Tournament milestones from USBC's first five years
December 29, 2009
One of the biggest benefits of being a USBC member is being able to compete in USBC-certified tournaments. Thanks to an eclectic variety of events, bowlers of all ages and skill levels have the chance to compete on a national stage and earn part of more than $11 million in prize money each year.
Here's a look at 10 of the top moments on the tournament lanes since the USBC formed on Jan. 1, 2005:
2006 - Wendy Macpherson makes history at the USBC Open Championships: Still mourning the recent loss of her father, Wendy Macpherson of Henderson, Nev., grabbed four bowling balls and made the trip to the USBC Open Championships in Corpus Christi, Texas, where bowling was the farthest thing from her mind.
Despite not being as sharp as she was during her days as a Professional Women's Bowling Association star, Macpherson struck her way into the record books with games of 248, 300 and 264 for an 812 series, which moved her into the lead in Regular Singles on the second-to-last day of the 143-day event.
Her perfect game was the third by a woman at the Open Championships, and her 800 series was just the second by a female competitor (women first were allowed to bowl in the Open Championships in 1994). Kristal Wilson (then Scott) of Wichita, Kan., rolled an 816 series earlier in the 2006 tournament.
Macpherson, now a USBC Hall of Famer, held on to win the singles crown, making her the first woman to win a Regular Division title at the Open Championships.
2007 - U.S. Women's Open returns for first time since 2003: USBC brought back the U.S. Women's Open in August 2007, and 132 of the top women bowlers in the world met at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev.
All competitors rolled 32 games on four different PBA Experience lane conditions before the top 16 players advanced to the televised portion of the event, which aired on ESPN in five parts during September and October. Each show featured four bowlers in sub-brackets, and the winner from each of the first four shows advanced to the live finals.
Team USA member Shannon O'Keefe of Rochester, N.Y., wowed bowling fans with a televised 299 game on the way to a spot on the final show, where she was joined by Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of North Richland Hills, Texas, Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., and Lynda Barnes of Double Oak, Texas.
Johnson went on to defeat O'Keefe, 248-215, to claim the title. Johnson also won the event in 1996.
2007 - Sean Rash wins USBC Masters at Miller Park: Sean Rash of Wichita, Kan., improved to 7-0 on television and earned his fourth-career Professional Bowlers Association title, and first major, with a 269-245 win against PBA journeyman Steve Jaros of Yorkville, Ill.
The televised portion of the event took place at Miller Park, the home of Major League Baseball's Milwaukee Brewers. The Masters finals also were held at Miller Park in October 2004, marking the first time a major bowling event was held in a professional baseball stadium.
While Rash cruised through the winners bracket with a 234 average and 7-0 record, Jaros also put up some impressive numbers on the way to the title match. Jaros topped Walter Ray Williams Jr., 279-254, and Patrick Allen, 290-233. Through two games, Jaros' 569 was one pin shy of the record for consecutive games on TV. He finished the day with an 814 series.
Rash earned $100,000 for the victory, while Jaros took home $50,000.
2008 - Lynda Barnes wins second Queens title followed by win at inaugural Bowling's Clash of Champions: A longtime Team USA member, former pro and former collegiate standout, Lynda Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, has enjoyed success at every level of the game.
In April 2008, she claimed her second USBC Queens title with a 215-195 win over Amy Stolz of Castle Rock, Colo. Barnes, who also won the Queens in 1998, earned $30,000 for the victory, while Stolz took home $18,000.
A week later, Barnes found the winner's circle again, this time taking the title at the inaugural Bowling's Clash of Champions. The made-for-TV event featured a field of 16 champions of USBC events and the U.S. Open competing for a $100,000 prize fund.
The event featured one of the most unique formats in the history of bowling. Players were divided into foursomes for a one-ball, sudden-death round, and competitors ranged in age from teenagers to seniors. The winner of each foursome advanced to the semifinals, which featured traditional one-game matches.
In the finals, Barnes defeated PBA star Sean Rash, 258-237, to claim the $50,000 top prize. Rash earned $25,000 for second.
2008 - Kenny Parks denies Tom Baker a third consecutive USBC Senior Masters title: Kenny Parks of Hammond, Ind., made sure his first PBA Senior Tour title was a big one as he claimed the 2008 USBC Senior Masters.
Parks, who stands at 6 feet, 8 inches tall, defeated two-time defending champion Tom Baker to win the coveted crown.
Parks came from the winners bracket, but lost the first three-game set of the championship match to Baker, 595-545. Parks bounced back to win the second set and the tournament, 681-589.
Baker, a PBA Hall of Famer and four-time PBA Senior Player of the Year, won the Senior Masters in 2006 and 2007.
2008 - Jack Wilson wins Classified Singles on last squad of Open Championships: Jack Wilson of Centreville, Md., helped the 2008 Open Championships end its 142-day run in dramatic fashion as he put together games of 265, 170 and 269 to win Classified Singles with a 704 series on the final squad of the tournament.
The 42-year-old right-hander was competing in just his second Open Championships and edged out Brian Johnston of Grinnell, Kan., who shot 701 and took the lead just a few days earlier.
Wilson started his 2008 campaign with 453 in team and 522 in doubles. He finished with a 1,679 all-events total.
2009 - John Nolen comes from obscurity and wins Masters: Virtually unknown, John Nolen of Waterford, Mich., put himself on the radar with a victory at the 2008 PBA Regional Players Invitational and then solidified his place as an up-and-comer when he claimed the 2009 USBC Masters title.
By virtue of his win at the RPI, Nolen had already secured a PBA Tour exemption for the 2009-10 season, but his Masters win earned him $60,000 and an additional year on the Tour.
Nolen led the field of 452 competitors after 15 games of qualifying and marched through the double-elimination match-play bracket, averaging more than 230 on the way to a 7-0 match-play record. The 29-year-old right-hander defeated 2004 Masters champion Danny Wiseman, 202-193, in the title match.
2009 - Record year at USBC Open Championships: The USBC Open Championships made its return to Las Vegas for the first time in 23 years, and a near-record 17,200 teams took to the lanes at Cashman Center. During the tournament's record 154-day run, three major scoring marks were set.
First, Ron Vokes of Racine, Wis., tossed a record 30 consecutive strikes on the way to games of 290, 300 and 267 for an 857 singles series. He added 767 in team and 697 in doubles for a 2,321 all-events total, the highest in 106 years of Open Championships competition.
A month later, Bo Goergen of Midland, Mich., put himself in position to win Regular Singles with games of 299, 299 and 264 for an 862 series, the highest three-game set in tournament history. He held on to win the singles title and finished third in Regular All-Events with 2,190.
And finally, Brenda Edwards and Stephen Padilla of Mansfield, Texas, teamed up to claim the Regular Doubles title with a record 1,566 effort. Padilla, a USBC Coaching Specialist, led the way with a 790 series, while Edwards, a former Team USA member and USBC Youth Program Developer, contributed 776.
Edwards later added a 300 game and 785 series in singles for a 2,132 all-events effort, the highest by a woman at the Open Championships.
2009 - Emma Hendrickson becomes oldest USBC Women's Championships participant: Emma Hendrickson of Morris Plains, N.J., became the oldest participant in USBC Women's Championships history when she took to the lanes at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., at 100 years of age.
Hendrickson previously shared the record with Ethel Brunnick of Santa Monica, Calif., who competed in the 1987 event in Hartford, Conn., at 99 years old.
Hendrickson's milestone appearance marked her 50th consecutive year on the tournament lanes, and her achievement quickly became national news, landing her on ESPN's Top 10 Plays, ESPNEWS and later, "Live! With Regis and Kelly."
Also in 2009, 91-year-old Mini Tvaska of St. Petersburg, Fla., extended her own participation record when she competed in her 63rd Women's Championships.
2009- Michelle Feldman rolls highest series in USBC Women's Championships history: Former Professional Women's Bowling Association star Michelle Feldman of Auburn, N.Y., rolled the highest three-game series in 90 years of USBC Women's Championships competition on the way to the Classic Singles title.
Feldman rolled games of 279, 249 and 288 for an 816 series, the fourth 800 series in tournament history. The previous high set was 812, rolled by Kendra Gaines of Orlando, Fla., in 2000.
Two days before Feldman posted her record number, USBC Hall of Famer Robin Romeo of Newhall, Calif., rolled an 805 series during her team event. She added 689 in doubles and 678 in singles to claim the Classic All-Events title with a 2,172 effort, the second-highest in tournament history. Leanne Hulsenberg of Elk Grove, Calif., won the 2005 event with a 2,231 total.
Here's a look at 10 of the top moments on the tournament lanes since the USBC formed on Jan. 1, 2005:
2006 - Wendy Macpherson makes history at the USBC Open Championships: Still mourning the recent loss of her father, Wendy Macpherson of Henderson, Nev., grabbed four bowling balls and made the trip to the USBC Open Championships in Corpus Christi, Texas, where bowling was the farthest thing from her mind.
Despite not being as sharp as she was during her days as a Professional Women's Bowling Association star, Macpherson struck her way into the record books with games of 248, 300 and 264 for an 812 series, which moved her into the lead in Regular Singles on the second-to-last day of the 143-day event.
Her perfect game was the third by a woman at the Open Championships, and her 800 series was just the second by a female competitor (women first were allowed to bowl in the Open Championships in 1994). Kristal Wilson (then Scott) of Wichita, Kan., rolled an 816 series earlier in the 2006 tournament.
Macpherson, now a USBC Hall of Famer, held on to win the singles crown, making her the first woman to win a Regular Division title at the Open Championships.
2007 - U.S. Women's Open returns for first time since 2003: USBC brought back the U.S. Women's Open in August 2007, and 132 of the top women bowlers in the world met at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev.
All competitors rolled 32 games on four different PBA Experience lane conditions before the top 16 players advanced to the televised portion of the event, which aired on ESPN in five parts during September and October. Each show featured four bowlers in sub-brackets, and the winner from each of the first four shows advanced to the live finals.
Team USA member Shannon O'Keefe of Rochester, N.Y., wowed bowling fans with a televised 299 game on the way to a spot on the final show, where she was joined by Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of North Richland Hills, Texas, Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., and Lynda Barnes of Double Oak, Texas.
Johnson went on to defeat O'Keefe, 248-215, to claim the title. Johnson also won the event in 1996.
2007 - Sean Rash wins USBC Masters at Miller Park: Sean Rash of Wichita, Kan., improved to 7-0 on television and earned his fourth-career Professional Bowlers Association title, and first major, with a 269-245 win against PBA journeyman Steve Jaros of Yorkville, Ill.
The televised portion of the event took place at Miller Park, the home of Major League Baseball's Milwaukee Brewers. The Masters finals also were held at Miller Park in October 2004, marking the first time a major bowling event was held in a professional baseball stadium.
While Rash cruised through the winners bracket with a 234 average and 7-0 record, Jaros also put up some impressive numbers on the way to the title match. Jaros topped Walter Ray Williams Jr., 279-254, and Patrick Allen, 290-233. Through two games, Jaros' 569 was one pin shy of the record for consecutive games on TV. He finished the day with an 814 series.
Rash earned $100,000 for the victory, while Jaros took home $50,000.
2008 - Lynda Barnes wins second Queens title followed by win at inaugural Bowling's Clash of Champions: A longtime Team USA member, former pro and former collegiate standout, Lynda Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, has enjoyed success at every level of the game.
In April 2008, she claimed her second USBC Queens title with a 215-195 win over Amy Stolz of Castle Rock, Colo. Barnes, who also won the Queens in 1998, earned $30,000 for the victory, while Stolz took home $18,000.
A week later, Barnes found the winner's circle again, this time taking the title at the inaugural Bowling's Clash of Champions. The made-for-TV event featured a field of 16 champions of USBC events and the U.S. Open competing for a $100,000 prize fund.
The event featured one of the most unique formats in the history of bowling. Players were divided into foursomes for a one-ball, sudden-death round, and competitors ranged in age from teenagers to seniors. The winner of each foursome advanced to the semifinals, which featured traditional one-game matches.
In the finals, Barnes defeated PBA star Sean Rash, 258-237, to claim the $50,000 top prize. Rash earned $25,000 for second.
2008 - Kenny Parks denies Tom Baker a third consecutive USBC Senior Masters title: Kenny Parks of Hammond, Ind., made sure his first PBA Senior Tour title was a big one as he claimed the 2008 USBC Senior Masters.
Parks, who stands at 6 feet, 8 inches tall, defeated two-time defending champion Tom Baker to win the coveted crown.
Parks came from the winners bracket, but lost the first three-game set of the championship match to Baker, 595-545. Parks bounced back to win the second set and the tournament, 681-589.
Baker, a PBA Hall of Famer and four-time PBA Senior Player of the Year, won the Senior Masters in 2006 and 2007.
2008 - Jack Wilson wins Classified Singles on last squad of Open Championships: Jack Wilson of Centreville, Md., helped the 2008 Open Championships end its 142-day run in dramatic fashion as he put together games of 265, 170 and 269 to win Classified Singles with a 704 series on the final squad of the tournament.
The 42-year-old right-hander was competing in just his second Open Championships and edged out Brian Johnston of Grinnell, Kan., who shot 701 and took the lead just a few days earlier.
Wilson started his 2008 campaign with 453 in team and 522 in doubles. He finished with a 1,679 all-events total.
2009 - John Nolen comes from obscurity and wins Masters: Virtually unknown, John Nolen of Waterford, Mich., put himself on the radar with a victory at the 2008 PBA Regional Players Invitational and then solidified his place as an up-and-comer when he claimed the 2009 USBC Masters title.
By virtue of his win at the RPI, Nolen had already secured a PBA Tour exemption for the 2009-10 season, but his Masters win earned him $60,000 and an additional year on the Tour.
Nolen led the field of 452 competitors after 15 games of qualifying and marched through the double-elimination match-play bracket, averaging more than 230 on the way to a 7-0 match-play record. The 29-year-old right-hander defeated 2004 Masters champion Danny Wiseman, 202-193, in the title match.
2009 - Record year at USBC Open Championships: The USBC Open Championships made its return to Las Vegas for the first time in 23 years, and a near-record 17,200 teams took to the lanes at Cashman Center. During the tournament's record 154-day run, three major scoring marks were set.
First, Ron Vokes of Racine, Wis., tossed a record 30 consecutive strikes on the way to games of 290, 300 and 267 for an 857 singles series. He added 767 in team and 697 in doubles for a 2,321 all-events total, the highest in 106 years of Open Championships competition.
A month later, Bo Goergen of Midland, Mich., put himself in position to win Regular Singles with games of 299, 299 and 264 for an 862 series, the highest three-game set in tournament history. He held on to win the singles title and finished third in Regular All-Events with 2,190.
And finally, Brenda Edwards and Stephen Padilla of Mansfield, Texas, teamed up to claim the Regular Doubles title with a record 1,566 effort. Padilla, a USBC Coaching Specialist, led the way with a 790 series, while Edwards, a former Team USA member and USBC Youth Program Developer, contributed 776.
Edwards later added a 300 game and 785 series in singles for a 2,132 all-events effort, the highest by a woman at the Open Championships.
2009 - Emma Hendrickson becomes oldest USBC Women's Championships participant: Emma Hendrickson of Morris Plains, N.J., became the oldest participant in USBC Women's Championships history when she took to the lanes at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., at 100 years of age.
Hendrickson previously shared the record with Ethel Brunnick of Santa Monica, Calif., who competed in the 1987 event in Hartford, Conn., at 99 years old.
Hendrickson's milestone appearance marked her 50th consecutive year on the tournament lanes, and her achievement quickly became national news, landing her on ESPN's Top 10 Plays, ESPNEWS and later, "Live! With Regis and Kelly."
Also in 2009, 91-year-old Mini Tvaska of St. Petersburg, Fla., extended her own participation record when she competed in her 63rd Women's Championships.
2009- Michelle Feldman rolls highest series in USBC Women's Championships history: Former Professional Women's Bowling Association star Michelle Feldman of Auburn, N.Y., rolled the highest three-game series in 90 years of USBC Women's Championships competition on the way to the Classic Singles title.
Feldman rolled games of 279, 249 and 288 for an 816 series, the fourth 800 series in tournament history. The previous high set was 812, rolled by Kendra Gaines of Orlando, Fla., in 2000.
Two days before Feldman posted her record number, USBC Hall of Famer Robin Romeo of Newhall, Calif., rolled an 805 series during her team event. She added 689 in doubles and 678 in singles to claim the Classic All-Events title with a 2,172 effort, the second-highest in tournament history. Leanne Hulsenberg of Elk Grove, Calif., won the 2005 event with a 2,231 total.