PBA Tour returns to Lava Lanes for the seventh consecutive season
01/10/08
The 11th event of the 2007-08 Denny's PBA Tour takes place this week with the 2008 Lumber Liquidators Earl Anthony Medford Classic at Lava Lanes in Medford, Ore., Jan. 9-13. This week's event marks the seventh consecutive season Lava Lanes has hosted a Denny's PBA Tour event, tied with Taylor Lanes in Taylor, Mich., Spectrum Lanes in Wyoming, Mich., and Fountain Bowl in Fountain Valley, Calif., for the longest streak of any current host center.
Sean Rash (pictured right) will look to become the first bowler to successfully defend a title at Lava Lanes. In fact, no bowler has ever won two titles at the center in contrast to Taylor Lanes, Spectrum Lanes and Fountain Bowl, which have both seen two-time winners in their centers. Rash, who hasn't had a chance to extend his perfect 7-0 record on television since winning the 2007 USBC Masters, should have some success this week as he owns one title on the Cheetah oil pattern (2006 Beltway Classic), which is being used this week.
Other exempt bowlers who have won in Medford include Brian Himmler, Pete Weber and Mike Wolfe. Weber is among a handful of notable players, including Norm Duke and 2006-07 PBA Player of the Year Doug Kent, who have yet to make a championship round appearance in 2007-08.
After struggling through the worst first half of a season since his rookie campaign in 2001-02, Tommy Jones showed last week that while he may have cooled down from his record-setting pace of the past three seasons, he's certainly not going to disappear.
Jones defeated Patrick Allen, 254-214, to win the 2008 ConstructionJobs.com Championship at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., breaking a tie with Allen in the win column with his 11th career Denny's PBA Tour title and becoming just the second bowler (Mika Koivuniemi) to win a title on all five of the PBA's standard oil patterns.
The 2005-06 PBA Player of the Year, Jones did not make a TV final in the first half of the season for the first time since 2001-02 and was making his first championship round appearance on the Shark pattern since 2002. Jones forced himself to slow the ball down on the low-scoring pattern and he did so just enough to get past Ryan Shafer, 223-210, in the semifinal, then breezed past Allen, who was making his third consecutive championship round, to capture a title for the fourth consecutive season and take over bragging rights in their friendly rivalry.
The 2008 Lumber Liquidators Earl Anthony Medford Classic at Lava Lanes in Medford, Ore., features a single elimination match play format. The event started Wednesday, Jan. 9 with the Denny's PBA Tour Qualifying Round, where nine PBA members and one amateur will advance to Thursday's Round of 64. The official PBA Practice Session takes place Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.
The Round of 64 features two seven-game qualifying blocks from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-9 p.m. after which the field will be cut to the top 32 for single elimination match play. The Round of 32 gets underway Friday morning at 9 a.m., followed by the Round of 16 at 2 p.m. and the Round of 8 at 7 p.m. which will determine the four finalists for Sunday's live-ESPN televised finals. PBA Pro-Ams and Fan Day take place at Lava Lanes all day Saturday.
The final four will bowl for the $25,000 top prize and a one-year Denny's PBA Tour exemption on Sunday, Jan. 13 at 10 a.m. PST at Lava Lanes.
Tommy Jones, the most successful bowler on television of all-time, is building up another winning streak. With his two wins on Sunday en route to the ConstrcutionJobs.com Championship, Jones ran his winning streak in televised matches to six games.
Jones had a 15-game winning streak two years ago which fell one shy of the all-time record of 16 held by Jim Pencak.
Jones now has an astounding 30-7 record in 18 career championship round appearances, good for an .811 winning percentage, nearly 100 percentage points better than Pencak, whose 22-8 career record ranks second among bowlers with at least 10 TV appearances.
Nine PBA members will earn a berth in Thursday's Round of 64 as five exempt bowlers will not compete this week. Four bowlers have officially received deferments of their exemptions until the 2008-09 season – Jeff Carter, Jason Couch, Patrick Healey Jr. and Tony Reyes - while Tim Criss announced his retirement following the Lumber Liquidators Championship in December. Those five spots go back to the weekly TQR meaning each TQR for the remainder of the season will offer a minimum of nine spots to PBA members.
Over the course of this season, Rhino Page (left) has showed like so many before the benefits of bowling the weekly Tour Qualifying Rounds.
Page is currently ranked 15th in the PBA World Point Rankings, advancing out of the TQR six times in eight tries, making five match play appearances and two championship rounds, the latter being a first for qualifiers.
Since Page is in a good position to finish the season in the top 40 in points, that leaves the rest of the non-exempt bowlers to fight it out for the non-exempt spot on the 2008-09 Tour.
Currently in second behind Page is Edward VanDaniker Jr.
With just two events remaining before the second Major event of the season – the 2008 H&R Block Tournament of Champions – the roster for the prestigious event is starting to take shape. Two changes took place this week, solidifying the fate of a third bowler.
Due to the illness that forced him to defer his 2007-08 exemption, Patrick Healey Jr. has also withdrawn from the Tournament of Champions, putting Kurt Pilon back on the roster. Pilon, who won the 2001 Peoria Open, was bumped off the roster when Michael Haugen Jr. won the Lake County Indiana Classic earlier this season. Healey's withdrawal also locks 13-time titlist Randy Pedersen into the event as he moves back to third from the bottom with two events remaining. Pilon and Hugh Miller are the only bowlers who can be bumped from the event.
On the PBA Hall of Famers side, Gary Dickinson was also a late withdrawal last week and he will be replaced by Roy Buckley, who is eligible thanks to his 1981 Buffalo Open win.
Are you an "AVTFOB"? Go to the Tucson Citizen's website to find out.
Dave Petruska of the Tucson, Ariz., newspaper feels that bowling rarely gets a fair shake in the mass media. Read Petruska's comment piece, his picks of the 12 best films with at least one bowling scene and find out if you are an "AVTFOB: A Very True Friend Of Bowling."
Petruska's comments can be found here.
The deadline is approaching fast for high school bowlers to take advantage of their opportunity to compete among the top youth bowlers in the country and have a chance to bowl on ESPN.
For the second consecutive season, Denny's, the PBA and the USBC are teaming 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 changes include a minimum GPA requirement of 2.7 (on a 4.0 scale) and an extension of the deadline for application into late January.
Applications must be postmarked by Jan. 21, 2008 for the event which takes 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 $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.
There's still time for bowlers to take advantage of the PBA's membership promotion, which runs through Feb. 29. The promotion waives the initiation or reinstatement fees for bowlers who join the PBA and enter a Denny's PBA Tour event between now and Feb. 29, 2008.
Bowlers who become PBA members and enter a Denny's PBA Tour event at the same time between now and Feb. 29 will have either their initiation fee ($99) or reinstatement fee ($99 or $198) waived. Participants in the promotion are required to maintain PBA membership for a minimum of six months.
EliteBowling.com is offering a free PBA double-ball tote bag to any bowlers who join the PBA via this special promotion and buy a PBA Series Ball from EliteBowling.com.
The PBA announced this week the 2008 PBA Senior Tour schedule, which will include a minimum of nine events with the potential for more events to be added before the season approaches.
The 2008 PBA Senior Tour features six standard events, two Majors and the return of the PBA Ladies and Legends at The Cherry Bowl in Rockford, Ill., which returned last year after an 11-year hiatus only to see Liz Johnson team up with Roger Kossert to successfully defend her title. The two Major events – the USBC Senior Masters and PBA Senior U.S. Open – will take place in back-to-back weeks with the USBC Senior Masters shifting to Golden Pin Lanes in Tucson, Ariz., and the PBA Senior U.S. Open returning to the Suncoast Bowling Center in Las Vegas.
The schedule includes one new stop this year as Airport Lanes in Jackson, Mich., returns as a host after a two-year hiatus. Additional stops take place at Capri Bowling Lanes in Dayton, Ohio, The Epicenter Bowling Complex in Klamath Falls, Ore., Harvest Park Bowl in Brentwood, Calif., Olympia Lanes in Hammond, Ind., and Spare Time Lanes in Decatur, Ill.
Last season, Tom Baker made history by earning PBA Senior Player of the Year honors for the third consecutive season, edging out fellow PBA Hall of Famer David Ozio. A competitive 2007 season saw several strong rookies join the Tour – including PBA Hall of Famer Steve Cook, Denny's PBA Tour titlists Sam Maccarone and Hugh Miller and 2007 PBA Senior Rookie of the Year Sam Zurich – along with the return of 34-time Denny's PBA Tour titlist Mark Roth. Look for another exciting season in 2008.
With his win in last week's ConstructionJobs.com Championship, Tommy Jones threw his name into the 2007-08 PBA Player of the Year race. Walter Ray Williams Jr. still holds the lead, but Patrick Allen closed the gap with his third consecutive championship round appearance and a second-place finish to Jones last week.
With three Majors remaining, much can still change. The 2004-05 PBA Player of the Year Allen is followed by Mike Wolfe and Sean Rash, who won the season's first Major, the 2007 USBC Masters. Under the new point system, Majors award more points than standard events.
1. Walter Ray Williams Jr., 44
2. Patrick Allen, 36
3. Mike Wolfe, 26
4. Sean Rash, 24
5. Mika Koivuniemi, 22
6. Parker Bohn III, 20
With his win in the 2008 ConstructionJobs.com Championship. Tommy Jones moved to the top of the 2008 H&R Block Tournament of Champions roster. Kurt Pilon is on the bubble while Hugh Miller is second from the bottom with two events remaining before the T of C, which takes place Jan. 23-27 at Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas. The event features 52 bowlers this season, up from 32 in years past.
Denny's PBA Tour Entrants
1. Tommy Jones - ConstructionJobs.com Championship (1/6/08)
2. Parker Bohn III - Spartanburg Classic (12/16/07)
3. Patrick Allen - Lumber Liquidators Championship (12/9/07)
4. Walter Ray Williams Jr. - Great Lakes Classic (12/2/07)
5. Robert Smith - CLR Windy City Classic (11/25/07)
6. Michael Haugen Jr. - Lake County Indiana Classic (11/18/07)
7. Mike Wolfe - Etonic Championship (11/11/07)
8. Sean Rash - USBC Masters (10/28/07)
9. Mika Koivuniemi - Dydo Japan Cup 2007 (9/23/07)
10. Doug Kent - Denny's World Championship (3/25/07)
11. Norm Duke - Pepsi Championship (3/18/07)
12. Pete Weber - 64th U.S. Open (3/4/07)
13. Mike Mineman - Bayer Classic (2/25/07)
14. Chris Barnes - GEICO Classic (2/11/07)
15. Jason Couch - Motel 6 Classic (1/28/07)
16. Wes Malott - Discover® Card Windy City Classic (11/26/06)
17. Tony Reyes - Motor City Classic (11/5/06)
18. Ritchie Allen - Motel 6 Phoenix Classic (1/22/06)
19. Brian Himmler - Earl Anthony Medford Classic (1/8/06)
20. Mike Scroggins - USBC Masters (11/20/05)
21. Mike Machuga - Greater Omaha Classic (11/13/05)
22. Steve Jaros - Dexter Tournament of Champions (4/10/05)
23. Danny Wiseman - USBC Masters (10/31/04)
24. Ryan Shafer - Empire State Open (11/23/03)
25. Mike DeVaney - GEICO Earl Anthony Classic (1/5/03)
26. Eugene McCune - Banquet Classic (11/17/02)
27. Dave D'Entremont - Wichita Open (10/13/02)
28. Tommy Delutz Jr. - Long Island Open (11/18/01)
29. Brian Voss - Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Classic (1/29/06)
30. Jason Hurd - Pepsi Open (11/28/04)
31. Rick Lawrence - BowlersParadise.com Open (11/21/04)
32. Lonnie Waliczek - Odor-Eaters Open (2/26/03)
33. Chris Hayden - VIA Bowling Open (2/16/03)
34. Bryon Smith - USBC Masters (1/19/03)
35. Randy Pedersen - Pepsi Open (11/24/02)
36. Hugh Miller - Dream Bowl 2002 (9/2/02)
37. Kurt Pilon - Peoria Open (9/21/01)
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. Dave Soutar - Syracuse Open (11/9/82)
52. Roy Buckley - Buffalo Open (7/28/81)
2007-08 Denny's PBA Tour Point Leaders
1. Walter Ray Williams Jr. Ocala, Fla., 141,145
2. Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 121,139
3. Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 107,596.7
4. Wes Malott, Argyle, Texas, 91,105
5. Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan. 90,438
6. Michael Haugen Jr. Cave Creek, Ariz. 89,964.7
7. Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J. 82,76
8. Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich. 82,394
9. Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 79,785
10. Mike DeVaney, Temecula, Calif. 79,461
2007-08 Denny's PBA Tour Earnings Leaders
1. Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan. $123,400
2. Walter Ray Williams Jr. Ocala, Fla. $94,950
3. Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla. $81,650
4. Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich. $76,140
5. Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind. $69,621
6. Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill. $69,000
7. Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J. $44,880
8. Michael Haugen Jr. Cave Creek, Ariz. $44,850
9. Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C. $44,610
10. Wes Malott, Argyle, Texas, $41,200
2007-08 Denny's PBA Tour Average Leaders
1. Walter Ray Williams Jr. Ocala, Fla., 231.42
2. Rhino Page, Topeka, Kan., 229.17
3. Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 227.19
4. Wes Malott, Argyle, Texas, 227.04
5. Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 225.26
6. Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 223.85
7. Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 223.44
8. Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 223.34
9. Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 223.20
10. Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 223.18
2007-08 PBA Spare Shots #9
This Week
The 11th event of the 2007-08 Denny's PBA Tour takes place this week with the 2008 Lumber Liquidators Earl Anthony Medford Classic at Lava Lanes in Medford, Ore., Jan. 9-13. This week's event marks the seventh consecutive season Lava Lanes has hosted a Denny's PBA Tour event, tied with Taylor Lanes in Taylor, Mich., Spectrum Lanes in Wyoming, Mich., and Fountain Bowl in Fountain Valley, Calif., for the longest streak of any current host center. Sean Rash (pictured right) will look to become the first bowler to successfully defend a title at Lava Lanes. In fact, no bowler has ever won two titles at the center in contrast to Taylor Lanes, Spectrum Lanes and Fountain Bowl, which have both seen two-time winners in their centers. Rash, who hasn't had a chance to extend his perfect 7-0 record on television since winning the 2007 USBC Masters, should have some success this week as he owns one title on the Cheetah oil pattern (2006 Beltway Classic), which is being used this week.Other exempt bowlers who have won in Medford include Brian Himmler, Pete Weber and Mike Wolfe. Weber is among a handful of notable players, including Norm Duke and 2006-07 PBA Player of the Year Doug Kent, who have yet to make a championship round appearance in 2007-08.
Last Week
After struggling through the worst first half of a season since his rookie campaign in 2001-02, Tommy Jones showed last week that while he may have cooled down from his record-setting pace of the past three seasons, he's certainly not going to disappear.Jones defeated Patrick Allen, 254-214, to win the 2008 ConstructionJobs.com Championship at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., breaking a tie with Allen in the win column with his 11th career Denny's PBA Tour title and becoming just the second bowler (Mika Koivuniemi) to win a title on all five of the PBA's standard oil patterns.
The 2005-06 PBA Player of the Year, Jones did not make a TV final in the first half of the season for the first time since 2001-02 and was making his first championship round appearance on the Shark pattern since 2002. Jones forced himself to slow the ball down on the low-scoring pattern and he did so just enough to get past Ryan Shafer, 223-210, in the semifinal, then breezed past Allen, who was making his third consecutive championship round, to capture a title for the fourth consecutive season and take over bragging rights in their friendly rivalry.
This Week's Schedule
The 2008 Lumber Liquidators Earl Anthony Medford Classic at Lava Lanes in Medford, Ore., features a single elimination match play format. The event started Wednesday, Jan. 9 with the Denny's PBA Tour Qualifying Round, where nine PBA members and one amateur will advance to Thursday's Round of 64. The official PBA Practice Session takes place Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.
The Round of 64 features two seven-game qualifying blocks from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-9 p.m. after which the field will be cut to the top 32 for single elimination match play. The Round of 32 gets underway Friday morning at 9 a.m., followed by the Round of 16 at 2 p.m. and the Round of 8 at 7 p.m. which will determine the four finalists for Sunday's live-ESPN televised finals. PBA Pro-Ams and Fan Day take place at Lava Lanes all day Saturday.
The final four will bowl for the $25,000 top prize and a one-year Denny's PBA Tour exemption on Sunday, Jan. 13 at 10 a.m. PST at Lava Lanes.
Did You Know?
Tommy Jones, the most successful bowler on television of all-time, is building up another winning streak. With his two wins on Sunday en route to the ConstrcutionJobs.com Championship, Jones ran his winning streak in televised matches to six games.Jones had a 15-game winning streak two years ago which fell one shy of the all-time record of 16 held by Jim Pencak.
Jones now has an astounding 30-7 record in 18 career championship round appearances, good for an .811 winning percentage, nearly 100 percentage points better than Pencak, whose 22-8 career record ranks second among bowlers with at least 10 TV appearances.
Nine Spots Available in Medford
Nine PBA members will earn a berth in Thursday's Round of 64 as five exempt bowlers will not compete this week. Four bowlers have officially received deferments of their exemptions until the 2008-09 season – Jeff Carter, Jason Couch, Patrick Healey Jr. and Tony Reyes - while Tim Criss announced his retirement following the Lumber Liquidators Championship in December. Those five spots go back to the weekly TQR meaning each TQR for the remainder of the season will offer a minimum of nine spots to PBA members.
Over the course of this season, Rhino Page (left) has showed like so many before the benefits of bowling the weekly Tour Qualifying Rounds. Page is currently ranked 15th in the PBA World Point Rankings, advancing out of the TQR six times in eight tries, making five match play appearances and two championship rounds, the latter being a first for qualifiers.
Since Page is in a good position to finish the season in the top 40 in points, that leaves the rest of the non-exempt bowlers to fight it out for the non-exempt spot on the 2008-09 Tour.
Currently in second behind Page is Edward VanDaniker Jr.
H&R Block Tournament of Champions Roster Taking Shape
With just two events remaining before the second Major event of the season – the 2008 H&R Block Tournament of Champions – the roster for the prestigious event is starting to take shape. Two changes took place this week, solidifying the fate of a third bowler.
Due to the illness that forced him to defer his 2007-08 exemption, Patrick Healey Jr. has also withdrawn from the Tournament of Champions, putting Kurt Pilon back on the roster. Pilon, who won the 2001 Peoria Open, was bumped off the roster when Michael Haugen Jr. won the Lake County Indiana Classic earlier this season. Healey's withdrawal also locks 13-time titlist Randy Pedersen into the event as he moves back to third from the bottom with two events remaining. Pilon and Hugh Miller are the only bowlers who can be bumped from the event.
On the PBA Hall of Famers side, Gary Dickinson was also a late withdrawal last week and he will be replaced by Roy Buckley, who is eligible thanks to his 1981 Buffalo Open win.
Petruska Puts You to the Challenge
Are you an "AVTFOB"? Go to the Tucson Citizen's website to find out.
Dave Petruska of the Tucson, Ariz., newspaper feels that bowling rarely gets a fair shake in the mass media. Read Petruska's comment piece, his picks of the 12 best films with at least one bowling scene and find out if you are an "AVTFOB: A Very True Friend Of Bowling."
Petruska's comments can be found here.
Denny's All-American H.S. Championships Deadline Approaching
The deadline is approaching fast for high school bowlers to take advantage of their opportunity to compete among the top youth bowlers in the country and have a chance to bowl on ESPN.For the second consecutive season, Denny's, the PBA and the USBC are teaming 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 changes include a minimum GPA requirement of 2.7 (on a 4.0 scale) and an extension of the deadline for application into late January.
Applications must be postmarked by Jan. 21, 2008 for the event which takes 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 $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.
Membership Promotion Still in Full Swing
There's still time for bowlers to take advantage of the PBA's membership promotion, which runs through Feb. 29. The promotion waives the initiation or reinstatement fees for bowlers who join the PBA and enter a Denny's PBA Tour event between now and Feb. 29, 2008.
Bowlers who become PBA members and enter a Denny's PBA Tour event at the same time between now and Feb. 29 will have either their initiation fee ($99) or reinstatement fee ($99 or $198) waived. Participants in the promotion are required to maintain PBA membership for a minimum of six months.
EliteBowling.com is offering a free PBA double-ball tote bag to any bowlers who join the PBA via this special promotion and buy a PBA Series Ball from EliteBowling.com.
2008 PBA Senior Tour Schedule Announced
The PBA announced this week the 2008 PBA Senior Tour schedule, which will include a minimum of nine events with the potential for more events to be added before the season approaches.
The 2008 PBA Senior Tour features six standard events, two Majors and the return of the PBA Ladies and Legends at The Cherry Bowl in Rockford, Ill., which returned last year after an 11-year hiatus only to see Liz Johnson team up with Roger Kossert to successfully defend her title. The two Major events – the USBC Senior Masters and PBA Senior U.S. Open – will take place in back-to-back weeks with the USBC Senior Masters shifting to Golden Pin Lanes in Tucson, Ariz., and the PBA Senior U.S. Open returning to the Suncoast Bowling Center in Las Vegas.
The schedule includes one new stop this year as Airport Lanes in Jackson, Mich., returns as a host after a two-year hiatus. Additional stops take place at Capri Bowling Lanes in Dayton, Ohio, The Epicenter Bowling Complex in Klamath Falls, Ore., Harvest Park Bowl in Brentwood, Calif., Olympia Lanes in Hammond, Ind., and Spare Time Lanes in Decatur, Ill.
Last season, Tom Baker made history by earning PBA Senior Player of the Year honors for the third consecutive season, edging out fellow PBA Hall of Famer David Ozio. A competitive 2007 season saw several strong rookies join the Tour – including PBA Hall of Famer Steve Cook, Denny's PBA Tour titlists Sam Maccarone and Hugh Miller and 2007 PBA Senior Rookie of the Year Sam Zurich – along with the return of 34-time Denny's PBA Tour titlist Mark Roth. Look for another exciting season in 2008.
2007-08 Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year Race
With his win in last week's ConstructionJobs.com Championship, Tommy Jones threw his name into the 2007-08 PBA Player of the Year race. Walter Ray Williams Jr. still holds the lead, but Patrick Allen closed the gap with his third consecutive championship round appearance and a second-place finish to Jones last week.
With three Majors remaining, much can still change. The 2004-05 PBA Player of the Year Allen is followed by Mike Wolfe and Sean Rash, who won the season's first Major, the 2007 USBC Masters. Under the new point system, Majors award more points than standard events.
1. Walter Ray Williams Jr., 44
2. Patrick Allen, 36
3. Mike Wolfe, 26
4. Sean Rash, 24
5. Mika Koivuniemi, 22
6. Parker Bohn III, 20
7. Michael Haugen, Robert Smith, Wes Malott and Tommy Jones, 16 each.
2008 H&R Block Tournament of Champions Roster
With his win in the 2008 ConstructionJobs.com Championship. Tommy Jones moved to the top of the 2008 H&R Block Tournament of Champions roster. Kurt Pilon is on the bubble while Hugh Miller is second from the bottom with two events remaining before the T of C, which takes place Jan. 23-27 at Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas. The event features 52 bowlers this season, up from 32 in years past.
Denny's PBA Tour Entrants
1. Tommy Jones - ConstructionJobs.com Championship (1/6/08)
2. Parker Bohn III - Spartanburg Classic (12/16/07)
3. Patrick Allen - Lumber Liquidators Championship (12/9/07)
4. Walter Ray Williams Jr. - Great Lakes Classic (12/2/07)
5. Robert Smith - CLR Windy City Classic (11/25/07)
6. Michael Haugen Jr. - Lake County Indiana Classic (11/18/07)
7. Mike Wolfe - Etonic Championship (11/11/07)
8. Sean Rash - USBC Masters (10/28/07)
9. Mika Koivuniemi - Dydo Japan Cup 2007 (9/23/07)
10. Doug Kent - Denny's World Championship (3/25/07)
11. Norm Duke - Pepsi Championship (3/18/07)
12. Pete Weber - 64th U.S. Open (3/4/07)
13. Mike Mineman - Bayer Classic (2/25/07)
14. Chris Barnes - GEICO Classic (2/11/07)
15. Jason Couch - Motel 6 Classic (1/28/07)
16. Wes Malott - Discover® Card Windy City Classic (11/26/06)
17. Tony Reyes - Motor City Classic (11/5/06)
18. Ritchie Allen - Motel 6 Phoenix Classic (1/22/06)
19. Brian Himmler - Earl Anthony Medford Classic (1/8/06)
20. Mike Scroggins - USBC Masters (11/20/05)
21. Mike Machuga - Greater Omaha Classic (11/13/05)
22. Steve Jaros - Dexter Tournament of Champions (4/10/05)
23. Danny Wiseman - USBC Masters (10/31/04)
24. Ryan Shafer - Empire State Open (11/23/03)
25. Mike DeVaney - GEICO Earl Anthony Classic (1/5/03)
26. Eugene McCune - Banquet Classic (11/17/02)
27. Dave D'Entremont - Wichita Open (10/13/02)
28. Tommy Delutz Jr. - Long Island Open (11/18/01)
29. Brian Voss - Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Classic (1/29/06)
30. Jason Hurd - Pepsi Open (11/28/04)
31. Rick Lawrence - BowlersParadise.com Open (11/21/04)
32. Lonnie Waliczek - Odor-Eaters Open (2/26/03)
33. Chris Hayden - VIA Bowling Open (2/16/03)
34. Bryon Smith - USBC Masters (1/19/03)
35. Randy Pedersen - Pepsi Open (11/24/02)
36. Hugh Miller - Dream Bowl 2002 (9/2/02)
37. Kurt Pilon - Peoria Open (9/21/01)
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. Dave Soutar - Syracuse Open (11/9/82)
52. Roy Buckley - Buffalo Open (7/28/81)
2007-08 Denny's PBA Tour Statistical Leaders
2007-08 Denny's PBA Tour Point Leaders
1. Walter Ray Williams Jr. Ocala, Fla., 141,145
2. Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 121,139
3. Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 107,596.7
4. Wes Malott, Argyle, Texas, 91,105
5. Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan. 90,438
6. Michael Haugen Jr. Cave Creek, Ariz. 89,964.7
7. Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J. 82,76
8. Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich. 82,394
9. Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 79,785
10. Mike DeVaney, Temecula, Calif. 79,461
2007-08 Denny's PBA Tour Earnings Leaders
1. Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan. $123,400
2. Walter Ray Williams Jr. Ocala, Fla. $94,950
3. Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla. $81,650
4. Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich. $76,140
5. Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind. $69,621
6. Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill. $69,000
7. Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J. $44,880
8. Michael Haugen Jr. Cave Creek, Ariz. $44,850
9. Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C. $44,610
10. Wes Malott, Argyle, Texas, $41,200
2007-08 Denny's PBA Tour Average Leaders
1. Walter Ray Williams Jr. Ocala, Fla., 231.42
2. Rhino Page, Topeka, Kan., 229.17
3. Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 227.19
4. Wes Malott, Argyle, Texas, 227.04
5. Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 225.26
6. Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 223.85
7. Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 223.44
8. Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 223.34
9. Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 223.20
10. Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 223.18