Australian defeats Anthony Simonsen 221-204 in championship match to end two-year winless streak
COLUMBUS, Ohio (Feb. 12, 2017) – Three-time Professional Bowlers Association Player of the Year Jason Belmonte of Australia captured his seventh major title and ended a two-year streak without a Tour win by winning the Barbasol PBA Players Championship Sunday at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl.
In a championship match between two players who use the unique two-handed delivery, the top seeded Belmonte defeated Anthony Simonsen of Austin, Texas, 221-204, to notch his second Players Championship win and 13th PBA Tour title overall.
Belmonte’s win broke a dry spell that started after he won his record third straight USBC Masters and his second consecutive PBA Tournament of Champions back-to-back in February of 2015. Going into the Players Championship he had a string of 16 tournaments in which he made the top five but failed to win. He finished second in five of those events.
“It’s a brand new start,” Belmonte said of the new season. “I was successful staying focused the whole tournament from start to finish. I’ve learned that if you look ahead or behind you’re not staying in the moment.”
In the title match, Belmonte held a commanding 37-pin lead in the fifth frame that was too much for Simonsen to overcome.
“It feels fantastic,” said the 33-year-old Belmonte, who won his first major in the 2011 Players Championship. “Two years is a long time to wait (for a win), especially considering all the times I had made TV.
“I’ve always believed in myself but I’ll admit there’s a lot of weight off of my shoulders now after all that time because believe me, people will remind you,” he added.
The 20-year-old Simonsen, who qualified second for the finals, was trying to become the youngest player to win two PBA Tour majors. He won the 2016 USBC Masters at 19 to become the youngest to win a PBA major.
“I didn’t make my best shots in that match,” said Simonsen. “There were probably a couple of shots where I should have reset myself. I’ll just use it as a learning experience.”
In the semifinal match, Simonsen beat Connor Pickford of Plano, Texas, 204-191, to advance to the title match. Pickford, who was trying for his first Tour singles title, teamed with Simonsen to win the 2016 Roth/Holman PBA Doubles for his first title.
In the opening stepladder match, Pickford defeated Team USA member and former Wichita State bowling star AJ Chapman, 243-154. Chapman was trying to become only the third player to win a Tour title in his first tournament as a PBA member.
In the second match, Pickford defeated Martin Larsen of Sweden 266-182 to advance to the semifinal. With four career runner-up finishes, Larsen was trying for his first Tour win.
The PBA Tour travels to Shawnee, Okla., for the FireLake PBA Tournament of Champions Feb. 13-19, the second major of the season.
PBA’s Big February on ESPN continues with live finals telecasts of the Tournament of Champions on Feb. 19 at 1 p.m. ET and back-to-back telecasts of the USBC Masters finals and World Bowling Tour Men’s and Women’s Finals presented by the PBA Feb. 26 beginning at 1 p.m.
In addition to the lineup of live telecasts, the State Farm CP3 PBA Celebrity Invitational, which was taped on Jan. 17 at Lucky Strike L.A. Live in Los Angeles, will air on Friday, Feb. 17, at 9 p.m. ET as part of the NBA All-Star weekend.
BARBASOL PBA PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP
Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl, Columbus, Ohio, Sunday
Final Standings
1, Jason Belmonte, Australia, $40,000.
2, Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas, $20,000.
3, Connor Pickford, Plano, Texas, $12,000.
4, Martin Larsen, Sweden, $11,000.
5, AJ Chapman, Wichita, Kan., $10,000.
Stepladder Results
Match One – Pickford def. Chapman, 243-154.
Match Two – Pickford def. Larsen, 266-182.
Semifinal Match – Simonsen def. Pickford, 204-191.
Championship Match – Belmonte def. Simonsen, 221-204.
About the PBA
The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) is an organization of more than 3,200 of the best bowlers from 27 countries who compete in PBA Tour, PBA International Tour, QubicaAMF PBA Regional Tour, PBA Women’s Regional and PBA50 Tour events. The PBA is in its 58th consecutive year of nationally-televised competition, reaching bowling fans around the world who follow PBA activities through the PBA Network which includes Xtra Frame, the PBA’s exclusive online bowling channel, ESPN and CBS Sports Network, and the PBA on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. PBA sponsors include Barbasol, Brunswick, Ebonite International, GEICO, Grand Casino Hotel and Resort, HotelPlanner.com, MOTIV, 900 Global, PBA Bowling Challenge Mobile Game, QubicaAMF, South Point Hotel Casino and Spa, Storm Products and the United States Bowling Congress, among others. For more information, log on to
Seventh Major Title in Sight for Belmonte as Top Qualifier for Barbasol PBA Players Championship Finals
Australian two-hander hopes to end two-year winless streak in live ESPN finals Sunday at 1 p.m. EST
COLUMBUS, Ohio (Feb. 10, 2017) – After earning top qualifier honors for the Barbasol PBA Players Championship finals Friday, three-time PBA Player of the Year Jason Belmonte will need to win only one match to capture his seventh major title and first Tour win in two years.
After Friday’s fifth round, the Australian two-hander finished with a 9,249 40-game pinfall total (231.2 average) to clinch the top berth for Sunday’s Players Championship finals at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl.
After nearly three years of dominance, in 2013, 2014 and 2015, when he won his Player of the Year crowns, Belmonte’s dry spell started after he won the USBC Masters and Tournament of Champions back-to-back in February of 2015. Since then he has finished in the top five in 16 PBA Tour tournaments without a win finishing second in five of those events.
“I feel as good as I’ve ever felt bowling in a tournament,” said the 12-time Tour titlist. “I just need to focus on what I need to do and eliminate the distractions. I’ve always had 100 percent belief in myself so whatever happens in the championship match I’ll walk away with my head held high.
“After last year the weight is off my shoulders,” Belmonte added. “I didn’t get the wins last year but I was bowling well. “It’s a new season and now I just need to focus on what I need to do in each tournament and let the season unfold.”
In addition to winning the 2011 Players Championship for his first major, Belmonte won a record three consecutive USBC Masters (2013, 2014 and 2015) and won back-to-back PBA Tournament of Champions titles in 2014 and 2015.
Qualifying second for the finals was another two-hander, Anthony Simonsen of Austin, Texas, just 20 pins behind Belmonte with a 9,229 pinfall total. The 20-year-old two-time Tour winner, who became the youngest to win a major when he won the 2016 USBC Masters at 19, will be trying to become the youngest player to win two majors.
Trying for his first PBA Tour title, Martin Larsen of Sweden, qualified third with a 9,083 pinfall. He owns four career runner-up Tour finishes and with a win in the Players Championship would become eligible for next week’s FireLake PBA Tournament of Champions in Shawnee, Okla.
Sunday’s opening stepladder match will feature No. 4 qualifier, former Wichita State standout and current Team USA member AJ Chapman bowling against No. 5 qualifier one-time Tour winner Connor Pickford of Plano, Texas. Chapman finished with an 8,958 pinfall while Pickford finished with 8,946.
Chapman will be trying to become only the third player in Tour history to win a title in his first tournament as a PBA member. The two others were Brian Davis, who won the 1993 Harrisburg (Pa.) Open and Mike McGrath who won the 1965 Portland (Ore.) Open.
In addition to ESPN’s coverage, the Players Championship will be simulcast on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN mobile app for those who would like to watch on-line or on mobile devices.
BARBASOL PBA PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP
Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl, Columbus, Ohio, Friday
Fifth Round Standings (after 40 games. Top five advanced to Sunday’s live ESPN finals at 1 p.m. EST)
1, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 9,249.
2, Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas, 9,229.
3, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 9,083.
4, AJ Chapman, Wichita, Kan., 8,958.
5, Connor Pickford, Plano Texas, 8,946.
2, Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas, 9,229.
3, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 9,083.
4, AJ Chapman, Wichita, Kan., 8,958.
5, Connor Pickford, Plano Texas, 8,946.
Did not advance:
6, Andrew Anderson, Holly, Mich., 8,942, $8,000.
7, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 8,940, $7,000.
8, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 8,924, $6,100.
9, Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 8,896, $5,500.
10, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 8,879, $5,000.
11, Jakob Butturff, Tempe, Ariz., 8,846, $4,500.
12, Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., 8,839, $4,200.
13, Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 8,826, $3,900.
14, DJ Archer, Friendswood, Texas, 8,785, $3,600.
15, Francois Lavoie, Canada, 8,776, $3,400.
16, Jeff Evans, Supply, N.C., 8,725, $3,300.
6, Andrew Anderson, Holly, Mich., 8,942, $8,000.
7, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 8,940, $7,000.
8, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 8,924, $6,100.
9, Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 8,896, $5,500.
10, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 8,879, $5,000.
11, Jakob Butturff, Tempe, Ariz., 8,846, $4,500.
12, Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., 8,839, $4,200.
13, Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 8,826, $3,900.
14, DJ Archer, Friendswood, Texas, 8,785, $3,600.
15, Francois Lavoie, Canada, 8,776, $3,400.
16, Jeff Evans, Supply, N.C., 8,725, $3,300.
Fourth Round Standings (after 32 games. Top 16 players advanced to fifth round)
1, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 7,489.
2, Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas, 7,305.
3, Jakob Butturff, Tempe, Ariz., 7,266.
4, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 7,219.
5, Connor Pickford, Charlotte, N.C., 7,170.
6, DJ Archer, Friendswood, Texas, 7,159.
7, Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 7,126.
8, AJ Chapman, Wichita, Kan., 7,124.
9, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 7,121.
10, Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 7,114.
11, Jeff Evans, Supply, N.C., 7,098.
12, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 7,079.
13, Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., 7,075.
14, Andrew Anderson, Holly, Mich., 7,065.
15, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 7,051.
16, Francois Lavoie, Canada, 7,048.
2, Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas, 7,305.
3, Jakob Butturff, Tempe, Ariz., 7,266.
4, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 7,219.
5, Connor Pickford, Charlotte, N.C., 7,170.
6, DJ Archer, Friendswood, Texas, 7,159.
7, Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 7,126.
8, AJ Chapman, Wichita, Kan., 7,124.
9, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 7,121.
10, Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 7,114.
11, Jeff Evans, Supply, N.C., 7,098.
12, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 7,079.
13, Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., 7,075.
14, Andrew Anderson, Holly, Mich., 7,065.
15, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 7,051.
16, Francois Lavoie, Canada, 7,048.
Did not advance:
17, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 7,026, $2,900.
18, Jason Sterner, Rockledge, Fla., 7,011, $2,700.
19, Patrick Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio, 6,981, $2,600.
20, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 6,920, $2,500.
21, Graham Fach, Canada, 6,892, $2,500.
22, Cameron Weier, Tacoma, Wash., 6,871, $2,300.
23, Anthony Lavery-Spahr, Pasadena, Texas, 6,857, $2,200.
24, Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill., 6,834, $2,100.
17, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 7,026, $2,900.
18, Jason Sterner, Rockledge, Fla., 7,011, $2,700.
19, Patrick Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio, 6,981, $2,600.
20, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 6,920, $2,500.
21, Graham Fach, Canada, 6,892, $2,500.
22, Cameron Weier, Tacoma, Wash., 6,871, $2,300.
23, Anthony Lavery-Spahr, Pasadena, Texas, 6,857, $2,200.
24, Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill., 6,834, $2,100.
About the PBA
The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) is an organization of more than 3,200 of the best bowlers from 27 countries who compete in PBA Tour, PBA International Tour, QubicaAMF PBA Regional Tour, PBA Women’s Regional and PBA50 Tour events. The PBA is in its 58th consecutive year of nationally-televised competition, reaching bowling fans around the world who follow PBA activities through the PBA Network which includes Xtra Frame, the PBA’s exclusive online bowling channel, ESPN and CBS Sports Network, and the PBA on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. PBA sponsors include Barbasol, Brunswick, Ebonite International, GEICO, Grand Casino Hotel and Resort, HotelPlanner.com, MOTIV, 900 Global, PBA Bowling Challenge Mobile Game, QubicaAMF, South Point Hotel Casino and Spa, Storm Products and the United States Bowling Congress, among others. For more information, log on to www.pba.com.
Belmonte Averages 235 in Third Round to Retain Lead In Barbasol PBA Players Championship
Three-time Player of the Year leads field of 24 players who advanced to Friday’s fourth round
COLUMBUS, Ohio (Feb. 9, 2017) – Three-time Professional Bowlers Association Player of the Year Jason Belmonte of Australia averaged 235.6 Thursday to retain his lead after the third round of the Barbasol PBA Players Championship leading a field of 24 players who advanced to Friday’s fourth round.
Belmonte, who is trying to end a two-year drought without a Tour win, bowled games of 263, 244, 237, 193, 248, 201, 234 and 265 at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl to bring his combined three-round 24-game pinfall total to 5,624 (234.3) average.
“I’m bowling well but at this point in the tournament I’m not concerned with the score,” the 12-time Tour winner said. “I have a strategy to do what I want to do and let the scores fall where they may.
“I just need to keep the foot down and get as many pins as possible. I look at the guys who are around me in the standings as giving me that extra mental push to help me do that.”
Belmonte, the 2011 Players Championship winner, is trying for his seventh major title. He won a record three consecutive USBC Masters (2013, 2014 and 2015) and won back-to-back PBA Tournament of Champions titles in 2014 and 2015. His 2015 Tournament of Champions victory was his last Tour title.
Belmonte holds a 104-pin lead over two-time Tour winner DJ Archer of Friendswood, Texas, in second who finished with a 5,520 pinfall followed by two-time Tour winner Jakob Butturff of Tempe, Ariz., in third with 5,487.
Anthony Simonsen of Austin, Texas rocketed to fourth after the third round with a 5,453 pinfall after starting the tournament in 72nd after the first round. Simonsen, who bowled a 300 game in the round, became the youngest player to win a PBA major when he won the 2016 USBC Masters at age 19.
PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber of St. Ann, Mo., who battled through pain caused by arthritis in his back in the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling VIII in December but still managed to finish sixth in the PBA World Championship, finished the day in 12th with a 5,373 pinfall.
The 37-time PBA Tour winner is trying for a record 11th major title. He is currently tied with the late Hall of Famer Earl Anthony with 10 majors.
Defending champion Graham Fach of Canada advanced to the fourth round by finishing 14th with a 5,328 pinfall.
The top 24 players will bowl an eight-game round Friday morning that will determine the top 16 players who will advance to the final eight-game round Friday afternoon. After Friday’s final round, the top five players will advance to the live stepladder finals Sunday on ESPN at 1 p.m. ET.
All qualifying rounds are covered live on PBA’s Xtra Frame online video streaming service. For subscription information, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame link.
BARBASOL PBA PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP
Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl, Columbus, Ohio, Thursday
Third Round Standings (after 24 games. Top 24 advanced to Friday’s fourth round)
1, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 5,624.
2, DJ Archer, Friendswood, Texas, 5,520.
3, Jakob Butturff, Tempe, Ariz., 5,487.
4, Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas, 5,453.
5, AJ Chapman, Wichita, Kan., 5,435.
6, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 5,409.
7, Jeff Evans, Supply, N.C., 5,398.
8, Andrew Anderson, Holly, Mich., 5,383.
9, Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 5,378.
10, Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., 5,377.
11, Connor Pickford, Charlotte, N.C., 5,375.
12, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 5,373.
13, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 5,334.
14, Graham Fach, Canada, 5,328.
15, Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 5,304.
16, Patrick Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio, 5,303.
17, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 5,291.
18, Cameron Weier, Tacoma, Wash., 5,289.
19, Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill., 5,288.
20, (tie) Francois Lavoie, Canada, and Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 5,286.
22, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 5,284.
23, Jason Sterner, Rockledge, Fla., 5,271.
24, Anthony Lavery-Spahr, Pasadena, Texas, 5,265.
2, DJ Archer, Friendswood, Texas, 5,520.
3, Jakob Butturff, Tempe, Ariz., 5,487.
4, Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas, 5,453.
5, AJ Chapman, Wichita, Kan., 5,435.
6, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 5,409.
7, Jeff Evans, Supply, N.C., 5,398.
8, Andrew Anderson, Holly, Mich., 5,383.
9, Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 5,378.
10, Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., 5,377.
11, Connor Pickford, Charlotte, N.C., 5,375.
12, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 5,373.
13, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 5,334.
14, Graham Fach, Canada, 5,328.
15, Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 5,304.
16, Patrick Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio, 5,303.
17, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 5,291.
18, Cameron Weier, Tacoma, Wash., 5,289.
19, Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill., 5,288.
20, (tie) Francois Lavoie, Canada, and Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 5,286.
22, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 5,284.
23, Jason Sterner, Rockledge, Fla., 5,271.
24, Anthony Lavery-Spahr, Pasadena, Texas, 5,265.
Did not advance:
25, (tie) Darren Tang, San Francisco, 5,259, and Brad Miller, Maryland Heights, Mo., 5,259, $1,725.
27, Richie Teece, England, 5,255, $1,650.
28, John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y., 5,241, $1,600.
29, JR Raymond, Bay City, Mich., 5,239.
30, Shota Kawazoe, Japan, 5,233.
31, Zacharary Wilkins, Canada, 5,228.
32, AJ Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 5,224.
33, (tie) Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., and Devin Bidwell, Wichita, Kan., 5,221.
35, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 5,220.
36, Rhino Page, Orlando, Fla., 5,217.
37, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 5,209.
38, Cristian Azcona, Lake Wales, Fla., 5,198.
39, Ronnie Sparks Jr., Redford, Mich., 5,195.
40, Patrick Allen, Elmwood Park, N.J., 5,186.
41, Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 5,183.
42, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 5,182.
43, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 5,167.
44, Tim Foy Jr., Seaford, Del., 5,166.
45, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 5,163.
46, (tie) Thomas Larsen, Denmark, and Kyle Bigelow, Troy, Ohio, 5,161.
48, Dom Barrett, England, 5,159.
49, (tie) Kristopher Prather, Milton, Fla., Sam Cooley, Australia and Josh Conner, Columbus, Ohio, 5,150.
52, Aaron Lorincz, Belleville, Mich., 5,147.
53, BJ Moore III, Greensburg, Pa., 5,146.
54, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 5,145.
55, Stuart Williams, England, 5,121.
56, Dave Wodka, Beavercreek, Ohio, 5,120.
57, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 5,116.
58, EJ Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 5,107.
59, Joe Bailey, Wooster, Ohio, 5,103.
60, Matthew Sanders, Evansville, Ind., 5,102.
61, Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio, 5,098.
62, (tie) Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, and Danielle McEwan, Stony Point, N.Y., 5,095.
64, Francois Louw, South Africa, 5,084.
65, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 5,063.
66, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 5,061.
67, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 5,048.
68, Daniel Fransson, Sweden, 5,046.
69, David Krol, Nixa, Mo., 5,041.
70, Matthew O’Grady, Rahway, N.J., 5,025.
71, Kim Bolleby, Thailand, 5,018.
72, Wayne Webb, Columbus, Ohio, 5,004.
73, Greg Ostrander, Freehold, N.J., 5,001.
74, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 4,991.
75, Chris Polizzi, Spring Hill, Fla., 4,988.
76, John Furey, Freehold, N.J., 4,983.
77, Jon Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., 4,957.
78, Anthony Pepe, Elmhurst, N.Y., 4,955.
79, Zeke Bayt, Westerville, Ohio, 4,951.
80, Jake Peters, Henderson, Nev., 4,942.
81, Andrew Cain, Phoenix, 4,940.
82, Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., 4,927.
83, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 4,925.
84, Kristian Rogers, Salisbury, N.C., 4,892.
85, Andrew Graff, Las Vegas, 4,891.
86, Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 4,880.
87, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 4,864.
88, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 4,859.
89, Matthew Rubright, Pittsburgh, Pa., 4,853.
90, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 4,851.
91, Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, 4,838.
92, Kyle Mayberry, Mt. Vernon, Ohio, 4,837.
93, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 4,821.
94, Jason Lundquist, Columbus, Ohio, 4,806.
95, Gary Faulkner Jr., Memphis, Tenn., 4,800.
96, Kelly Jordon, Marion, Ohio, 4,787.
97, Daniel Hochstein, Farmington Hills, Mich., 4,742.
98, Dwight Adams, Greensboro, N.C., 4,737.
99, Carleton Chambers, Detroit, 4,719.
100, Brian Robinson, Morgantown, W.Va., 4,717.
101, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 4,697.
102, Rocio Restrepo, Colombia, 4,695.
103, Joshua Weiner, Hilliard, Ohio, 4,691.
104, John Dudak, Orland Park, Ill., 4,678.
105, Tristan Butler, Fort Wayne, Ind., 4,621.
106, Anggie Ramirez, Colombia, 4,618.
107, Christopher Barger, Dry Ridge, Ky., 4,592.
108, Jeremiah Bryant, Taylor, Mich., 4,558.
109, Zachery Tackett, Huntington, Ind.,, 4,551.
110, Matthew Wozney, Clayton, Del., 4,499.
111, Warren Burr, Wilmington, Del., 4,447.
112, David Adcox Jr., Shawnee, Kan., 4,363.
113, Chad Cygnarowicz, Robinson Township, Pa., 4,136.
25, (tie) Darren Tang, San Francisco, 5,259, and Brad Miller, Maryland Heights, Mo., 5,259, $1,725.
27, Richie Teece, England, 5,255, $1,650.
28, John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y., 5,241, $1,600.
29, JR Raymond, Bay City, Mich., 5,239.
30, Shota Kawazoe, Japan, 5,233.
31, Zacharary Wilkins, Canada, 5,228.
32, AJ Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 5,224.
33, (tie) Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., and Devin Bidwell, Wichita, Kan., 5,221.
35, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 5,220.
36, Rhino Page, Orlando, Fla., 5,217.
37, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 5,209.
38, Cristian Azcona, Lake Wales, Fla., 5,198.
39, Ronnie Sparks Jr., Redford, Mich., 5,195.
40, Patrick Allen, Elmwood Park, N.J., 5,186.
41, Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 5,183.
42, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 5,182.
43, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 5,167.
44, Tim Foy Jr., Seaford, Del., 5,166.
45, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 5,163.
46, (tie) Thomas Larsen, Denmark, and Kyle Bigelow, Troy, Ohio, 5,161.
48, Dom Barrett, England, 5,159.
49, (tie) Kristopher Prather, Milton, Fla., Sam Cooley, Australia and Josh Conner, Columbus, Ohio, 5,150.
52, Aaron Lorincz, Belleville, Mich., 5,147.
53, BJ Moore III, Greensburg, Pa., 5,146.
54, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 5,145.
55, Stuart Williams, England, 5,121.
56, Dave Wodka, Beavercreek, Ohio, 5,120.
57, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 5,116.
58, EJ Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 5,107.
59, Joe Bailey, Wooster, Ohio, 5,103.
60, Matthew Sanders, Evansville, Ind., 5,102.
61, Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio, 5,098.
62, (tie) Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, and Danielle McEwan, Stony Point, N.Y., 5,095.
64, Francois Louw, South Africa, 5,084.
65, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 5,063.
66, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 5,061.
67, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 5,048.
68, Daniel Fransson, Sweden, 5,046.
69, David Krol, Nixa, Mo., 5,041.
70, Matthew O’Grady, Rahway, N.J., 5,025.
71, Kim Bolleby, Thailand, 5,018.
72, Wayne Webb, Columbus, Ohio, 5,004.
73, Greg Ostrander, Freehold, N.J., 5,001.
74, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 4,991.
75, Chris Polizzi, Spring Hill, Fla., 4,988.
76, John Furey, Freehold, N.J., 4,983.
77, Jon Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., 4,957.
78, Anthony Pepe, Elmhurst, N.Y., 4,955.
79, Zeke Bayt, Westerville, Ohio, 4,951.
80, Jake Peters, Henderson, Nev., 4,942.
81, Andrew Cain, Phoenix, 4,940.
82, Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., 4,927.
83, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 4,925.
84, Kristian Rogers, Salisbury, N.C., 4,892.
85, Andrew Graff, Las Vegas, 4,891.
86, Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 4,880.
87, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 4,864.
88, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 4,859.
89, Matthew Rubright, Pittsburgh, Pa., 4,853.
90, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 4,851.
91, Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, 4,838.
92, Kyle Mayberry, Mt. Vernon, Ohio, 4,837.
93, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 4,821.
94, Jason Lundquist, Columbus, Ohio, 4,806.
95, Gary Faulkner Jr., Memphis, Tenn., 4,800.
96, Kelly Jordon, Marion, Ohio, 4,787.
97, Daniel Hochstein, Farmington Hills, Mich., 4,742.
98, Dwight Adams, Greensboro, N.C., 4,737.
99, Carleton Chambers, Detroit, 4,719.
100, Brian Robinson, Morgantown, W.Va., 4,717.
101, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 4,697.
102, Rocio Restrepo, Colombia, 4,695.
103, Joshua Weiner, Hilliard, Ohio, 4,691.
104, John Dudak, Orland Park, Ill., 4,678.
105, Tristan Butler, Fort Wayne, Ind., 4,621.
106, Anggie Ramirez, Colombia, 4,618.
107, Christopher Barger, Dry Ridge, Ky., 4,592.
108, Jeremiah Bryant, Taylor, Mich., 4,558.
109, Zachery Tackett, Huntington, Ind.,, 4,551.
110, Matthew Wozney, Clayton, Del., 4,499.
111, Warren Burr, Wilmington, Del., 4,447.
112, David Adcox Jr., Shawnee, Kan., 4,363.
113, Chad Cygnarowicz, Robinson Township, Pa., 4,136.
300 games (4) – Martin Larsen, Sam Cooley, Anthony Simonsen, Aaron Lorincz
About the PBA
The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) is an organization of more than 3,200 of the best bowlers from 27 countries who compete in PBA Tour, PBA International Tour, QubicaAMF PBA Regional Tour, PBA Women’s Regional and PBA50 Tour events. The PBA is in its 58th consecutive year of nationally-televised competition, reaching bowling fans around the world who follow PBA activities through the PBA Network which includes Xtra Frame, the PBA’s exclusive online bowling channel, ESPN and CBS Sports Network, and the PBA on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. PBA sponsors include Barbasol, Brunswick, Ebonite International, GEICO, Grand Casino Hotel and Resort, HotelPlanner.com, MOTIV, 900 Global, PBA Bowling Challenge Mobile Game, QubicaAMF, South Point Hotel Casino and Spa, Storm Products and the United States Bowling Congress, among others. For more information, log on to www.pba.com.
Solid Round Good Enough to Boost Belmonte Into Barbasol PBA Players Championship Lead
COLUMBUS, Ohio (Feb. 8, 2017) — Trying to end a two-year drought without a Professional Bowlers Association Tour title, three-time PBA Player of the Year Jason Belmonte of Australia put together a solid second round to move into the Barbasol PBA Players Championship lead Wednesday at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl.
Playing an extreme inside line, Belmonte finished the day with a 3,739 16-game overall pinfall total (233.6 average) bowling games of 245, 259, 248, 202, 220, 268, 200 and 257 in Wednesday’s second round.
“I was kind of on autopilot today,” said Belmonte. “I was able to migrate pretty far inside, which is where I like to play. Because not that many players play that far left on the lane, for me, it’s kind of like bowling on a fresh condition every time we move to another pair.
“I really wanted to get off to a good start because when you bowl the longer format tournaments you can’t always rely on the big game,” the 12-time Tour titlist added. “It was a good consistent round and I avoided the real bad game.”
Belmonte’s last title came when he won his second consecutive Tournament of Champions in February 2015. He is trying for his seventh major title having won three consecutive USBC Masters (2013, 2014, 2015) in addition to his 2011 Players Championship title.
“I had a lot of expectations last year and because of that I took my focus off the prize,” said Belmonte who earned three consecutive Player of the Year crowns which came in 2013, 2014 and 2015. “I admit I put pressure on myself and I let it get to me. The goal shouldn’t be the award at the end of the season but winning the tournament you’re bowling in.”
Former Wichita State standout and Team USA member AJ Chapman retained his position in second just six pins behind Belmonte finishing with a 3,733 pinfall. Four-time Tour winner Ronnie Russell of Marion, Ind., who led after the first round, dropped to third with a 3,709 pinfall after finishing with games of 189 and 169 in the second round.
Defending champion Graham Fach moved from 10th to seventh after the second round finishing with a 3,623 pinfall with the help of a 300 game in his second round. Fach became the first Canadian to win a PBA Tour title when he won last year’s Players Championship.
Competition continues with another eight-game qualifying round Thursday. After Thursday’s round the field will be cut to 24 players who will bowl another eight-game round Friday morning that will determine the top 16 players who will advance to the final eight-game round Friday afternoon. After Friday’s final round, the top five players will advance to the live stepladder finals Sunday on ESPN at 1 p.m. ET.
All qualifying rounds are covered live on PBA’s Xtra Frame online video streaming service. For subscription information, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame link.
BARBASOL PBA PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP
Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl, Columbus, Ohio, Wednesday
Second Round Standings (after 16 games)
1, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 3,739.
2, AJ Chapman, Wichita, Kan., 3,733.
3, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 3,709.
4, Brad Miller, Maryland Heights,, Mo., 3,698.
5, DJ Archer, Friendswood, Texas, 3,672.
6, Jakob Butturff, Tempe, Ariz., 3,666.
7, Graham Fach, Canada, 3,623.
8, Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas, 3,616.
9, Jeff Evans, Supply, N.C., 3,605.
10, Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 3,597.
11, Anthony Lavery-Spahr, Pasadena, Texas, 3,593.
12, Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 3,580.
13, Jason Sterner, Rockledge, Fla., 3,577.
14, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 3,573.
15, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 3,566.
16, Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill., 3,555.
17, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 3,554.
18, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 3,550.
19, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 3,544.
20, Patrick Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio, 3,543.
21, (tie) Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., and Darren Tang, San Francisco, 3,529.
23, Connor Pickford, Charlotte, N.C., 3,523.
24, Cameron Weier, Tacoma, Wash., 3,522.
25, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 3,521.
26, Devin Bidwell, Wichita, Kan., 3,513.
27, Daniel Fransson, Sweden, 3,512.
28, Tim Foy Jr., Seaford, Del., 3,508.
29, (tie) BJ Moore III, Greensburg, Pa., and Patrick Allen, Elmwood Park, N.J., 3,505.
31, Ronnie Sparks Jr., Redford, Mich., 3,495.
32, Richie Teece, England, 3,493.
33, Andrew Anderson, Holly, Mich., 3,488.
34, Zacharary Wilkins, Canada, 3,483.
35, Rhino Page, Orlando, Fla., 3,479.
36, JR Raymond, Bay City, Mich., 3,478.
37, Danielle McEwan, Stony Point, N.Y., 3,477.
38, Francois Louw, South Africa, 3,473.
39, Dave Wodka, Beavercreek, Ohio, 3,469.
40, AJ Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 3,468.
41, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 3,461.
42, John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y., 3,460.
43, Joe Bailey, Wooster, Ohio, 3,458.
44, Francois Lavoie, Canada, 3,451.
45, Kyle Bigelow, Troy, Ohio, 3,450.
46, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 3,439.
47, (tie) Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., and Aaron Lorincz, Belleville, Mich., 3,431.
49, Shota Kawazoe, Japan, 3,425.
50, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 3,424.
51, Wayne Webb, Columbus, Ohio, 3,412.
52, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 3,410.
53, Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio, 3,408.
54, (tie) Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, EJ Tackett, Huntington, Ind., and Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 3,406.
57, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 3,401.
58, (tie) Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., and Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 3,398.
60, Matthew O’Grady, Rahway, N.J., 3,394.
61, (tie) Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., and John Furey, Freehold, N.J., 3,387.
63, Cristian Azcona, Lake Wales, Fla., 3,382.
64, Greg Ostrander, Freehold, N.J., 3,373.
65, Stuart Williams, England, 3,372.
66, (tie) Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., and Josh Conner, Columbus, Ohio, 3,370.
68, Sam Cooley, Australia, 3,369.
69, Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 3,368.
70, Dom Barrett, England, 3,366.
71, Kristopher Prather, Milton, Fla., 3,364.
72, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 3,329.
73, (tie) Zeke Bayt, Westerville, Ohio, and Gary Faulkner Jr., Memphis, Tenn., 3,327.
75, Jon Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., 3,325.
76, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 3,324.
77, Daniel Hochstein, Farmington Hills, Mich., 3,323.
78, Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., 3,322.
79, David Krol, Nixa, Mo., 3,318.
80, Kristian Rogers, Salisbury, N.C., 3,297.
81, Matthew Sanders, Evansville, Ind., 3,294.
82, Anthony Pepe, Elmhurst, N.Y., 3,289.
83, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 3,288.
84, Carleton Chambers, Detroit, 3,285.
85, Kim Bolleby, Thailand, 3,280.
86, Jake Peters, Henderson, Nev., 3,275.
87, Andrew Graff, Las Vegas, 3,269.
88, Andrew Cain, Phoenix, 3,246.
89, Rocio Restrepo, Colombia, 3,239.
90, (tie) Jesper Svensson, Sweden, and Chris Polizzi, Spring Hill, Fla., 3,223.
92, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 3,213.
93, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 3,211.
94, Tristan Butler, Fort Wayne, Ind., 3,194.
95, Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, 3,193.
96, Dwight Adams, Greensboro, N.C., 3,178.
97, Kyle Mayberry, Mt. Vernon, Ohio, 3,175.
98, Matthew Rubright, Pittsburg, Pa., 3,162.
99, (tie) Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., and Brian Robinson, Morgantown, W.Va., 3,160.
101, Jason Lundquist, Columbus, Ohio, 3,157.
102, Kelly Jordon, Marion, Ohio, 3,132.
103, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 3,109.
104, Anggie Ramirez, Colombia, 3,104.
105, Joshua Weiner, Hilliard, Ohio, 3,080.
106, Matthew Wozney, Clayton, Del., 3,069.
107, Christopher Barger, Dry Ridge, Ky., 3,065.
108, Zachery Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 3,063.
109, Warren Burr, Wilmington, Del., 3,049.
110, Jeremiah Bryant, Taylor, Mich., 3,048.
111, John Dudak, Orland Park, Ill., 3,043.
112, David Adcox Jr., Shawnee, Kan., 2,905.
113, Chad Cygnarowicz, Robinson Township, Pa., 2,848.
114, CL Smith, Rynoldsburg, Ohio, 2,748.
115, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 1,510.
2, AJ Chapman, Wichita, Kan., 3,733.
3, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 3,709.
4, Brad Miller, Maryland Heights,, Mo., 3,698.
5, DJ Archer, Friendswood, Texas, 3,672.
6, Jakob Butturff, Tempe, Ariz., 3,666.
7, Graham Fach, Canada, 3,623.
8, Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas, 3,616.
9, Jeff Evans, Supply, N.C., 3,605.
10, Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 3,597.
11, Anthony Lavery-Spahr, Pasadena, Texas, 3,593.
12, Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 3,580.
13, Jason Sterner, Rockledge, Fla., 3,577.
14, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 3,573.
15, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 3,566.
16, Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill., 3,555.
17, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 3,554.
18, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 3,550.
19, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 3,544.
20, Patrick Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio, 3,543.
21, (tie) Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., and Darren Tang, San Francisco, 3,529.
23, Connor Pickford, Charlotte, N.C., 3,523.
24, Cameron Weier, Tacoma, Wash., 3,522.
25, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 3,521.
26, Devin Bidwell, Wichita, Kan., 3,513.
27, Daniel Fransson, Sweden, 3,512.
28, Tim Foy Jr., Seaford, Del., 3,508.
29, (tie) BJ Moore III, Greensburg, Pa., and Patrick Allen, Elmwood Park, N.J., 3,505.
31, Ronnie Sparks Jr., Redford, Mich., 3,495.
32, Richie Teece, England, 3,493.
33, Andrew Anderson, Holly, Mich., 3,488.
34, Zacharary Wilkins, Canada, 3,483.
35, Rhino Page, Orlando, Fla., 3,479.
36, JR Raymond, Bay City, Mich., 3,478.
37, Danielle McEwan, Stony Point, N.Y., 3,477.
38, Francois Louw, South Africa, 3,473.
39, Dave Wodka, Beavercreek, Ohio, 3,469.
40, AJ Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 3,468.
41, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 3,461.
42, John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y., 3,460.
43, Joe Bailey, Wooster, Ohio, 3,458.
44, Francois Lavoie, Canada, 3,451.
45, Kyle Bigelow, Troy, Ohio, 3,450.
46, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 3,439.
47, (tie) Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., and Aaron Lorincz, Belleville, Mich., 3,431.
49, Shota Kawazoe, Japan, 3,425.
50, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 3,424.
51, Wayne Webb, Columbus, Ohio, 3,412.
52, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 3,410.
53, Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio, 3,408.
54, (tie) Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, EJ Tackett, Huntington, Ind., and Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 3,406.
57, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 3,401.
58, (tie) Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., and Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 3,398.
60, Matthew O’Grady, Rahway, N.J., 3,394.
61, (tie) Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., and John Furey, Freehold, N.J., 3,387.
63, Cristian Azcona, Lake Wales, Fla., 3,382.
64, Greg Ostrander, Freehold, N.J., 3,373.
65, Stuart Williams, England, 3,372.
66, (tie) Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., and Josh Conner, Columbus, Ohio, 3,370.
68, Sam Cooley, Australia, 3,369.
69, Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 3,368.
70, Dom Barrett, England, 3,366.
71, Kristopher Prather, Milton, Fla., 3,364.
72, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 3,329.
73, (tie) Zeke Bayt, Westerville, Ohio, and Gary Faulkner Jr., Memphis, Tenn., 3,327.
75, Jon Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., 3,325.
76, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 3,324.
77, Daniel Hochstein, Farmington Hills, Mich., 3,323.
78, Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., 3,322.
79, David Krol, Nixa, Mo., 3,318.
80, Kristian Rogers, Salisbury, N.C., 3,297.
81, Matthew Sanders, Evansville, Ind., 3,294.
82, Anthony Pepe, Elmhurst, N.Y., 3,289.
83, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 3,288.
84, Carleton Chambers, Detroit, 3,285.
85, Kim Bolleby, Thailand, 3,280.
86, Jake Peters, Henderson, Nev., 3,275.
87, Andrew Graff, Las Vegas, 3,269.
88, Andrew Cain, Phoenix, 3,246.
89, Rocio Restrepo, Colombia, 3,239.
90, (tie) Jesper Svensson, Sweden, and Chris Polizzi, Spring Hill, Fla., 3,223.
92, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 3,213.
93, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 3,211.
94, Tristan Butler, Fort Wayne, Ind., 3,194.
95, Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, 3,193.
96, Dwight Adams, Greensboro, N.C., 3,178.
97, Kyle Mayberry, Mt. Vernon, Ohio, 3,175.
98, Matthew Rubright, Pittsburg, Pa., 3,162.
99, (tie) Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., and Brian Robinson, Morgantown, W.Va., 3,160.
101, Jason Lundquist, Columbus, Ohio, 3,157.
102, Kelly Jordon, Marion, Ohio, 3,132.
103, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 3,109.
104, Anggie Ramirez, Colombia, 3,104.
105, Joshua Weiner, Hilliard, Ohio, 3,080.
106, Matthew Wozney, Clayton, Del., 3,069.
107, Christopher Barger, Dry Ridge, Ky., 3,065.
108, Zachery Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 3,063.
109, Warren Burr, Wilmington, Del., 3,049.
110, Jeremiah Bryant, Taylor, Mich., 3,048.
111, John Dudak, Orland Park, Ill., 3,043.
112, David Adcox Jr., Shawnee, Kan., 2,905.
113, Chad Cygnarowicz, Robinson Township, Pa., 2,848.
114, CL Smith, Rynoldsburg, Ohio, 2,748.
115, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 1,510.
300 games (2) – Graham Fach, Marshall Kent
About the PBA
The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) is an organization of more than 3,200 of the best bowlers from 27 countries who compete in PBA Tour, PBA International Tour, QubicaAMF PBA Regional Tour, PBA Women’s Regional and PBA50 Tour events. The PBA is in its 58th consecutive year of nationally-televised competition, reaching bowling fans around the world who follow PBA activities through the PBA Network which includes Xtra Frame, the PBA’s exclusive online bowling channel, ESPN and CBS Sports Network, and the PBA on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. PBA sponsors include Barbasol, Brunswick, Ebonite International, GEICO, Grand Casino Hotel and Resort, HotelPlanner.com, MOTIV, 900 Global, PBA Bowling Challenge Mobile Game, QubicaAMF, South Point Hotel Casino and Spa, Storm Products and the United States Bowling Congress, among others. For more information, log on to www.pba.com.
Perfect Game Helps Ronnie Russell Take Barbasol PBA Players Championship First Round Lead
COLUMBUS, Ohio (Feb. 7, 2017) — With the help of a 300 game, four-time Professional Bowlers Association Tour winner Ronnie Russell of Marion, Ind., averaged 247.8 to lead the 115-player field Tuesday after the first round of the Barbasol PBA Players Championship at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl.
The 37-year-old Russell, who is trying for his first major title, fired a 1,983 eight-game pinfall total with games of 278, 300, 217, 245, 245, 240, 213 and 245.
“I made an equipment change recently so I did a lot of practice and felt really good coming in here,” Russell said. “I was in a place where all I had to do was make simple moves and when that’s all you have to do it makes it easy.”
Russell’s last individual PBA Tour title came in the 2015 Badger Open. His fourth PBA title came in the PBA Team Challenge last November in Las Vegas.
“It wasn’t long ago that I was making shows on a regular basis but then the last few months I’ve kind of flat-lined,” Russell added. “I’ve made some changes to come in fresh and really clear-headed and so far it’s paying off.”
Russell held a commanding lead over former Wichita State standout and fellow Team USA member AJ Chapman who finished the first round in second with a 1,877 pinfall.
The 23-year-old Chapman bowled games of 247, 258, 209, 235, 278, 216, 219 and 215.
“It’s great to be in this position but I have confidence in my ability,” Chapman said. “I need to learn a lot out here but I expect to bowl well, too.”
Chapman was a member of the Wichita State team that won the 2015 Intercollegiate Team Championships.
“I’ve gained a lot of experience bowling in college but going from the team format to individual competition takes some re-programming,” Chapman added. “You’re learning in a whole new environment so there’s definitely an adjustment that needs to be made in your mental game.”
Graham Fach, who became the first Canadian to win a PBA Tour title when he won last year’s Players Championship, finished the round in 10th with a 1,824 pinfall.
Rounding out the top five were Jakob Butturff, Tempe, Ariz., 1,870; Anthony Pepe, Elmhurst, N.Y., 1,859 and Brad Miller, Maryland Heights, Mo., 1,851.
Competition continues with eight-game qualifying rounds Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. After Thursday’s round the field will be cut to 24 players who will bowl another eight-game round Friday morning that will determine the top 16 players who will advance to the final eight-game round Friday afternoon. After Friday’s final round, the top five players will advance to the live stepladder finals Sunday on ESPN at 1 p.m. ET.
All qualifying rounds are covered live on PBA’s Xtra Frame online video streaming service. For subscription information, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame link.
BARBASOL PBA PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP
Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl, Columbus, Ohio, Tuesday
First Round Standings (after 8 games)
1, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 1,983.
2, AJ Chapman, Wichita, Kan., 1,877.
3, Jakob Butturff, Tempe, Ariz., 1,870.
4, Anthony Pepe, Elmhurst, N.Y., 1,859.
5, Brad Miller, Maryland Heights,, Mo., 1,851.
6, Devin Bidwell, Wichita, Kan., 1,847.
7, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 1,840.
8, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 1,836.
9, Joe Bailey, Wooster, Ohio, 1,833.
10, Graham Fach, Canada, 1,824.
11, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 1,812.
12 (tie), Jeff Evans, Supply, N.C., and DJ Archer, Friendswood, Texas, 1,808.
14, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 1,805.
15, Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 1,802.
16, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 1,801.
17, (tie), Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, and Patrick Allen, Elmwood Park, N.J., 1,793.
19, JR Raymond, Bay City, Mich., 1,791.
20, Cristian Azcona, Lake Wales, Fla., 1,790.
21, Zacharary Wilkins, Canada, 1,786.
22, Andrew Anderson, Holly, Mich., 1,785.
23, Jason Sterner, Rockledge, Fla., 1,784.
24, (tie) EJ Tackett, Huntington, Ind., and Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 1,777.
26, Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill., 1,774.
27, Darren Tang, San Francisco, 1,771.
28, (tie) Wayne Webb, Columbus, Ohio, and Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 1,770.
30, AJ Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 1,768.
31, Matthew O’Grady, Rahway, N.J., 1,766.
32, Anthony Lavery-Spahr, Pasadena, Texas, 1,763.
33, Greg Ostrander, Freehold, N.J., 1,760.
34, Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., 1,759.
35, (tie) Dom Barrett, England, and Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 1,752.
37, Danielle McEwan, Stony Point, N.Y., 1,751.
38, John Furey, Freehold, N.J., 1,743.
39, Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio, 1,741.
40, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 1,740.
41, Ronnie Sparks Jr., Redford, Mich., 1,738.
42, BJ Moore III, Greensburg, Pa., 1,737.
43, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 1,736.
44, Gary Faulkner Jr., Memphis, Tenn., 1,731.
45, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 1,729.
46, Cameron Weier, Tacoma, Wash., 1,728.
47, Francois Lavoie, Canada, 1,726.
48, Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., 1,724.
49, Tim Foy Jr., Seaford, Del., 1,723.
50, Chris Polizzi, Spring Hill, Fla., 1,722.
51, Patrick Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio, 1,721.
52, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 1,720.
53, Daniel Fransson, Sweden, 1,717.
54, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 1,715.
55, (tie) David Krol, Nixa, Mo., and John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y., 1,714.
57, (tie) Stuart Williams, England, and Josh Conner, Columbus, Ohio, 1,712.
59, Rhino Page, Orlando, Fla., 1,709.
60, Rocio Restrepo, Colombia, 1,704.
61, Sam Cooley, Australia, 1,701.
62, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 1,697.
63, Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 1,694.
64, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 1,692.
65, Andrew Graff, Las Vegas, 1,689.
66, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 1,682.
67, (tie) Matthew Sanders, Evansville, Ind., and Kyle Bigelow, Troy, Ohio, 1,678.
69, Tristan Butler, Fort Wayne, Ind., 1,676.
70, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 1,665.
71, Shota Kawazoe, Japan, 1,664.
72, Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas, 1,663.
73, Connor Pickford, Charlotte, N.C., 1,662.
74, Aaron Lorincz, Belleville, Mich., 1,660.
75 (tie), Jesper Svensson, Sweden, and Richie Teece, England, 1,658.
77, Andrew Cain, Phoenix, 1,655.
78, Daniel Hochstein, Farmington Hills, Mich., 1,651.
79, Kristopher Prather, Milton, Fla., 1,650.
80, Zeke Bayt, Westerville, Ohio, 1,648.
81, Carleton Chambers, Detroit, 1,638.
82, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 1,635.
83, (tie) Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., and Kelly Jordon, Marion, Ohio, 1,634.
85, Jon Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., 1,632.
86, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 1,628.
87, Dave Wodka, Beavercreek, Ohio, 1,624.
88, Dwight Adams, Greensboro, N.C., 1,623.
89, Kristian Rogers, Salisbury, N.C., 1,622.
90, (tie) Francois Louw, South Africa, and Jake Peters, Henderson, Nev., 1,618.
92, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 1,612.
93, Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 1,604.
94, Kim Bolleby, Thailand, 1,597.
95, Brian Robinson, Morgantown, W.Va., 1,596.
96, Kyle Mayberry, Mt. Vernon, Ohio, 1,588.
97, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 1,584.
98, Jason Lundquist, Columbus, Ohio, 1,579.
99, Matthew Rubright, Pittsburg, Pa., 1,577.
100, Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, 1,576.
101, (tie) Christopher Barger, Dry Ridge, Ky., and Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 1,556.
103, Anggie Ramirez, Colombia, 1,538.
104, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 1,526.
105, Warren Burr, Wilmington, Del., 1,511.
106, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 1,510.
107, Joshua Weiner, Hilliard, Ohio, 1,502.
108, Zachery Tackett, Huntington, Ind.,, 1,491.
109, Jeremiah Bryant, Taylor, Mich., 1,483.
110, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 1,471.
111, Matthew Wozney, Clayton, Del., 1,469.
112, David Adcox Jr., Shawnee, Kan., 1,467.
113, John Dudak, Orland Park, Ill., 1,449.
114, CL Smith, Rynoldsburg, Ohio, 1,397.
115, Chad Cygnarowicz, Robinson Township, Pa., 1,393.
2, AJ Chapman, Wichita, Kan., 1,877.
3, Jakob Butturff, Tempe, Ariz., 1,870.
4, Anthony Pepe, Elmhurst, N.Y., 1,859.
5, Brad Miller, Maryland Heights,, Mo., 1,851.
6, Devin Bidwell, Wichita, Kan., 1,847.
7, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 1,840.
8, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 1,836.
9, Joe Bailey, Wooster, Ohio, 1,833.
10, Graham Fach, Canada, 1,824.
11, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 1,812.
12 (tie), Jeff Evans, Supply, N.C., and DJ Archer, Friendswood, Texas, 1,808.
14, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 1,805.
15, Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 1,802.
16, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 1,801.
17, (tie), Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, and Patrick Allen, Elmwood Park, N.J., 1,793.
19, JR Raymond, Bay City, Mich., 1,791.
20, Cristian Azcona, Lake Wales, Fla., 1,790.
21, Zacharary Wilkins, Canada, 1,786.
22, Andrew Anderson, Holly, Mich., 1,785.
23, Jason Sterner, Rockledge, Fla., 1,784.
24, (tie) EJ Tackett, Huntington, Ind., and Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 1,777.
26, Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill., 1,774.
27, Darren Tang, San Francisco, 1,771.
28, (tie) Wayne Webb, Columbus, Ohio, and Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 1,770.
30, AJ Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 1,768.
31, Matthew O’Grady, Rahway, N.J., 1,766.
32, Anthony Lavery-Spahr, Pasadena, Texas, 1,763.
33, Greg Ostrander, Freehold, N.J., 1,760.
34, Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., 1,759.
35, (tie) Dom Barrett, England, and Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 1,752.
37, Danielle McEwan, Stony Point, N.Y., 1,751.
38, John Furey, Freehold, N.J., 1,743.
39, Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio, 1,741.
40, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 1,740.
41, Ronnie Sparks Jr., Redford, Mich., 1,738.
42, BJ Moore III, Greensburg, Pa., 1,737.
43, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 1,736.
44, Gary Faulkner Jr., Memphis, Tenn., 1,731.
45, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 1,729.
46, Cameron Weier, Tacoma, Wash., 1,728.
47, Francois Lavoie, Canada, 1,726.
48, Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., 1,724.
49, Tim Foy Jr., Seaford, Del., 1,723.
50, Chris Polizzi, Spring Hill, Fla., 1,722.
51, Patrick Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio, 1,721.
52, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 1,720.
53, Daniel Fransson, Sweden, 1,717.
54, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 1,715.
55, (tie) David Krol, Nixa, Mo., and John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y., 1,714.
57, (tie) Stuart Williams, England, and Josh Conner, Columbus, Ohio, 1,712.
59, Rhino Page, Orlando, Fla., 1,709.
60, Rocio Restrepo, Colombia, 1,704.
61, Sam Cooley, Australia, 1,701.
62, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 1,697.
63, Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 1,694.
64, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 1,692.
65, Andrew Graff, Las Vegas, 1,689.
66, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 1,682.
67, (tie) Matthew Sanders, Evansville, Ind., and Kyle Bigelow, Troy, Ohio, 1,678.
69, Tristan Butler, Fort Wayne, Ind., 1,676.
70, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 1,665.
71, Shota Kawazoe, Japan, 1,664.
72, Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas, 1,663.
73, Connor Pickford, Charlotte, N.C., 1,662.
74, Aaron Lorincz, Belleville, Mich., 1,660.
75 (tie), Jesper Svensson, Sweden, and Richie Teece, England, 1,658.
77, Andrew Cain, Phoenix, 1,655.
78, Daniel Hochstein, Farmington Hills, Mich., 1,651.
79, Kristopher Prather, Milton, Fla., 1,650.
80, Zeke Bayt, Westerville, Ohio, 1,648.
81, Carleton Chambers, Detroit, 1,638.
82, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 1,635.
83, (tie) Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., and Kelly Jordon, Marion, Ohio, 1,634.
85, Jon Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., 1,632.
86, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 1,628.
87, Dave Wodka, Beavercreek, Ohio, 1,624.
88, Dwight Adams, Greensboro, N.C., 1,623.
89, Kristian Rogers, Salisbury, N.C., 1,622.
90, (tie) Francois Louw, South Africa, and Jake Peters, Henderson, Nev., 1,618.
92, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 1,612.
93, Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 1,604.
94, Kim Bolleby, Thailand, 1,597.
95, Brian Robinson, Morgantown, W.Va., 1,596.
96, Kyle Mayberry, Mt. Vernon, Ohio, 1,588.
97, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 1,584.
98, Jason Lundquist, Columbus, Ohio, 1,579.
99, Matthew Rubright, Pittsburg, Pa., 1,577.
100, Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, 1,576.
101, (tie) Christopher Barger, Dry Ridge, Ky., and Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 1,556.
103, Anggie Ramirez, Colombia, 1,538.
104, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 1,526.
105, Warren Burr, Wilmington, Del., 1,511.
106, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 1,510.
107, Joshua Weiner, Hilliard, Ohio, 1,502.
108, Zachery Tackett, Huntington, Ind.,, 1,491.
109, Jeremiah Bryant, Taylor, Mich., 1,483.
110, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 1,471.
111, Matthew Wozney, Clayton, Del., 1,469.
112, David Adcox Jr., Shawnee, Kan., 1,467.
113, John Dudak, Orland Park, Ill., 1,449.
114, CL Smith, Rynoldsburg, Ohio, 1,397.
115, Chad Cygnarowicz, Robinson Township, Pa., 1,393.
About the PBA
The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) is an organization of more than 3,200 of the best bowlers from 27 countries who compete in PBA Tour, PBA International Tour, QubicaAMF PBA Regional Tour, PBA Women’s Regional and PBA50 Tour events. The PBA is in its 58th consecutive year of nationally-televised competition, reaching bowling fans around the world who follow PBA activities through the PBA Network which includes Xtra Frame, the PBA’s exclusive online bowling channel, ESPN and CBS Sports Network, and the PBA on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. PBA sponsors include Barbasol, Brunswick, Ebonite International, GEICO, Grand Casino Hotel and Resort, HotelPlanner.com, MOTIV, 900 Global, PBA Bowling Challenge Mobile Game, QubicaAMF, South Point Hotel Casino and Spa, Storm Products and the United States Bowling Congress, among others. For more information, log on to www.pba.com
