Professional Bowlers Association

Sam Zurich was so surprised with his performance this week, he could hardly find the words.

The PBA Senior Tour rookie won a title in just his second career event, defeating Michael Henry, 205-200, Wednesday to win the 2007 PBA Senior Northern Illinois Classic at Sunset Bowl.

Zurich, who just turned 50 in December, led the tournament from start to finish. He was the top seed for match play to earn one of eight byes into the Round of 16, where he was pitted against Pete Couture, who had knocked Zurich out of the Round of 16 in his first career event two weeks ago in Manassas, Va.

After dropping the first game to Couture, Zurich came back to win the next three games and take the best-of-five match, 3-1. He then defeated eighth-seeded Norb Wetzel in the Round of 8 and fellow PBA Senior Tour rookie and PBA Hall of Famer Steve Cook in the semifinal.

In the title match, Zurich trailed early on before Henry left a 6-7-10 split and opened in the 6th frame. Zurich responded with three strikes in the next four frames, forcing Henry to double in the 10th. Henry struck with his first ball in the 10th and threw a solid shot with his second ball, but left a 7-pin to give Zurich the narrow victory.

“I’m elated. I can’t tell you how much this means to me to have the success I’ve had in a relatively short period of time,” Zurich said. “It’s the greatest feeling. I just kept believing and had positive thoughts and things just worked out.”

Zurich was the recipient of a lucky break in his semifinal match against Cook. Leading the one-game match, Zurich opened in the 8th frame, giving Cook a chance to double which would have forced Zurich to double. Cook, however, left a 2-10 split and opened, meaning Zurich only needed nine pins to win. He then left a split of his own – a 4-6-10 – but picked up the 6- and 10-pins to squeak by with a 214-213 win.

“Mike bowled great all week and I knew I had my hands full,” Zurich (Grant, Fla.) said. “I didn’t want to end up in a position where I had to finish the last match after what happened against Cook so I let him finish and it worked out where he needed to double.”

Zurich, who owns two Denny’s PBA Tour titles, took home $8,000 for the win. Henry (Brunswick, Ohio), who defeated Vince Mazzanti Jr., 269-245, in the semifinals, earned $4,500. Cook (Granite Bay, Calif.) and Mazzanti (Levittown, Pa.) each took home $3,000.

Next week the PBA Senior Tour heads to Dayton, Ohio for the 2007 PBA Senior Dayton Classic, May 18-22 at Capri Bowling Lanes. The winner will take home $8,000.


PBA Senior Tour
2007 PBA Senior Northern Illinois Classic
Sunset Bowl
Waukegan, Ill.
Wednesday, May 16

CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

#3 Michael Henry		X		X		9/		X		X		s71		X		9/		8/		X9/
		29		49		69		96		114		122		142		160		180		200
#1 Sam Zurich		X		s8 1		X		X		9/		9/		X		9/		X		X9/
		19		28		57		77		96		116		136		156		185		205

ROUND OF 4
(One-game matches. Losers eliminated, earn $3,000.)

#1 Sam Zurich		214
#20 Steve Cook		213
Zurich Advances
#10 Vince Mazzanti Jr.		245
#3 Michael Henry		269
Henry Advances

ROUND OF 8

(Single elimination, best-of-three games. Losers eliminated, earn $1,700.)

#1 Sam Zurich		254		279
#8 Norb Wetzel		232		257
Zurich Advances
#5 Keith Sharp		189		208
#20 Steve Cook		268		228
Cook Advances
#2 Roger Kossert		196		221
#10 Vince Mazzanti Jr.		201		225
Mazzanti Advances
#11 Ben Hoefs		205		279
#3 Michael Henry		258		300
Henry Advances

ROUND OF 16

(Single elimination, best-of-five games. Losers eliminated, earn $1,300.)

#16 Pete Couture		244		169		180		214
#1 Sam Zurich		236		234		227		228
Zurich Advances
#9 Tom Baker		237		236 (20)		200		239		204
#8 Norb Wetzel		183		236 (19)		268		290		211
Wetzel Advances
#5 Keith Sharp		211		258		248
#21 Shannon Starnes		195		192		213
Sharp Advances
#4 Henry Gonzalez		191		237		217		179
#20 Steve Cook		267		196		258		224
Cook Advances
#31 Bob Kelly		208		205		219		181
#2 Roger Kossert		202		288		236		214
Kossert Advances
#10 Vince Mazzanti Jr.		268		224		258		215
#7 Kevin Croucher		199		245		225		171
Mazzanti Advances
#6 Hugh Miller		224		232		169
#11 Ben Hoefs		225		269		224
Hoefs Advances
#3 Michael Henry		237		199		226		220		300
#30 David Ozio		200		213		200		227		266
Henry Advances

ROUND OF 24

(Single elimination, best-of-five games. Losers eliminated, earn $1,100.)

#32 John Bennett		245		227		159		248		207
#16 Pete Couture		201		236		279		208		260
Couture Advances
#25 Bill Spigner		226		224		202
#9 Tom Baker		300		244		233
Baker Advances
#12 Martin Letscher		223		206		212		162
#21 Shannon Starnes		183		223		240		175
Starnes Advances
#13 Mike Dias		268		216		183		212
#20 Steve Cook		279		203		184		269
Cook Advances
#31 Bob Kelly		248		184		205		202
#15 Gary Hiday		245		175		215		193
Kelly Advances
#26 Roger LeClair		177		201		223
#10 Vince Mazzanti Jr.		207		265		226
Mazzanti Advances
#11 Ben Hoefs		198		179		225		214		225
#27 Bob Chamberlain		181		209		222		225		196
Hoefs Advances
#14 Tom Carter		178		276		205		207
#30 David Ozio		215		220		255		237
Ozio Advances

ROUND OF 32
(Single elimination, best-of-five games. Losers eliminated, earn $1,000.)

#17 Jerry Edwards		205		220		176
#32 John Bennett		246		246		223
Bennett Advances
#25 Bill Spigner		234		221		226
#24 Kerry Painter		224		201		199
Spigner Advances
#21 Shannon Starnes		209		225		212		232
#28 Kenny Parks		167		254		207		204
Starnes Advances
#29 Murray Hickman Sr.		223		181		159
#20 Steve Cook		248		279		248
Cook Advances
#18 Rohn Morton		191		257		184		185
#31 Bob Kelly		214		245		260		267
Kelly Advances
#26 Roger LeClair		168		223		215		214		255
#23 Dave Bernhardt		204		204		204		266		237
LeClair Advances
#22 Steve Neff		185		188		217		191
#27 Bob Chamberlain		204		225		211		237
Chamberlain Advances
#30 David Ozio		227		226		236		300		246
#19 Dave Patchen		256		258		224		248		224
Ozio Advances

300 games (4) - David Ozio, Tom Baker, Michael Henry (2).