RENO, Nev. – Bryon Smith of Roseburg, Ore., dominated the match play finals Thursday to win the Sands Regency PBA Regional Players Invitational at the National Bowling Stadium.
Smith, a former PBA Tour exempt player, returned to the center where he won his only title – the 2003 United States Bowling Congress Masters – to post an 11-5 match play record for a 37-game total of 8,290 pins, including match play bonus pins, for a 25-pin victory over Tom Hess of Urbandale, Iowa.
As Sands Regency PBA Regional Players Invitational champion, Smith earned $6,000 and an automatic
“Elite” field berth in the $1 million PBA Tournament of Champions at Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas Jan. 15-22.
“It’s been awhile since I won against a field with this many bowlers from across the country,” Smith said. “It’s a good feeling.”
Smith declined the opportunity to bowl for one of seven exemptions to bowl on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour during the 2011-12 season. The seven players who earned PBA Tour exemptions were Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa; Wayne Garber, Modesto, Calif.; Tyler Jensen, Fort Worth, Texas; Kerry Painter, Henderson, Nev.; Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa.; Paul Gibson, Brunswick, Ohio, and Steven Black, Phoenix.
“I bowl when I feel like it these days,” Smith said. “I enjoy the competition, but I didn’t declare for a PBA Tour exemption because I’m not interested in bowling full-time any more. I’ll bowl in the Tournament of Champions and the USBC Masters, and maybe the U.S. Open. We’ll see how I do in the Tournament of Champions and Masters first.
“I’ve bowled in the Tournament of Champions before,” he added. “I’ve done OK. Not as well as I’d like, but it’s nice to have a spot in the Elite field, which means I won’t have to bowl the qualifying round. It’s without a doubt the biggest tournament of the year, but I’ll just try to be patient and bowl well. I know I’m as good as anyone else when I’m playing well, so we’ll see what happens.”
The PBA Regional Players Invitational was open to players who qualified among the competition point leaders in their respective regions during the 2009-10 season.
SANDS REGENCY PBA REGIONAL PLAYERS INVITATIONAL
National Bowling Stadium, Reno, Nev., Dec. 16
FINAL STANDINGS
(After 37 games, including match play records and bonus pins; top seven designated “e-“ earned exemptions to bowl on the 2011-12 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour)
1, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 11-5, 8,290, $6,000.
2, e-Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 11-5, 8,265, $3,500.
3, Dave Wodka, Chatsworth, Calif., 11-5, 8,253, $2,500.
4, e-Wayne Garber, Modesto, Calif., 12-4, 8,226, $2,000.
5, e-Tyler Jensen, Fort Worth, Texas, 7-8-1, 8,184, $1,750.
6, Jason Wojnar, Chicago, 7-9, 8,164, $1,500.
7, Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., 9-7, 8,155, $1,400.
8, e-Kerry Painter, Henderson, Nev., 8-8, 7,976, $1,300.
9, Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Twp., Mich., 6-10, 7,959, $1,200.
10, e-Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 8-8, 7,932, $1,100.
11, e-Paul Gibson, Brunswick, Ohio, 7-9, 7,927, $1,000.
12, e-Steven Black, Phoenix, 7-9, 7,735, $900.
13, Gary Faulkner, Norfolk, Va., 5-11, 7,706, $850.
14, Jon Brandon, Santa Clarita, Calif., 6-10, 7,691, $825.
15, Quinton Bohlen, Decorah, Iowa, 6-9-1, 7,675, $800.
16, Billy Oatman, Cleveland, 6-10, 7,659, $775.