Bowling Industry News

Bowling News USA - April 1, 2009 Duke On the Prowl at the U.S Open...

Storm staffer Norm Duke fired to the lead at the 66^th Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open at Brunswick Zone Carolier. Duke rolled a 1461 six game set to move ahead of Chris Barnes on Day two of the event. Duke, Barnes and Tony Reyes round out the top three spots as qualifying continues this afternoon.

Storm Tour Representative Chris Schlemer reports that Duke used a Storm Virtual Gravity, Hy-Road and Second Dimension on Wednesday afternoon.

Round 2 Qualifying Norm Duke

Game:
Score:

1
238

2
245

3
248

4
218

5
268

6
244

Total
1461

Stay posted to Storm Enews for the latest from Carolier Lanes.

With the U.S. Open being the final event of the 2008-09 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season, Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, who has won three titles this season, is the front runner to win PBA Player of the Year honors. Malott is currently in 42^nd place after first-round qualifying with a 1,253 six-game pinfall.

As one of the most demanding events—mentally and physically—in professional bowling, the entire field will bowl additional six-game qualifying rounds Wednesday and Thursday after which the field will be cut to the top 25 percent for another nine-game round on Friday. The top 24 after 27 games will advance to round-robin match play which concludes on Saturday. The top five players will advance to the live, two-hour ESPN-televised stepladder finals on Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern.

“In a tournament like this you have to take advantage of a big block (qualifying round),” said Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas. “With a long format it’s better to hang on to pins rather than chase them. It’s so hard to get through the three days of qualifying that you can’t get too far behind and then feel you have to press.”

Hall of Famer Pete Weber of St. Ann, Mo., hoping to become the U.S. Open’s first five-time winner, was in eighth place after Tuesday’s first-round qualifying with a 1,348 pinfall. Weber currently holds the record of four U.S. Open wins with his dad, Dick Weber, and Don Carter.

As a major with a challenging format, the U.S. Open is contested on a U.S. Open lane conditioning pattern, which is considered to be the toughest in professional bowling. Adding to the pressure will be a $100,000 first prize, a three-year PBA Tour exemption and Grand Slam points which will impact players trying to qualify for the GEICO PBA Team Shootout hosted by Six Flags in June.

News Filter

April, 2009

4/30/2009: Liz Johnson Takes the Queens...
4/30/2009: Malott is still King after Week 2!
4/29/2009: Former college teammates share success at Open Championships
4/29/2009: Johnson breaks record en route to top seed at USBC Queens
4/28/2009: Johnson sets new USBC Queens record with 806
4/28/2009: O'Keefe breaks match play record at USBC Queens
4/26/2009: Patrick Allen Nips Malott at the Wire...
4/25/2009: Malott Leads in Japan...
4/24/2009: Boomershine and Friends Rocket to USBC Women's lead...
4/23/2009: Malott is King After Week 1...
4/22/2009: Hy-Road at the West Germany Championships
4/21/2009: Barrett beats Belmonte to win World Tenpin Masters
4/16/2009: Boresch, Dale Traber Roll to Lead with Virtual Gravity's...
4/15/2009: Senior High Roller Champs Crowned at Sam's Town!
4/13/2009: CDB Rolls in the Women's Series
4/09/2009: The Schlemer Report (2009 Lumber Liquidators U.S Open)
4/08/2009: Richgels, Myers, and Friends Rock Vegas...
4/08/2009: National Title Up For Grabs
4/06/2009: Scroggins the Giant Killer...Powers over Duke, Barnes at U.S Open
4/05/2009: The Amazing Norm Duke is #1 Seed at the Open
4/04/2009: Richgels and Crew Rocket to Lead in Las Vegas...
4/04/2009: Norm Duke Hangs Tough at the U.S Open...
4/03/2009: Watch Jason Belmonte's title run on Storm Clips!
4/03/2009: Duke Still in Control at the Open...
4/02/2009: Don Johnson Memorial Storm's USBC Team Event...
4/02/2009: Norm Atop the Leaderboard at the Open!
4/01/2009: Duke On the Prowl at the U.S Open...
4/01/2009: IN THE BAG - by Storm Tour Representative Chris Schlemer