BubbaRay
11-02-2007, 07:41 AM
He has the most titles in Denny’s PBA history, but at the age of 48, Walter Ray Williams Jr. might be as good as he’s ever been.
Williams earned the top seed for match play in the 2007 Motor City Classic, finishing with a 3,354 14-game pinfall and a 239.57 average Thursday at Taylor Lanes.
Last week, Williams finished fourth in the 2007 USBC Masters, the first of four Majors on the 2007-08 Tour. With 42 titles and seven Majors, the PBA Hall of Famer is looking to pile onto his already unmatched resume.
“I bowled really well last week but I just didn’t bowl the absolute best game I could have on Sunday,” Williams (Ocala, Fla.) said. “I out-averaged everyone by 10 pins in match play, but I lost early so I didn’t get the top seed. My carry has been phenomenal though. I haven’t thrown the ball as well as I need to, but when the ball is in the pocket they all fall down and that’s a lot of fun.”
Williams has yet to win a title since breaking Earl Anthony’s all-time record in the opening even of the 2006-07 season, but he has made five championship rounds since then. On Thursday, he averaged 245.57 in the first block and 233.57 over the final seven games to take the lead from first block leader Wes Malott.
Williams will face No. 32 Stevie Weber (Chalmette, La.) in the Round of 32 Friday. Weber, who finished sixth in last week’s USBC Masters in his first event as an exempt bowler, earned the final spot in match play with a 259 in his final game to finish four pins ahead of Michael Haugen Jr. (Cave Creek, Ariz.).
The 2006-07 PBA Player of the Year Doug Kent finished second with 3,324 and will face No. 31 Norm Duke, who finished second to Kent in last season’s Player of the Year vote. Duke (Clermont, Fla.) led the Tour with three titles last season, but Kent (Newark, N.Y.) became just the sixth bowler in history to win two Majors in a season to earn the edge. Duke moved up from 58th after the first seven games by averaging 235.86 over the final seven games.
Finishing third was the 2005-06 PBA Player of the Year, Tommy Jones (Simpsonville, S.C.), who will face No. 30 Brad Angelo (Lockport, N.Y.).
Defending champion Tony Reyes (San Bruno, Calif.) remained in the hunt, moving up 12 spots in the standings over the final seven games to finish 20th. He will face No. 13 Jeff Lizzi (Sandusky, Ohio).
Running simultaneously with the Denny’s PBA Tour event is the first-ever PBA Women’s Series event which is sponsored by the USBC. The series features 16 women who will bowl four of the next five events alongside then men, but in separate tournaments. It is the first tour for women since the Professional Women’s Bowling Association (PWBA) folded in 2003.
First block leader Missy Bellinder (Fullerton, Calif.) maintained her lead to earn the No. 1 seed for match play and will face No. 8 Olivia Sandham (Wichita, Kan.). The top eight women advanced to Friday.
Also advancing on the women’s side were 20-time PWBA titlist Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, who finished second. Liz Johnson (Cheektowaga, N.Y) and Kelly Kulick (Union, N.J.) finished third and fourth, respectively.
The Round of 32 on the men’s side gets underway at 9 a.m. followed by the Round of 16 and the women’s Round of 8 at 2 p.m. At 7 p.m., the men’s Round of 8 and women’s Round of 4 take place which will determine the six bowlers who will advance to Sunday’s live ESPN-televised finals at 1 p.m. EST. The PBA Women’s Series champion will receive $10,000 while the Denny’s PBA Tour champion will take home $25,000 and an exemption for the 2008-09 season.
300 games (3) - Kelly Kulick, Michael Fagan, Curtis Woods Jr.
Williams earned the top seed for match play in the 2007 Motor City Classic, finishing with a 3,354 14-game pinfall and a 239.57 average Thursday at Taylor Lanes.
Last week, Williams finished fourth in the 2007 USBC Masters, the first of four Majors on the 2007-08 Tour. With 42 titles and seven Majors, the PBA Hall of Famer is looking to pile onto his already unmatched resume.
“I bowled really well last week but I just didn’t bowl the absolute best game I could have on Sunday,” Williams (Ocala, Fla.) said. “I out-averaged everyone by 10 pins in match play, but I lost early so I didn’t get the top seed. My carry has been phenomenal though. I haven’t thrown the ball as well as I need to, but when the ball is in the pocket they all fall down and that’s a lot of fun.”
Williams has yet to win a title since breaking Earl Anthony’s all-time record in the opening even of the 2006-07 season, but he has made five championship rounds since then. On Thursday, he averaged 245.57 in the first block and 233.57 over the final seven games to take the lead from first block leader Wes Malott.
Williams will face No. 32 Stevie Weber (Chalmette, La.) in the Round of 32 Friday. Weber, who finished sixth in last week’s USBC Masters in his first event as an exempt bowler, earned the final spot in match play with a 259 in his final game to finish four pins ahead of Michael Haugen Jr. (Cave Creek, Ariz.).
The 2006-07 PBA Player of the Year Doug Kent finished second with 3,324 and will face No. 31 Norm Duke, who finished second to Kent in last season’s Player of the Year vote. Duke (Clermont, Fla.) led the Tour with three titles last season, but Kent (Newark, N.Y.) became just the sixth bowler in history to win two Majors in a season to earn the edge. Duke moved up from 58th after the first seven games by averaging 235.86 over the final seven games.
Finishing third was the 2005-06 PBA Player of the Year, Tommy Jones (Simpsonville, S.C.), who will face No. 30 Brad Angelo (Lockport, N.Y.).
Defending champion Tony Reyes (San Bruno, Calif.) remained in the hunt, moving up 12 spots in the standings over the final seven games to finish 20th. He will face No. 13 Jeff Lizzi (Sandusky, Ohio).
Running simultaneously with the Denny’s PBA Tour event is the first-ever PBA Women’s Series event which is sponsored by the USBC. The series features 16 women who will bowl four of the next five events alongside then men, but in separate tournaments. It is the first tour for women since the Professional Women’s Bowling Association (PWBA) folded in 2003.
First block leader Missy Bellinder (Fullerton, Calif.) maintained her lead to earn the No. 1 seed for match play and will face No. 8 Olivia Sandham (Wichita, Kan.). The top eight women advanced to Friday.
Also advancing on the women’s side were 20-time PWBA titlist Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, who finished second. Liz Johnson (Cheektowaga, N.Y) and Kelly Kulick (Union, N.J.) finished third and fourth, respectively.
The Round of 32 on the men’s side gets underway at 9 a.m. followed by the Round of 16 and the women’s Round of 8 at 2 p.m. At 7 p.m., the men’s Round of 8 and women’s Round of 4 take place which will determine the six bowlers who will advance to Sunday’s live ESPN-televised finals at 1 p.m. EST. The PBA Women’s Series champion will receive $10,000 while the Denny’s PBA Tour champion will take home $25,000 and an exemption for the 2008-09 season.
300 games (3) - Kelly Kulick, Michael Fagan, Curtis Woods Jr.