PBA Spare Shots

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Sept. 20, 2019)

Bill Vint | PBA Media Relations

Professional Bowlers Association | 55 E. Jackson Blvd., Suite 401 | Chicago, IL 60604

bill.vint@pba.com | cell: 414.339.0404

WANT TO SEE THE FASTEST STRIKE EVER? WATCH THIS…

Four-time PBA Player of the Year Jason Belmonte hopped into NASCAR champion Aric Almirola’s No. 10 Go Bowling! Ford Mustang and delivered the “fastest strike” in bowling history, barreling down the straightaway at Charlotte Motor Speedway at 140 miles per hour and throwing a bowling ball out the window to knock down 10 pins.

Want to see how the Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational doubles partners accomplished the unique feat? Check it out at this link: GoBowlingWorldsFastestStrike.com.

WBT THAILAND NEXT UP FOR PBA INTERNATIONAL-WBT COMPETITORS

The eighth annual PBA International-World Bowling Tour Thailand Open is next up for the PBA Tour’s international competitors. The tournament at Blu-O Paragon in Bangkok gets underway Sunday and concludes Saturday, Sept. 28. First prize will be roughly $32,250.

Fans can follow the competition on the Asian Bowling Federation’s official website. Use this link to track qualifying results: http://abf-online.org/results/2019/ttbawbt-1.asp. Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, N.Y., defeated England’s Stuart Williams to win the 2018 Thailand title, but women who enter this year’s event won’t receive the eight handicap pins per game previous female competitors received. A PBA Tour title will be awarded to the winner if he/she is a PBA member.

Following the Thailand Open, two tournaments remain on the 2019 Go Bowling! PBA Tour and World Bowling Tour schedule: the U.S. Open, Oct. 23-30 at Victory Lanes Family Entertainment Center in Mooresville, N.C., and the Kuwait Open at Kuwait Bowling Center in Kuwait City, Oct. 31-Nov. 6.

PBA REGIONAL UPDATE: MALDONADO HOLDS OFF LAVOIE TO WIN 11TH REGIONAL TITLE

Shawn Maldonado from Houston, Texas, built a 248-pin lead and then held off Canada’s Francois Lavoie in the final frames to claim his 11th PBA Regional title in the third annual PBA Liberal Kansas Southwest Open Sunday at Ayr Lanes in Liberal, Kan.

Maldonado started the eight-game match play finals in the lead before losing matches six and seven while Lavoie closed in with wins behind 257 and 229 games to set up the deciding position round match. Maldonado still held a 64-pin lead, meaning Lavoie had to win the match by 35 pins and collect the 30 bonus pins to win the title. While Maldonado was filling frame through the middle of the match, Lavoie countered with two doubles to briefly take the lead. When Lavoie failed to convert two splits late in the game, Maldonado escaped with a 192-174 loss, but still maintained the overall pinfall lead, 4,610-4,594.

In addition to his title, the win was worth $4,000 to Maldonado.

• Kyle Troupof Taylorsville, N.C. defeatedTrevor Roberts of Crystal River, Fla., 257-234, to win the $2,500 first prize and his 12th PBA Regional title in the 16th annual PBA Fayetteville South Open at Lafayette Lanes in Fayetteville, N.C., Sunday.

Roberts qualified in the third position for the four-man stepladder finals, one pin ahead of defending champion Brandon Curtis of Manson, N.C., and then eliminated Curtis in the opening match, 208-192. Roberts then defeated Ryan Ciminelli of Lancaster, S.C., 257-234, to advance to the championship match.

In the title match, Troup threw eight strikes in his first eight frames to grab a healthy lead. Roberts didn’t strike until the seventh frame and by then it was too late.

• Darren Tangof Las Vegas posted an 8-4 match play record and a 20-game total of 4,366 pins to win the Fourth Annual PBA West/NorthwestCapital City Open at Bowlero North Sacramento Sunday while Tony Rodriguez Jr. of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., won the PBA50 portion of the doubleheader weekend.

Tang won his sixth PBA Regional title and the $2,000 first prize by 56 pins over non-member Sam Cantrell of Citrus Heights, Calif., who had an 9-3 record and 4,310 pins, including match play bonus pins.

Rodriguez went 8-4 in the 12-game PBA50 match play finals and knocked down 4,250 total pins for his 20 games to top Noel Vazquez of Sacramento by 78 pins.

• Rick Grahamof Lancaster, Pa., the reigning East Region PBA50 Player of the Year, compiled a 3-5 match play record and a 15-game total of 3,524 pins to win the PBA50 King Pin Lanes Open at King Pin Lanes in Rome, N.Y., Saturday.

While Graham only managed to win three of his eight matches, his 228 average helped propel him to a 101-pin victory over Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, N.Y. For Graham, the trip to King Pin Lanes brought back fond memories because King Pin Lanes was the site of his first PBA regional win, in 2010. Saturday’s win was Graham’s fifth in PBA Regional competition and earned him $1,500.

• Justin Knowlesof Okemos, Mich. defeatedChris Loschetter of Avon, Ohio by 30 pins to win the PBA Sturgis/Storm Central/Midwest Open at Sturgis Bowl Sunday. Knowles finished with a 5-3 match play record and a total of 4,738 pins for 21 games, including match play bonus pins, to win his first PBA title and the $2,600 first prize.
• PBA Regional activity scheduled for the Sept. 20-22 weekend include the PBA/PBA50Over/Under Doubles at Millsboro Lanes in Millsboro, Del.; the EZ Bowl Central Open in Bluffton, Ind.; the Odessa Southwest Super Regional at Diamond Lanes in Odessa, Texas, and a tripleheader including the PBA Paradise Lanes Northwest/West Open, PBA50 Paradise Lanes Gary Mage Northwest/West Senior Open (both presented by 900 Global) plus the Jeanne Naccarato Women’s Open in Tacoma, Wash. On Saturday, Sept. 21, Ten Pin Alley in Fitchburg, Wis., also will host the Ten Pin Alley Midwest Open.
• September’s busy calendar of PBA Regional events will conclude over the Sept. 27-29 weekend with the Bowlers Discount ProShop East Open presented by Radical at Terrace Lanes in Frederick, Md.; the PBA50 Mel Westrich Memorial Central/Midwest Open at Delphos Recreation in Delphos, Ohio; the PBA50 J&L Sports South Open at Paradise Lanes in Spartanburg, S.C.; the back-to-back PBA50 Junction City Bowl Southwest/Midwest Open I and II one-day events in Junction City, Kan.; and the 17th annual Double Decker Lanes West/Northwest Open presented by Roto Grip in Rohnert Park, Calif.
• For complete PBA Regional schedules, rules and entry information, visit pba.com, open the “schedules” tab and click on PBA Regional Tours to find the event(s) in your area…and remember, you can follow “live scoring” for all PBA Regional events on pba.com (easily accessible for Apple and Android device users using the PBA app).

QUICK NOTES

• Want to know more about the PBA’s acquisition by Bowlero Corp.? PBA CommissionerTom Clark shares his insights into the blockbuster deal in a sit-down interview now available for viewing on FloBowling: https://www.flobowling.com/video/6566353-pba-commish-tom-clark-talks-about-bowlero-deal?utm_source=newsletter&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_medium=email
• Former Xtra Frame producer and Xtra Frame/ESPN play-by-play announcerMike Jakubowski will return to the microphone to call the action for FloBowling Saturday at the FloBowling PBA ATX Invite at Dart Bowl in Austin, Texas. Adding color to the livestream will be England’s two-time PBA Tour titlist Stuart Williams.
• REMINDER:General admission and VIP tickets are now on sale for the 2019 PBA Clash that will take place onMonday, Oct. 21, at Kegel Training Center in Lake Wales, Fla. The Clash will include the 2019 Go Bowling! PBA Tour’s top eight money-winners in a special elimination-format telecast that will air on FOX on Sunday, Nov. 3. VIP ticket packages are available for $50. General admission tickets are $20. Tickets can be ordered online at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pba-clash-tickets-68818707607.