Iowa bowler just misses lead at 2010 OC
May 16, 2010
RENO, Nev. - Gerald Faires of Collinsville, Ill., only threw four strikes during his team event at the USBC Open Championships, but everything fell into place in time for him to make a run at the Classified Singles lead Sunday.
The 68-year-old left-hander put together games of 191, 237 and 233 for a 661 series at the National Bowling Stadium, but a couple of missed single pins left him eight pins short of David Garcez of Merced, Calif., who leads with 669.
"There was a lot of oil out there for the team event, and I didn't have a ball that would cut through it," said Faires, who posted a 444 series in team Saturday. "Today, I changed my swing a little and slowed down and tried to go right up the 10 board. It also helped that the lanes had been bowled on a little bit."
In order to be at his best for his 19th trip to the Open Championships, Faires arrived in Reno a week early and rolled practice games on five consecutive days, which he feels helped with his control.
After nearly two decades on the tournament lanes, he knows the conditions he'll face at the Open Championships will challenge him and reward him for good shots. He's also willing to put in the extra work at home whenever possible.
"You're not going to get better unless you bowl on a more challenging shot, and I wish the house shot I bowl on was a little more like the conditions here so I could be more prepared," said Faires, who bowls regularly at Collinsville's Camelot Bowl. "I was pretty discouraged with my team score, even though I don't really expect to score too high here. I am glad I was able to turn it around today, although, I was shocked when I found out what place I was in. I didn't think my score would be that high up there."
Faires had no idea what the leading score was before he took the lanes Sunday. His annual trek to the Open Championships is more about spending time with friends and seeing different parts of the country. The group he bowls with includes between two and four teams each year, and his main goal is to score higher than his teammates.
"I keep coming back to the tournament because we have a good group of people, and our captain is really dedicated, with 33 or 34 years out here," Faires said. "I also like that the tournament changes locations so we can wrap a vacation around it, too. Once again, I had a great time, and I feel very lucky to have done so well."
Faires added a 500 series in doubles and finished with a 1,605 all-events total, the fifth-highest of his tournament career. His best performance came in his debut at the 1992 event in Corpus Christi, Texas, where he shot 1,688. Harry Arnold of Falls City, Neb., leads Classified All-Events this year with 1,796.
Presenting sponsors for the 2010 USBC Open Championships are Circus Circus, Eldorado Hotel Casino and Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno, Nevada. Other sponsors include Sands Regency Casino Hotel, official brackets sponsor, Kegel, official lane maintenance provider, US Steltronic, official scoring system, and supporting sponsors Storm Bowling Products, UPS, Nationwide Insurance, Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa, Harrah's Reno Casino and Hotel and Peppermill Hotel Casino.
The 68-year-old left-hander put together games of 191, 237 and 233 for a 661 series at the National Bowling Stadium, but a couple of missed single pins left him eight pins short of David Garcez of Merced, Calif., who leads with 669.
"There was a lot of oil out there for the team event, and I didn't have a ball that would cut through it," said Faires, who posted a 444 series in team Saturday. "Today, I changed my swing a little and slowed down and tried to go right up the 10 board. It also helped that the lanes had been bowled on a little bit."
In order to be at his best for his 19th trip to the Open Championships, Faires arrived in Reno a week early and rolled practice games on five consecutive days, which he feels helped with his control.
After nearly two decades on the tournament lanes, he knows the conditions he'll face at the Open Championships will challenge him and reward him for good shots. He's also willing to put in the extra work at home whenever possible.
"You're not going to get better unless you bowl on a more challenging shot, and I wish the house shot I bowl on was a little more like the conditions here so I could be more prepared," said Faires, who bowls regularly at Collinsville's Camelot Bowl. "I was pretty discouraged with my team score, even though I don't really expect to score too high here. I am glad I was able to turn it around today, although, I was shocked when I found out what place I was in. I didn't think my score would be that high up there."
Faires had no idea what the leading score was before he took the lanes Sunday. His annual trek to the Open Championships is more about spending time with friends and seeing different parts of the country. The group he bowls with includes between two and four teams each year, and his main goal is to score higher than his teammates.
"I keep coming back to the tournament because we have a good group of people, and our captain is really dedicated, with 33 or 34 years out here," Faires said. "I also like that the tournament changes locations so we can wrap a vacation around it, too. Once again, I had a great time, and I feel very lucky to have done so well."
Faires added a 500 series in doubles and finished with a 1,605 all-events total, the fifth-highest of his tournament career. His best performance came in his debut at the 1992 event in Corpus Christi, Texas, where he shot 1,688. Harry Arnold of Falls City, Neb., leads Classified All-Events this year with 1,796.
Presenting sponsors for the 2010 USBC Open Championships are Circus Circus, Eldorado Hotel Casino and Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno, Nevada. Other sponsors include Sands Regency Casino Hotel, official brackets sponsor, Kegel, official lane maintenance provider, US Steltronic, official scoring system, and supporting sponsors Storm Bowling Products, UPS, Nationwide Insurance, Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa, Harrah's Reno Casino and Hotel and Peppermill Hotel Casino.