Animal pattern champs crowned at 2011 WSOB
November 18, 2011
LAS VEGAS — Four more champions emerged Friday at the 2011 Professional Bowlers Association World Series of Bowling, where international players dominated the animal-pattern events. England’s Stuart Williams and Dominic Barrett won the Viper Open and Scorpion Open titles respectively, while two-hander Jason Belmonte of Australia won titles in both the Chameleon Open and the Shark Open.
The “animal pattern” finals featured an elimination format in which all four finalists bowled at once. The bowler with the lowest score each game was eliminated until two remained to bowl for the title.
VIPER OPEN
In an all-international title match, Williams, bowling the first PBA telecast of his career, defeated Illdemaro Ruiz of Venezuela by a score of 246–194. Williams put the pressure on Ruiz early when he followed a spare in the opening frame with a five-bagger. Ruiz ran into spare trouble in the middle of the game, opening both the fifth and sixth frames in a losing effort.
“They do have TV shows at international tournaments, so it’s not like a deer-in-the-headlights kind of thing,” Williams said of bowling under the lights of ESPN cameras for the first time. “But bowling the PBA tour definitely has been different. I’ve learned to manipulate my ball roll to throw eight or nine good shots a game rather than just six or seven.”
The other Viper Open finalists were Mike Fagan of Dallas and Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill. Fagan was eliminated in the first game with a score of 192, while Rash struggled through the second game with a 186 as Williams and Ruiz moved on to bowl for the title.
In the two games preceding the title match, Ruiz bowled 215 and 201, while Williams bowled 238 and and 197. In the game before his elimination, Rash bowled 203.
CHAMELEON OPEN
The Chameleon Open title match came down to a battle between rivals Rash and Belmonte, who had battled the previous evening in the World Bowling Tour Finals, where Rash drew first blood with a victory. But Friday was quite a different story, with Belmonte crushing Rash by a score of 268-191 for the second PBA title of his career.
Rash struggled with spare shooting throughout the match, missing a single-pin spare in the second frame and opening again in the sixth. Belmonte strung together eight consecutive strikes to claim his first title since winning at the Long Island Classic in 2009.
“I’ve made a lot of changes to my game physically, but I think the biggest change I’ve made is mentally,” Belmonte said after the win. “In the shows I made over the past couple of seasons I was always looking for my opponent to make an error for me. This year I am a lot more confident. My physical game is much sharper so I feel more comfortable in what my ball is going to do.”
The other finalists in the Chameleon Open included Ruiz as well as two-hander Osku Palaermaa of Finland, who stunned the crowd when he missed a 10 pin spare in the 10th frame that allowed Belmonte to advance to the title match against Rash. Palermaa was eliminated in game two with a score of 190, while Ruiz was eliminated in game one with a 187.
In the two games preceding the title match, Belmonte bowled 189 and 200, while Rash bowled 201 and 226. In the game before his elimination, Palermaa bowled 213.
SCORPION OPEN
Barrett, who returned to competition this year after sustaining serious injuries in an ATV accident in Kuwait in March, easily held off Sean Rash in the Scorpion Open title match by a score of 247-204 for the first PBA title of his career.
Once again, Rash struggled to close frames and left splits at inopportune moments in the game, including the 4-6-7-10 in the 10th frame. Barrett, meanwhile, opened the game with the front five strikes as he cruised to victory.
“If you’d gone back maybe five or 10 years, we wouldn’t be having this much success,” Barrett said of the dominance of international players in the “animal pattern” finals of the 2011 WSOB. “But there are so many tournaments internationally now that the experience we’ve been able to get on the European tour or the Asian tour has really meant a lot for us to come here and compete.”
The other Scorpion Open finalists included Dave Wodka of Henderson, Nev., and Patrick Allen of Baltimore, Md. Wodka barely survived game one when Allen struggled to convert spares and was eliminated with a 172. Wodka held on with a 178, but was eliminated in the next game as he, too, struggled to make spares and finished with a 164.
In the two games preceding the title match, Rash bowled 217 and 221, while Barrett bowled 207 and 214.
SHARK OPEN
Though Belmonte clinched his third PBA title and second of the evening, the Shark Open finals were highlighted by a 300 game by Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, who took home a $10,000 bonus for the feat. Barnes lost his look on the lanes in the title match, however, ultimately falling to Belmonte by a score of 243-213.
“I’m more concerned about doing what I can to make a good shot now rather than worrying like I was before,” Belmonte said of his improved mental game after the win. “With my rev rate and the way I’ve been bowling, I will strike, and I just have to believe that rather than worrying about throwing bad shots, which is what I used to do.”
The other Shark Open finalists included Rash as well as reigning PBA Player of the Year Mika Koivuniemi of Finland. Koivuniemi never found a strike shot in game one and was eliminated with a score of 172. Rash’s struggles on the previous three shows continued in game two of the Shark finals, when he was eliminated with a final score of 182.
In the two games preceding the title match, Barnes bowled 234 before shooting 300 the following game, while Belmonte bowled games of 190 and 215. In the game before his elimination, Rash bowled 205.
The “animal pattern” finals featured an elimination format in which all four finalists bowled at once. The bowler with the lowest score each game was eliminated until two remained to bowl for the title.
VIPER OPENIn an all-international title match, Williams, bowling the first PBA telecast of his career, defeated Illdemaro Ruiz of Venezuela by a score of 246–194. Williams put the pressure on Ruiz early when he followed a spare in the opening frame with a five-bagger. Ruiz ran into spare trouble in the middle of the game, opening both the fifth and sixth frames in a losing effort.
“They do have TV shows at international tournaments, so it’s not like a deer-in-the-headlights kind of thing,” Williams said of bowling under the lights of ESPN cameras for the first time. “But bowling the PBA tour definitely has been different. I’ve learned to manipulate my ball roll to throw eight or nine good shots a game rather than just six or seven.”
The other Viper Open finalists were Mike Fagan of Dallas and Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill. Fagan was eliminated in the first game with a score of 192, while Rash struggled through the second game with a 186 as Williams and Ruiz moved on to bowl for the title.
In the two games preceding the title match, Ruiz bowled 215 and 201, while Williams bowled 238 and and 197. In the game before his elimination, Rash bowled 203.
CHAMELEON OPENThe Chameleon Open title match came down to a battle between rivals Rash and Belmonte, who had battled the previous evening in the World Bowling Tour Finals, where Rash drew first blood with a victory. But Friday was quite a different story, with Belmonte crushing Rash by a score of 268-191 for the second PBA title of his career.
Rash struggled with spare shooting throughout the match, missing a single-pin spare in the second frame and opening again in the sixth. Belmonte strung together eight consecutive strikes to claim his first title since winning at the Long Island Classic in 2009.
“I’ve made a lot of changes to my game physically, but I think the biggest change I’ve made is mentally,” Belmonte said after the win. “In the shows I made over the past couple of seasons I was always looking for my opponent to make an error for me. This year I am a lot more confident. My physical game is much sharper so I feel more comfortable in what my ball is going to do.”
The other finalists in the Chameleon Open included Ruiz as well as two-hander Osku Palaermaa of Finland, who stunned the crowd when he missed a 10 pin spare in the 10th frame that allowed Belmonte to advance to the title match against Rash. Palermaa was eliminated in game two with a score of 190, while Ruiz was eliminated in game one with a 187.
In the two games preceding the title match, Belmonte bowled 189 and 200, while Rash bowled 201 and 226. In the game before his elimination, Palermaa bowled 213.
SCORPION OPENBarrett, who returned to competition this year after sustaining serious injuries in an ATV accident in Kuwait in March, easily held off Sean Rash in the Scorpion Open title match by a score of 247-204 for the first PBA title of his career.
Once again, Rash struggled to close frames and left splits at inopportune moments in the game, including the 4-6-7-10 in the 10th frame. Barrett, meanwhile, opened the game with the front five strikes as he cruised to victory.
“If you’d gone back maybe five or 10 years, we wouldn’t be having this much success,” Barrett said of the dominance of international players in the “animal pattern” finals of the 2011 WSOB. “But there are so many tournaments internationally now that the experience we’ve been able to get on the European tour or the Asian tour has really meant a lot for us to come here and compete.”
The other Scorpion Open finalists included Dave Wodka of Henderson, Nev., and Patrick Allen of Baltimore, Md. Wodka barely survived game one when Allen struggled to convert spares and was eliminated with a 172. Wodka held on with a 178, but was eliminated in the next game as he, too, struggled to make spares and finished with a 164.
In the two games preceding the title match, Rash bowled 217 and 221, while Barrett bowled 207 and 214.
SHARK OPENThough Belmonte clinched his third PBA title and second of the evening, the Shark Open finals were highlighted by a 300 game by Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, who took home a $10,000 bonus for the feat. Barnes lost his look on the lanes in the title match, however, ultimately falling to Belmonte by a score of 243-213.
“I’m more concerned about doing what I can to make a good shot now rather than worrying like I was before,” Belmonte said of his improved mental game after the win. “With my rev rate and the way I’ve been bowling, I will strike, and I just have to believe that rather than worrying about throwing bad shots, which is what I used to do.”
The other Shark Open finalists included Rash as well as reigning PBA Player of the Year Mika Koivuniemi of Finland. Koivuniemi never found a strike shot in game one and was eliminated with a score of 172. Rash’s struggles on the previous three shows continued in game two of the Shark finals, when he was eliminated with a final score of 182.
In the two games preceding the title match, Barnes bowled 234 before shooting 300 the following game, while Belmonte bowled games of 190 and 215. In the game before his elimination, Rash bowled 205.