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- October 2016
Sean Rash 51st Player To Win 10 PBA Titles
By Jerry Schneider
Back-to-back victories in the PBA Fall Swing Badger Open and Detroit Open for
his 10th and 11th career titles made
Sean Rash
the 51st player in PBA history to
win at least 10 PBA Tour titles.
Of the 51, 42 are already members of the PBA Hall of Fame. The other players
who are eligible for PBA Hall of Fame consideration based on titles won are
Chris
Barnes, Tommy Jones, Mika Koivuniemi, Patrick Allen, Jason Belmonte,
Bryan Goebel, Steve Hoskins, Wes Malott
and Rash.
Of those at least 10 titles, only Goebel and Hoskins are currently eligible based on
the second criteria, which is a minimum 20 years of PBA membership. Assuming
the following players maintain their memberships, Barnes (18 titles) will become
eligible for PBA Hall of Fame consideration in 2018, Allen (13) and Koivuniemi (15)
in 2019, Jones (17) in 2020, Malott (10) in 2021, Rash (11) in 2025, and Belmonte
(12) in 2028.
If a player doesn’t meet the 10 title minimum requirement for eligibility, the alterna-
tive is five standard PBA Tour titles plus two majors.
Mike Scroggins
(eight titles
including two majors) is eligible under the alternate criteria (for the record, Rash,
Barnes, Jones, Koivuniemi, Allen and Belmonte also have won at least two majors
among their total titles).
When a player achieves both title and years of membership requirements, he is
automatically put on the PBA Hall of Fame ballot. Scroggins, Goebel and Hoskins
are currently on the PBA Hall of Fame ballot, which requires a candidate to receive
votes on at least two-thirds of ballots cast for election to the hall of fame. Voters
include existing PBA Hall of Famers and a panel of veteran bowling writers and in-
dustry leaders. In order for a player to become eligible for election to the PBA HOF,
he must meet both the titles and 20 years of membership criteria.
2017 DHC PBA Japan Invitational
By Bill Vint
The field of 16 international players for the 2017 DHC PBA Japan Invitational has
been confirmed, based on qualifying during the PBA Fall Swing in Allen Park, Mich.,
and other criteria.
Earning berths based on their performances in the Fall Swing were
Sean Rash,
Jason Belmonte, E.J. Tackett, Tom Daugherty, Wes Malott, Jesper Svensson,
Josh Blanchard, Rhino Page
and
Kristopher Prather. Jason Sterner
, as first
alternate, will travel to Japan in place of qualifier
Francois Lavoie
, who will be un-
able to participate. Likewise,
Danielle McEwan
will replace top women’s quali-
fier
Rocio Restrepo
, who has a scheduling conflict.
PBA Hall of Famer
Amleto Monacelli
will return as defending champion. DHC, as
titled sponsor, has selected
Dom Barrett, Tommy Jones
and
Chris Barnes
as its
special invitees. Six-time Korea PBA titlist
Choi Won Young
will represent Korea. If
any of the male players above can’t make the trip,
John Szczerbinski
is now first
alternate.
The 2017 special event in Japan also will include a field of 16 top Japanese play-
ers in a 32-player, round-robin tournament scheduled for January 11-14. The tour-
nament will be held in
Osaka – four hours south
of Tokyo – at Bentencho
Grandbowl.
The winner will earn a
projected $40,000 first
prize and a PBA Tour title
(if he/she is a member).
GEICO Returns as Title Sponsor of
PBA World Series of Bowling VIII
By Bill Vint
14th anniversary partnership with leading auto insurer includes five ESPN telecasts
CHICAGO (Sept. 28, 2016)
– GEICO, one of America’s premier auto insurers, will
return to its entitlement partnership position for the GEICO Professional Bowlers
Association World Series of Bowling VIII in Reno, Nev., Nov. 27-Dec. 11, continuing
its relationship with the PBA for the 14th consecutive year, including four years in a
row as headline sponsor of the PBA WSOB.
GEICO’s partnership will conclude with five national telecasts on ESPN along with
hundreds of hours of digital coverage through PBA’s online bowling channel Xtra
Frame. ESPN telecasts will include the live finals of the PBA World Championship
on Sunday, Dec. 11, at 1 p.m. ET plus the finals of the PBA Cheetah, Viper, Cha-
meleon and Shark Championships. All 2016-17 PBA Tour telecasts on ESPN also
will feature a GEICO Championship Recap segment.
GEICO, which serves more than 14 million private passenger customers and in-
sures more than 24 million vehicles (auto & cycle), has been a PBA Tour partner
since the 2003 GEICO Open in West Babylon, N.Y. In addition to its PBA entitle-
ment sponsorships, it has been one of the leading advertisers in support of PBA’s
telecasts.
―We really like being a part of the PBA World Series of Bowling,‖ said Ted Ward,
GEICO’s vice president of marketing. ―It’s such a popular sporting event and it
brings out such great fans. We’re happy we can support them.‖
The GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling VIII will award more than $750,000 in
prize money, making it the richest event in professional bowling. A field of more than
bowlers representing an estimated 20 different countries is expected. Since its in-
ception, the WSOB has welcomed bowlers representing 36 different countries.
―GEICO’s continuing partnership with the PBA is valuable not only to our programs
at all levels, but to the bowling community around the world,‖ said PBA CEO and
Commissioner Tom Clark. ―We are extremely happy to welcome GEICO back for
the 14th year in a row.‖
GEICO not only will have a significant presence on PBA’s ESPN telecasts, but
also through the PBA Network which includes the online bowling channel Xtra
Frame, social media, pba.com website, PBA YouTube channel and much more. The
partnership package also will include visibility for GEICO on masking units and pin
sweeps, and GEICO will be recognized as the ―Official Auto Insurance Agency of
the PBA World Series of Bowling.‖
Colombia Tops U.S. In Team At 2016 PABCON
PWBA Shines At 2016 PABCON
See Story On Page 18
