Pennsylvania bowler rolls 17th 300 of 2012 OC

StaubRobertJr2012LARGEBATON ROUGE, La. - Robert Staub Jr. of Hanover, Pa., rolled the 17th perfect game of the 2012 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships during doubles Tuesday.

The 42-year-old left-hander added games of 173 and 190 for a 663 series and teamed with Ronald Loss of Paulden, Ariz., for a 1,191 doubles total. Matt McNiel of Prior Lake, Minn., and Charles Vashaw of Deephaven, Minn., lead Regular Doubles with 1,489.

"Yesterday, I came in and started fairly well, but missed a lot of spares, which hurt me," said Staub, who made his fifth USBC Open Championships appearance and rolled a 534 series in team Monday. "To come back in today and shoot 300 the first game is unbelievable. All but the last shot were pretty good and in the pocket. I got that one a little wide. When I let it go, I shook my head and didn't think it would make it back, but it did."

Staub's biggest challenge Tuesday was calming down and refocusing after his ideal start. He opened in the 10th frame of his second game and in the ninth and 10th frames of the finale.

"I just needed to relax again and get back in the groove," Staub said. "I was trying to place the ball and not letting it go so it could do what it's supposed to do."

He added a 517 effort in singles for a 1,714 all-events total, and while his overall performance was shy of his personal best (1,820), he was satisfied with being able to accomplish something as rare as a 300 game on bowling's biggest stage.

"For the amount of bowlers who come here, to shoot only the 17th 300 of the year means a lot," said Staub, who regularly competes at Hanover Bowling Center. "It's still my second-highest all-events total, so overall, this year was very good. It's also my sixth 300 of the season, and to have one here is amazing. I will be recognized in the squad room every year I come back, and that will be special."

Sponsors for the 2012 USBC Open Championships include Circus Circus Reno, Eldorado Hotel Casino Reno and Silver Legacy Resort Casino Reno. Other sponsors include the Belle of Baton Rouge, official brackets sponsor; Kegel, official lane maintenance provider; Humana, official registration sponsor; Bud Light and Budweiser, official beer sponsors; The Advocate, official publication sponsor; Brunswick, official lane provider; Steltronic, official scoring system; Storm Bowling Products and Nationwide Insurance.