RENO, Nev. – As the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling VIII presented by the Silver Legacy Resort and Casino heads down the homestretch, the finalists for four ESPN telecasts were determined Thursday at the National Bowling Stadium. The finals will be taped on Saturday and will air beginning Saturday, Dec. 18.
All four finals telecasts will use a format where the four finalists simultaneously bowl one game on the same pair of lanes with the top two scorers advancing to a head-to-head title match.
In a match that showcased one of PBA’s all-time greats, and one of its youngest stars, Player of the Year contender 19-year-old Anthony Simonsen of Austin, Texas swept PBA Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Oxford, Fla., in the PBA Cheetah Championship presented by PBA Bowling Challenge Mobile Game best-of-five-game single-elimination Round of 8, 3-1 (224-213, 206-224, 256-203, 279-207).
Also advancing was four-time Tour winner Mike Wolfe of New Albany, Ind., who defeated 18-time Tour winner Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, 3-2 (256-211, 223-201, 216-269, 179-225, 227-205). Wolfe is making his first Tour television appearance in four seasons.
Making his first PBA television appearance, 23-year-old Darren Tang of San Francisco, advanced by winning his match 3-2 (239-170, 195-214, 208-225, 224-171, 223-201) against 12-time Tour winner Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill.
Rounding out the top four was BJ Moore III of Greensburg, Pa., who swept four-time Tour winner Dom Barrett of England, 3-0 (214-211, 248-232, 280-187). Moore is hoping to improve on a Tour best sixth-place finish which he has accomplished three times.
The Cheetah Championship finals will be taped Saturday at noon and will air Sunday, Dec. 18 at 1 p.m. ET.
For the Chameleon Championship presented by HotelPlanner.com, two-time Tour winner Thomas Larsen of Sweden, the lone international player in the finals field, won his match 3-1 (225-224, 262-246, 215-256, 259-250) over PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber. It was Larsen’s second consecutive Chameleon Championship television appearance after finishing third in 2015.
Three players trying for their first Tour title also made the Chameleon finals. A.J. Johnson of Oswego, Ill., who finished second in the 2015 USBC Masters, won his best-of-five match 3-0 (290-222, 222-195, 234-228) over Brandon Novak of Chillicothe, Ohio.
Mitch Beasley of Clarksville, Tenn., the 2016 FireLake PBA Tournament of Champions runner-up, beat four-time Tour winner EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., 3-1 (215-232, 264-247, 242-233, 239-219).
Patrick Dombrowski of Parma, Ohio, advanced to the Chameleon finals with a 3-1 (238-199, 180-226, 205-158, 203-161) victory over two-time Tour winner Mike DeVaney of Winchester, Calif.
The Chameleon Championship finals will be taped Saturday at 2:30 p.m. PT and will air Saturday, Dec. 24 at 1 p.m. ET.
In the third animal pattern lane condition event of the World Series, Moore made his second World Series final in the PBA Scorpion Championship presented by Reno Tahoe USA by sweeping Beasley, 3-0 (224-197, 243-213, 256-165).
Five-time Tour winner Jesper Svensson of Sweden made his first 2016 World Series telecast with a 3-2 (258-257, 160-188, 190-246, 248-201, 238-230) win over Tom Daugherty of Riverview, Fla. Svensson, the 2016 FireLake PBA Tournament of Champions winner and Player of the Year contender, will be trying for his fourth win of the season.
Former PBA Player of the Year and 17-time Tour winner Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, S.C. made his first television appearance of the 2016 World Series with a 3-1 (246-199, 211-227, 224-217, 212-199) win over Tackett.
Rounding out the Scorpion field will be Novak who notched a 3-2 (184-227, 218-195, 277-256, 193-218, 242-180) win over Kris Prather of Milton, Fla., to make his first Tour television appearance.
The Scorpion Championship finals will be taped Saturday at 4:15 p.m. PT and will air Sunday, Dec. 25 at 2:30 p.m.
In the Shark Championship Round of 8, Williams advanced to the finals after beating Tackett, 3-1 (236-222, 178-243, 248-219, 223-184).
Williams, who is tied with Weber with 99 combined titles in PBA Tour, PBA50 Tour, PBA Regional and PBA50 Regional competition, kept his hopes alive to be the first to reach the 100-title mark. The PBA’s all-time Tour titles leader also will be trying for his 48th Tour title.
Canadian Francois Lavoie, the winner of the 2016 U.S. Open, advanced to the Shark final four by beating Sam Cooley of Australia, 3-0 (236-202, 221-171, 234-157).
Shark qualifying leader Andrew Cain of Phoenix advanced by beating Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, Mich., 3-0 (193-191, 278-211, 204-157). Rounding out the top four was Matthew O’Grady of South Amboy, N.J., making his first Tour television appearance by sweeping Markus Jansson of Sweden, 3-0 (238-200, 205-174, 200-191).
The Shark Championship will be taped this Saturday at 6 p.m. PT and will air Sunday, Dec. 25 at 3:30 p.m.
Bowling fans will also be able to watch the finals of the animal pattern events live via ESPN’s livestreaming service ESPN3.
The crown jewel of the GEICO PBA World of Series VIII will be Sunday’s live ESPN telecast of the PBA World Championship from the National Bowling Stadium at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT). Tackett, who is the top qualifier for the second consecutive year, will be joined by Barrett, Jason Belmonte, Smallwood and Simonsen in the stepladder finals.
PBA CHEETAH CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY PBA BOWLING CHALLENGE MOBILE GAME
National Bowling Stadium, Reno, Nev., Thursday
Round of 8 (best-of-five-games, winners advance to ESPN-taped finals Saturday at noon PT. ESPN telecast Sunday, Dec. 18, 1 p.m. ET; losers earn $2,000)
Darren Tang, San Francisco, Calif., def. Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 3-2 (239-170, 195-214, 208-225, 224-171, 223-201).
B.J. Moore III, Greensburg, Pa., def. Dom Barrett, England, 3-0 (214-211, 248-232, 280-187).
Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., def. Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 3-2 (256-211, 223-201, 216-269, 179-225, 227-205).
Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas, def. Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 3-1 (224-213, 206-224, 256-203, 279-207).
PBA CHAMELEON CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY HOTELPLANNER.COM
National Bowling Stadium, Reno, Nev., Thursday
Round of 8 (best-of-five-games, winners advance to ESPN-taped finals Saturday at 2:30 p.m. PT. ESPN telecast Saturday, Dec. 24, 1 p.m. ET ; losers earn $2,000)
A.J. Johnson, Oswego, Ill., def. Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio, 3-0 (290-222, 222-195, 234-228).
Thomas Larsen, Denmark, def. Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 3-1 (225-224, 262-246, 215-256, 259-250).
Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., def. EJ Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 3-1 (215-232, 264-247, 242-233, 239-219).
Patrick Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio, def. Mike DeVaney, Winchester, Calif., 3-1 (238-199, 180-226, 205-158, 203-161).
PBA SCORPION CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY RENO TAHOE USA
National Bowling Stadium, Reno, Nev., Thursday
Round of 8 (best-of-five-games, winners advance to ESPN-taped finals Saturday at 4:15 p.m. PT. ESPN telecast Sunday, Dec. 25, 2:30 p.m.; losers earn $2,000)
Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., def. E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 3-1 (246-199, 211-227, 224-217, 212-199).
B.J. Moore III, Greensburg, Pa., def. Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 3-0 (224-197, 243-213, 256-165).
Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio, def. Kristopher Prather, Milton, Fla., 3-2 (184-227, 218-195, 277-256, 193-218, 242-180).
Jesper Svensson, Sweden, def. Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., 3-2 (258-257, 160-188, 190-246, 248-201, 238-230).
PBA SHARK CHAMPIONSHIP
National Bowling Stadium, Reno, Nev., Thursday
Round of 8 (best-of-five-games, winners advance to ESPN-taped finals Saturday at 6 p.m. PT. ESPN telecast, Sunday, Dec. 25, 3:30 p.m.; losers earn $2,000)
Matthew O’Grady, South Amboy, N.J., def. Markus Jansson, Sweden, 3-0 (238-200, 205-174, 200-191).
Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., def. E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 3-1 (236-222, 178-243, 248-219, 223-184).
Francois Lavoie, Canada, def. Sam Cooley, Australia, 3-0 (236-202, 221-171, 234-157).
Andrew Cain, Phoenix, def. Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 3-0 (193-191, 278-211, 204-157).
