Prather leads qualifying at 2018 U.S. Open
October 28, 2018
STANDINGS
WICHITA, Kan. - Kristopher Prather of Plainfield, Illinois, may have slowed down Sunday at the U.S. Open, but he still finds himself in the driver's seat after finishing as the top qualifier at the 2018 edition at Northrock Lanes.
The 26-year-old right-hander led the overall standings for the third consecutive round, finishing Sunday's eight-game block with 1,576 to bring his overall total for 24 games to 5,355, a 223.13 average. Wichita's AJ Chapman is second with 5,254, and 2006 U.S. Open champion Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, South Carolina, is third with 5,210.
The 144-player field now has been cut to the top 36 players. All advancers will return to the lanes Monday at 11 a.m. Eastern for a cashers' round, which will include an additional eight games to determine the 24 players for round-robin match play.
Anthony Pepe of Elmhurst, New York, earned the final spot in the cashers' round, rolling 255 in his final game to get to 4,939, a 205.79 average. Defending champion Rhino Page of Orlando, Florida, also advanced, finishing qualifying in seventh place with 5,167.
Qualifying at the 2018 U.S. Open consisted of three eight-game blocks over three days.
Prather struggled to get comfortable on the 47-foot oil pattern being used during Sunday's third round.
The 2018 event featured a different lane condition for each of the three qualifying rounds.
"I'm annoyed with myself because I couldn't figure it out," Prather said. "I didn't throw it very well, either. I struggled getting my ball to go through the pins the right way, and I never really felt comfortable. It was just a bad day. But, I'm very fortunate that I bowled so well the first two days."
Monday's cashers' round will feature a fourth oil pattern, which will be used for the remainder of the tournament.
Prather gets an opportunity for a fresh start Monday on the 43-foot lane condition, and he's going to do his best to reset and move forward.
"The first thing I need to do is completely forget about today," Prather said. "I don't have to think about that pattern anytime soon, so I'm happy about that. I'm going to drill a couple of new bowling balls and try to get in the right mentality. Hopefully, I can figure out the right way to attack this looking ahead."
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 Wednesday 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 Professional Bowlers Association 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, may have slowed down Sunday at the U.S. Open, but he still finds himself in the driver's seat after finishing as the top qualifier at the 2018 edition at Northrock Lanes.
The 26-year-old right-hander led the overall standings for the third consecutive round, finishing Sunday's eight-game block with 1,576 to bring his overall total for 24 games to 5,355, a 223.13 average. Wichita's AJ Chapman is second with 5,254, and 2006 U.S. Open champion Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, South Carolina, is third with 5,210.
The 144-player field now has been cut to the top 36 players. All advancers will return to the lanes Monday at 11 a.m. Eastern for a cashers' round, which will include an additional eight games to determine the 24 players for round-robin match play.
Anthony Pepe of Elmhurst, New York, earned the final spot in the cashers' round, rolling 255 in his final game to get to 4,939, a 205.79 average. Defending champion Rhino Page of Orlando, Florida, also advanced, finishing qualifying in seventh place with 5,167.
Qualifying at the 2018 U.S. Open consisted of three eight-game blocks over three days.
Prather struggled to get comfortable on the 47-foot oil pattern being used during Sunday's third round.
The 2018 event featured a different lane condition for each of the three qualifying rounds.
"I'm annoyed with myself because I couldn't figure it out," Prather said. "I didn't throw it very well, either. I struggled getting my ball to go through the pins the right way, and I never really felt comfortable. It was just a bad day. But, I'm very fortunate that I bowled so well the first two days."
Monday's cashers' round will feature a fourth oil pattern, which will be used for the remainder of the tournament.
Prather gets an opportunity for a fresh start Monday on the 43-foot lane condition, and he's going to do his best to reset and move forward.
"The first thing I need to do is completely forget about today," Prather said. "I don't have to think about that pattern anytime soon, so I'm happy about that. I'm going to drill a couple of new bowling balls and try to get in the right mentality. Hopefully, I can figure out the right way to attack this looking ahead."
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 Wednesday 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 Professional Bowlers Association 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.