SHAWNEE, Okla. (Jan. 11, 2019) – After two qualifying rounds from the PBA Oklahoma Open and Friday’s first Baker format match play round, PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke and 2008-09 PBA Player of the Year Wes Malott lead the PBA Mark Roth-Marshall Holman Doubles Championship at the FireLake Bowling Center.

The 2011 and 2015 Roth-Holman Doubles champions combined for a 5-1 record and averaged 259 in Friday’s first Baker format match play to vault from 10th to the top spot finishing with a 8,185 34-game pinfall total (including match play bonus pins).

The Baker format requires each player to alternate frames in a game combining for one score.

“I can tell you that each one of us wants this win bad,” said the 54-year-old Duke, who is trying for his 39th PBA Tour title. We’re confident in one another’s ability and we don’t do a lot of talking and strategizing. We just play our own games and feed off the natural chemistry that we have as doubles partners.”

Defending Roth-Holman Doubles Championship winners four-time PBA Player of the Year Jason Belmonte and 10-time tour winner Bill O’Neill posted a 6-0 record in match play and averaged 243 to finish the day in second just 12 pins behind Duke and Malott with a 8,173 pinfall.

Rounding out the top five heading into Saturday’s final match play round are Patrick Girard/Zach Wilkins (4-2) 8,159; Sam Cooley/Anthony Lavery-Spahr (5-1) 8,111, and Kyle Sherman/Brad Miller (3-3) 8,056.      

The 12-team field will return Saturday morning at 10 a.m. CT for the final Baker six-game Baker round which will determine the top five teams for the taped FS1 telecast at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday which will take place after the live PBA Oklahoma Open Championships.  The Doubles Championship will air on FS1 Sunday, Jan. 20 at 1 p.m. ET (noon CT).

Fans can catch the final match play round on FloBowling.com.

PBA MARK ROTH-MARSHALL HOLMAN DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP

FireLake Bowling Center, Shawnee, Okla., Friday

Third Round Standings (after 34 games. Includes match play record and total pinfall including bonus pins).

1, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla./Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 5-1, 8,185.
2, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa./Jason Belmonte, Australia, 6-0, 8,173.
3, Patrick Girard, Canada/Zach Wilkins, Canada, 4-2, 8,159.
4, Anthony Lavery-Spahr, Pasadena, Texas/Sam Cooley, Australia, 5-1, 8,111.
5, Brad Miller, Lees Summit, Mo./Kyle Sherman, O'Fallon, Mo., 3-3, 8,056.
6, Darren Tang, Las Vegas, Nev./Michael Tang, Johnstown, Ohio, 3-3, 8,035.
7, Jesper Svensson, Sweden/Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 1-5, 8,003.
8, Matthew Ogle, Louisville, Ky./Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 2-4, 7,970.
9, AJ Johnson, Oswego, Ill./Greg Ostrander, Freehold, N.J., 3-3, 7,901.
10, Jakob Butturff, Tempe, Ariz./Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 1-5, 7,897.
11, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas/Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 2-4, 7,848.
12, Dom Barrett, England/Osku Palermaa, Finland, 1-5, 7,829.