Professional Bowlers Association

SEATTLE – Jason Belmonte and Osku Palermaa aren’t the only two-handed bowlers to make waves in bowling, but the fact that they have risen to the top of the game at virtually the same age, but half a world apart, is too ironic to ignore.

And while their stories are similar in many aspects, they remain worlds apart as competitors and bowling stylists.

For starters, Belmonte grew up in Orange, New South Wales, Australia. Born on July 29, 1983, he’s the older of the two by 112 days. “Belmo” is 5-foot-10 and weighs 185 pounds. Palermaa, who also is 28, was born on Nov. 18, 1983 and grew up in Espoo, Finland. He is 6-foot and weighs 200 pounds.

“It’s pretty weird how our stories are the same, and we’re the same age,” said Palermaa. “We just happened to live, one here and the other on the other side of the globe. The only difference is (Belmo’s) father owned a bowling center and mine worked at one.”

Both naturally migrated to the two-handed technique as tots, far too young to be able to pick up a bowling ball and throw it with one hand. So they independently learned to roll the ball using two hands. Neither had mentors teaching them the technique because it just wasn’t the way you were supposed to bowl. But for them, it worked.

And even though they both engage both hands in their delivery, they don’t thing they bowl the same, at all.

“We actually throw the ball quite a bit different,” Palermaa said, “but there are similarities as well. I guess I’m a little more powerful. I have a little more speed and more revs. I’ve been working on getting the revs down and I think he has been, also. I’m also working on slowing my speed. With the bowling balls we have now, it’s not an advantage to have 500, 600 revs.”

Belmonte agrees.

“Just like one-handed bowlers, no two two-handers will throw the ball alike,” he said. “It’s kind of frustrating to put us all into one category, that we throw the ball the same, because we’re different people, we’re different bowlers.

“Osku has his skills and I have mine. It’s like saying Pete Weber and Walter Ray throw the ball the same because they throw the ball one-handed. It’s a really ridiculous comment. And what about Brian Valenta (another two-handed PBA Tour player who lives in Lockport, Ill.)? I could keep going. Of every two-hander I’ve ever seen, no one throws the ball like me, and I don’t throw it like them, and I’ve never seen two who are alike.

“It’s just another style,” Belmonte said, “and you put your own spin on it – your own touch, your own personality. Unless there are two people who are identical in every way, shape and form, then perhaps they could bowl the same. But as far as I know there are no two bowlers who are alike.

“There are a lot of things (Osku and I) have in common. Our rev rates are high, our ball speeds are high. But Osku’s tilt on the ball, his hand position, his feet are a lot different than mine. I can’t quite throw it a million miles an hour like he can, but we also share a lot of traits.

“We have really quick steps, we’re both very much over the ball at the release point, our follow-throughs are very close, right in front of our faces. There are a lot of similarities, but we’re a world apart, too.”

The bottom line for Belmonte is, he no longer feels like an oddity. He and Palermaa and a handful of others have provide the two-handed style is a legitimate, effective way to bowl, and it appears there are a growing number of young people who are embracing the high-revolution, pin-scattering technique as their way of playing the game.

“Seven or eight years ago, you didn’t see a single person bowling two-handed. Now you see Osku, and Brian Valenta, and Cassidy Schaub, and others. I get all kinds of e-mails from people who want to learn how to do it. It’s really an inspiration.”

Belmonte and Palermaa will meet in a PBA Tour televised contest for the third time when ESPN airs the finals of the Chameleon Open Sunday at 3 p.m. ET. In their two previous meetings, Palermaa has won both times, defeating Belmonte, 182-176, in the 2010 GEICO Shark Championship semifinal match and 10-6 in a one-ball rolloff after they tied at 203-203 in round one of the PBA World Championship elimination finals, knocking Belmonte out of title contention in that event.

LAS VEGAS – Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., who qualified for the ESPN finals in a record six Professional Bowlers Association World Series of Bowling events, will meet two-handed rivals Jason Belmonte of Australia and Osku Palermaa of Finland in the PBA Chameleon Open finals Sunday on ESPN. Rounding out the field of four will be unsung Venezuelan Ildemaro Ruiz, making his third career PBA television appearance.

The Chameleon Open is the second of four PBA “animal pattern” championships conducted during the World Series of Bowling at South Point Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas. ESPN will air the finals at 3 p.m. ET (noon PT).

Rash, a four-time PBA Tour champion who is trying for his first title since the 2007 USBC Masters, will try to derail the two international two-handed stars who finished one-two in Chameleon Open qualifying. Belmonte averaged 236.29 to pace the Chameleon field with Palermaa 16 pins behind, averaging at a 235.14 pace. Rash was another 25 pins behind Palermaa while Ruiz qualified fourth for the four-man eliminator format finals.

Eliminator-format finals feature three one-game rounds. All four players bowl the opening game, with the lowest-scoring player after each game being eliminated.

Belmonte, the 2008-09 PBA Rookie of the Year, is trying for his second career title. He won his only Tour title in the 2009 Bowling Foundation Long Island Open. In the meantime, Palermaa, his primary rival in the world of two-handed players, has won twice including the 2012 PBA World Championship. Ruiz is trying for his first PBA title.

In their only two previous meetings in PBA Tour televised competition, Palermaa is 2-0 vs. Belmonte. Palermaa defeated Belmonte, 182-176, in the 2010 GEICO Shark Championship semifinal match and he nipped the Aussie, 10-6, in a one-ball rolloff after they tied at 203-203 in round one of the PBA World Championship elimination finals, knocking Belmonte out of title contention in that event.

The Chameleon Open winner will earn $15,000 and a berth in the Round of 36 for the end-of-season PBA Tournament of Champions, April 8-15, at Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas.

A Chameleon Open pre-event show will be webcast at no cost on pba.com’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel starting Wednesday, with a follow-up post-game show immediately following Sunday’s ESPN telecast. To subscribe to Xtra Frame , visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame logo.

Benjamin Doyle said he became a Sean Rash fan when Rash first joined the PBA Tour on a regular basis. But the 16-year-old Casper, Wyo., youth bowler never imagined he’d have the opportunity he got last week when he met and bowled with Rash during the USBC Masters at Sunset Station in Las Vegas.

Doyle, a brain tumor survivor, got his chance to bowl with Rash through the Make A Wish Foundation. He spent more than an hour on the lanes with Rash on Jan. 28 at Sunset Station’s Strike Zone Bowling Center.

“When (Rash) first came on tour, he became my favorite,” Doyle said. “I love watching him. I want to be like him.”

Doyle, a 10th grader who carries a 208 average in his youth league, said Rash gave him some great tips about keeping good balance and working on his follow-through. Following his lesson, Doyle promptly threw six strikes in a row before leaving a solid 7 pin to end his streak.

“One thing athletes do great is give back,” Rash said. “I enjoy opportunities like this. When I was young and asked pros for help, they were always willing.

“It’s very touching to work with these kids, to see what they have to fight through. They battle through things that are life-threatening, but in reality, they’re human beings just like you and me, and that’s what matters most.”

Rash previously befriended 10-year-old Danny McCarty of Las Vegas, a victim of “brittle bone disease,” during the PBA World Series of Bowling.

CHRIS PAUL CELEBRITY INVITATIONAL “RED CARPET INTERVIEWS” NOW ONLINE

Red carpet interviews with PBA and celebrity participants in Sunday’s Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational presented by Sheets Brand can be viewed on PBA Youtube page, including a Chris Paul interview by Xtra Frame's Jackie Bowling (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vtpxoc5TeA).

Additional interviews feature Miami Dolphins running back Reggie Bush, Entourage actor Jerry Ferrara, former New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan, teenage musical group Mindless Behavior, “The Price is Right” host Drew Carey, Los Angeles Clippers star Blake Griffin, and PBA stars Jason Belmonte, Pete Weber, Ryan Shafer and Wes Malott. The Chris Paul special event airs just in front of the Super Bowl Sunday on ESPN, starting at 4 p.m. ET.

NEW LANE PATTERN TO HONOR DON JOHNSON AT XTRA FRAME COLUMBUS EVENT

A new Don Johnson lane conditioning pattern will be specifically created for the PBA’s Xtra Frame Ricart Ford Open presented by Columbia 300, scheduled for Feb. 16-19 at Sequoia Pro Bowl in Columbus, Ohio. The Don Johnson pattern joins family of lane conditioning patterns the PBA has created in honor of some of its hall of fame superstars, including Earl Anthony, Dick Weber and Carmen Salvino, among others.

“The 45-foot pattern possesses excellent scoring potential if played correctly,” said PBA Deputy Commissioner Kirk Von Krueger. “Shot-making combined with choosing the correct angle of attack are both critical to success. Using too much ball surface or playing too deep could inhibit the scoring pace.”

The Xtra Frame Ricart Ford Open presented by Columbia 300 is the second of four PBA Tour events that will be webcast live, exclusively on the PBA’s online bowling channel, Xtra Frame. Full-year and monthly subscriptions to Xtra Frame are available on pba.com.

BOWER, TOMEK TEAM UP TO WIN CENTRAL REGION OVER/UNDER DOUBLES TITLE

Darryl Bower of Middletown, Pa. and partner Jim Tomek Jr. defeated Dick Gran of Hartville, Ohio and Bob Learn Jr. of Macomb, Mich., 2-1, in a best-of three-game match to win the PBA Central Region’s Legend Lanes Over/Under Doubles Classic at Legend Lanes in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Sunday.

Teams in the event were required to include one bowler age 50 or older, and one bowler under the age of 50. The title was Bower’s and Tomek’s first of the year in the PBA Central Region. It also was Bower’s 16th career PBA Regional title and Tomek’s eighth. They also split a $4,000 first prize.

Bower and Tomek won the first game against Gran and Learn, 422-400, lost the second game, 512-456, but claimed the title in the final game, 501-461.

On the Feb. 3-5 calendar are the PBA Southwest Region’s Carol “Stormin’” Norman Pro Shop U Can Bowl 2 Del Mar Lanes Open in Houston, Texas; the joint Midwest/Central Region Sparetime Lanes Senior Open presented by Allstate Insurance in Decatur, Ill., and the PBA West Region Jackson Rancheria Classic at Gold Country Lanes in Sutter Creek, Calif.

February’s schedule also includes a new Regional Players Doubles Championship presented by Hammer Feb. 10-12 at The Orleans in Las Vegas. The field will be limited to 70 teams on a first-come basis. For complete Regional tournament schedules and entry information, visit pba.com and click on “Regional Tour” under the “Schedules” drop-down tab.

QUICK NOTES:

Veteran announcer Gary Thorne made a successful PBA Tour debut as play-by-play announcer for Sunday’s ESPN telecast of the Alka-Seltzer Plus Liquid Gels USBC Masters, which drew the largest audience of the 2011-12 season – more than one million viewers. Thorne, who covers Major League Baseball and college football for ESPN, also is the television play-by-play voice of the Baltimore Orioles and is a renowned for his National Hockey League broadcast coverage. He replaces Rob Stone, who has taken a new position with the Fox Sports Network.

PBA Hall of Famer Brian Voss won the Columbia 300 Irish Open Tenpin Bowling Championships at Leisureplex Stillorgan in Dublin, Ireland, on Jan. 22, topping a 122-player field with a 27-game total of 6,582 pins, including match play bonus pins. Steve Kay of England finished second, 182 pins behind

Scott Salem, better known as “Scott the Engineer” to Howard Stern fans, will return to PBA competition during the 69th U.S. Open at Brunswick Zone-Carolier in North Brunswick, N.J., Feb. 20-26, and Howard TV will be on hand to cover all of Salem’s activities. Salem, an avid scratch league bowler in New Jersey, made his debut in PBA Tour competition during the 2010 PBA World Series of Bowling, generating extensive media coverage on Stern’s Sirius Radio broadcasts as well as on Howard TV.

By Lucas Wiseman, USBC Communications

HENDERSON, Nev. - Mike Fagan of Dallas won his first career major title Sunday, defeating Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, 246-213, to win the 2012 Alka-Seltzer Plus Liquid Gels United States Bowling Congress Masters.

A three-time winner on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour, Fagan completed a 30-pin comeback in the back half of the game to pull off the upset over the top-seeded Barnes at Sunset Station's Strike Zone Bowling Center.

"All week long I really wasn't thinking about majors, matches or what my opponents were doing. I just wanted to do what I do to the best of my ability," said Fagan, a two-time Team USA member who earned $50,000 for the victory. "Now the fact that it has paid off feels amazing. Sometimes you can bowl your best and not come out on top. I know how few and far between these opportunities can be, so for me to take advantage of it is amazing."

Fagan failed to strike in the first four frames of the championship match, while Barnes started with four out of five strikes to start the match. Fagan then rattled off seven consecutive strikes to take control.

"I really didn't like any of the first couple shots off my hand because they were a little fast or a little bit too aggressive," Fagan said. "The next few shots I really just wanted to get my body position right and let the swing follow and the pins cooperated thankfully."

Barnes was hoping to become just the third player in PBA history to complete the career Grand Slam with victories at each of the PBA's four majors. Only two players in bowling history have accomplished the feat - Mike Aulby and Norm Duke.

"This one hurts; it was a difficult day," said Barnes, who has now lost the Masters as the top seed three times. "I was more nervous today for the final than I have been in a long time. There were a lot of legacy things on the line, and I'm not confident I will get another chance to win this tournament because it's so hard to get through all the matches."

Fagan advanced to the championship match by defeating 2003 Masters champion Bryon Smith of Roseburg, Ore., 228-180. Smith never led in the match and failed to double, allowing Fagan to pull away with a four-bagger down the stretch.

In the opening match, Smith had a come-from-behind victory against Canada's Dan MacLelland, 251-212. MacLelland opened the match by striking on five of his first six shots and grabbing a 24-pin lead, but an open in the seventh frame allowed Smith to pull ahead and take the win.

2012 ALKA-SELTZER PLUS LIQUID GELS USBC MASTERS
At Sunset Station Strike Zone Bowling Center, Henderson, Nev., Sunday's results
Final standings
1, Mike Fagan, Dallas 474 (two games), $50,000.
2, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 213 (one game), $25,000.
3, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 431 (two games), $15,000.
4, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 212 (one game), $10,000.

Stepladder results
Match One - Smith def. MacLelland, 251-212
Match Two - Fagan def. Smith, 228-180
Championship Match -Fagan def. Barnes, 246-213

HENDERSON, Nev. - Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, earned the top seed for Sunday's live televised finals at the 2012 Alka Seltzer Plus Liquid Gels United States Bowling Congress Masters on Friday.

Barnes went 6-0 in the double-elimination match-play bracket at Sunset Station's Strike Zone Bowling Center and is now one more victory away from claiming his first career Masters title. The finals will be broadcast live on ESPN at 12:30 p.m. Eastern on Sunday.

Barnes earned the top seed by virtue of an 806-743 victory over Mike Fagan of Dallas. Fagan, who was previously unbeaten, is the No. 2 seed for the finals. Rounding out the telecast is No. 3 seed Dan MacLelland of Canada and No. 4 seed Bryon Smith of Roseburg, Ore.

"Things definitely fell my way today," said Barnes, who finished as the runner-up to Walter Ray Williams Jr. at 2004 and 2010 Masters. "This is where I wanted to be at the start of the week. After having Walter Ray fire a 268 and a 290 at me when I was the top seed previously, I feel like this time it's my turn. I'm a big believer that everything evens out, and I'm a long way from being even."

A victory by Barnes would make him the third Professional Bowlers Association Grand Slam winner in history, joining bowling greats Mike Aulby and Norm Duke. The Grand Slam is made up of the four majors on the PBA Tour - the USBC Masters, PBA Tournament of Champions, U.S. Open and the PBA National/World Championship.

"Winning this event is definitely a bucket list item for me," Barnes said. "This tournament is the most important one on my career list right now."

Fagan plowed through five consecutive opponents before running into Barnes in the final match to determine the top seed for the TV show. He said he was just happy that match happened when it did.

"I feel good, and I'm just happy that match with Chris came at the end and not earlier in the bracket," said Fagan, who will be seeking his first major title. "I'm just trying to play my game and not worry about any of my competitors. That's the frame of mind I need to keep for the TV show."

As for MacLelland, he knew getting to the championship would be a grind after winning his first match and then dropping into the losers bracket. He had to win seven matches in the losers bracket, including a 746-690 victory over Chris Warren of Grants Pass, Ore., that locked up a spot on the telecast.

"My body isn't quite what it used to be, and I knew it was going to be a grind coming into today," said MacLelland, who was a three-time collegiate bowler of the year at Saginaw Valley State. "I kept telling myself that I could do it, and I basically willed myself to the show."

Smith made the finals by overcoming a 29-pin deficit heading into the final game, rallying for a 660-625 victory against Chris Loschetter of Avon, Ohio. It's the first time Smith has made a TV appearance since 2004 and his lone professional title came at the 2003 USBC Masters.

"My heart rate went up a couple times today, and when I was down in that last game my heart rate went up again," Smith said. "Come Sunday, I'm sure there will be some nerves. When this isn't something you do on a regular basis anymore, it can be a bit more nerve wrecking."

The week began with 305 of the best players in the world vying for a piece of the $250,000 prize fund and $50,000 first-place prize.

2012 ALKA SELTZER PLUS LIQUID GELS USBC MASTERS
At Sunset Station Strike Zone Bowling Center, Henderson, Nev.
Friday's results
 
MATCH PLAY
Double elimination, three-game matches decided by total pinfall
 
ROUND 2 WINNERS BRACKET
Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., def. Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 669-630.
Mike Fagan, Dallas, def. Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 639-572.
Jon Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., def. Tom Baker, King, N.C., 676-664.
Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., def. Stuart Williams, England, 663-620.
Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, def. Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 788-622.
Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., def. Keith Odette, Waipahu, Hawaii, 637-594.
Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, def. Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 686-651.
Missy Parkin, Lake Forest, Calif., def. Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 693-688.
 
ROUND 3 LOSERS BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $1,900)
Dan MacLelland, Canada, def. Rick Steelsmith, Wichita, Kan., 675-613.
Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., def. Stevie Weber, Chalmette, La., 680-666.
PJ Haggerty, Roseville, Calif., def. Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 770-656.
Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., def. Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 721-626.
Shigeo Saitoh, Japan, def. Eric Espinda, Albuquerque, N.M., 621-586.
Steven McCracken, Parker, Colo., def. Bill Crane III, Mishawaka, Ind., 678-579.
John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y., def. Paul Ashby, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, 711-581.
Jason Belmonte, Australia, def. Wayne Garber, Modesto, Calif., 750-645.
 
ROUND 4 LOSERS BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $2,300)
MacLelland def. Baker, 737-735.
S. Williams def. Jones, 682-567.
Wolfe def. Haggerty, 706-623.
O'Neill def. Shafer, 730-684.
Jurek def. Saitoh, 744-557.
McCracken def. Russell, 678-604.
Odette def. Szczerbinski, 613-574.
Belmonte def. Pilon, 749-625.
 
ROUND 5 LOSERS BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $2,900)
MacLelland def. S. Williams, 707-612.
O'Neill def. Wolfe, 682-638.
McCracken def. Jurek, 650-617.
Belmonte def. Odette, 751-677.
 
ROUND 3 WINNERS BRACKET
Fagan def. Smith, 777-685.
Warren def. Van Hees, 720-631.
Barnes def. Bohr, 692-665.
Loschetter def. Parkin, 784-605.
 
ROUND 6 LOSERS BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $3,700)
MacLelland def. Parkin, 763-606.
Bohr def. O'Neill, 728-566.
Van Hees def. McCracken, 595-541.
Smith def. Belmonte, 628-616.
 
ROUND 7 LOSERS BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $5,000)
MacLelland def. Bohr, 718-673.
Smith def. Van Hees, 703-602.
 
ROUND 4 WINNERS BRACKET
Fagan def. Smith, 756-585.
Barnes def. Loschetter, 673-669.
 
ROUND 5 WINNERS BRACKET
(Winner is top seed for ESPN stepladder finals; loser is No. 2)
Barnes def. Fagan, 806-743.
 
ROUND 8 LOSERS BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $7,000; winners advance to stepladder finals as No. 3 and No. 3 seeds)
MacLelland def. Warren, 746-690.
Smith def. Loschetter, 660-625.