Professional Bowlers Association

Wes Malott ushered in a new era on the Denny’s PBA Tour, and he did it by beating one of the Tour’s legends. Malott became the first bowler since Walter Ray Williams Jr. in 2001 to make four consecutive television appearances by defeating 31-time Tour titlist and PBA Hall of Famer, Pete Weber, four-games-to-three, Friday in the 2005 Greater Omaha Classic at Thunderbowl. Malott, ranked No. 1 in the 2005-06 PBA World Point Rankings, will look to become the second bowler this season to win back-to-back titles. Tommy Jones won the first two events of the season. The Austin, Texas native averaged 255.14 in the seven games, including a 298 in game seven to clinch the match. He nearly had a triplicate, winning games 3-5 by scores of 268-259, 268-247 and 269-268. He struck in his last six shots in game five to beat Weber by one pin. “My concentration has been unbelievable, my ball selection has been excellent and I’ve been making the right decisions,” said Malott, who won his first career title last week in the 2005 Mile High Classic. “Like I’ve been saying, it’s making the shots at the right time and I’ve been doing that. To do it against one of the best ever is unbelievable.” The 29-year-old primarily used a Columbia Detour in his round of 8 match. "I was going straighter at first, then I moved left and slowed it down, then I moved further left and slowed it down even more," said Malott. "I made a big move in the middle of the second game and didn’t really make a big move after that again." Malott will take on Bill O’Neill (Levittown, Pa.), who will be looking for his first title in his first career televised championship round. O’Neill, who at 24 is the youngest bowler on Tour, defeated Mike DeVaney (Temecula, Calif.), 4-2. Mike Machuga (Erie, Pa.) defeated Doug Kent (Newark, N.Y.), 4-1, and will face David Traber (Hebron, Ill.) in the second semifinal. Machuga, who bowled nearby at the University of Nebraska, finished 2nd the last time the Tour came to Council Bluffs in the 2003 Banquet Open. He’ll be looking for his first career Tour title in 79 events. Traber defeated Rick Lawrence (Celina, Texas), 4-3. The final four will bowl for the $40,000 top prize and an exemption for the 2006-07 Denny’s PBA Tour season on Sunday. ESPN will air the final round live from Thunderbowl Sunday, Nov. 13 at Noon CST. Notes Malott defeated two of the games best ever in advancing the finals in Weber in the round of 8 and Williams in the round of 32. The two have a combined 71 titles to Malott's one title. In the Bag O'Neill used a Columbia Action and Power Drive to defeat DeVaney. Machuga and Traber both used Brunswick, with Machuga throwing the Shock Zone Pro, while Traber used the Ultimate Inferno.