Washington State bowler takes Classified Singles lead at USBC Open Championships

5/9/11

By Matt Cannizzaro and Emil Williams Jr.
USBC Communications

RENO, Nev. - Glen Brown of Renton, Wash., got off to a hot start in singles and maintained that momentum all the way to the Classified Singles lead at the USBC Open Championships on Sunday.

The 40-year-old right-hander opened with a 10-strike 268 game and added 178 and 244 for a 690 series at the National Bowling Stadium. Robert Petersen of Crystal Lake, Ill., and Scott Blaisdell of Malad, Idaho, previously shared the lead with 680.

"It feels good," said Brown, who made his 19th consecutive Open Championships appearance. "I am extremely happy, but I was pretty nervous. My nervousness started about the seventh frame of the last game after I had five in a row. The ball stuck on my thumb because I gripped it. I got two more strikes and then the ball stuck again. Then, I finished up with a spare and a strike."

Brown always has wanted to finish in the top 10 or 15 at the Open Championships and now has the opportunity to win a title.

"I've always wanted to place in the top 10 or 15," said Brown, who bowls league at Sun Villa Lanes. "I didn't think I would ever bowl well enough to take a lead. My higher-priority goal was to shoot 300 here. But, this might top it if I win."

Brown made his Open Championships debut at the 1993 event in Tulsa, Okla., after he was invited by a team captain who needed a bowler. He has been to every tournament since and has no plans of stopping. He is focused on additional spots in the record books as a member of the tournament's 50 and 60-Year Clubs.

This year's tournament was extra special for Brown because he has been dealing with the loss of both of his parents in the last three years. He dedicated his success on the tournament lanes to them.

"This tournament is for them," Brown said. "I had both of my parents pass away within three years, with my dad passing away in January. I actually haven't done much bowling this year. It's very emotional for me, and this tournament is for them."

Brown finished his 2011 Open Championships campaign with 563 in team and 537 in doubles for a 1,790 all-events total, which is good for sixth place in Classified All-Events. Mark Bylander of Vergas, Minn., leads with 1,842.

The Classified Division is for bowlers with entering averages of 180 and below.

Click here to watch video highlights from the 2011 Open Championships.
Presenting sponsors for the 2011 USBC Open Championships are Circus Circus, Eldorado Hotel Casino Reno and Silver Legacy Resort Casino Reno. Other sponsors include Sands Regency Casino Hotel, official brackets sponsor, Kegel, official lane maintenance provider, Humana, official registration sponsor, US Steltronic, official scoring system, and supporting sponsors Storm Bowling Products, UPS, Nationwide Insurance, Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa, Harrah's Reno Casino and Hotel and Peppermill Hotel Casino.

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U.S. lefties come up empty in singles at World Men's Championships

8/13/10

By Lucas Wiseman
USBC Communications

RESULTS: Singles

MUNICH, Germany - Team USA left-handers Rhino Page and Patrick Allen finished outside of the cut to the semifinals in singles Friday at the 2010 World Tenpin Bowling Association World Men's Championships.

With three of the five qualifying squads completed, Page was in 31st place with 1,235 for six games, an average of 205.8, while Allen sat in 67th place with 1,172, an average of 195.3. The rest of the Team USA lineup will compete Saturday.

The top four players after the five qualifying squads will advance to Saturday afternoon's semifinals. Finland's Pasi Uotila had the tournament's first perfect game and currently leads with 1,357.

Page had games of 183, 227, 208, 205, 212 and 200 on the medium oil pattern at Dream Bowl Palace. Allen started with 180 and 169 before closing with games of 207, 224, 193 and 199.

"I think we both struggled with our ball reaction and physically," Page said. "I don't want to put words in PA's mouth, but neither one of us were really sharp. The conditions are really demanding and it showed."

With four players yet to compete, Team USA still has medal hopes in the event. Bill O'Neill and Chris Barnes begin_of_the_skype_highlighting     end_of_the_skype_highlighting will bowl on the fourth qualifying squad, while Wes Malott and Tommy Jones will compete on the final squad.

The top four players after Friday's three rounds will sit and wait to see if they remain in position to contend for the gold medal. Mexico's Earnest Franco is second, trailing Uotila by four pins. In third is Japan's Nobuhito Fujii with 1,347, while fourth place belongs to Korea's Jang Dong-Chul at 1,346.

The 2010 WTBA World Men's Championships features 356 competitors from 65 countries competing for medals in six events - five-player team, trios, doubles, singles, all-events and Masters match play.

BowlingDigital.com will provide live streaming of the semifinals and finals of each event and coverage can also be viewed live on BOWL.com. The singles semifinals and final are scheduled to begin on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. Eastern.

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O'Neill golden in singles at World Men's Championships

8/14/10

By Lucas Wiseman
USBC Communications

WATCH: Semifinals | Finals | Medal ceremony

MUNICH, Germany - In what has become one of international bowling's biggest rivalries, the United States topped Korea for the singles gold medal Saturday night at the 2010 World Tenpin Bowling Association World Men's Championships.

Team USA's Bill O'Neill defeated Korea's Choi Bok-Eum, 244-202, in the one-game gold-medal match at Dream Bowl Palace. England's Dominic Barrett and Team USA's Chris Barnes shared the bronze medal after falling in the semifinals.

It was the latest clash between the two world bowling powers, which have met for medals in men's events, women's events and youth events around the world over the past few years. And it was Team USA coming out on top in the opening event of this edition of the World Men's Championships.

"Hearing the national anthem play in another country after winning the gold medal is something you can't describe," said O'Neill, who won two titles on the Lumber Liquidators Professional Bowlers Association Tour last season. "It's hard to get too hyped up about it, though, because it was in singles. It would be an even more emotional experience with my other teammates up there with me. Hopefully, we get a chance to do that this week."

In the title match, O'Neill started strong with three consecutive strikes, a spare and five more strikes. By the time six frames were in the books, O'Neill had amassed a 44-pin lead and rolled to the title.

O'Neill entered the semifinals as the fourth seed after six games of qualifying earlier Saturday. He defeated top seed Barrett, 187-170, in the semifinals to advance to the gold-medal match.

"This feels pretty good because I think I was pretty fortunate to even be in the top four," said O'Neill, who advanced to the semifinals by a slim four-pin margin over Sayed Ibrahim Al Hashemi of the United Arab Emirates. "I had a tough semifinals match, and in the championship match I moved to the right 10 boards, played straighter and it worked out."

In the other semifinal, Barnes, the third seed, lost to No. 2 Choi, 217-191, after a devastating split in the eighth frame. Barnes, who said he never quite managed to figure out the right lane, left the 3-6-7-10 split in the eighth frame on that lane and never recovered against Choi.

"He had the better ball reaction by a lot and sometimes that just happens," said Barnes, who shot the tournament's second 300 game in qualifying. "I expected this pattern to be my weakest, so to come out here and get a medal is pretty satisfying."

The attention now shifts to the doubles event, which begins with the first three of five qualifying squads on Sunday.

Team USA left-handers Patrick Allen and Rhino Page, the defending world doubles champions, will team up on the opening squad. Barnes and O'Neill pair up for Sunday's final squad, while Tommy Jones and Wes Malott will compete together on the second squad Monday.

BowlingDigital.com will provide live streaming of the semifinals and finals of each event and coverage can also be viewed live on BOWL.com. The doubles semifinals and final are scheduled to begin on Monday at Noon Eastern.

The 2010 WTBA World Men's Championships features 356 competitors from 65 countries competing for medals in six events - five-player team, trios, doubles, singles, all-events and Masters match play.

2010 WTBA WORLD MEN'S CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Dream Bowl Palace, Munich, Germany
Saturday's Results

CHAMPIONSHIP
(Winner earns gold, loser gets silver)

(4) Bill O'Neill, United States def. (2) Choi Bok-Eum, Korea, 244-202

SEMIFINALS
(Winners advance, losers tie for bronze)

(4) Bill O'Neill, United States def. (1) Dominic Barrett, England, 187-170
(2) Choi Bok-Eum, Korea def. (3) Chris Barnes, United States, 217-191

QUALIFYING
(Top 10, six games)

1, Dominic Barrett, England, 1,395. 2, Choi Bok-Eum, Korea, 1,392. 3, Chris Barnes, United States, 1,375. 4, Bill O'Neill, United States, 1,372. 5, Sayed Ibrahim Al Hashemi, United Arab Emirates, 1,368. 6, Pasi Uotila, Finland, 1,357. 7, Ernesto Franco, Mexico, 1,353. 8, Jesper Agerbo, Denmark, 1,349. 9, Nobuhito Fujii, Japan, 1,347. 10, Jang Dong-Chul, Korea, 1,346.

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