Prather extends lead at 2018 U.S. Open
October 27, 2018
STANDINGS
WICHITA, Kan. - Kristopher Prather of Plainfield, Illinois, separated himself from the rest of the field Saturday at the 2018 U.S. Open after averaging more than 244 in the second round of qualifying.
The 26-year-old right-hander shrugged off a slow start at Northrock Lanes on his way to an eight-game total of 1,956 to bring his overall score to 3,779, a 236.19 average. Prather sits 225 pins ahead of Greg Ostrander of Freehold, New Jersey, who remained in second place with a 3,554 total.
England's Dom Barrett moved into third place with 3,527 and is followed by Jason Sterner of Covington, Georgia (3,483), and Wichita's AJ Chapman (3,480).
Defending champion Rhino Page of Orlando, Florida, moved into 10th place with a 3,411 total.
After leading Friday's opening round, Prather struggled to find the right feel with his equipment to start Saturday's block, kicking off the round with a 169 game. He quickly resolved the issue, averaging more than 255 for his final seven games.
"During Game 1, I really didn't have a great feel in the ball," Prather said. "I was struggling and between (interchangeable) thumbs and tape. I didn't throw a good shot until about the seventh frame, and that's when I realized I was in the wrong ball. Even if I threw it well, I wasn't going to strike, so I talked it over with Mike (DeVaney) and got into the right ball. From there, I just tried to keep making the right adjustments."
Prather credits his run the last several weeks, which includes a pair of third-place finishes and a fifth-place showing at the Professional Bowlers Association Fall Swing in Owasso, Oklahoma, to the work he's put in on his mental game and the ability to quickly bounce back after an errant shot or frame.
He's also been able to create different reactions with his ball roll this week while combating the 37- and 40-foot oil patterns featured during the first two rounds of qualifying. He's still unsure of his plan of attack on Sunday's 47-foot lane condition, but Prather has time and a sizeable lead on his side.
Competitors in the field will compete on three different lane conditions during the first three rounds of qualifying. A fourth oil pattern will be introduced for Monday's cashers' round and be used for the remainder of the tournament.
"The angles I've played each day weren't very different, but it was more about ball selection and how the ball came off my hand," Prather said. "Today, I was able to use more rotation to get it to go through the pins, while I really had to focus on rolling it yesterday, since the pattern was so short and flat. I think tomorrow will be very interesting. I didn't have a great look in practice. Luckily, I don't bowl until late in the afternoon. I'll have all day to watch, and I think that will help a lot."
Players will return to Northrock Lanes on Sunday for the third and final round of qualifying, starting at 9 a.m. Eastern. Qualifying consists of three eight-game blocks over three days.
After Sunday's final round, the field will be cut to the top 36 players for the cashers' round, which will include an additional eight games to determine the 24 players for round-robin match play.
Match play will begin Monday at 6 p.m. Eastern with the first of three eight-game rounds. Match play resumes Tuesday at 11 a.m. Eastern with the final two blocks, including a position round. The five finalists will be determined by total pinfall, including bonus pins, for 56 games.
The stepladder finals will take place Oct. 31 and air live on CBS Sports Network at 8 p.m. Eastern, awarding the champion the $30,000 top prize and coveted green jacket.
The U.S. Open is the fourth and final major championship on the 2018 PBA Tour schedule and is conducted jointly by the United States Bowling Congress and Bowling Proprietors' Association of America.
Each round of the 2018 U.S. Open leading up to the stepladder finals will be broadcast live on PBA's online bowling channel Xtra Frame on FloBowling.
WICHITA, Kan. - Kristopher Prather of Plainfield, Illinois, separated himself from the rest of the field Saturday at the 2018 U.S. Open after averaging more than 244 in the second round of qualifying.
The 26-year-old right-hander shrugged off a slow start at Northrock Lanes on his way to an eight-game total of 1,956 to bring his overall score to 3,779, a 236.19 average. Prather sits 225 pins ahead of Greg Ostrander of Freehold, New Jersey, who remained in second place with a 3,554 total.
England's Dom Barrett moved into third place with 3,527 and is followed by Jason Sterner of Covington, Georgia (3,483), and Wichita's AJ Chapman (3,480).
Defending champion Rhino Page of Orlando, Florida, moved into 10th place with a 3,411 total.
After leading Friday's opening round, Prather struggled to find the right feel with his equipment to start Saturday's block, kicking off the round with a 169 game. He quickly resolved the issue, averaging more than 255 for his final seven games.
"During Game 1, I really didn't have a great feel in the ball," Prather said. "I was struggling and between (interchangeable) thumbs and tape. I didn't throw a good shot until about the seventh frame, and that's when I realized I was in the wrong ball. Even if I threw it well, I wasn't going to strike, so I talked it over with Mike (DeVaney) and got into the right ball. From there, I just tried to keep making the right adjustments."
Prather credits his run the last several weeks, which includes a pair of third-place finishes and a fifth-place showing at the Professional Bowlers Association Fall Swing in Owasso, Oklahoma, to the work he's put in on his mental game and the ability to quickly bounce back after an errant shot or frame.
He's also been able to create different reactions with his ball roll this week while combating the 37- and 40-foot oil patterns featured during the first two rounds of qualifying. He's still unsure of his plan of attack on Sunday's 47-foot lane condition, but Prather has time and a sizeable lead on his side.
Competitors in the field will compete on three different lane conditions during the first three rounds of qualifying. A fourth oil pattern will be introduced for Monday's cashers' round and be used for the remainder of the tournament.
"The angles I've played each day weren't very different, but it was more about ball selection and how the ball came off my hand," Prather said. "Today, I was able to use more rotation to get it to go through the pins, while I really had to focus on rolling it yesterday, since the pattern was so short and flat. I think tomorrow will be very interesting. I didn't have a great look in practice. Luckily, I don't bowl until late in the afternoon. I'll have all day to watch, and I think that will help a lot."
Players will return to Northrock Lanes on Sunday for the third and final round of qualifying, starting at 9 a.m. Eastern. Qualifying consists of three eight-game blocks over three days.
After Sunday's final round, the field will be cut to the top 36 players for the cashers' round, which will include an additional eight games to determine the 24 players for round-robin match play.
Match play will begin Monday at 6 p.m. Eastern with the first of three eight-game rounds. Match play resumes Tuesday at 11 a.m. Eastern with the final two blocks, including a position round. The five finalists will be determined by total pinfall, including bonus pins, for 56 games.
The stepladder finals will take place Oct. 31 and air live on CBS Sports Network at 8 p.m. Eastern, awarding the champion the $30,000 top prize and coveted green jacket.
The U.S. Open is the fourth and final major championship on the 2018 PBA Tour schedule and is conducted jointly by the United States Bowling Congress and Bowling Proprietors' Association of America.
Each round of the 2018 U.S. Open leading up to the stepladder finals will be broadcast live on PBA's online bowling channel Xtra Frame on FloBowling.