Bellinder Grabs Lead At 2009 U.S. Women's Open
August 05, 2009
LAS VEGAS - There are five different lane conditions being used at the 2009 U.S. Women's Open, a United States Bowling Congress event, this week, and there aren't many women with more experience on those patterns than Missy Bellinder of Fullerton, Calif.
Bellinder, who became the first woman to join the Professional Bowlers Association, has been bowling on the five PBA Experience patterns since 2004 and is demonstrating a great command of the challenging conditions as the overall leader at Strike Zone Bowling Center inside the Sunset Station Hotel and Casino in Henderson, Nev.
The 27-year-old right-hander is averaging more than 224 through two rounds and leads the 170-player field with a 3,598 total for 16 games. First-round leader Tammy Boomershine of North Ogden, Utah, bowled well again and is second with 3,582, Malaysia's Shalin Zulkifli is third with 3,530 and USBC Hall of Famer Carolyn Dorin-Ballard is fourth with 3,511. Amanda Fagan of Patchogue, N.Y., rolled the tournament's second perfect game and had the high set of the day with 1,840. She is fifth overall with 3,491.
"I feel really good, and I'm throwing the ball well," said Bellinder, who is the only woman to claim two PBA regional titles. "I have a lot of experience on these patterns, and I've bowled in a lot of regionals this summer to stay sharp."
Tuesday's opening round was contested on the Shark pattern, while Wednesday featured the Chameleon. Bellinder, who was second after the first round, considers those her weakest patterns and is glad to have found early success.
"The Chameleon is the one I struggle on the most, and the Shark is next," Bellinder said. "Those are out of the way, and I bowled well on them, so I'm happy about that. I'm taking each day one at a time and trying not to look at the big picture yet. If I can bowl well each day, that would have to put me near the top overall."
This year, the U.S. Women's Open features a new format with the top 12 players advancing to the five-part ESPN series. The overall prize fund for this year's event is $150,000 with $25,000 going to the winner.
All U.S. Women's Open participants will bowl three eight-game qualifying blocks over three days (Tuesday-Thursday) before the field is cut to the top 48, who will bowl an additional 16 games on Friday. The top 12 players then advance to the televised, single-game, match-play portion with the top four players receiving a first-round bye directly into the quarterfinals.
Any competitor who rolls a 300 game on one of the first four TV shows will receive a $25,000 bonus, while a perfect game in the semifinals or championship match (the fifth show), will earn $100,000.
Kim Terrell-Kearney is the defending champion at the U.S. Women's Open and will be looking to claim the coveted title for the third time. She also won the event in 2001.
The 2009 U.S. Women's Open also marks the return of the Professional Bowlers Association Women's Tour Trials, a simultaneous event that gives the bowlers a chance to qualify for 2009-10 PBA Women's Series.
Bellinder also leads the field of 43 players who have paid the additional entry fee for the Women's Tour Trials. Should she qualify, she would be exempt for the third consecutive year. In two previous seasons, she has finished second on two occasions, but has yet to find the winner's circle.
The top 12 bowlers from the Tour Trials will join the six champions from last season (Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Michelle Feldman, Liz Johnson, Wendy Macpherson, Stefanie Nation and Jodi Woessner) as exempt players for the upcoming Women's Series.
The Women's Series will feature five standard events, the open-field PBA Women's World Championship, the Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles Championship and the season-ending PBA Women's Series Showdown. Each standard event will have a 20-player field, up from the 16-player field used this season. The final two players in the field will come from the weekly Tour Qualifying Rounds, similar to the PBA Tour.
Competitors in the Women's Series will be competing for nearly $500,000 in prize money with $10,000 going to the winner of each event.
U.S. Women's Open competition continues Thursday with squads at 11 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. EDT on the Cheetah pattern.
For more information on the U.S. Women's Open, visit bowl.com. For complete PBA Women's Tour Trials standings, visit pba.com.
United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress, as the national governing body, ensures the integrity and protects the future of the sport, provides programs and services to more than two million adult and youth members and enhances the bowling experience.
Bowl with US
2009 U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN, A USBC EVENT
At Sunset Station Strike Zone Bowling Center, Henderson, Nev.
Wednesday's Results
QUALIFYING
Round 2 (16 games)
Top 50
1, Missy Bellinder, Fullerton, Calif., 3,598.
2, Tammy Boomershine, North Ogden, Utah, 3,582.
3, Shalin Zulkifli, Malaysia , 3,530.
4, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Keller, Texas, 3,511.
5, Amanda Fagan, Patchoque, N.Y., 3,491.
6, Ann Maree Putney, Australia , 3,474.
7, Kathy Tribbey, Dundee, Ore., 3,469.
8, Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 3,442.
9, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 3,433.
10, Cha Mi-Jung, Korea , 3,433.
11, Veronica Lantto, Sweden , 3,432.
12, Brenda Edwards, Mansfield, Texas, 3,429.
13, Kim Terrell-Kearney, Dover, Del., 3,424.
14, Shannon O' Keefe, Arlington, Texas, 3,414.
15, Maria Rodriguez, Princess Anne, Md., 3,414.
16, Aumi Guerra, Dominican Republic, 3,403.
17, Trisha Reid, Reynoldsburg, Ohio, 3,396.
18, Shannon Pluhowsky, Phoenix, 3,378.
19, Dana Miller-Mackie, Albuquerque, N.M., 3,378.
20, Lynda Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 3,367.
21, Stefanie Nation, Arlington, Texas, 3,360.
22, Diandra Asbaty, Chicago, 3,338.
23, Isabelle Sacco, France , 3,326.
24, Clara Guerrero, Pflugerville, Texas, 3,323.
25, Anita Manns, Austin, Texas, 3,319.
26, Roxanne George, Waukesha, Wis., 3,308.
27, Jacqui Reese, Roseto, Pa., 3,303.
28, Patricia Luoto, Germany , 3,302.
29, Laura Rhoney, Scotland , 3,293.
30, Jennifer Petrick, Canton, Ohio, 3,293.
31, Kayla Bandy, Danville, Va., 3,292.
32, Esther Cheah, Malaysia , 3,290.
33, Laura Hardeman, Chula Vista, Calif., 3,289.
34, Adrienne Miller, Arlington Heights, Ill., 3,289.
35, Cathy Dorin-Lizzi, Sandusky, Ohio, 3,286.
36, Ashly Galante, Palm Harbor, Fla., 3,284.
37, Kerry Smith, New Holland, Pa., 3,283.
38, Zandra Aziela, Malaysia , 3,280.
39, Karen Marcano, Venezuela , 3,279.
40, Zara Glover, England , 3,277.
41, Marcia Kloempken, Mansfield, Texas, 3,272.
42, April Ellis, N. Richland Hills, Texas, 3,271.
43, Maxine Nable, Australia , 3,270.
44, Samantha Williams, Hunt Valley, Md., 3,263.
45, Sharon Koh, Malaysia , 3,261.
46, Wendy Macpherson, Henderson, Nev., 3,258.
47, Leanne Hulsenberg, Roseville, Calif., 3,247.
48, Paola Gomez, Weston, Fla., 3,238.
49, Keli Callahan, Las Vegas, 3,233.
50, Tina Hulsch, Germany , 3,228.
Bellinder, who became the first woman to join the Professional Bowlers Association, has been bowling on the five PBA Experience patterns since 2004 and is demonstrating a great command of the challenging conditions as the overall leader at Strike Zone Bowling Center inside the Sunset Station Hotel and Casino in Henderson, Nev.
The 27-year-old right-hander is averaging more than 224 through two rounds and leads the 170-player field with a 3,598 total for 16 games. First-round leader Tammy Boomershine of North Ogden, Utah, bowled well again and is second with 3,582, Malaysia's Shalin Zulkifli is third with 3,530 and USBC Hall of Famer Carolyn Dorin-Ballard is fourth with 3,511. Amanda Fagan of Patchogue, N.Y., rolled the tournament's second perfect game and had the high set of the day with 1,840. She is fifth overall with 3,491.
"I feel really good, and I'm throwing the ball well," said Bellinder, who is the only woman to claim two PBA regional titles. "I have a lot of experience on these patterns, and I've bowled in a lot of regionals this summer to stay sharp."
Tuesday's opening round was contested on the Shark pattern, while Wednesday featured the Chameleon. Bellinder, who was second after the first round, considers those her weakest patterns and is glad to have found early success.
"The Chameleon is the one I struggle on the most, and the Shark is next," Bellinder said. "Those are out of the way, and I bowled well on them, so I'm happy about that. I'm taking each day one at a time and trying not to look at the big picture yet. If I can bowl well each day, that would have to put me near the top overall."
This year, the U.S. Women's Open features a new format with the top 12 players advancing to the five-part ESPN series. The overall prize fund for this year's event is $150,000 with $25,000 going to the winner.
All U.S. Women's Open participants will bowl three eight-game qualifying blocks over three days (Tuesday-Thursday) before the field is cut to the top 48, who will bowl an additional 16 games on Friday. The top 12 players then advance to the televised, single-game, match-play portion with the top four players receiving a first-round bye directly into the quarterfinals.
Any competitor who rolls a 300 game on one of the first four TV shows will receive a $25,000 bonus, while a perfect game in the semifinals or championship match (the fifth show), will earn $100,000.
Kim Terrell-Kearney is the defending champion at the U.S. Women's Open and will be looking to claim the coveted title for the third time. She also won the event in 2001.
The 2009 U.S. Women's Open also marks the return of the Professional Bowlers Association Women's Tour Trials, a simultaneous event that gives the bowlers a chance to qualify for 2009-10 PBA Women's Series.
Bellinder also leads the field of 43 players who have paid the additional entry fee for the Women's Tour Trials. Should she qualify, she would be exempt for the third consecutive year. In two previous seasons, she has finished second on two occasions, but has yet to find the winner's circle.
The top 12 bowlers from the Tour Trials will join the six champions from last season (Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Michelle Feldman, Liz Johnson, Wendy Macpherson, Stefanie Nation and Jodi Woessner) as exempt players for the upcoming Women's Series.
The Women's Series will feature five standard events, the open-field PBA Women's World Championship, the Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles Championship and the season-ending PBA Women's Series Showdown. Each standard event will have a 20-player field, up from the 16-player field used this season. The final two players in the field will come from the weekly Tour Qualifying Rounds, similar to the PBA Tour.
Competitors in the Women's Series will be competing for nearly $500,000 in prize money with $10,000 going to the winner of each event.
U.S. Women's Open competition continues Thursday with squads at 11 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. EDT on the Cheetah pattern.
For more information on the U.S. Women's Open, visit bowl.com. For complete PBA Women's Tour Trials standings, visit pba.com.
United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress, as the national governing body, ensures the integrity and protects the future of the sport, provides programs and services to more than two million adult and youth members and enhances the bowling experience.
Bowl with US
2009 U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN, A USBC EVENT
At Sunset Station Strike Zone Bowling Center, Henderson, Nev.
Wednesday's Results
QUALIFYING
Round 2 (16 games)
Top 50
1, Missy Bellinder, Fullerton, Calif., 3,598.
2, Tammy Boomershine, North Ogden, Utah, 3,582.
3, Shalin Zulkifli, Malaysia , 3,530.
4, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Keller, Texas, 3,511.
5, Amanda Fagan, Patchoque, N.Y., 3,491.
6, Ann Maree Putney, Australia , 3,474.
7, Kathy Tribbey, Dundee, Ore., 3,469.
8, Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 3,442.
9, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 3,433.
10, Cha Mi-Jung, Korea , 3,433.
11, Veronica Lantto, Sweden , 3,432.
12, Brenda Edwards, Mansfield, Texas, 3,429.
13, Kim Terrell-Kearney, Dover, Del., 3,424.
14, Shannon O' Keefe, Arlington, Texas, 3,414.
15, Maria Rodriguez, Princess Anne, Md., 3,414.
16, Aumi Guerra, Dominican Republic, 3,403.
17, Trisha Reid, Reynoldsburg, Ohio, 3,396.
18, Shannon Pluhowsky, Phoenix, 3,378.
19, Dana Miller-Mackie, Albuquerque, N.M., 3,378.
20, Lynda Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 3,367.
21, Stefanie Nation, Arlington, Texas, 3,360.
22, Diandra Asbaty, Chicago, 3,338.
23, Isabelle Sacco, France , 3,326.
24, Clara Guerrero, Pflugerville, Texas, 3,323.
25, Anita Manns, Austin, Texas, 3,319.
26, Roxanne George, Waukesha, Wis., 3,308.
27, Jacqui Reese, Roseto, Pa., 3,303.
28, Patricia Luoto, Germany , 3,302.
29, Laura Rhoney, Scotland , 3,293.
30, Jennifer Petrick, Canton, Ohio, 3,293.
31, Kayla Bandy, Danville, Va., 3,292.
32, Esther Cheah, Malaysia , 3,290.
33, Laura Hardeman, Chula Vista, Calif., 3,289.
34, Adrienne Miller, Arlington Heights, Ill., 3,289.
35, Cathy Dorin-Lizzi, Sandusky, Ohio, 3,286.
36, Ashly Galante, Palm Harbor, Fla., 3,284.
37, Kerry Smith, New Holland, Pa., 3,283.
38, Zandra Aziela, Malaysia , 3,280.
39, Karen Marcano, Venezuela , 3,279.
40, Zara Glover, England , 3,277.
41, Marcia Kloempken, Mansfield, Texas, 3,272.
42, April Ellis, N. Richland Hills, Texas, 3,271.
43, Maxine Nable, Australia , 3,270.
44, Samantha Williams, Hunt Valley, Md., 3,263.
45, Sharon Koh, Malaysia , 3,261.
46, Wendy Macpherson, Henderson, Nev., 3,258.
47, Leanne Hulsenberg, Roseville, Calif., 3,247.
48, Paola Gomez, Weston, Fla., 3,238.
49, Keli Callahan, Las Vegas, 3,233.
50, Tina Hulsch, Germany , 3,228.