Since winning two events during the PBA Summer Swing last May, seven-time PBA Tour champion Bill O’Neill of Langhorne, Pa. has been generally happy with his productivity this season.

The winner of the PBA Grand Oklahoma Open and King of the Swing non-title event, won his PBA Chameleon Championship presented by HotelPlanner.com Round of 16 match in three straight games Tuesday against Rolltech PBA World Championship top qualifier, E.J. Tackett, at the National Bowling Stadium to advance to Wednesday’s Round of eight moving a step closer to a berth in the finals. O’Neill beat Tackett 275-218, 254-173, 237-170.

“As I get a little further in my career I’m having to adjust my game so that I’m throwing the ball straighter and from the outside of the lane,” said the 34-year-old O’Neill, who also teamed with Shannon O’Keefe to win the Xtra Frame Mixed Doubles event later in the summer. “I can’t hook it like I used to so I’m just trying to find another way to get it done and it’s working pretty well for me.

“Rather than complain about it, it’s my job to correct it and I’ve found the answer by playing straighter from the outside of the lane using a ball with more surface.

“So far it’s been an up and down World Series,” he added. “Qualifying went pretty well but I got into a funk in match play the last day and a half. I let some opportunities go but I think I’m getting things worked out now.”

The Round of 16 featured six international players with four advancing to the Round of 8. In the battle of the Larsen’s, Thomas, of Denmark, defeated Martin, of Sweden, 3-0; Stuart Williams, England beat Patrick Girard, Canada, 3-2; Pascal Winternheimer, Germany defeated Chris Drewes, Wichita, Kan., 3-0, and Jesper Svensson, Sweden beat Andres Gomez, Colombia, 3-0.

Also advancing to the Round of 8 were Jakob Butturff of Chandler, Ariz. after defeating World Championship finalist, Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, N.Y., 3-1; Kyle Troup of Taylorsville, N.C. beat Cameron Weier, Tacoma, Wash., 3-1 and Scott Norton, Mission Viejo, Calif. beat Warren Crawford, McKinleyville, Calif., 3-2.

Wednesday’s Chameleon Championship match ups will be: Troup vs. Svensson; Butturff vs. Williams; Thomas Larsen vs. Norton and O’Neill vs. Winternheimer.

The 24 players competing in today’s match play rounds advanced from Chameleon Championship qualifying conducted last Thursday.

All the pattern championship Round of 8 matches will be part of a super Wednesday on PBA’s online bowing channel Xtra Frame with live coverage of who makes the final four for each telecast.

The top four players will advance to the ESPN taping of the Chameleon Championship scheduled for 5:15 p.m. PT Friday at the National Bowling Stadium. The Chameleon Championship telecast will air at 1 p.m. ET Sunday, Jan. 3.

GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling VII presented by Silver Legacy action continues this afternoon with Round of 24 and Round of 16 matches for the PBA Scorpion Championship presented by Reno Tahoe USA beginning at 4:30 p.m. PT.

PBA CHAMELEON CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY HOTELPLANNER.COM

National Bowling Stadium, Reno, Nev., Tuesday

BEST-OF-FIVE SINGLE-ELIMINATION MATCH PLAY (eight players advance to Wednesday’s Round of 8)

Round of 16 (losers earn $1,400)

Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., def. Cameron Weier, Tacoma, Wash., 3-1 (193-213, 215-174, 255-205, 234-183).
Scott Norton, Mission Viejo, Calif., def. n-Warren Crawford, McKinleyville, Calif., 3-2 (210-180, 279-225, 212-224, 191-221, 256-167).
Stuart Williams, England, def. Patrick Girard, Canada, 3-2 (195-244, 279-234, 181-216, 220-193, 275-255).
Pascal Winternheimer, Germany, def. n-Chris Drewes, Wichita, Kan., 3-0 (229-185, 211-177, 215-176).
Jakob Butturff, Chandler, Ariz., def. Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 3-1 (190-225, 254-214, 246-203, 237-223).
Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., def. EJ Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 3-0 (275-218, 254-173, 237-170).
Jesper Svensson, Sweden, def. Andres Gomez, Colombia, 3-0 (277-235, 259-213, 268-241).
Thomas Larsen, Denmark, def. Martin Larsen, Sweden, 3-0 (234-216, 216-191, 256-216).

Round of 24 (losers earn $800)

Martin Larsen def. Rhino Page, Orlando, Fla., 3-0 (212-178, 264-257, 247-230).
Ciminelli, def. Kim Bolleby, Thailand, 3-1 (279-201, 209-233, 280-226, 222-201).
n-Drewes, Wichita, Kan., def. Matthew McNiel, Prior Lake, Minn., 3-2 (247-221, 235-300, 243-195, 188-276, 235-206).
Weier def. Gary Faulkner Jr., Memphis, Tenn., 3-1 (188-215, 255-202, 264-184, 242-219).
Norton def. Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 3-1 (220-188, 223-195, 209-224, 208-192).
Gomez, def. Anthony Pepe, Elmhurst, N.Y., 3-1 (244-240, 228-217, 214-279, 244-198).
O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., def. n-Ronnie Sparks Jr. , Ecorse, Mich., 3-1 (254-244, 203-194, 183-239, 245-211).
Girard, Canada, def. n-Zeke Bayt, Henderson, Nev., 3-0 (237-164, 212-212, 238-206).

Round of 8 Matches

Troup vs. Svensson

Butturff vs. Williams

Thomas Larsen vs. Norton

O’Neill vs. Winternheimer.

n-denotes non-member