Click here to view this article as a PDFThis WeekThe Denny’s PBA Tour returns after a two-week hiatus with the H&R Block Classic in Reno, Nev., Jan. 3-7 at the National Bowling Stadium. The event will mark the Tour’s return to Reno after a three-year absence.
Mika Koivuniemi will be the defending champion, having captured the 2004 Reno Open in January 2004. PBA Commissioner and CEO Fred Schreyer elected not to award a Commissioner’s Exemption for the event, and exempt bowlers Jim Pratt and Amleto Monacelli have withdrawn, meaning a minimum of seven spots will be available for PBA members through the Denny’s PBA Tour Qualifying Round.
First Half RecapIf the second half of the 2006-07 Denny’s PBA Tour season is anything like the first, fans are in for a wild ride.
The first nine events saw records broken and history made, with Walter Ray Williams Jr. starting the season off with a bang, breaking Earl Anthony’s all-time Tour titles record in the Dydo Japan Cup 2006.
A month later, Doug Kent kicked off the U.S. portion of the Tour by winning the first Major of the season, the USBC Masters in Milwaukee, Wis., and the following week, Tony Reyes fired just the 17th nationally televised 300 game in Denny’s PBA Tour history en route to capturing his first career Tour title.
Those first three events were hard to top, but the next two weeks saw two of the game’s greatest legends add another title to their lofty resumes, as Pete Weber and Norm Duke won the season’s fourth and fifth events. With three of the first five events won by the Tour’s “Legends” it looked as if it might be a quiet season for the “Young Guns.”
The next three weeks, however, were dominated by the Young Guns as Wes Malott, Tommy Jones and Sean Rash took those three events, with Jones’ title being his ninth in just over two years.
Just as it seemed like there might not be an early leader for the 2006-07 PBA Player of the Year, Duke captured the final event of the first half to become the first bowler this season with multiple titles. Both of Duke’s wins came in style. He set a Denny’s PBA Tour record by going 14-0 en route to the Lake County Indiana Classic title and won four matches as the No. 4 seed in winning the stepladder finals of the Columbia 300 Classic.
This Week's ScheduleThis week’s 2007 H&R Block Classic at the National Bowling Stadium features a single elimination match play format. Action begins with the Denny’s PBA Tour Qualifying Round and official PBA practice session on Wednesday, Jan. 3. On Thursday, Jan. 4, the 64-bowler field will bowl two seven-game qualifying sessions, after which the top 32 will advance to match play.
The match play schedule varies a little this week as normally all three match play rounds take place Friday. This week, however, the Rounds of 32 and 16 will take place Friday, Jan. 5, while the Round of 8 will take place Saturday, Jan. 6 at 9 a.m. PST. A PBA Pro-Am will take place following the Round of 8 at Noon.
The final four will bowl live on ESPN Sunday, Jan. 7, at 10 a.m. PST. The winner will take home the $25,000 top prize and an exemption for the 2007-08 season.
Did You Know?Norm Duke has won two titles this season in just nine events, the first time since the 2000 campaign he’s won multiple titles in a season.
The 2000 season was also the last time Duke earned PBA Player of the Year honors. That season Duke won three titles in earning his second PBA Player of the Year award.
Return to RenoThe Denny’s PBA Tour returns to the National Bowling Stadium (NBS) in Reno, Nev., for the first time since the 2003-04 season when Mika Koivuniemi won the 2004 Reno Open. Overall this will mark the 12th Denny’s PBA Tour event held at the NBS and the 21st overall in Reno.
The first Tour event ever held in Reno was the 1978 PBA National Championship which was held at MGM Grand Lanes and was won by Warren Nelson. Bally’s Bowling Center played host to mixed doubles events over three consecutive seasons from 1989-91, the first two of which were won by Amleto Monacelli (with Tish Johnson) while the third was won by Del Ballard Jr. (with Nikki Gianulias). Two years later, Parker Bohn III teamed with Aleta Sill to win the 1993 Mixed Doubles event at Hilton Lanes. The Reno Hilton Bowling Center then played host a Tour stop four consecutive seasons before the National Bowling Stadium was opened in 1995.
John Gant won the first-ever Tour stop held in the NBS, the 1997 Brunswick World Tournament of Champions. Since then, four current exempt bowlers have won in the Stadium including Tim Criss, Bohn, Koivuniemi and Walter Ray Williams Jr.
Halfway HomeWith four wins on TV en route to the 2006 Columbia 300 Classic title, Norm Duke is now halfway to tying the Denny’s PBA Tour record for most consecutive wins on TV. Duke doubled his winning streak in the Long Island event as the four wins brought his total to eight consecutive wins on TV.
Duke’s streak is still eight shy of Jim Pencak’s record of 16, which was challenged the last two seasons by Tommy Jones, who reached 15 consecutive wins. Duke has won three titles in that span, winning twice in last season’s Ace Hardware Championship and twice in this season’s Lake County Indiana Classic. The eight consecutive wins is tied for the sixth longest streak in history.
Extra Spots Available in Next Two EventsJim Pratt has withdrawn from the first three events of the second half while Amleto Monacelli has withdrawn from the first two, meaning two extra spots will be available from the Denny’s PBA Tour Qualifying Round in both this week’s H&R Block Classic and next week’s Earl Anthony Medford Classic. The following week’s Dick Weber Open is an open-field event meaning Pratt’s withdrawal will not affect the field size.
Non-Exempt Points Race Heats UpThough it’s still relatively early in the season, particularly with two Major events left which count toward the PBA World Point Rankings, action in the 2006-07 non-exempt points race is heating up. The Columbia 300 Classic Denny’s PBA Tour Qualifying Round offered a record nine spots for PBA members (which as a result drew in a record 107 entries) giving non-exempt bowlers more opportunity to gain valuable points. The high non-exempt bowler in the point rankings at the end of the season earns an exemption for 2007-08.
Among those in the hunt and making the cut in West Babylon, N.Y., were Steve Rogers – who finished fourth in the 2006 Lake County Indiana Classic after advancing through the TQR – as well as Dino Castillo and Edward VanDaniker Jr., who have advanced from the TQR a Tour-high tying three times each this season. Though she has not made a cut since her Round of 8 appearance in the Etonic Championship, Liz Johnson still holds a slim lead heading into the second half:
| Rank | | Name | | Points |
| 50. | | Liz Johnson | | 27,332 |
| 51. | | Chad Kloss | | 27,085.16 |
| 54. | | Dino Castillo | | 25,208.5 |
| 58. | | Steve Rogers | | 23,262.5 |
| 59. | | Edward VanDaniker Jr. | | 22,940 |
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Holman Awarded Commissioner’s ExemptionPBA Commissioner and CEO Fred Schreyer announced PBA Hall of Famer Marshall Holman has been awarded the Commissioner’s Exemption for the 2007 Earl Anthony Medford Classic, Jan. 10-14, at Lava Lanes in Medford, Ore.
Holman, a Medford native, was awarded the Commissioner’s Exemption for the third consecutive season in his hometown, becoming the first bowler to be given a Commissioner’s Exemption for a third time in his career.
The PBA Hall of Famer, who earned the nickname “The Medford Meteor,” owns 22 career Denny’s PBA Tour titles, which ranks 11th all-time. Among his 22 titles are four Major titles, including the 1976 and ‘86 Tournament of Champions and the 1981 and ‘85 U.S. Opens. The 1987 PBA Player of the Year, Holman has earned over $1.7 million in career PBA earnings.
“It’s a privilege every time I get a chance to bowl in a PBA tournament,” said Holman, 52. “I feel very fortunate to be the only one to receive the exemption three years in a row. I really want to make it to match play this year because it’s a lot of fun being showcased among the 32 best in the world, and that’s when the locals will really start yelling for me.”
Holman, just the third bowler this season to earn a Commissioner’s Exemption, finished 61st in the 2004 Earl Anthony Medford Classic and 41st in the 2005 event in his previous appearances as the Commissioner’s Exemption.
Looking AheadPBA Commissioner and CEO Fred Schreyer has decided not to award a Commissioner’s Exemption for the 2007 Motel 6 Classic at Strike Zone at Sunset Station in Las Vegas, Nev., meaning a minimum of five spots will be available for PBA members from the Denny’s PBA Tour Qualifying Round.
PBA Sponsor CompetitionWes Malott (Ace Hardware) maintained his lead in the 2006-07 PBA Sponsor Competition while Tommy Jones (Denny’s) moved into second after finishing eighth in the Columbia 300 Classic. With Wes Malott, Bill O’Neill and Chris Loschetter, Ace Hardware leads the team standings. On the strength of Sean Rash’s win in the Beltway Classic, Pepsi is second. Team standings are based on average point rankings for their respective team members since Denny’s carries six players and all other teams carry three.
Complete Sponsor Competition Standings| No. | | Name/Team | | Points |
| 1. | | Wes Malott/Ace Hardware | | 106,986 |
| 2. | | Tommy Jones/Denny's | | 98,967 |
| 3. | | Norm Duke/Motel 6 | | 96,554 |
| 4. | | Pete Weber/Etonic | | 87,445 |
| 5. | | Parker Bohn III/Pepsi | | 86,133 |
| 6. | | Jack Jurek/Discover® Card | | 82,245 |
| 7. | | Ryan Shafer/GEICO | | 80,054 |
| 8. | | Chris Barnes/Pepsi | | 79,115 |
| 9. | | Mike Scroggins/Denny's | | 78,079 |
| 10. | | Tommy Delutz Jr./USBC | | 75,504 |
| 11. | | Walter Ray Williams Jr./Denny's | | 70,177 |
| 12. | | Joe Ciccone/USBC | | 69,434.5 |
| 13. | | Mike Wolfe/Motel 6 | | 64,284.5 |
| 14. | | Bill O'Neill/Ace Hardware | | 63,965 |
| 15. | | Michael Fagan/Bayer | | 63,104 |
| 16. | | Mika Koivuniemi/GEICO | | 62,844.5 |
| 17. | | Chris Loschetter/Ace Hardware | | 62,813.5 |
| 18. | | Mike DeVaney/Bayer | | 62,655 |
| 19. | | Tony Reyes/Denny's | | 59,975.5 |
| 20. | | Danny Wiseman/Motel 6 | | 56,165.5 |
| 21. | | Steve Jaros/GEICO | | 55,678.5 |
| 22. | | Brad Angelo/USBC | | 53,794.5 |
| 23. | | Sean Rash/Pepsi | | 51,788 |
| 24. | | Brian Himmler/Etonic | | 38,236.5 |
| 25. | | Patrick Allen/Discover® Card | | 37,906 |
| 26. | | Tim Criss/Bayer | | 35,540.5 |
| 27. | | Chris Johnson/Discover® Card | | 34,169.5 |
| 28. | | Amleto Monacelli/Denny's | | 27,452 |
| 29. | | Jason Hurd/Denny's | | 24,969.5 |
| 30. | | Mike Machuga/Etonic | | 24,649.66 |
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Sponsor Competition by Team| Rk. Team | | Avg. Points Per Player |
| 1. Ace Hardware | | 77,921.5 |
| (Loschetter, Malott, O’Neill) |
| 2. Pepsi | | 72,345.3 |
| (Barnes, Bohn, Rash) |
| 3. Motel 6 | | 72,334.7 |
| (Duke, Wiseman, M. Wolfe) |
| 4. USBC | | 66,244.3 |
| (Angelo, Ciccone, Delutz) |
| 5. GEICO | | 66,192.3 |
| (Jaros, Koivuniemi, Shafer) |
| 6. Denny’s | | 59,936.7* |
| (Jones, Hurd, Monacelli, Reyes, Scroggins, Williams) |
| 7. Bayer | | 53,766.5 |
| (Criss, DeVaney, Fagan) |
| 8. Discover® Card | | 51,440.2 |
| (Allen, Johnson, Jurek) |
| 9. Etonic | | 50,110.4 |
| (Himmler, Machuga, Weber) |
*Denny’s carries six players while other teams carry three
2007 PBA Tournament of Champions RosterWith Norm Duke winning the 2006 Columbia 300 Classic, Lonnie Waliczek remains on the bubble for the 2007 PBA Tournament of Champions for the seventh consecutive week.
Waliczek, still on the roster due to his win in the 2003 Odor-Eaters Open, has been living a charmed life so far as just one of the nine winners in the first half was not previously on the roster. Waliczek is even more fortunate to be on the roster considering Tom Baker won both PBA Senior Tour Major events this summer, giving an extra spot to Denny’s PBA Tour titlists.
Denny’s PBA Tour Entrants| No. | | Name | | Tournament |
| 1. | | Norm Duke | | Columbia 300 Classic (12/17/06) |
| 2. | | Sean Rash | | Beltway Classic (12/10/06) |
| 3. | | Tommy Jones | | Ace Hardware Championship (12/3/06) |
| 4. | | Wes Malott | | Discover® Card Windy City Classic (11/26/06) |
| 5. | | Pete Weber | | Etonic Championship (11/12/06) |
| 6. | | Tony Reyes | | Motor City Classic (11/5/06) |
| 7. | | Doug Kent | | USBC Masters (10/29/06) |
| 8. | | Walter Ray Williams Jr. | | Dydo Japan Cup 2006 (9/24/2006) |
| 9. | | Chris Barnes | | Dexter Tournament of Champions (4/9/2006) |
| 10. | | Patrick Allen | | Great Lakes Classic (4/2/2006) |
| 11. | | Chris Collins | | Pepsi Championship (3/5/2006) |
| 12. | | Brian Voss | | Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Classic (1/29/2006) |
| 13. | | Ritchie Allen | | Motel 6 Phoenix Classic (1/22/2006) |
| 14. | | Jason Couch | | Dick Weber Open (1/15/2006) |
| 15. | | Brian Himmler | | Earl Anthony Medford Classic (1/8/2006) |
| 16. | | Mike Wolfe | | Empire State Classic (12/18/05) |
| 17. | | Mike Scroggins | | USBC Masters (11/20/05) |
| 18. | | Mike Machuga | | Greater Omaha Classic (11/13/05) |
| 19. | | Steve Jaros | | Dexter Tournament of Champions (4/10/05) |
| 20. | | Mika Koivuniemi | | Baby Ruth Real Deal Classic (3/6/05) |
| 21. | | Amleto Monacelli | | Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Open (2/13/05) |
| 22. | | Parker Bohn III | | El Paso Classic (1/16/05) |
| 23. | | Jason Hurd | | Pepsi Open (11/28/04) |
| 24. | | Rick Lawrence | | BowlersParadise.com Open (11/21/04) |
| 25. | | Danny Wiseman | | Miller High Life Masters (10/31/04) |
| 26. | | Robert Smith | | Odor-Eaters Open (2/15/04) |
| 27. | | Patrick Healey Jr. | | Dexter Tournament of Champions (12/14/03) |
| 28. | | Ryan Shafer | | Empire State Open (11/23/03) |
| 29. | | Lonnie Waliczek | | Odor-Eaters Open (3/2/03) |
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PBA Senior Tour Entrants| No. | | Name | | Tournament |
| 30. | | Tom Baker | | Senior U.S. Open and USBC Senior Masters |
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PBA Regional Tour Entrants | No. | | Name | | Tournament |
| 31. | | D.J. Archer | | PBA Regional Players Championship |
| 32. | | Mitch Beasley | | PBA Regional Players Invitational |
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2006-07 Denny’s PBA Tour Statistical Leaders
Point Leaders| Rank | | Name | | Hometown | | Points |
| 1. | | Wes Malott | | Argyle, Texas | | 106,986 |
| 2. | | Tommy Jones | | Simpsonville, S.C. | | 98,967 |
| 3. | | Norm Duke | | Clermont, Fla. | | 96,554 |
| 4. | | Doug Kent | | Newark, N.Y. | | 93,050 |
| 5. | | Pete Weber | | St. Ann, Mo. | | 87,445 |
| 6. | | Parker Bohn III | | Jackson, N.J. | | 86,133 |
| 7. | | Jack Jurek | | Lackawanna, N.Y. | | 82,245 |
| 8. | | Ryan Shafer | | Horseheads, N.Y. | | 80,054 |
| 9. | | Chris Barnes | | Flower Mound, Texas | | 79,115 |
| 10. | | Mike Scroggins | | Amarillo, Texas | | 78,079 |
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Earnings Leaders| Rank | | Name | | Hometown | | Earnings |
| 1. | | Doug Kent | | Newark, N.Y. | | $128,400 |
| 2. | | Walter Ray Williams Jr. | | Ocala, Fla. | | $75,200 |
| 3. | | Pete Weber | | St. Ann, Mo. | | $70,300 |
| 4. | | Jack Jurek | | Lackawanna, N.Y. | | $69,800 |
| 5. | | Norm Duke | | Clermont, Fla. | | $68,850 |
| 6. | | Wes Malott | | Argyle, Texas | | $66,500 |
| 7. | | Tommy Jones | | Simpsonville, S.C. | | $58,600 |
| 8. | | Tony Reyes | | San Bruno, Calif. | | $49,600 |
| 9. | | Ryan Shafer | | Horseheads, N.Y. | | $44,100 |
| 10. | | Sean Rash | | Wichita, Kan. | | $38,100 |
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Average Leaders| Rank | | Name | | Hometown | | Average |
| 1. | | Norm Duke | | Clermont, Fla. | | 229.79 |
| 2. | | Wes Malott | | Argyle, Texas | | 228.09 |
| 3. | | Tommy Delutz Jr. | | Flushing, N.Y. | | 227.88 |
| 4. | | Walter Ray Williams Jr. | | Ocala, Fla. | | 227.76 |
| 5. | | Mike Scroggins | | Amarillo, Texas | | 226.38 |
| 6. | | Pete Weber | | St. Ann, Mo. | | 225.28 |
| 7. | | Doug Kent | | Newark, N.Y. | | 225.03 |
| 8. | | Parker Bohn III | | Jackson, N.J. | | 224.39 |
| 9. | | Ryan Shafer | | Horseheads, N.Y. | | 224.35 |
| 10. | | Chris Barnes | | Flower Mound, Texas | | 224.01 |
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Match Play Statistics (Single Elimination Only, Min. Two Apps.)
Strike Percentage| No. | | Name | | Strikes | | Frames | | Pct. |
| 1. | | Norm Duke | | 254 | | 348 | | 72.99 |
| 2. | | Parker Bohn III | | 191 | | 280 | | 68.21 |
| 3. | | Walter Ray Williams Jr. | | 183 | | 271 | | 67.53 |
| 4. | | Sean Rash | | 184 | | 273 | | 67.40 |
| 5. | | Wes Malott | | 347 | | 535 | | 64.86 |
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Spare Percentage| No. | | Name | | Conv. | | Attempts | | Pct. |
| 1. | | Norm Duke | | 77 | | 85 | | 90.59 |
| 2. | | Walter Ray Williams Jr. | | 77 | | 86 | | 89.53 |
| 3. | | Doug Kent | | 111 | | 127 | | 87.40 |
| 4. | | Chris Hayden | | 85 | | 99 | | 85.86 |
| 5. | | Chris Barnes | | 142 | | 168 | | 84.52 |
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Match Game Win Percentage| No. | | Name | | Wins | | Losses | | Percentage |
| 1. | | Norm Duke | | 25 | | 5 | | .833 |
| 2. | | Parker Bohn III | | 14 | | 7 | | .667 |
| 3. | | Sean Rash | | 16 | | 8 | | .667 |
| 4. | | Walter Ray Williams Jr. | | 15 | | 9 | | .625 |
| 5. | | Tommy Jones | | 28 | | 18 | | .609 |
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