Kent Outlasts Barnes in Championship Match To Win Grand Casino Hotel & Resort PBA Oklahoma Open
Marshall Kent beats Chris Barnes 194-188 in title match for fourth career title and second of the season SHAWNEE, Okla. (July 2, 2017) – In a title match that featured five lead changes, Marshall Kent of Yakima, Wash., outlasted 18-time PBA Tour winner Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, to win the Grand Casino Hotel & Resort PBA Oklahoma Open Sunday for his second title of the season and fourth of his career. With both players struggling to start the match, Kent fired four consecutive strikes in the ninth and 10th frames to defeat Barnes, 194-188, during the ESPN telecast contested on two specially-installed lanes in the Grand Hotel Event Center for his first win on national television.
“That was a lot harder than I wanted to work,” said the 24-year-old Kent, “but I’m grateful to be standing here as the winner. It’s a dream come true.”
With both players hampered by splits, Barnes held a 12-pin lead in the eighth frame but Kent was able to come back with strikes in the eighth, ninth and the first two in the 10th to clinch the win.
“The first half of the game I just didn’t throw the ball well,” Kent said. “I knew after the seventh frame I still had a chance but I had to buckle down and make good shots. Finally, I executed the way I should have and was fortunate to put those strikes together.”
Kent, who was the top qualifier for the finals averaging 227.4 for the tournament contested on four different PBA lane conditions, earned the opportunity to choose the lane conditions for both Saturday’s semi-final and Sunday’s championship stepladder rounds. He chose the 40-foot Bear lane condition for Saturday’s round but changed his selection to the 32-foot Wolf condition for the championship round.
“In the semi-final the right side (of the lane) got a little ugly and the guys were struggling,” Kent said. “It just didn’t develop the way I thought and felt I would have a more consistent reaction on the Wolf. I was good with my decision, I just had to execute.”
Kent had not won a match on television in six appearances which included three runner-up finishes that came in the 2016 U.S. Open, 2015 Wolf Open and 2013 Scorpion Open.
“This win was important for my confidence,” Kent said. “I proved I have the versatility to compete on a variety of lane conditions and I can win in a pressure situation.”
In the opening match, Barnes, who qualified fourth for the finals, defeated six-time Tour winner Jesper Svensson of Sweden, 190-149, who earned his berth in the championship round by winning Saturday’s semi-final round.
In the second match Barnes beat four-time Tour winner and No. 3 qualifier Rhino Page of Orlando, 206-185, to advance to the semi-final match where he beat three-time PBA Player of the Year Jason Belmonte of Australia, 256-218.
After a slow start in the tournament, finishing 28th after the first round and 12th after the third round earlier in the week, Belmonte surged to the no. 2 qualifying spot for the finals by averaging 256 in the fourth round on the 44-foot Oklahoma lane condition.
The next stop for the PBA Tour will be the Storm PBA/PWBA Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles July 27-30 in Houston.
GRAND CASINO HOTEL & RESORT PBA OKLAHOMA OPEN
Grand Hotel Event Center, Shawnee, Okla., Sunday Championship Round Standings
1, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., $30,000.2, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas $15,000.3, Jason Belmonte, Australia, $12,000.4, Rhino Page, Orlando, Fla., $10,000.5, Jesper Svensson, Sweden, $9,000.
Stepladder Results Match One – Barnes def. Svensson, 190-149.Match Two – Barnes def. Page, 206-185.Match Three – Barnes def. Belmonte, 256-218.Match Four – Kent def. Barnes, 194-188.
Saturday’s Semi-final Stepladder Round Standings5, Jesper Svensson, Sweden (advanced to fifth qualifying position for Sunday’s stepladder finals)6, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, $8,000.7, EJ Tackett, Huntington, Ind., $7,000.8, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., $6,000.9, Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., $5,000.
Stepladder ResultsMatch One – Smallwood def. Daugherty, 232-211.Match Two – Svensson def. Smallwood, 213-201.Match Three – Svensson def. Tackett, 179-150.Match Four – Svensson def. Larsen, 192-160.
About the PBA The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) is an organization of more than 3,000 of the best bowlers from 27 countries who compete in PBA Tour, PBA International Tour, 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, GoBowling.com, Grand Casino Hotel and Resort, HotelPlanner.com, Main Event Entertainment, MOTIV, 900 Global, PBA Bowling Challenge Mobile Game, Storm Products and the United States Bowling Congress, among others. For more information, log on to www.pba.com.
Jesper Svensson Takes Grand Casino Hotel & Resort PBA Oklahoma Open
Semi-final to Advance to Championship Round
SHAWNEE, Okla. (July 1, 2017) – Six-time PBA Tour winner Jesper Svensson of Sweden won the final semi-final round match of the Grand Casino Hotel & Resort PBA Oklahoma Open Saturday to earn a berth as the fifth qualifier for Sunday’s championship round at the Grand Casino Hotel & Resort.
The 2015 PBA Rookie of the Year, who was the no. 7 qualifier for the semi-final round, defeated no. 5 qualifier two-time Tour winner Thomas Larsen of Denmark in the fourth match, 192-160, which was conducted on the 40-foot Bear lane condition pattern on two specially-installed lanes in the Grand Hotel Event Center.
With his win, Svensson advanced to Sunday’s first match against no. 4 qualifier 18-time Tour winner Chris Barnes which will be telecast live on ESPN at noon CDT (1 p.m. ET).
Also competing in Sunday’s championship round will be four-time Tour winner Rhino Page, three-time PBA Player of the Year Jason Belmonte and tournament leader three-time winner and 2014 Rookie of the Year Marshall Kent.
As tournament leader, Kent earned the opportunity to select the lane conditions for both rounds but changed his selection from the Bear condition used Saturday to the 32-foot Wolf lane condition for Sunday’s championship round.
“Because this was a difficult lane condition, I played it safe and just concentrated on getting to the pocket,” Svensson said. “No matter what the lane condition is my mindset is just bowl better than my opponent and don’t worry about the scores.”
Saturday’s stepladder match featured players who qualified fifth through ninth with the winner earning the fifth spot in Sunday’s championship round.
In the first match no. 8 qualifier two-time Tour winner Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, Mich., beat two-time Tour winner no. 9 qualifier Tom Daugherty 232-211 in the opening match.
Svensson defeated Smallwood 213-201 in the second match to advance to the semi-final match where he beat reigning PBA Player of the Year No. 6 qualifier EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., 179-150.
To get to this stage the top nine had to compete in four eight-game qualifying rounds on four different PBA lane conditions – 32-foot Wolf, 40-foot Bear, 52-foot Badger and 44-foot Oklahoma Open – at the FireLake Bowling Center.
GRAND CASINO HOTEL & RESORT PBA OKLAHOMA OPEN
FireLake Bowling Center, Shawnee, Okla., Saturday
Semi-final Stepladder Round Standings
5, Jesper Svensson, Sweden (advances to fifth qualifying position for Sunday’s stepladder finals)
6, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, $8,000.
7, EJ Tackett, Huntington, Ind., $7,000.
8, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., $6,000.
9, Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., $5,000.
Stepladder Results
Match One – Smallwood def. Daugherty, 232-211.
Match Two – Svensson def. Smallwood, 213-201.
Match Three – Svensson def. Tackett, 179-150.
Match Four – Svensson def. Larsen, 192-160.
Sunday’s Stepladder Finals Pairings
Match Five – Jesper Svensson vs. Chris Barnes
Match Six – Match Five winner vs. Rhino Page
Semi-final Match – Match Six winner vs. Jason Belmonte
Championship – Semi-final Match winner vs. Marshall Kent
Marshall Kent Leads Nine Players Set for
Grand Casino Hotel & Resort PBA Oklahoma Open Finals
Australia’s Jason Belmonte averages 256 in final round to qualify second
for Sunday’s ESPN finals telecast at Grand Hotel Event Center
SHAWNEE, Okla. (June 30, 2017) – Three-time PBA Tour titlist Marshall Kent of Yakima, Wash., averaged 227 over four rounds on different lane conditions to lead a field of nine players who advanced to this weekend’s stepladder finals of the Grand Casino Hotel & Resort PBA Oklahoma Open.
ESPN’s live coverage begins Saturday at noon CDT (1 p.m. ET) from the Grand Hotel Event Center when qualifiers five through nine will compete on two specially-installed lanes with the winner advancing to the no. 5 qualifying position joining the tournament’s top four qualifiers for Sunday’s stepladder finals telecast which also gets underway at noon local time.
Kent compiled a 7,278 32-game pinfall total bowled on PBA’s 32-foot Wolf, 40-foot Bear, 52-foot Badger and 44-foot Oklahoma Open lane condition patterns over the four days of qualifying at the FireLake Bowling Center. He bowled games of 237, 274, 266, 257, 236, 220, 235 and 207 in Friday’s final round on the Oklahoma condition.
Despite starting the tournament with games of 160 and 170 in the first round on the Wolf condition Tuesday, Kent relied on his ability to adjust to quickly rebound.
“I was a little frustrated but I reminded myself it’s a marathon, not a sprint,” he said. “In a tournament like this you have to look at the big picture. I was a little frustrated but I knew I had 30 games to go.
“I think overall my versatility showed in this tournament,” the 24-year-old Kent continued. “I didn’t have a good start but it didn’t worry me.”
As top qualifier, Kent earned the right to select the lane condition pattern for both stepladder telecasts this weekend and has selected the Bear pattern. He does have the option to change the pattern selection after Saturday’s telecast for Sunday’s competition.
“I feel that the Bear pattern is the best pattern for rewarding the player who makes the best shot,” Kent said. “My gut right now is to stick with it for both days.”
Climbing from 28th after the first round and 12th after Thursday’s third round, three-time PBA Player of the Year Jason Belmonte of Australia averaged 256 in the final round to rocket to the no. 2 qualifying position with a 7,208 pinfall. The two-hander will be trying for this third win of the season after winning the USBC Masters and Barbasol PBA Players Championship in February.
“I knew the pattern today would be easier than what we had been bowling on,” said Belmonte, who owns 14 career PBA Tour titles. “You still have to execute because pin carry becomes something you have to deal with. I went into this round taking it shot by shot and wasn’t going to be afraid of what was going to happen down lane.”
Joining Kent and Belmonte in Sunday’s finals will be no. 3 qualifier three-time Tour winner Rhino Page of Orlando, who finished with a 7,191 pinfall and no. 4 qualifier 18-time Tour champion Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, who finished with 7,181.
Players who qualified fifth through ninth bowling in Saturday’s stepladder round to determine the no. 5 qualifier for Sunday’s stepladder finals telecast will be Thomas Larsen of Denmark, reigning PBA Player of the Year EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., Jesper Svensson of Sweden, Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, Mich., and Tom Daugherty of Riverview, Fla.
Trey Ford III, the 16-year-old PBA member from Bartlesville, Okla., fell short of making the top nine by 94 pins finishing 11th with a 6,941 pinfall (216.9 average) to record his highest PBA Tour finish.
GRAND CASINO HOTEL & RESORT PBA OKLAHOMA OPEN
FireLake Bowling Center, Shawnee, Okla., Friday
Fourth Round
(after 32 games. Positions 1-4 advance to Sunday’s stepladder finals at Grand Hotel Event Center. Positions 5-9 advance to stepladder round on Saturday that will determine no. 5 qualifier for Sunday’s finals)
1, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 7,278.
2, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 7,208.
3, Rhino Page, Orlando, Fla., 7,191.
4, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 7,181.
5, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 7,108.
6, EJ Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 7,101.
7, Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 7,055.
8, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 7,042.
9, Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., 7,035.
10, Stuart Williams, England, 6,948, $4,000.
11, Trey Ford III, Bartlesville, Okla., 6,941, $3,500.
12, Dom Barrett, England, 6,923, $3,000.
13, Jason Sterner, Rockledge, Fla., 6,913, $2,900.
14, (tie) Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 6,898, and Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 6,898, $2,500.
16, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 6,889, $2,200.
17, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 6,883, $2,000.
18, Francois Lavoie, Canada, 6,881, $1,900.
19, AJ Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 6,873, $1,800.
20, Nick Kruml, Downers Grove, Ill., 6,869, $1,700.
21, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 6,848, $1,700.
22, Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 6,835, $1,500.
23, Craig Nidiffer, Trenton, Mich., 6,814, $1,450.
24, Zulmazran Zulkifli, Malaysia, 6,812, $1,400.
25, Sam Cooley, Australia, 6,805, $1,350.
26, Kyle Sherman, O’Fallon, Mo., 6,792, $1,300.
27, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 6,786, $1,250.
28, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 6,771, $1,200.
29, Gary Faulkner Jr., Memphis, Tenn., 6,761, $1,150.
30, John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y., 6,735, $1,100.
31, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 6,732, $1,050.
32, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 6,677, $1,025.
33, Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas, 6,561, $1,000.
2, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 7,208.
3, Rhino Page, Orlando, Fla., 7,191.
4, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 7,181.
5, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 7,108.
6, EJ Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 7,101.
7, Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 7,055.
8, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 7,042.
9, Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., 7,035.
10, Stuart Williams, England, 6,948, $4,000.
11, Trey Ford III, Bartlesville, Okla., 6,941, $3,500.
12, Dom Barrett, England, 6,923, $3,000.
13, Jason Sterner, Rockledge, Fla., 6,913, $2,900.
14, (tie) Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 6,898, and Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 6,898, $2,500.
16, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 6,889, $2,200.
17, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 6,883, $2,000.
18, Francois Lavoie, Canada, 6,881, $1,900.
19, AJ Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 6,873, $1,800.
20, Nick Kruml, Downers Grove, Ill., 6,869, $1,700.
21, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 6,848, $1,700.
22, Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 6,835, $1,500.
23, Craig Nidiffer, Trenton, Mich., 6,814, $1,450.
24, Zulmazran Zulkifli, Malaysia, 6,812, $1,400.
25, Sam Cooley, Australia, 6,805, $1,350.
26, Kyle Sherman, O’Fallon, Mo., 6,792, $1,300.
27, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 6,786, $1,250.
28, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 6,771, $1,200.
29, Gary Faulkner Jr., Memphis, Tenn., 6,761, $1,150.
30, John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y., 6,735, $1,100.
31, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 6,732, $1,050.
32, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 6,677, $1,025.
33, Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas, 6,561, $1,000.
Denmark’s Larsen Meeting Challenge of Multiple Lane Conditions
To Retain Grand Casino Hotel & Resort PBA Oklahoma Open Lead
Field cut to top 33 players for Friday’s fourth Round on Oklahoma Open lane condition
SHAWNEE, Okla. (June 29, 2017) – In a tournament that puts a premium on a player’s ability to adjust to vastly different lane conditions, third-round leader Thomas Larsen of Denmark feels he’s as prepared as he can be to meet the challenges of competing in the Grand Casino Hotel & Resort PBA Oklahoma Open.
After three rounds bowled on three different PBA lane condition patterns, the two-time PBA Tour and four-time European Bowling Tour winner, leads a field of 33 players who advanced to Friday’s final round at the FireLake Bowling Center with a 5,398 24-game pinfall (224.9 average).
The players advancing to the fourth round will be put to the test on the 44-foot Oklahoma Open lane condition and will battle to be among the top nine who will advance to the live ESPN stepladder finals Saturday and Sunday at noon CDT (1 p.m. ET) at the Grand Casino Hotel Event Center in Shawnee.
Larsen bowled eight-game pinfall totals of 1,826 on the 32-foot Wolf pattern lane condition in the first round, 1,793 on the 40-foot Bear pattern in the second round and 1,779 on the 52-foot Badger pattern in Thursday’s third round with games of 223, 190, 246, 200, 244, 219, 219 and 238.
“It was another successful day today,” said the 27-year-old Larsen who led after the second round. “You never know what will happen when you’re bowling on a completely new lane condition but I was ready for the challenge.
“I used a lot of balls again today in the round,” he continued. “Just like in yesterday’s round I used several balls and had to make changes in my ball speed and hand position at the release – the changes were just different today.”
Larsen is trying for his first PBA Tour title on U.S. soil. His Tour titles came in the 2013 Abu Dhabi Open and 2014 Kuwait International Open.
Larsen holds a 45-pin lead over 18-time PBA Tour titlist Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, in second with a 5,353 pinfall. Three-time PBA Tour winner Marshall Kent of Yakima, Wash., is third with 5,346.
Trey Ford III, the 16-year-old PBA member from Bartlesville, Okla., advanced to the fourth round with a 10th-place 5,199 pinfall total. He bowled games of 234, 218, 235, 163, 213, 183, 236 and 206 in the third round.
“I’m a little surprised how well I’m doing because when I practiced on these conditions at home I didn’t do that well,” said the high school sophomore who uses the unique two-handed delivery. “Generally, I feel comfortable making the adjustments I need to make – I’m just trying to learn as much as I can.
“If I have a bad game or get a split, I just have to remember that there are more opportunities and more bowling to go.”
Ford has been a PBA member since age 13 and has three top-10 finishes in PBA regional competition with a best of sixth.
Saturday’s stepladder round will feature players who qualified fifth through ninth with the winner advancing to the no. 5 qualifying position to join the tournament’s top four qualifiers for Sunday’s stepladder final.
Friday’s final qualifying round will be streamed live on PBA’s online bowling channel Xtra Frame beginning at 9:30 EDT (8:30 CT). For subscription and schedule information click on www.xtraframe.tv.
GRAND CASINO HOTEL & RESORT PBA OKLAHOMA OPEN
FireLake Bowling Center, Shawnee, Okla., Thursday
Third Round (after 24 games. Top 33 players advance to Friday’s fourth round)
1, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 5,398.
2, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 5,353.
3, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 5,346.
4, Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 5,277.
5, Jason Sterner, Rockledge, Fla., 5,274.
6, Rhino Page, Orlando, Fla., 5,266.
7, Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., 5,243.
8, EJ Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 5,213.
9, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 5,203.
10, Trey Ford III, Bartlesville, Okla., 5,199.
11, Sam Cooley, Australia, 5,187.
12, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 5,158.
13, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 5,157.
14, Nick Kruml, Downers Grove, Ill., 5,150.
15, Kyle Sherman, O’Fallon, Mo., 5,139.
16, Francois Lavoie, Canada, 5,127.
16, Zulmazran Zulkifli, Malaysia, 5,127.
18, John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y., 5,116.
19, Dom Barrett, England, 5,088.
20, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 5,087.
21, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 5,085.
22, Stuart Williams, England, 5,083.
23, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 5,081.
24, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 5,071.
25, Craig Nidiffer, Trenton, Mich., 5,064.
26, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 5,061.
27, AJ Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 5,057.
28, Gary Faulkner Jr., Memphis, Tenn., 5,045.
29, Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas, 5,030.
30, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 5,019.
31, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 5,014.
32, Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 4,999.
33, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 4,998.
2, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 5,353.
3, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 5,346.
4, Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 5,277.
5, Jason Sterner, Rockledge, Fla., 5,274.
6, Rhino Page, Orlando, Fla., 5,266.
7, Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., 5,243.
8, EJ Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 5,213.
9, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 5,203.
10, Trey Ford III, Bartlesville, Okla., 5,199.
11, Sam Cooley, Australia, 5,187.
12, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 5,158.
13, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 5,157.
14, Nick Kruml, Downers Grove, Ill., 5,150.
15, Kyle Sherman, O’Fallon, Mo., 5,139.
16, Francois Lavoie, Canada, 5,127.
16, Zulmazran Zulkifli, Malaysia, 5,127.
18, John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y., 5,116.
19, Dom Barrett, England, 5,088.
20, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 5,087.
21, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 5,085.
22, Stuart Williams, England, 5,083.
23, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 5,081.
24, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 5,071.
25, Craig Nidiffer, Trenton, Mich., 5,064.
26, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 5,061.
27, AJ Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 5,057.
28, Gary Faulkner Jr., Memphis, Tenn., 5,045.
29, Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas, 5,030.
30, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 5,019.
31, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 5,014.
32, Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 4,999.
33, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 4,998.
Did not advance
34, Sean Lavery-Spahr, Pasadena, Texas, 4,993.
35, Kristopher Prather, Milton, Fla., 4,991.
36, Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio, 4,979.
37, Dylan Burns, Lawrence, Kan., 4,975.
38, Zeke Bayt, Westerville, Ohio, 4,965.
39, Richie Teece, England, 4,963.
40, Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 4,951.
41, (tie) DJ Archer, Friendswood, Texas, and Jon Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., 4,947.
43, Jake Peters, Henderson, Nev., 4,944.
44, Jakob Butturff, Tempe, Ariz., 4,943.
45, (tie) Andrew Anderson, Holly, Mich., and Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 4,932.
47, J.R. Raymond, Clinton Twp., Mich., 4,927.
48, Devin Bidwell, Wichita, Kan., 4,923.
49, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 4,917.
50, Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill., 4,916.
51, Kim Bolleby, Thailand, 4,904.
52, Gabriel Garcia, Port St. Lucie, Fla., 4,901.
53, Shota Kawazoe, Japan, 4,879.
54, Graham Fach, Canada, 4,876.
55, AJ Chapman, Wichita, Kan., 4,875.
56, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 4,873.
57, Ahmed Alawadhi, Bahrain, 4,870.
58, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 4,868.
59, Francois Louw, South Africa, 4,867.
60, Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 4,860.
61, (tie) Patrick Allen, Elmwood Park, N.J., Chris Via, Springfield, Ohio, and James Cantere, Oklahoma City, 4,858.
64, Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 4,851.
65, Anthony Lavery-Spahr, Pasadena, Texas, 4,844.
66, Christopher Sloan, Ireland, 4,841.
67, Darren Tang, San Francisco, 4,812.
68, Brian LeClair, Athens, NY, 4,792.
69, Osama Hassan, Bahrain, 4,789.
70, Pontus Andersson, Sweden, 4,783.
71, Tom Sorce, Blasdell, N.Y., 4,780.
72, Ramon Hilferink, Netherlands, 4,761.
73, Dylan Macon, Lubbock, Texas, 4,737.
74, Dino Castillo, Highland Village, Texas, 4,735.
75, Paul Brewbaker, Midwest City, Okla., 4,732.
76, Matthew Sanders, Evansville, Ind., 4,708.
77, Isaac Kim, Lebanon, Pa., 4,660.
78, Jeff Hatt, Oklahoma City, 4,655.
79, (tie) Brad Miller, Maryland Heights, Mo., and Isaac Russell, Malaysia, 4,654.
81, Michael Houtz, Myerstown, Pa., 4,575.
82, Kenneth Bland Jr., Jacksonville, Texas, 4,549.
83, Omar Rashid, Bahrain, 4,522.
84, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 4,376.
85, Tyson Branagan, Fort Worth, Texas, 4,358.
86, Cody Shoemaker, Hanover, Pa., 4,304.
87, Armando Santacruz, Ecuador, 4,296.
88, William Tarpein, McDonough, Ga., 4,058.
89, Jose Rosero, Ecuador, 4,009.
90, Yebgueni Velez, Ecuador, 3,885.
34, Sean Lavery-Spahr, Pasadena, Texas, 4,993.
35, Kristopher Prather, Milton, Fla., 4,991.
36, Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio, 4,979.
37, Dylan Burns, Lawrence, Kan., 4,975.
38, Zeke Bayt, Westerville, Ohio, 4,965.
39, Richie Teece, England, 4,963.
40, Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 4,951.
41, (tie) DJ Archer, Friendswood, Texas, and Jon Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., 4,947.
43, Jake Peters, Henderson, Nev., 4,944.
44, Jakob Butturff, Tempe, Ariz., 4,943.
45, (tie) Andrew Anderson, Holly, Mich., and Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 4,932.
47, J.R. Raymond, Clinton Twp., Mich., 4,927.
48, Devin Bidwell, Wichita, Kan., 4,923.
49, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 4,917.
50, Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill., 4,916.
51, Kim Bolleby, Thailand, 4,904.
52, Gabriel Garcia, Port St. Lucie, Fla., 4,901.
53, Shota Kawazoe, Japan, 4,879.
54, Graham Fach, Canada, 4,876.
55, AJ Chapman, Wichita, Kan., 4,875.
56, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 4,873.
57, Ahmed Alawadhi, Bahrain, 4,870.
58, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 4,868.
59, Francois Louw, South Africa, 4,867.
60, Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 4,860.
61, (tie) Patrick Allen, Elmwood Park, N.J., Chris Via, Springfield, Ohio, and James Cantere, Oklahoma City, 4,858.
64, Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 4,851.
65, Anthony Lavery-Spahr, Pasadena, Texas, 4,844.
66, Christopher Sloan, Ireland, 4,841.
67, Darren Tang, San Francisco, 4,812.
68, Brian LeClair, Athens, NY, 4,792.
69, Osama Hassan, Bahrain, 4,789.
70, Pontus Andersson, Sweden, 4,783.
71, Tom Sorce, Blasdell, N.Y., 4,780.
72, Ramon Hilferink, Netherlands, 4,761.
73, Dylan Macon, Lubbock, Texas, 4,737.
74, Dino Castillo, Highland Village, Texas, 4,735.
75, Paul Brewbaker, Midwest City, Okla., 4,732.
76, Matthew Sanders, Evansville, Ind., 4,708.
77, Isaac Kim, Lebanon, Pa., 4,660.
78, Jeff Hatt, Oklahoma City, 4,655.
79, (tie) Brad Miller, Maryland Heights, Mo., and Isaac Russell, Malaysia, 4,654.
81, Michael Houtz, Myerstown, Pa., 4,575.
82, Kenneth Bland Jr., Jacksonville, Texas, 4,549.
83, Omar Rashid, Bahrain, 4,522.
84, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 4,376.
85, Tyson Branagan, Fort Worth, Texas, 4,358.
86, Cody Shoemaker, Hanover, Pa., 4,304.
87, Armando Santacruz, Ecuador, 4,296.
88, William Tarpein, McDonough, Ga., 4,058.
89, Jose Rosero, Ecuador, 4,009.
90, Yebgueni Velez, Ecuador, 3,885.
About the PBA
The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) is an organization of more than 3,000 of the best bowlers from 27 countries who compete in PBA Tour, PBA International Tour, 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, GoBowling.com, Grand Casino Hotel and Resort, HotelPlanner.com, Main Event Entertainment, MOTIV, 900 Global, PBA Bowling Challenge Mobile Game, Storm Products and the United States Bowling Congress, among others. For more information, log on to www.pba.com.
Denmark’s Thomas Larsen Averages 226 After Two Rounds to Lead
Grand Casino Hotel & Resort PBA Oklahoma Open
SHAWNEE, Okla. (June 28, 2017) – Denmark’s Thomas Larsen proved to be the most versatile player after two rounds averaging 226 on two different PBA lane condition patterns to take the lead in the Grand Casino Hotel & Resort PBA Oklahoma Open Wednesday at FireLake Bowling Center.
Still trying for his first PBA Tour title on U.S. soil, Larsen leads after the second round with a 3,619 16-game pinfall total. He bowled a 1,826 pinfall total in Tuesday’s first eight-game round on the 32-foot Wolf pattern lane condition and followed it up with 1,793 in Wednesday’s second round bowling games of 219, 226, 257, 193, 253, 194 and 217 and 234 on the 40-foot Bear lane condition pattern.
“I was nervous about today,” Larsen said. “In practice on Monday on this lane condition, everything was good for the first 20 frames but then all of the sudden the lanes started hooking a ton.
“The (lane condition) transition was quick so I ended up using a few balls in the round and kept moving left. I was fortunate that I was able to keep up with the quick-changing lane conditions.”
Larsen owns two PBA Tour titles which came in PBA/World Bowling Tour events – the 2013 Abu Dhabi Open and 2014 Kuwait International Open. His best U.S. finishes have been third-place finishes in the 2015 and 2016 Chameleon Championships.
“I’ve done well in tournaments where you have to be versatile,” the 27-year-old Larsen added. “When you bowl all over the world you have to learn to bowl on everything.”
Larsen’s home country of Denmark is one of 16 nations represented in the Oklahoma Open.
Larsen holds a 57-pin lead over 18-time Tour winner Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, in second with a 3,562 pinfall. First-round co-leader three-time Tour winner Marshall Kent of Yakama, Wash., finished the day in third with 3,558.
Reigning PBA Player of the Year EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., moved from seventh in the first round to fourth with 3,516. Tackett won the FireLake PBA Tournament of Champions which was held in Shawnee in February. He won the inaugural Main Event PBA Tour Finals which aired on the CBS Sports Network Tuesday evening to become the season’s first three-time winner.
Trey Ford III, a 16-year-old PBA member from Bartlesville, Okla., rounded out the top five with a 3,511 pinfall total. The high school sophomore, who is competing in a field of 90 of the best bowlers in the world bowled games of 226, 174, 231, 191, 233, 223, 266 before faltering in the final game with 133.
Ford, who has been a PBA member since age 13, has best finishes of sixth, seventh and ninth in PBA regional competition.
Malaysia’s Zulmazran Zulkifli, who held the first round lead with Kent, finished the day in sixth with a 3,504 pinfall total.
Qualifying continues Thursday with another eight-game round on PBA’s 52-foot Badger lane conditioning pattern. The top 33 players based on 24-game pinfall totals will advance to another eight-game qualifying round on the Oklahoma Open lane condition Friday which will determine nine players who will compete in the live ESPN stepladder finals at the Grand Casino Hotel Event Center Saturday and Sunday at noon CDT (1 p.m. ET).
Saturday’s stepladder round will feature players who qualified fifth through ninth with the winner advancing to the no. 5 qualifying position for Sunday’s stepladder finals.
All qualifying rounds are streamed live on PBA’s online bowling channel Xtra Frame. For subscription and schedule information click on www.xtraframe.tv.
GRAND CASINO HOTEL & RESORT PBA OKLAHOMA OPEN
FireLake Bowling Center, Shawnee, Okla., Wednesday
Second Round (after 16 games)
1, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 3,619.
2, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 3,562.
3, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 3,558.
4, EJ Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 3,516.
5, Trey Ford III, Bartlesville, Okla., 3,511.
6, Zulmazran Zulkifli, Malaysia, 3,504.
7, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 3,479.
8, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 3,466.
9, Francois Lavoie, Canada, 3,458.
10, Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., 3,449.
11, Sam Cooley, Australia, 3,443.
12, Jason Sterner, Rockledge, Fla., 3,414.
13, Rhino Page, Orlando, Fla., 3,402.
14, (tie) Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., and Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 3,383.
16, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 3,380.
17, Anthony Lavery-Spahr, Pasadena, Texas, 3,374.
18, Dom Barrett, England, 3,373.
19, Nick Kruml, Downers Grove, Ill., 3,366.
20, Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio, 3,363.
21, Richie Teece, England, 3,347.
22, Ahmed Alawadhi, Bahrain, 3,344.
23, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 3,342.
24, J.R. Raymond, Clinton Twp., Mich., 3,330.
25, (tie) John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y., and Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 3,327.
27, Zeke Bayt, Westerville, Ohio, 3,323.
28, (tie) Stuart Williams, England, and Jason Belmonte, Australia, 3,321.
30, Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 3,319.
31, James Cantere, Oklahoma City, 3,311.
32, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 3,310.
33, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 3,304.
34, Kristopher Prather, Milton, Fla., 3,302.
35, (tie) Devin Bidwell, Wichita, Kan., and Kyle Sherman, O’Fallon, Mo., 3,297.
37, (tie) AJ Johnson, Oswego, Ill., and Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 3,289.
39, Dylan Burns, Lawrence, Kan., 3,274.
40, Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill., 3,268.
41, Jon Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., 3,266.
42, (tie) DJ Archer, Friendswood, Texas, and Francois Louw, South Africa, 3,264.
44, Gary Faulkner Jr., Memphis, Tenn., 3,262.
45, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 3,247.
46, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 3,246.
47, Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas, 3,243.
48, AJ Chapman, Wichita, Kan., 3,241.
49, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 3,239.
50, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 3,233.
51, (tie) Jake Peters, Henderson, Nev., Gabriel Garcia, Port St. Lucie, Fla., and Craig Nidiffer, Trenton, Mich., 3,230.
54, Chris Via, Springfield, Ohio, 3,217.
55, (tie) Osama Hassan, Bahrain, and Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 3,214.
57, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 3,202.
58, Kim Bolleby, Thailand, 3,196.
59, Brian LeClair, Athens, NY, 3,185.
60, Patrick Allen, Elmwood Park, N.J., 3,183.
61, Sean Lavery-Spahr, Pasadena, Texas, 3,177.
62, (tie) Jakob Butturff, Tempe, Ariz., and Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 3,173.
64, Christopher Sloan, Ireland, 3,171.
65, Isaac Russell, Malaysia, 3,162.
66, Darren Tang, San Francisco, 3,160.
67, Matthew Sanders, Evansville, Ind., 3,155.
68, Shota Kawazoe, Japan, 3,131.
69, Tom Sorce, Blasdell, N.Y., 3,128.
70, Andrew Anderson, Holly, Mich., 3,124.
71, Ramon Hilferink, Netherlands, 3,121.
72, Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 3,119.
73, Michael Houtz, Myerstown, Pa., 3,104.
74, Dylan Macon, Lubbock, Texas, 3,100.
75, Isaac Kim, Lebanon, Pa., 3,098.
76, Brad Miller, Maryland Heights, Mo., 3,093.
77, Paul Brewbaker, Midwest City, Okla., 3,092.
78, Dino Castillo, Highland Village, Texas, 3,084.
79, Graham Fach, Canada, 3,081.
80, Omar Rashid, Bahrain, 3,071.
81, Pontus Andersson, Sweden, 3,042.
82, Jeff Hatt, Oklahoma City, 2,988.
83, Kenneth Bland Jr., Jacksonville, Texas, 2,950.
84, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 2,937.
85, Tyson Branagan, Fort Worth, Texas, 2,882.
86, Cody Shoemaker, Hanover, Pa., 2,824.
87, Armando Santacruz, Ecuador, 2,799.
88, Jose Rosero, Ecuador, 2,715.
89, William Tarpein, McDonough, Ga., 2,669.
90, Yebgueni Velez, Ecuador, 2,502.
2, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 3,562.
3, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 3,558.
4, EJ Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 3,516.
5, Trey Ford III, Bartlesville, Okla., 3,511.
6, Zulmazran Zulkifli, Malaysia, 3,504.
7, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 3,479.
8, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 3,466.
9, Francois Lavoie, Canada, 3,458.
10, Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., 3,449.
11, Sam Cooley, Australia, 3,443.
12, Jason Sterner, Rockledge, Fla., 3,414.
13, Rhino Page, Orlando, Fla., 3,402.
14, (tie) Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., and Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 3,383.
16, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 3,380.
17, Anthony Lavery-Spahr, Pasadena, Texas, 3,374.
18, Dom Barrett, England, 3,373.
19, Nick Kruml, Downers Grove, Ill., 3,366.
20, Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio, 3,363.
21, Richie Teece, England, 3,347.
22, Ahmed Alawadhi, Bahrain, 3,344.
23, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 3,342.
24, J.R. Raymond, Clinton Twp., Mich., 3,330.
25, (tie) John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y., and Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 3,327.
27, Zeke Bayt, Westerville, Ohio, 3,323.
28, (tie) Stuart Williams, England, and Jason Belmonte, Australia, 3,321.
30, Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 3,319.
31, James Cantere, Oklahoma City, 3,311.
32, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 3,310.
33, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 3,304.
34, Kristopher Prather, Milton, Fla., 3,302.
35, (tie) Devin Bidwell, Wichita, Kan., and Kyle Sherman, O’Fallon, Mo., 3,297.
37, (tie) AJ Johnson, Oswego, Ill., and Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 3,289.
39, Dylan Burns, Lawrence, Kan., 3,274.
40, Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill., 3,268.
41, Jon Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., 3,266.
42, (tie) DJ Archer, Friendswood, Texas, and Francois Louw, South Africa, 3,264.
44, Gary Faulkner Jr., Memphis, Tenn., 3,262.
45, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 3,247.
46, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 3,246.
47, Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas, 3,243.
48, AJ Chapman, Wichita, Kan., 3,241.
49, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 3,239.
50, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 3,233.
51, (tie) Jake Peters, Henderson, Nev., Gabriel Garcia, Port St. Lucie, Fla., and Craig Nidiffer, Trenton, Mich., 3,230.
54, Chris Via, Springfield, Ohio, 3,217.
55, (tie) Osama Hassan, Bahrain, and Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 3,214.
57, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 3,202.
58, Kim Bolleby, Thailand, 3,196.
59, Brian LeClair, Athens, NY, 3,185.
60, Patrick Allen, Elmwood Park, N.J., 3,183.
61, Sean Lavery-Spahr, Pasadena, Texas, 3,177.
62, (tie) Jakob Butturff, Tempe, Ariz., and Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 3,173.
64, Christopher Sloan, Ireland, 3,171.
65, Isaac Russell, Malaysia, 3,162.
66, Darren Tang, San Francisco, 3,160.
67, Matthew Sanders, Evansville, Ind., 3,155.
68, Shota Kawazoe, Japan, 3,131.
69, Tom Sorce, Blasdell, N.Y., 3,128.
70, Andrew Anderson, Holly, Mich., 3,124.
71, Ramon Hilferink, Netherlands, 3,121.
72, Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 3,119.
73, Michael Houtz, Myerstown, Pa., 3,104.
74, Dylan Macon, Lubbock, Texas, 3,100.
75, Isaac Kim, Lebanon, Pa., 3,098.
76, Brad Miller, Maryland Heights, Mo., 3,093.
77, Paul Brewbaker, Midwest City, Okla., 3,092.
78, Dino Castillo, Highland Village, Texas, 3,084.
79, Graham Fach, Canada, 3,081.
80, Omar Rashid, Bahrain, 3,071.
81, Pontus Andersson, Sweden, 3,042.
82, Jeff Hatt, Oklahoma City, 2,988.
83, Kenneth Bland Jr., Jacksonville, Texas, 2,950.
84, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 2,937.
85, Tyson Branagan, Fort Worth, Texas, 2,882.
86, Cody Shoemaker, Hanover, Pa., 2,824.
87, Armando Santacruz, Ecuador, 2,799.
88, Jose Rosero, Ecuador, 2,715.
89, William Tarpein, McDonough, Ga., 2,669.
90, Yebgueni Velez, Ecuador, 2,502.
About the PBA
The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) is an organization of more than 3,000 of the best bowlers from 27 countries who compete in PBA Tour, PBA International Tour, 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, GoBowling.com, Grand Casino Hotel and Resort, HotelPlanner.com, Main Event Entertainment, MOTIV, 900 Global, PBA Bowling Challenge Mobile Game, Storm Products and the United States Bowling Congress, among others. For more information, log on to www.pba.com.
