 212-216, 10-10, 10-9)

Phoenix Fury advances to semifinals against Dallas Strikers

Carter Division Quarterfinals Match 2

Las Vegas High Rollers def. Brooklyn Styles, 2-0 (243-214, 267-248)

Las Vegas advances to semifinals against Philadelphia Hitmen

PBA League Elias Cup Semifinal Round Results

Anthony Division Semifinals Match 1

Portland Lumberjacks def. L.A.X, 2-0 (227-174, 206-193)

Portland advances to Anthony Division finals

Anthony Division Semifinals Match 2

Brew City Ballers def. Motown Muscle, 2-1 (230-269, 235-227, 10-9)

Brew City advances to Anthony Division finals

Carter Division Semifinals Match 1

Dallas Strikers def. Phoenix Fury, 2-0 (267-188, 258-239)

Carter Division Semifinals Match 2

Las Vegas High Rollers def. Philadelphia Hitmen, 2-0 (218-190, 248-182)

Las Vegas advances to Carter Division finals

PBA League Elias Cup Divisional Finals Results

Anthony Division Final

Portland Lumberjacks def. Brew City Ballers, 2-0 (247-246, 233-192)

Portland advances to Elias Cup finals

Carter Division Final

Las Vegas High Rollers def. Dallas Strikers, 2-1 (224-196, 217-225, 10-10, 10-9)

Las Vegas advances to Elias Cup finals

PBA League Elias Cup Championship Results

Best of five

Portland Lumberjacks def. Las Vegas High Rollers, 3-2 (197-252, 278-218, 235-210, 220-235, 257-197)

History of PBA League Elias Cup Champions

2013: NYC KingPins

2014: Silver Lake Atom Splitters

2015: Silver Lake Atom Splitters

2016: Dallas Strikers

2017: Dallas Strikers

2018: Silver Lake Atom Splitters

2019: Portland Lumberjacks

2020: Portland Lumberjacks

Mark Roth MVP Award Winners

2014 Chris Barnes, Silver Lake Atom Splitters

2015 Dick Allen, Silver Lake Atom Splitters

2016 Tommy Jones, Dallas Strikers

2017 Norm Duke, Dallas Strikers

2018 Chris Barnes, Silver Lake Atom Splitters

2019 Wes Malott, Portland Lumberjacks

2020 Wes Malott, Portland Lumberjacks

About the PBA

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Las Vegas High Rollers and Portland Lumberjacks to Compete for PBA League Elias Cup

jlaufer — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 10:09:00 -0700

Centreville, Va. – The Las Vegas High Rollers had luck on their side defeating the Dallas Strikers in a sudden-death roll-off on Tuesday’s PBA League divisional finals. Las Vegas will meet the defending champion Portland Lumberjacks in the Elias Cup finals on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET on FS1.

Las Vegas, the No. 4 seeded expansion team in the Carter Division defeated the No. 2 seeded Dallas, 2-1. Las Vegas won the first game, 224-196, and lost the second, 217-225 to force the tie-breaker.

In the roll-off, Dallas’ Bill O’Neill and Las Vegas’ Francois Lavoie stepped up for their respective teams and both struck. Dallas’ player/manager Norm Duke selected rookie player Nick Pate next for his team who had the best ball reaction of the night. Despite throwing a good shot, Pate left a 7-pin, giving Las Vegas an opening. Andrew Anderson responded with a strike to advance his team to Elias Cup finals.

In the Anthony Division finals, the Portland Lumberjacks took down the other expansion team to advance, Brew City Ballers 2-0. Brew City had an early lead in game one, but Portland delivered in the second half, which led to a back and forth match up until the final frame. Brew City’s Sean Rash failed to strike in his second shot in the tenth frame which cost his team to lose by one pin, 247-246.

Portland easily won the second game, 233-192 and advances to the PBA League Elias Cup finals to defend their title on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET on FS1.

Fans who want an in-depth look into matches from key players and managers can subscribe to FloBowling.com.

PBA League Elias Cup Quarterfinal Round Results

Anthony Division Quarterfinals Match 1

L.A. X def. NYC KingPins, 2-0 (246-224, 277-237)

L.A. X advances to semifinals against Portland Lumberjacks

Anthony Division Quarterfinals Match 2

Brew City Ballers def. Miami Waves, 2-1 (234-182, 219-234, 10-6)

Brew City Ballers advance to semifinals against Motown Muscle

Carter Division Quarterfinals Match 1

Phoenix Fury def. Silver Lake Atom Splitters, 2-1 (243-214, 212-216, 10-10, 10-9)

Phoenix Fury advances to semifinals against Dallas Strikers

Carter Division Quarterfinals Match 2

Las Vegas High Rollers def. Brooklyn Styles, 2-0 (243-214, 267-248)

Las Vegas advances to semifinals against Philadelphia Hitmen

PBA League Elias Cup Semifinal Round Results

Anthony Division Semifinals Match 1

Portland Lumberjacks def. L.A.X, 2-0 (227-174, 206-193)

Portland advances to Anthony Division finals

Anthony Division Semifinals Match 2

Brew City Ballers def. Motown Muscle, 2-1 (230-269, 235-227, 10-9)

Brew City advances to Anthony Division finals

Carter Division Semifinals Match 1

Dallas Strikers def. Phoenix Fury, 2-0 (267-188, 258-239)

Dallas advances to Carter Division finals

Carter Division Semifinals Match 2

Las Vegas High Rollers def. Philadelphia Hitmen, 2-0 (218-190, 248-182)

Las Vegas advances to Carter Division finals

PBA League Elias Cup Divisional Finals Results

Anthony Division Final

Portland Lumberjacks def. Brew City Ballers, 2-0 (247-246, 233-192)

Portland advances to Elias Cup finals

Carter Division Final

Las Vegas High Rollers def. Dallas Strikers, 2-1 (224-196, 217-225, 10-10, 10-9)

Las Vegas advances to Elias Cup finals

About the PBA

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Rick Benard Wins the PBA50 Waxahachie Southwest Open Title

ddziomba — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 16:14:00 -0700

Waxahachie, Texas - Non-member, Rick Benard, of Keller, won his second PBA50 Southwest Region event of the year at Hilltop Lanes in the PBA50 Waxahachie Southwest Open Sunday.

Benard, who finished 13 games of qualifying in 15th place, marched to the top of the leaderboard by winning all eight of his matches in the modified round robin finals. Benard had a 300 game in game three of the finals and added a 289 victory in game seven to hold a 73-pin lead over amateur, Kevin Lake, from Athens, Texas.

Lake was bowling in his first ever PBA or PBA50 event. Benard left no room for error for Lake as he won the deciding game 290-265. Benard earned $2,000 for first place, while Like collected $1,300 for second place, and Keith Lesko, from Prosper, Texas, took home $900 for third place.

The PBA Southwest Region’s next tournament will be the PBA Oklahoma City Southwest Open at Planet Bowl, October 2-4. The PBA Odessa Super Open at Diamond Lanes follows October 16-18. The Odessa event will offer a projected first place prize of $5,000.

PBA50 WAXAHACHIE SOUTHWEST OPEN
Hilltop Bowl, Waxahachie, Texas, Sunday

Final Standings (after 21 games, including match play bonus pins):

n-Rick Benard, Keller, Texas, 8-0, 5,353, $2,000
n-Kevin Love, Athens, Texas, 5-3, 5,225, $1,300
Keith Lesko, Prosper, Texas, 5-3, 5,192, $900
s-n-Derek Williams, Groves, Texas, 7-1, 5,171, $770
John Austin Jr., League City, Texas, 4-4, 5,116, $700
s-Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 3-5, 5,102, $650
Mike Bailey, Irving, Texas, 3-5- 5,101, $625
ss-Rick Lawrence, Waxahachie, Texas, 3-5, 5,097, $600
ss-Rick Minier, Houston, 3-5, 5,087, $580
Pat Nolan, Albuquerque, N.M., 5-3, 5,058, $560
ss-Steve Wright, Cypress, Texas, 5-3, 5,050, $550
n-Joe LeCroy, Bedford, Texas, 3-5, 5,008, $540
Jon DeLaney, McKinney, Texas, 3-5, 4,962, $530
ss-Thomas Young, Houston, 4-4, 4,943, $520
James Watson, Austin, Texas, 2-6, 4,891, $510
Tony Lanning, Yukon, Okla., 1-7, 4,828, $500

n-denotes non-PBA member
ss- denotes PBA60 player (ages 60 or older)
300 games: Brad Hunte, Rick Lawrence, Mike Bailey, Rick Benard