Bowling

USBC Queens - Diandra Asbaty shot 233-270-244 to win her first major title by defeating Liz Johnson, Stephanie Nation and Carolyn Dorin-Ballard.  Defending champion Missy Parkin finished in 6th place. [JAM 4/24/2012]

Tournament of Champions - Sean Rash defeated lefty Ryan Ciminelli 239-205 to win the final major and last tournament of a short PBA season.  Rash averaged 238+ over 56 games to lead both the Elite qualifiers and the Match Play rounds.  Rash ended the season that started with his domination of the oil rounds leading to the World Championship that was bowled in November but not televised on ESPN until Spring 2012.  Although he did not win an oil title, Rash was top qualifier in the Viper and Scorpion as well as second in the Chameleon and Shark leading to a top qualifying average of 234+ in the World Championship.  With his early performance and final domination of this major tournament, Rash deserves consideration for Bowler of the Year. [JAM 4/18/2012]

Dick Weber Playoffs - Norm Duke easily won this elimination tournament.  He dominated the field with a 246 average over 24 games.  In the finals, Duke shot 790 defeating Parker Bohn III (631) and Martin Larsen (618).

Detroit Open - Norm Duke defeated Mika Koivuniemi 266-217 in a short, two-day event. [JAM 3/11/2012]

U.S. Open - Pete Weber defeated Mike Fagan 215-214 with a fill-strike in the tenth frame.  Weber came from the fourth seed to the final match to win his record fifth U.S. Open title.  Local favorite Missy Parkin became the first woman to qualify for the match play rounds.  Missy average 203 for 50 games and finished 21st on the most difficult lane conditions of the season. [JAM 2/26/2012]

Ricart Ford Open - Scott Newell defeated Ryan Ciminelli 247-245 in this short, two-day tournament in Columbus, Ohio.  Newell moved from 17th place with the help of a 300 game in the first round of match play.  Ciminelli had a perfect game in the second round.  Local California favorite Scott Norton finished in 13th place with a 222 average.  In a short PBA season, this tournament was the shortest with just a nine-game qualifying round for 102 entrants. [JAM 2/19/2012]

USBC Masters - Mike Fagan defeated Chris Barnes 236-213 in a rematch from the bracket finals to win his first major title.  Local favorite and reigning USBC Queens champion, Missy Parkin was the only female bowler to qualify for the bracket matches.  Missy won her first three matches against the men but was eventually eliminated by fourth place finisher Dan MacLelland. [JAM 1/29/2012]

Cheetah Open - Eugene McCune defeated Pete Weber 245-229 to win the tournament at Fountain Bowl in Fountain Valley, California.  An average of 241 for nine ganes was required to make round of 24.  McCune averaged 253 through 22 games to be #1 seed for the final game.  Weber averaged 249 but defeated Josh Blanchard (250 average) and Norm Duke (254 average) to qualify for the final match.  There were 22 perfect 300 games in the tournament.  Obviously, the Cheetah oil pattern is too easy for these professionals. [JAM 1/22/2012]

Mr. Bowling - Don Carter died on January 5, 2012.

World Bowling Tour - Mika Koivuniemi defeated Sean Rash 237-224 and Carolyn Dorin-Ballard defeated Sandra Andersson 207-162 to win their respective inaugural world titles. [JAM 12/4/2011]

PBA World Championship - Osku Palermaa of Finland defeated Ryan Shafer 203-177 in the tape delayed final - bowled on November 19, 2011.

World Series of Bowling - (Chameleon) Jason Belmonte defeated Sean Rash 268-191.
                                         (Scorpion) Dom Barrett from England defeated Sean Rash 247-204.
                                         (Shark) Chris Barnes bowled a perfect 300 in Round 2 and then lost to Jason Belmonte in the final round 243-213.
                                         (Viper) Stuart Williams from England defeated Ildemaro Ruiz from Venezuela 246-201. [JAM 11/19/2011]

USBC Senior Masters - Dale Traber defeated Walter Ray Williams Jr. 707-695 to win this major senior tournament.  Wayne Webb was third. [JAM 8/5/2011]

U.S. Women's Open - Under unusually high scoring conditions during qualifying for a U.S. Open, Leanne Hulsenberg (formerly Barrette) defeated number-one seed Kelly Kulick 218 to 183 on finals lanes erected in the middle of Cowboy Stadium.  Kulick averaged 241.35 during qualifying.  Lynda Barnes was the star of the televised finals shooting 268-259-246.  However, Barnes finished third when she lost the third game by one pin with an eight count on her tenth frame fill.  The reigning USBC Queens champion, Missy Parkin finished tied for 20th in the tournament with a 224 average. [JAM 6/30/2011]

USBC Queens - Missy Parkin (nee Melissa Bellinder) won her first major women's title in this very difficult USBC format.  She defeated Kim Terrell-Kearny 235-172 and then, in a rematch from the night before, outscored Elysia Current 214-189 with an exceptional performance. [JAM 4/27/2011]

Dick Weber Playoffs - Dick (formerly Richie) Allen defeated Chris Barnes in the two-game final match 237-221 to 218-193.  Barnes left back-to-back 7-10 splits in the final game.  Randy Weiss finished third after being eliminated in the first game.  This tournament started on March 9, 2011.  The three finalists had to wait over a month to complete the television finals for this season-ending tournament. [JAM 4/17/2011]

Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championship - Jason Couch defeated Parker Bohn III using plastic bowling balls 219-175.  Southern California bowler Scott Norton fell from fourth to tenth place in the last three games of match play. [JAM 3/6/2011]

U.S. Open - Norm Duke threw four straight strikes after a solid eight-pin in the eighth frame to shoot 225.  Mika Koivuniemi missed the ten-pin spare in the tenth frame to shoot 216 and lose.  Duke won his second U.S. Open and seventh major title.  The victory tied Duke with Mark Roth for fourth place on the all-time list with 34 PBA tournament wins. [JAM 2/27/2011]

USBC Masters - Rookie Tom Hess from Iowa won his first PBA tournament by outlasting Jack Jurek 225-214.  Jurek left weak splits in the eighth and ninth frames to erase a commanding lead.  Jurek has averaged 236 through six qualifying matches and had defeated Hess 668-583 on Friday night. [JAM 2/13/2011]

Earl Anthony Memorial Classic - Lefty Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, New York won his first PBA title by defeating Patrick Allen 237-215.  Allen had outscored Tommy Jones and the great Pete Weber to reach the finals.  Mika Koivuniemi missed the television show by one pin.  Scott Norton finished 47th in qualifying.  [JAM 1/30/2011]

Tournament of Champions - Mika Koivuniemi from Finland swept three matches to win his third major tournament.  He defeated Andres Gomez of Colombia 224-220 and then defeated Tom Daugherty of Florida 299-100.  Mika left the ten pin on a light hit on the last ball.  Daugherty, in his first television appearance, left eight splits to set a low game record for professionals.  There were no spares in the second match.  Mika easily outscored Thomas Smallwood in the final game 269-207.  Local favorites Scott Norton and Missy Parkin finished 54th and 71st, respectively.  Norton missed the cashers cut by one pin.  [JAM 1/22/2011]

World Championship - Chris Barnes swept four straight matches to win the tournament.  He defeated Bill O'Neill 267-237 in the finals.  Although the tournament is billed as a "major," the format causes a four-month gap between qualifying and the stepladder finals.  Eight bowlers were seeded from the combined pinfall of the five WSOP oil-pattern championships that occurred in September/October 2010.  [JAM 1/16/2011]

WSOB - Chameleon Championship - Rookie Scott Norton of Costa Mesa, California defeated Sean Rash 256-181 in Las Vegas, Nevada to win his first PBA tournament.  Norton is a graduate of the Southern California Junior Amateur Tour.  His mother, Virginia (Park) Norton is also a professional bowler.  Mr. Norton averaged 226+ over 22 games. [JAM 11/6/2010]

WSOB - Cheetah Championship - Eugene McCune defeated Norm Duke 238-237. [JAM 11/6/2010]

WSOB - Viper Championship - Bill O'Neill defeated Andres Gomez of Colombia 236-203. [JAM 11/6/2010]

WSOB - Scorpion Championship - Yong-Jin Gu of South Korea defeated Jun-Yung Kim of South Korea 236-224 in spite of missing a single-pin spare in the ninth frame. [JAM 11/6/2010]

WSOB - Shark Championship - Osku Palermaa of Finland defeated Dan MacLelland of Canada 173-149 in a match with six open frames and just one double by Patermaa. [JAM 11/6/2010]

U.S. Women's Open - Kelly Kulick won her third major tournament of the year by defeating top-seed Liz Johnson 233-203. [JAM 5/12/2010]

USBC Queens - Kelly Kulick won her second major tournament of the year by defeating qualifying-leader Tennelle Milligan 232-188.  Kulick won four straight matches to climb the ladder.  Missy Bellinder of Fullerton, California had a big lead on Kulick in the second match but left a pocket 7-10 in the tenth frame to lose 220-212. [JAM 4/28/2010]

Marathon Open - Pete Weber won his 35th PBA tournament by defeating robotic lefty Mike Scroggins 268-224.  The tournament is the most grueling of the season as the bowlers must perform well for 53 games on seven different oil patterns to qualify for the finals.  Weber's victory moves him into third place for all-time PBA victories behind Walter (Player-of-the-Year) Ray Williams, Jr. and the late-great Earl Anthony (1938-2001).  [JAM 4/4/2010]

Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championship - Local favorite Brian Ziesig and two-handed Aussie, Jason Belmonte both punched in the tenth frame for a 247-247 tie.  Ziesig won the one-ball roll-off when Belmonte stuck a solid seven-pin.  The final shot by Ziesig was a light-pocket hit that barely tripped the ten-pin.  Walter Ray Williams, Jr. finished in third place. The Johnny Petraglias, Junior and Senior both made the 32-man finals.  Belmonte had three perfect 300 games and two 299 in the qualifying rounds. [JAM 3/28/2010]

Match Play Championship - Brian Kretzer of Dayton, Ohio defeated Patrick Allen 629-566 in the unusual three-game, match-play format (March Madness Bracket Seedings) under very difficult oil conditions in Norwich, Connecticut.  Lefty Ryan Ciminelli bowled an embarrassing 128 game in the semi-finals.  This was the first PBA victory for Kretzer in 168 tournaments. [JAM 3/21/2010]

Don Johnson Eliminator - Lefty Mike Scroggins defeated local favorite Brian Kretzer 206-195 in the unusual eliminator format in Columbus, Ohio.  Finish superstar and two-handed bowler, Osku Palermaa finished in third.place after leading the first round. [JAM 3/7/2010]

U.S. Open - Bill O'Neill from Southhampton, Pennsylvania won his first major tournament by defeating defending champion Mike Scroggins 267-207.  Tommy Jones finished third and Jason Couch finished fourth.  All-time champ Walter Ray Williams, Jr. missed the finals when he was unable to get a seven-count on his last ball.  With six pins on the last shot, WRW tied Norm Duke in the position round 201-201 allowing Couch to move from seventh to fourth place. 

USBC Masters - Horseshoe champ Walter Ray Williams, Jr. defeated top seed Chris Barnes 290-217 to win his eighth major tournament and his all-time PBA record of 47 tournament wins. [JAM 2/14/2010]

Dick Weber Open - Michael Fagan of Patchogue, New York won his first PBA singles title by defeating 50-year-old Walter Ray Williams, Jr. 241-213.  Dick Weber's son, Pete finished third in the tournament.  The highest female finisher was Californian Missy Bellinder who cashed in 42nd place.  [JAM 1/31/2010]

Tournament of Champions - Kelly Kulick became the first woman to win a national PBA tournament when she easily defeated Chris Barnes 265-195 at the Red Rock Lanes in Summerlin, Nevada.  Kulick won $40,000 and a two-year exemption on the tour. [JAM 1/27/2010]

Earl Anthony Memorial Classic - Stefanie Nation and rookie Anthony LaCaze won the first tournament of the twenty-teens.  Bowling in Dublin, California on lanes with very a difficult oil pattern, Nation defeated Lynda (Ms. Chris) Barnes 201-181 and, LaCaze outlasted Mike Machuga 216-204 when Machuga stuck a solid ten on his second ball in the tenth. [JAM 1/17/2010]

PBA World Championship - In the first "major" tournament of the professional (men's) bowling "season", unemployed Detroit autoworker, Tom Smallwood defeated big Wes Malott 244-228 to win his first PBA title. [JAM 12/13/2009]

PBA Women's Series Showdown  - Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of Keller, Texas won the first women's showdown.  The tournament featured the very strange Petraglia Scoring System for the first (and hopefully last) time.  At one point, Carolyn had 20 consecutive strikes which is a PBA record for television.  Her winning score was 11.  Local favorite Missy Bellinder of Fullerton, California finished in fifth place. [JAM 4/12/2009]

U.S. Open - Lefty Mike Scroggins of Amarillo, Texas won the 66th Open by defeating Chris Barnes 200-199, and then defending champ Norm Duke 191-173 in the finale.  Conditions were very difficult with heavy oil and heavy pins.  First-cut qualifiers needed to average just 197 to get a paycheck.  Barnes was the best bowler out there but got stung by a solid eight-pin in the tenth frame.  Duke had two splits and no doubles in his game.  Richard Wolfe was fourth, losing 243-240 to Barnes in the best match of the finals.  Amleto Monacelli of Venezuela finished fifth. [JAM 4/5/2009]

Long Island Classic - Two-handed, Australian bowler, Jason Belmonte won his first PBA tournament by outscoring his best friend, Michael Fagan 215-201.  Belmonte also had the only 300 game of the tournament in qualifying rounds. [JAM 3/29/2009]

Match Play Championship - Chris Barnes defeated Walter Ray Williams, Jr. 722-693 to win his 12th career title in Norwich, Connecticut.  The format put 64 bowlers in brackets similar to the NCAA Basketball "March Madness." [JAM 3/22/2009]

Don Johnson Eliminator - Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas outscored Mika Koivuniemi 258-172 in the annual "eliminator-format" tournament.  The contest is named for the guy-in-the-plaid-pants from Kokomo, Indiana.  Johnson (1940-2003) won 26 pro tournaments in the 1960s and 1970s. [JAM 3/8/2009] 

Marathon Open - Wes Malott of Argyle, Texas defeated Ronnie Russell 248-195 in the first pro bowling marathon.  Players bowled 54 games in three days on six different oil patterns.  Although Malott won the "Marathon Open," the real marathoners (with sore fingers) are Chris Barnes and Pete Weber who qualified for the television finals two weeks in a row competing in both "extreme" events.  Malott skipped the plastic ball tournament. [JAM 3/1/2009]

Plastic Ball Championship - Jeff Carter of Springfield, Illinois won the first-ever, plastic-ball tournament by defeating Pete Weber 235-213.  The format called for 64 professionals to use identical plastic balls that never leave the bowling alley in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.  The tournament featured an amazing performance by third-place finisher, Chris Barnes.  In three qualifying matches on Friday, Barnes rolled 260-258-279 (797); 290-279-259 (828); 279-279-279 (837) to cruise through the matches with a 273 average (first three games of each block) and a 249 average for the tournament.  This was the first PBA win for Carter who holds the all-time, sanctioned, single-season league average - 261 (phenomenal!).  The high scoring in this tournament proves my theory that it is not the equipment, it is the bowler.  The current group of professionals are the greatest who have ever bowled. [JAM 2/24/2009]

2009 USBC Masters - John Nolen of Waterford, Michigan won the 58th bowling Masters tournament (formerly ABC Masters) in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Nolen defeated Danny Wiseman 202-193 in the final game of the grueling 64-bowler match-play format.  Nolen was also the 15-game qualifying leader with a 228 average.  The United States Bowling Congress conducted the arena-style tournament in its usually professional manner.  However, the reporting of results to bowling fans was inadequate compared to the standard set by pbatour.com.  Results for five-game qualifying blocks were not available on-line for several hours after squads started.  Individual game scores were not reported. [JAM 2/15/2009]