Denny's PBA Tour has its first-ever Tour stop in South Carolina
12/13/07
The ninth event of the 2007-08 Denny's PBA Tour and the final event of the first half takes place this week at Shamrock Lanes in Spartanburg, S.C., with the 2007 Spartanburg Classic, Dec. 12-16. The live ESPN-televised finals will take place Sunday, Dec. 16 at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium at 1 p.m. EST.
This marks the first-ever Denny's PBA Tour event in the state of South Carolina. The Tour was invited to Spartanburg because Denny's, a PBA sponsor since early 2005 and the PBA Tour's title sponsor since October 2005, bases its headquarters in the South Carolina town.
A trio of exempt bowlers hail from South Carolina, including 2005-06 PBA Player of the Year Tommy Jones, who lives in Simpsonville, S.C. Two-time titlist Ritchie Allen makes his home in Columbia, S.C. while Ken Simard, who is in his first season as an exempt bowler, is from Greenville, S.C.
Ten was the lucky number for Patrick Allen last Sunday, who knocked down all 10 pins in the 10th frame of the title match against Wes Malott to capture his 10th career Denny's PBA Tour title with a 247-217 win in the Lumber Liquidators Championship at AMF Country Club Lanes in Baltimore.
The win made Allen eligible for the PBA Hall of Fame once he retires, which is still a long way away. Allen has now won at least one title in five consecutive seasons and has won nine of his 10 titles in that span. The 2004-05 PBA Player of the Year knocked off the No. 2 seed Malott who was looking for his third career title.
It was the second time during the week Allen needed a big shot in the 10th to beat Malott. The two faced off in the No. 1 vs. No. 2 seed match of the position round, with the No. 1 seed for the stepladder finals hanging in the balance. Allen doubled in the 10th frame of that match to tie Malott at 248 and hang onto the top seed, which meant he only needed one win Sunday.
Malott advanced to the title match with a 236-207 win over Mike DeVaney, who won three consecutive matches to make the semifinal, including an exciting win in a four-bowler shootout to start the show in which three of the four bowlers had the opportunity to tie. Chris Barnes, DeVaney and Chris Warren could have all struck out for 258, but Warren could only manage two strikes, Barnes got just one and DeVaney struck out for the win.
The 2007 Spartanburg Classic at Shamrock Lanes gets underway Wednesday with the Denny's PBA Tour Qualifying Round (TQR), which is followed by the official PBA Practice Session at 4:30 p.m. For the third time this season, a record 11 PBA members plus the top amateur in the TQR will advance to Thursday's Round of 64, which features two seven-game qualifying blocks from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-10 p.m.
The field will be cut to the top 32 bowlers who will advance to round robin match play on Friday. The first nine-game block takes place at 11 a.m. with the top 16 advancing to bowl an additional nine games at 6 p.m. The top five advance to the championship round Sunday at 1 p.m. Saturday is a day for the fans as PBA Pro-Ams and Fan Day take place at Shamrock Lanes, with Pro-Ams at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
On Sunday, the live ESPN-televised finals take place at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium, marking the third arena event of the season. The five-bowler stepladder final gets underway at 1 p.m. EST. The winner takes home $25,000 and an exemption for the 2008-09 season.
Wes Malott has finished second in four of his last five championship round appearances since winning his second career Denny's PBA Tour title.
The streak started with a 222-221 loss to Tommy Jones in the 2006 Ace Hardware Championship. Following a third-place finish in the 2006 Earl Anthony Medford Classic, Malott finished second to Pete Weber in last season's 64th U.S. Open. This season, Malott has finished second in both of his TV appearances, falling to Michael Haugen Jr. in the Lake County Indiana Classic and Patrick Allen in last week's Lumber Liquidators Championship.
For the third time this season, a record 11 spots will be available for PBA members in Wednesday's Denny's PBA Tour Qualifying Round as seven exempt bowlers will not compete this week.
Jason Couch is out for the season with a knee injury and Tim Criss has announced his retirement following last week's Lumber Liquidators Championship in his hometown of Baltimore. Also out this week and waiting to hear back on injury deferments are Jeff Carter, Patrick Healey Jr. and Tony Reyes. Additionally, Norm Duke and Robert Smith will take this week off to rest nagging injuries heading into the holiday break.
Last week, Rhino Page (pictured) proved once again the benefits of bowling the weekly Tour Qualifying Rounds as he became the seventh bowler in four seasons to advance to a championship round the same week he qualified through the TQR. Though Page fell short of winning his first career title, he continued his historic 2007-08 season, setting the seven-game scoring in the TQR, advancing through his fifth TQR in six weeks and making match play for the fourth time. He is now 17th in the PBA World Point Rankings.
At this time last year, no one wanted to be the top seed for a stepladder final as it seemed to be the kiss of death. Over a two-year stretch, top seeds lost nine consecutive stepladder finals, a streak which was finally broken by Jason Couch in last season's 2007 Dick Weber Open title match.
Since then, the tables have completely turned as top seeds have won six of the last seven stepladder finals and four in a row. Patrick Allen stretched top seeds' record to 3-0 in 2007-08 with his win over No. 2 Wes Malott in last week's Lumber Liquidators Championship. Allen also won the 2007 Go RVing Classic as the top seed last season. In addition to Allen, Sean Rash won this season's USBC Masters as the top seed and Robert Smith won the CLR Windy City Classic as the No. 1 seed.
For the fifth time in eight events this season, Walter Ray Williams Jr. made the championship round, proving it doesn't matter the oil pattern, the surface or the format.
Williams has made shows in the single elimination format (Taylor, Mich.; Cheektowaga, N.Y.; Wyoming, Mich.), the round robin format (Baltimore) and the double elimination format (USBC Masters). He's made the finals with four different oil patterns (Masters, Viper, Scorpion, Cheetah), two different lane oils (Absolute Control, Authority 22) and on two different surfaces (HPL, Pro-Anvil).
He's made the final of a Major and the final of four standard events. He's made four-man finals, five-man finals and eight-man finals. And he's made indoor finals and outdoor finals (Miller Park, Milwaukee, Wis.). In other words, it doesn't matter what the week may bring, Williams keeps proving again and again he's one of the greatest bowlers who's ever lived.
It looked early on in the Lumber Liquidators Championship that Mike DeVaney would have the least success of any of the four bowlers in the shootout and certainly the eight total bowlers on the show. DeVaney started the finals with a failed single-pin conversion then left a 4-9 split and opened in the second frame.
What happened over the next 24 frames was incredible. DeVaney struck on his last 10 shots in the shootout to win the match with a 258, then started his match against Rhino Page with three consecutive strikes giving him 13 in a row. After a nine spare in the fourth frame, DeVaney struck seven consecutive times to give him 20 strikes in 21 frames, and at that point he had more open frames (2) than spares (1).
DeVaney would strike twice to start his next game against Mike Wolfe to give him 22 strikes in 24 frames, but the streak was broken with an open in the third frame. Eventually, DeVaney would go on to defeat Wolfe, 221-220, to advance to the semifinal, where he fell to Wes Malott, 236-207.
It had been a long time since Chris Warren's last championship round appearance, but finally on Dec. 10 Warren was back under the TV lights, 12 years, 10 months and 10 days after his last TV appearance.
The mark now stands as the second-longest time between TV appearances in the PBA record books, two years shy of John Handegard's record set in 1995. Warren could have broke the record for most years between titles as his last title came in the 1992 Florida Open, but he fell just short in the four-bowler shootout, falling one pin shy of Mike DeVaney's 258.
Eddie Graham defeated Vince Wood, 180-162, to win the 2007 Regional Players Invitational, capturing his first career PBA Regional Tour Major title and earning a berth in the 2008 H&R Block Tournament of Champions in January.
Graham caught a break in his semifinal match against John May which went to a one-ball roll off after they tied at 193. Graham left a pocket 7-10 split but advanced when May knocked down just seven pins on his roll off shot. Graham then took down Woods to win his fourth career PBA Regional Tour title and take home the $10,000 payday.
Graham's win rounds out the regional player field for the 2008 H&R Block Tournament of Champions at Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas in January. He joins Regional Players Championship winner Scott Santos.
Three PBA stars have been elected to the United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame for superior performance, the USBC announced Monday.
Parker Bohn III, a 30-time Denny's PBA Tour champion; Brian Voss, a 24-time PBA winner; and Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, who won the inaugural PBA Women's Series event, will join Leanne Barrette Hulsenberg, a 26-time Professional Women's Bowling Association titlist who were each elected to the hall by a national panel of veteran bowling writers and USBC Hall of Famers. The four performance inductees will be honored during the 2008 USBC Convention in Kansas City, Mo., on Friday, May 9.
Bohn includes the 2001 USBC Masters among his titles. He is a two-time PBA Player of the Year Award winner (1998, 2001) and four-time Steve Nagy Sportsmanship Award winner. Voss won the 1998 PBA National Championship en route to the 1988 PBA Player of the Year and also had a streak of 12 consecutive seasons with a title.
Dorin-Ballard, who won 20 times on the PWBA Tour, was one of the first women to join the PBA when it opened up its membership to women, and became the first woman to bowl a 300 game in a PBA event. She recently won the first-ever PBA Women's Series event in Taylor, Mich.
For the second consecutive season, Denny's, the PBA and the USBC will team up for the Denny's All-American High School Championships. One female senior and one male senior will be selected from each state that recognizes bowling as a varsity sport and is a member of a high school varsity bowling team. The total field will be made up of 19 girls and 17 boys from around the country. This year's application includes a minimum GPA requirement of 2.7 (on a 4.0 scale) and an extension of the deadline for application into late January.
The 2008 tournament will take place March 28-30 during the 65th Denny's U.S. Open in North Brunswick, N.J. The top two male and female competitors will compete head-to-head on March 30. Student bowlers selected for the DAAHSC will compete for up to $10,000 in scholarships and the opportunity to bowl on ESPN with PBA professionals. For more information, visit pba.com or go to the high school section at www.bowl.com, and click "Denny's Tournament" to download the official forms and details. Applications must be postmarked by Jan. 21, 2008.
Despite finishing sixth in last week's Lumber Liquidators Championship and just missing Player of the Year points, Walter Ray Williams Jr. maintained his lead in the 2007-08 POY race. With his 10th career title, Patrick Allen moved into a tied for third, while Mike Wolfe took over second place with his fourth-place finish. Below is a look at the leaders:
1. Walter Ray Williams Jr., 44
2. Mike Wolfe, 26
3. Patrick Allen, 24
(tie) Sean Rash, 24
5. Mika Koivuniemi, 22
With his win in the 2007 Lumber Liquidators Championship, Patrick Allen moved to the top of the 2008 H&R Block Tournament of Champions roster and kept Hugh Miller on the bubble. This year, the event features 52 bowlers including the 37 most recent Denny's PBA Tour champions (with priority on the list going to exempt bowlers). The list is filled with past Tournament of Champions winners and PBA Hall of Famers based on most recent Denny's PBA Tour win. With Allen's win, Lonnie Waliczek is officially locked into the event.
Denny's PBA Tour Entrants
1. Patrick Allen - Lumber Liquidators Championship (12/9/07)
2. Walter Ray Williams Jr. - Great Lakes Classic (12/2/07)
3. Robert Smith - CLR Windy City Classic (11/25/07)
4. Michael Haugen Jr. - Lake County Indiana Classic (11/18/07)
5. Mike Wolfe - Etonic Championship (11/11/07)
6. Sean Rash - USBC Masters (10/28/07)
7. Mika Koivuniemi - Dydo Japan Cup 2007 (9/23/07)
8. Tommy Jones - PBA Tournament of Champions (4/1/07)
9. Doug Kent - Denny's World Championship (3/25/07)
10. Norm Duke - Pepsi Championship (3/18/07)
11. Pete Weber - 64th U.S. Open (3/4/07)
12. Mike Mineman - Bayer Classic (2/25/07)
13. Chris Barnes - GEICO Classic (2/11/07)
14. Jason Couch - Motel 6 Classic (1/28/07)
15. Wes Malott - Discover® Card Windy City Classic (11/26/06)
16. Tony Reyes - Motor City Classic (11/5/06)
17. Ritchie Allen - Motel 6 Phoenix Classic (1/22/06)
18. Brian Himmler - Earl Anthony Medford Classic (1/8/06)
19. Mike Scroggins - USBC Masters (11/20/05)
20. Mike Machuga - Greater Omaha Classic (11/13/05)
21. Steve Jaros - Dexter Tournament of Champions (4/10/05)
22. Parker Bohn III - El Paso Classic (1/16/05)
23. Danny Wiseman - USBC Masters (10/31/04)
24. Patrick Healey Jr. - PBA Tournament of Champions (12/14/03)
25. Ryan Shafer - Empire State Open (11/23/03)
26. Mike DeVaney - GEICO Earl Anthony Classic (1/5/03)
27. Eugene McCune - Banquet Classic (11/17/02)
28. Dave D'Entremont - Wichita Open (10/13/02)
29. Tommy Delutz Jr. - Long Island Open (11/18/01)
30. Brian Voss - Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Classic (1/29/06)
31. Jason Hurd - Pepsi Open (11/28/04)
32. Rick Lawrence - BowlersParadise.com Open (11/21/04)
33. Lonnie Waliczek - Odor-Eaters Open (2/26/03)
34. Chris Hayden - VIA Bowling Open (2/16/03)
35. Bryon Smith - USBC Masters (1/19/03)
36. Randy Pedersen - Pepsi Open (11/24/02)
37. Hugh Miller - Dream Bowl 2002 (9/2/02)
PBA Senior Tour Entrants
38. Tom Baker - USBC Senior Masters & PBA Senior Dick Weber Invitational
PBA Regional Tour Entrants
39. Scott Santos - PBA Regional Players Championship
40. Eddie Graham - PBA Regional Players Invitational
PBA Tournament of Champions Winners/PBA Hall of Famers
41. Bryan Goebel - 1998 Tournament of Champions
42. David Ozio - 1991 Tournament of Champions
43. Del Ballard Jr. - 1989 Tournament of Champions
44. Mark Williams - 1988 Tournament of Champions
45. Steve Cook - 1981 Tournament of Champions
46. Wayne Webb - 1980 Tournament of Champions
47. Johnny Petraglia - 1971 Tournament of Champions
48. Dave Husted - National/Senior Doubles (1/15/00)
49. Ernie Schlegel - Bayer/Brunswick Touring Players Championship (11/8/95)
50. Mark Roth - IOF Foresters Open (4/15/95)
51. Gary Dickinson - B.P.A.A. U.S. Open (4/2/83)
52. Dave Soutar - Syracuse Open (11/9/82)
2007-08 Denny's PBA Tour Point Leaders
1. Walter Ray Williams Jr. Ocala, Fla., 124,215
2, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 91,585.7
3. Wes Malott, Argyle, Texas, 88,38
4. Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla. 81,366
5. Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan. 76,686
6. Michael Haugen Jr. Cave Creek, Ariz. 73,345.7
7. Mike DeVaney, Temecula, Calif. 71,635
8. Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich. 70,698
9. Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 70,322
10. Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill. 68,458.5
2007-08 Denny's PBA Tour Earnings Leaders
1. Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan. $118,800
2. Walter Ray Williams Jr. Ocala, Fla. $90,000
3. Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich. $71,790
4. Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind. $65,711
5. Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill. $65,400
6. Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla. $62,150
7. Wes Malott, Argyle, Texas, $39,400
8. Michael Haugen Jr. Cave Creek, Ariz. $38,950
9. Robert Smith, Captain Cook, Hawaii, $36,600
10. Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, $31,346
2007-08 Denny's PBA Tour Average Leaders
1. Walter Ray Williams Jr. Ocala, Fla., 233.05
2. Wes Malott, Argyle, Texas, 228.56
3. Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 228.54
4. Rhino Page, Topeka, Kan., 228.44
5. Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 226.35
6. Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 225.29
7. Michael Haugen Jr. Cave Creek, Ariz., 224.85
8. Mike DeVaney, Temecula, Calif., 224.42
9. Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 223.62
10. Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 223.28
2007-08 PBA Spare Shots #7
This Week
The ninth event of the 2007-08 Denny's PBA Tour and the final event of the first half takes place this week at Shamrock Lanes in Spartanburg, S.C., with the 2007 Spartanburg Classic, Dec. 12-16. The live ESPN-televised finals will take place Sunday, Dec. 16 at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium at 1 p.m. EST. This marks the first-ever Denny's PBA Tour event in the state of South Carolina. The Tour was invited to Spartanburg because Denny's, a PBA sponsor since early 2005 and the PBA Tour's title sponsor since October 2005, bases its headquarters in the South Carolina town.
A trio of exempt bowlers hail from South Carolina, including 2005-06 PBA Player of the Year Tommy Jones, who lives in Simpsonville, S.C. Two-time titlist Ritchie Allen makes his home in Columbia, S.C. while Ken Simard, who is in his first season as an exempt bowler, is from Greenville, S.C.
Last Week
Ten was the lucky number for Patrick Allen last Sunday, who knocked down all 10 pins in the 10th frame of the title match against Wes Malott to capture his 10th career Denny's PBA Tour title with a 247-217 win in the Lumber Liquidators Championship at AMF Country Club Lanes in Baltimore.The win made Allen eligible for the PBA Hall of Fame once he retires, which is still a long way away. Allen has now won at least one title in five consecutive seasons and has won nine of his 10 titles in that span. The 2004-05 PBA Player of the Year knocked off the No. 2 seed Malott who was looking for his third career title.
It was the second time during the week Allen needed a big shot in the 10th to beat Malott. The two faced off in the No. 1 vs. No. 2 seed match of the position round, with the No. 1 seed for the stepladder finals hanging in the balance. Allen doubled in the 10th frame of that match to tie Malott at 248 and hang onto the top seed, which meant he only needed one win Sunday.
Malott advanced to the title match with a 236-207 win over Mike DeVaney, who won three consecutive matches to make the semifinal, including an exciting win in a four-bowler shootout to start the show in which three of the four bowlers had the opportunity to tie. Chris Barnes, DeVaney and Chris Warren could have all struck out for 258, but Warren could only manage two strikes, Barnes got just one and DeVaney struck out for the win.
This Week's Schedule
The 2007 Spartanburg Classic at Shamrock Lanes gets underway Wednesday with the Denny's PBA Tour Qualifying Round (TQR), which is followed by the official PBA Practice Session at 4:30 p.m. For the third time this season, a record 11 PBA members plus the top amateur in the TQR will advance to Thursday's Round of 64, which features two seven-game qualifying blocks from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-10 p.m.
The field will be cut to the top 32 bowlers who will advance to round robin match play on Friday. The first nine-game block takes place at 11 a.m. with the top 16 advancing to bowl an additional nine games at 6 p.m. The top five advance to the championship round Sunday at 1 p.m. Saturday is a day for the fans as PBA Pro-Ams and Fan Day take place at Shamrock Lanes, with Pro-Ams at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
On Sunday, the live ESPN-televised finals take place at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium, marking the third arena event of the season. The five-bowler stepladder final gets underway at 1 p.m. EST. The winner takes home $25,000 and an exemption for the 2008-09 season.
Did You Know?
Wes Malott has finished second in four of his last five championship round appearances since winning his second career Denny's PBA Tour title.The streak started with a 222-221 loss to Tommy Jones in the 2006 Ace Hardware Championship. Following a third-place finish in the 2006 Earl Anthony Medford Classic, Malott finished second to Pete Weber in last season's 64th U.S. Open. This season, Malott has finished second in both of his TV appearances, falling to Michael Haugen Jr. in the Lake County Indiana Classic and Patrick Allen in last week's Lumber Liquidators Championship.
Eleven Spots Available This Week
For the third time this season, a record 11 spots will be available for PBA members in Wednesday's Denny's PBA Tour Qualifying Round as seven exempt bowlers will not compete this week.
Jason Couch is out for the season with a knee injury and Tim Criss has announced his retirement following last week's Lumber Liquidators Championship in his hometown of Baltimore. Also out this week and waiting to hear back on injury deferments are Jeff Carter, Patrick Healey Jr. and Tony Reyes. Additionally, Norm Duke and Robert Smith will take this week off to rest nagging injuries heading into the holiday break.
Last week, Rhino Page (pictured) proved once again the benefits of bowling the weekly Tour Qualifying Rounds as he became the seventh bowler in four seasons to advance to a championship round the same week he qualified through the TQR. Though Page fell short of winning his first career title, he continued his historic 2007-08 season, setting the seven-game scoring in the TQR, advancing through his fifth TQR in six weeks and making match play for the fourth time. He is now 17th in the PBA World Point Rankings.What a Difference a Year Makes
At this time last year, no one wanted to be the top seed for a stepladder final as it seemed to be the kiss of death. Over a two-year stretch, top seeds lost nine consecutive stepladder finals, a streak which was finally broken by Jason Couch in last season's 2007 Dick Weber Open title match.
Since then, the tables have completely turned as top seeds have won six of the last seven stepladder finals and four in a row. Patrick Allen stretched top seeds' record to 3-0 in 2007-08 with his win over No. 2 Wes Malott in last week's Lumber Liquidators Championship. Allen also won the 2007 Go RVing Classic as the top seed last season. In addition to Allen, Sean Rash won this season's USBC Masters as the top seed and Robert Smith won the CLR Windy City Classic as the No. 1 seed.
Williams Does it Again
For the fifth time in eight events this season, Walter Ray Williams Jr. made the championship round, proving it doesn't matter the oil pattern, the surface or the format.Williams has made shows in the single elimination format (Taylor, Mich.; Cheektowaga, N.Y.; Wyoming, Mich.), the round robin format (Baltimore) and the double elimination format (USBC Masters). He's made the finals with four different oil patterns (Masters, Viper, Scorpion, Cheetah), two different lane oils (Absolute Control, Authority 22) and on two different surfaces (HPL, Pro-Anvil).
He's made the final of a Major and the final of four standard events. He's made four-man finals, five-man finals and eight-man finals. And he's made indoor finals and outdoor finals (Miller Park, Milwaukee, Wis.). In other words, it doesn't matter what the week may bring, Williams keeps proving again and again he's one of the greatest bowlers who's ever lived.
DeVaney Bounces Back
It looked early on in the Lumber Liquidators Championship that Mike DeVaney would have the least success of any of the four bowlers in the shootout and certainly the eight total bowlers on the show. DeVaney started the finals with a failed single-pin conversion then left a 4-9 split and opened in the second frame.What happened over the next 24 frames was incredible. DeVaney struck on his last 10 shots in the shootout to win the match with a 258, then started his match against Rhino Page with three consecutive strikes giving him 13 in a row. After a nine spare in the fourth frame, DeVaney struck seven consecutive times to give him 20 strikes in 21 frames, and at that point he had more open frames (2) than spares (1).
DeVaney would strike twice to start his next game against Mike Wolfe to give him 22 strikes in 24 frames, but the streak was broken with an open in the third frame. Eventually, DeVaney would go on to defeat Wolfe, 221-220, to advance to the semifinal, where he fell to Wes Malott, 236-207.
Welcome Back, Chris
It had been a long time since Chris Warren's last championship round appearance, but finally on Dec. 10 Warren was back under the TV lights, 12 years, 10 months and 10 days after his last TV appearance.
The mark now stands as the second-longest time between TV appearances in the PBA record books, two years shy of John Handegard's record set in 1995. Warren could have broke the record for most years between titles as his last title came in the 1992 Florida Open, but he fell just short in the four-bowler shootout, falling one pin shy of Mike DeVaney's 258.
Graham Wins RPI
Eddie Graham defeated Vince Wood, 180-162, to win the 2007 Regional Players Invitational, capturing his first career PBA Regional Tour Major title and earning a berth in the 2008 H&R Block Tournament of Champions in January.Graham caught a break in his semifinal match against John May which went to a one-ball roll off after they tied at 193. Graham left a pocket 7-10 split but advanced when May knocked down just seven pins on his roll off shot. Graham then took down Woods to win his fourth career PBA Regional Tour title and take home the $10,000 payday.
Graham's win rounds out the regional player field for the 2008 H&R Block Tournament of Champions at Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas in January. He joins Regional Players Championship winner Scott Santos.
Bohn, Voss, Dorin-Ballard Elected to USBC Hall of Fame
Three PBA stars have been elected to the United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame for superior performance, the USBC announced Monday.
Parker Bohn III, a 30-time Denny's PBA Tour champion; Brian Voss, a 24-time PBA winner; and Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, who won the inaugural PBA Women's Series event, will join Leanne Barrette Hulsenberg, a 26-time Professional Women's Bowling Association titlist who were each elected to the hall by a national panel of veteran bowling writers and USBC Hall of Famers. The four performance inductees will be honored during the 2008 USBC Convention in Kansas City, Mo., on Friday, May 9.
Bohn includes the 2001 USBC Masters among his titles. He is a two-time PBA Player of the Year Award winner (1998, 2001) and four-time Steve Nagy Sportsmanship Award winner. Voss won the 1998 PBA National Championship en route to the 1988 PBA Player of the Year and also had a streak of 12 consecutive seasons with a title.
Dorin-Ballard, who won 20 times on the PWBA Tour, was one of the first women to join the PBA when it opened up its membership to women, and became the first woman to bowl a 300 game in a PBA event. She recently won the first-ever PBA Women's Series event in Taylor, Mich.
Denny's All-American H.S. Championships Makes its Return
For the second consecutive season, Denny's, the PBA and the USBC will team up for the Denny's All-American High School Championships. One female senior and one male senior will be selected from each state that recognizes bowling as a varsity sport and is a member of a high school varsity bowling team. The total field will be made up of 19 girls and 17 boys from around the country. This year's application includes a minimum GPA requirement of 2.7 (on a 4.0 scale) and an extension of the deadline for application into late January.
The 2008 tournament will take place March 28-30 during the 65th Denny's U.S. Open in North Brunswick, N.J. The top two male and female competitors will compete head-to-head on March 30. Student bowlers selected for the DAAHSC will compete for up to $10,000 in scholarships and the opportunity to bowl on ESPN with PBA professionals. For more information, visit pba.com or go to the high school section at www.bowl.com, and click "Denny's Tournament" to download the official forms and details. Applications must be postmarked by Jan. 21, 2008.
2007-08 Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year Race
Despite finishing sixth in last week's Lumber Liquidators Championship and just missing Player of the Year points, Walter Ray Williams Jr. maintained his lead in the 2007-08 POY race. With his 10th career title, Patrick Allen moved into a tied for third, while Mike Wolfe took over second place with his fourth-place finish. Below is a look at the leaders:1. Walter Ray Williams Jr., 44
2. Mike Wolfe, 26
3. Patrick Allen, 24
(tie) Sean Rash, 24
5. Mika Koivuniemi, 22
2008 H&R Block Tournament of Champions Roster
With his win in the 2007 Lumber Liquidators Championship, Patrick Allen moved to the top of the 2008 H&R Block Tournament of Champions roster and kept Hugh Miller on the bubble. This year, the event features 52 bowlers including the 37 most recent Denny's PBA Tour champions (with priority on the list going to exempt bowlers). The list is filled with past Tournament of Champions winners and PBA Hall of Famers based on most recent Denny's PBA Tour win. With Allen's win, Lonnie Waliczek is officially locked into the event.
Denny's PBA Tour Entrants
1. Patrick Allen - Lumber Liquidators Championship (12/9/07)
2. Walter Ray Williams Jr. - Great Lakes Classic (12/2/07)
3. Robert Smith - CLR Windy City Classic (11/25/07)
4. Michael Haugen Jr. - Lake County Indiana Classic (11/18/07)
5. Mike Wolfe - Etonic Championship (11/11/07)
6. Sean Rash - USBC Masters (10/28/07)
7. Mika Koivuniemi - Dydo Japan Cup 2007 (9/23/07)
8. Tommy Jones - PBA Tournament of Champions (4/1/07)
9. Doug Kent - Denny's World Championship (3/25/07)
10. Norm Duke - Pepsi Championship (3/18/07)
11. Pete Weber - 64th U.S. Open (3/4/07)
12. Mike Mineman - Bayer Classic (2/25/07)
13. Chris Barnes - GEICO Classic (2/11/07)
14. Jason Couch - Motel 6 Classic (1/28/07)
15. Wes Malott - Discover® Card Windy City Classic (11/26/06)
16. Tony Reyes - Motor City Classic (11/5/06)
17. Ritchie Allen - Motel 6 Phoenix Classic (1/22/06)
18. Brian Himmler - Earl Anthony Medford Classic (1/8/06)
19. Mike Scroggins - USBC Masters (11/20/05)
20. Mike Machuga - Greater Omaha Classic (11/13/05)
21. Steve Jaros - Dexter Tournament of Champions (4/10/05)
22. Parker Bohn III - El Paso Classic (1/16/05)
23. Danny Wiseman - USBC Masters (10/31/04)
24. Patrick Healey Jr. - PBA Tournament of Champions (12/14/03)
25. Ryan Shafer - Empire State Open (11/23/03)
26. Mike DeVaney - GEICO Earl Anthony Classic (1/5/03)
27. Eugene McCune - Banquet Classic (11/17/02)
28. Dave D'Entremont - Wichita Open (10/13/02)
29. Tommy Delutz Jr. - Long Island Open (11/18/01)
30. Brian Voss - Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Classic (1/29/06)
31. Jason Hurd - Pepsi Open (11/28/04)
32. Rick Lawrence - BowlersParadise.com Open (11/21/04)
33. Lonnie Waliczek - Odor-Eaters Open (2/26/03)
34. Chris Hayden - VIA Bowling Open (2/16/03)
35. Bryon Smith - USBC Masters (1/19/03)
36. Randy Pedersen - Pepsi Open (11/24/02)
37. Hugh Miller - Dream Bowl 2002 (9/2/02)
PBA Senior Tour Entrants
38. Tom Baker - USBC Senior Masters & PBA Senior Dick Weber Invitational
PBA Regional Tour Entrants
39. Scott Santos - PBA Regional Players Championship
40. Eddie Graham - PBA Regional Players Invitational
PBA Tournament of Champions Winners/PBA Hall of Famers
41. Bryan Goebel - 1998 Tournament of Champions
42. David Ozio - 1991 Tournament of Champions
43. Del Ballard Jr. - 1989 Tournament of Champions
44. Mark Williams - 1988 Tournament of Champions
45. Steve Cook - 1981 Tournament of Champions
46. Wayne Webb - 1980 Tournament of Champions
47. Johnny Petraglia - 1971 Tournament of Champions
48. Dave Husted - National/Senior Doubles (1/15/00)
49. Ernie Schlegel - Bayer/Brunswick Touring Players Championship (11/8/95)
50. Mark Roth - IOF Foresters Open (4/15/95)
51. Gary Dickinson - B.P.A.A. U.S. Open (4/2/83)
52. Dave Soutar - Syracuse Open (11/9/82)
2007-08 Denny's PBA Tour Statistical Leaders
2007-08 Denny's PBA Tour Point Leaders
1. Walter Ray Williams Jr. Ocala, Fla., 124,215
2, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 91,585.7
3. Wes Malott, Argyle, Texas, 88,38
4. Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla. 81,366
5. Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan. 76,686
6. Michael Haugen Jr. Cave Creek, Ariz. 73,345.7
7. Mike DeVaney, Temecula, Calif. 71,635
8. Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich. 70,698
9. Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 70,322
10. Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill. 68,458.5
2007-08 Denny's PBA Tour Earnings Leaders
1. Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan. $118,800
2. Walter Ray Williams Jr. Ocala, Fla. $90,000
3. Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich. $71,790
4. Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind. $65,711
5. Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill. $65,400
6. Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla. $62,150
7. Wes Malott, Argyle, Texas, $39,400
8. Michael Haugen Jr. Cave Creek, Ariz. $38,950
9. Robert Smith, Captain Cook, Hawaii, $36,600
10. Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, $31,346
2007-08 Denny's PBA Tour Average Leaders
1. Walter Ray Williams Jr. Ocala, Fla., 233.05
2. Wes Malott, Argyle, Texas, 228.56
3. Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 228.54
4. Rhino Page, Topeka, Kan., 228.44
5. Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 226.35
6. Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 225.29
7. Michael Haugen Jr. Cave Creek, Ariz., 224.85
8. Mike DeVaney, Temecula, Calif., 224.42
9. Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 223.62
10. Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 223.28