Chris Collins (pictured left) of Savannah, Ga., averaged 219.9 for 16 qualifying games Sunday to lead a field of 64 players into Monday's match play finals in the Professional Bowlers Association Regional Players Championship at Thunderbowl Lanes.

Collins, a nine-time PBA Regional titlist and winner of the 2006 Pepsi Championship on the PBA Tour, posted a 3,519 total for a 10-pin lead over Thomas Smallwood of Flushing, Mich. Bo Goergen (right) of Midland, Mich., qualified third for match play with 3,479 pins.

"The biggest thing for me is to keep my emotions in check," Collins said as he looked ahead to match play. "Everybody knows that about me. I am who I am. I've paved the road I'm on.

"I've bowled on this (RPC) pattern before. You attack the pattern from the inside, but for the Tour Trials (later in the week), it will be completely different," he added. "I'll get lined up during the Tour Trials during my 15 minutes of practice."

Three international stars finished qualifying among the top 24. Canadian champion George Lambert IV (left), Hamilton, Ontario, sits in 8th place with 3,421.

2007 World Ranking Masters champion Stuart Williams (right), England, is tied for 14th place with 3,382. Tim Mack (below, left), Indianapolis, who has won numerous titles all over the world is 23rd with 3,333.

Jodi Woessner (right), Oregon, Ohio, winner of the PBA Women's Series Shark Championship, is 18th with 3,355.

The PBA Regional Players Championship is open to all PBA members except those who hold Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour exemptions for the 2009-10 season. The RPC drew a field of 207 competitors, many of whom will bowl in the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour Trials Wednesday through Sunday, also at Thunderbowl Lanes.

The top eight Tour Trials finishers will earn exemptions to bowl full-time on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour next season.

The top 64 RPC qualifiers advance to best-of-five-game single-elimination match play rounds Monday which will trim the field to 16. The top 16 advance to best-of-three-game rounds to cut the field to four for the single-game semifinal round and championship match.

The winner will receive $10,000 and an expenses-paid berth in the 2010 PBA Regional Players Invitational.

 

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PBA Regional Players Championship - Standings after Qualifying

Top 64 with position, hometown and 16-game total

1, Chris Collins, Savannah, Ga., 3,519
2, Thomas Smallwood, Flushing, Mich., 3,509
3, Bo Goergen, Midland, Mich., 3,479
4, Dave Entremont, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, 3,473
5, Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., 3,462
6, Richard Kidd, El Paso, Ill., 3,431
7, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 3,430
8, George Lambert IV, Hamilton, Ontario, 3,421
9, Tim Behrendt, St Louis, 3,414
10, Jeff Roche, Dearborn, Mich., 3,395
11, Chrisopher Sand, St. Clair Shores, Mich., 3,393
12, David Traber, Hebron, Ill., 3,387
13, D.J. Archer, Mineral Wells, Texas, 3,384
14, Terry Wiley, Vienna, Va., and Stuart Williams, England, 3,382
16, Tom Sorce, Blasdell, N.Y., 3,381
17, Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 3,377
18, Jodi Woessner, Oregon, Ohio, 3,355
19, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 3,346
20, Dan Patterson, Utica, N.Y., 3,342
21, Ray Edwards, Middle Island, N.Y., 3,339
22, Eddie Graham, Centerville, Ohio, 3,336
23, Tim Mack, Indianapolis, 3,333
24, Ken Abner, Cincinnati, 3,332
25, Brian Kjergaard, Fulton, Ill., 3,327
26, Michael Marsico, Chesapeake Beach, Md., 3,324
27, Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Township, Mich., 3,322
28, Bobby Hall II, Landover, Md., 3,318
29, Mitch Beasley, Puyallup, Wash., 3,314
30, Joe Bailey, Pittsburgh, 3,311
31, Mason Brantley, Detroit, 3,301
32, Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 3,300
33, Chad Maas, Brookfield, Wis., 3,298
34, Brett Cooper, Aurora, Colo., 3,297
35, Michael Clark Jr., Cleveland, Ohio, 3,294
36, Chris Kliczinski, Pinckney, Mich., 3,289
37, Steve Rogers, Bourbonnais, Ill., and Jason Hurd, St, Petersburg, Fla., 3,286
39, Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., 3,285
40, Kevin Taber, Toledo, Ohio, 3,284
41, Matt Freiberg, Somerset, N.J., 3,283
42, Walter Schaub II, Schaumburg, Ill., 3,279
43, Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 3,276
44, David Anthony, Austin, Texas, and Sean Swanson, Springfield, Mo., 3,268
46, Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., and Ken Jessee, Huber Heights, Ohio, 3,265
48, Bill Spigner, Vernon Hills, Ill., 3,264
49, Duane Benn, Lynnwood, Wash., 3,262
50, Chris Hansen, Chicago, and Jeff Zaffino, Warren, Pa., 3,259
52, Patrick Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio, 3,258
53, John Slavich IV, Schaumburg, Ill., 3,257
54, Ed Carter, Akron, Ohio, and Chad Kloss, Greenfield, Wis., 3,253
56, Jim Tomek Jr., Camp Hill, Pa., 3,252
57, Joe Green, Maplewood, Ohio, 3,249
58, Robert Lawrence, Austin, Texas, 3,248
59, Brian Thompson, Flat Rock, Mich., 3,246
60, Larry Verble, Mason, Mich. 3,238
61, Tony Campagna Jr., Chesapeake, Va., 3,231
62, Jason Wojnar, Chicago, 3,230
63, John Conroy, Mahopac, N.Y., 3,229
64, Lindsay Baker, Waterford, Mich., 3,228