U.S. Open (bowling)

The U.S. Open is one of the four major tournaments in the Professional Bowlers Association. Despite its status as a PBA Tour major, the tournament is open to amateurs as well as PBA members. The U.S. Open is considered one of the most difficult tournaments to bowl in today, due to its long format (56 games from opening qualifying through the match play rounds) and demanding oil pattern, which differs from most oil patterns the PBA employs.[1]

Tournament history

With the exception of 1997 and 2014, the U.S. Open has been held in some form every year since 1942.

The first modern-day U.S. Open tournament in the PBA took place in 1971 and was won by Mike Limongello. Prior to 1971, this event was known as the BPAA All-Star. BPAA All-Star winners in the PBA era (1959–1970) were initially not credited with PBA titles for their victories. A rule change in 2008, however, retroactively awarded titles to the winners if they were PBA members at the time of their victories. With five wins, Pete Weber holds the most U.S. Open trophies of all time, one more than his father, Dick Weber, and Don Carter.[2]

The 1987 U.S. Open, sponsored by Seagram Wine Coolers, offered a then-record total purse of $500,000, and was the first PBA tournament to award a $100,000 winner's share.

Unable to find viable sponsorship, the U.S. Open was canceled for 2014, amid speculation that the tournament may not return at all.[3] However, the USBC and BPAA later reached a three-year agreement that brought the tournament back for 2015, 2016 and 2017.[4] The USBC and BPAA secured Bowlmor AMF, the largest operator of bowling centers in the world, as the title sponsor for 2015.[5] The 2015 tournament took place November 2–8 in Garland, Texas.

The 2017 U.S. Open was held at Flamingo Bowl in Liverpool, New York.[6] For the first time, the U.S. Open had a partial "invitational" field. Among those invited are top money leaders from the PBA Tour and PBA Regional Tour, top performers from a variety of USBC events, members of Team USA and Junior Team USA, and past winners of the U.S. Open itself. The "open" portion of the tournament is actually a pre-tournament qualifier (PTQ) with a maximum of 80 entries. Top finishers from the PTQ then join all those who accepted invitations to round out the starting field of 144 players. The reason for the smaller opening field (recent U.S. Opens had over 300 initial entries) is because the USBC is incorporating "lane integrity" that allows only 24 of the 40 available lanes in the Flamingo Bowl center to be used. With eight games of qualifying over each of the first three days, this ensures all participants experience eight games each on fresh, burn, and double-burn oil conditions.[7]

Current defending champion

The 2017 U.S. Open was held at Flamingo Bowl in Liverpool, New York, with a pre-tournament qualifier October 25-26, qualifying rounds October 27-31, and the live televised finals on November 1. Rhino Page won his sixth PBA title and first major from the #2 seed position, defeating #1 seed Jakob Butturff in the final match.[8]

2017 Event

A five-player stepladder finals format was used.

  Match #1     Match #2     Match #3     Title match
                                     
    1 Jakob Butturff 222
      2 Rhino Page 226     2 Rhino Page 256
      3 Wes Malott 186     3 Wes Malott 155  
  4 Graham Fach 259     4 Graham Fach 179  
  5 Norm Duke 222  
  • Prize Pool:
1. Rhino Page, USA – $30,000
2. Jakob Butturff, USA – $15,000
3. Wes Malott, USA – $12,000
4. Graham Fach, Canada – $10,000
5. Norm Duke, USA – $8,000

Past champions

U.S. Open champions

YearWinnerRunner-upChampionship match score
1971Mike LimongelloTeata Semiz194–186
1972Don JohnsonGeorge Pappas233–224
1973Mike McGrathEarl Anthony234–222
1974Larry LaubDave Davis258–237
1975Steve NeffPaul Colwell279–217
1976Paul MoserJim Frazier226–195
1977Johnny PetragliaBill Spigner279–232
1978Nelson Burton Jr.Jeff Mattingly204–201
1979Joe BerardiEarl Anthony232–195
1980Steve MartinEarl Anthony248–222
1981Marshall HolmanMark Roth200–179
1982Dave HustedGil Sliker255–180
1983Gary DickinsonSteve Neff214–202
1984Mark RothGuppy Troup244–237
1985Marshall HolmanWayne Webb233–205
1986Steve CookFrank Ellenburg245–211
1987Del Ballard Jr.Pete Weber247–209
1988Pete WeberMarshall Holman203–171
1989Mike AulbyJim Pencak195–178
1990Ron Palombi Jr.Amleto Monacelli269–205
1991Pete WeberMark Thayer289–184
1992Robert LawrenceScott Devers226–221
1993Del Ballard Jr.Walter Ray Williams Jr.237–193
1994Justin HromekParker Bohn III267–230
1995Dave HustedPaul Koehler266–245
1996Dave HustedGeorge Brooks216–214
1997Not held
1998Walter Ray Williams Jr.Tim Criss221–189
1999Bob Learn, Jr.Jason Couch231–215
2000Robert SmithNorm Duke202–201
2001–02Mika KoivuniemiPatrick Healey, Jr.247–182
2002–03Walter Ray Williams Jr.Michael Haugen Jr.236–198
2003–04Pete WeberBrian Voss231–178
2004–05Chris BarnesPatrick Allen213–212
2005–06Tommy JonesRyan Shafer237–223
2006–07Pete WeberWes Malott210–204
2007–08Norm DukeMika Koivuniemi224–216
2008–09Mike ScrogginsNorm Duke191–173
2009–10Bill O'NeillMike Scroggins267–207
2010–11Norm DukeMika Koivuniemi225–216
2011–12Pete WeberMike Fagan215–214
2012–13Wes MalottJason Belmonte214–156
2014Not held
2015Ryan CiminelliDominic Barrett236–223
2016François LavoieMarshall Kent228–194
2017Rhino PageJakob Butturff256–222

BPAA All-Star champions

  • 1942 – John Crimmons
  • 1943 – Connie Schwoegler
  • 1944 – Ned Day
  • 1945 – Buddy Bomar
  • 1946 – Joe Wilman
  • 1947 – Andy Varipapa
  • 1948 – Andy Varipapa
  • 1949 – Connie Schwoegler
  • 1950 – Junie McMahon
  • 1951 – Dick Hoover
  • 1952 – Junie McMahon
  • 1953 – Don Carter
  • 1954 – Don Carter
  • 1955 – Steve Nagy
  • 1956 – Bill Lilliard
  • 1957 – Don Carter
  • 1958 – Don Carter
  • 1959 – Billy Welu
  • 1960 – Harry Smith
  • 1961 – Bill Tucker
  • 1962 – Dick Weber
  • 1963 – Dick Weber
  • 1964 – Bob Strampe
  • 1965 – Dick Weber
  • 1966 – Dick Weber
  • 1967 – Les Schissler
  • 1968 - Jim Stefanich
  • 1969 – Billy Hardwick
  • 1970 – Bobby Cooper

U.S. Open oil pattern

The U.S. Open featured what PBA.com describes as "the toughest lane oil design in all of bowling." The pattern is considered "flat," meaning equal amounts of oil are applied to every lane board. (A typical lane condition allows more oil in the middle section of lane boards, and lesser amounts on the outer boards.)

Many claim the oil pattern was responsible for the lack of left-handed winners in this tournament, because there isn't enough ball traffic on the left side to create a "track area."[9] When Mike Scroggins won the 2009 event in North Brunswick, New Jersey, he became the first left-hander in 20 years (Mike Aulby, 1989) to earn a U.S. Open title. Aulby's win was on an oil pattern where oil was applied more heavily on the outer boards (that is, those closest to the gutters), to the point where the outer parts of the lanes were effectively unplayable. In all, left-handers accounted for six victories (McGrath [1973], Moser [1976], Petraglia [1977], Cook [1986], Aulby [1989], and Scroggins [2009]) and nine runner-up finishes (Anthony [1973, 1979, 1980], Davis [1974], Devers [1992], Bohn [1994], Couch [1999], Allen [2005], Scroggins [2010]) at the U.S. Open since 1971. It was also the only major title that left-hander and 43-time titleist Earl Anthony never won in his career, though he did finish runner-up three times. In recent years, lefties Ryan Ciminelli (2015) and Rhino Page (2017) have won U.S. Opens.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "65th Denny's U.S. Open". PBA.com. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  2. ↑ Vint, Bill. "Pete Weber Wins Record Fifth U.S. Open to Surpass Father Dick Weber and Don Carter." Article at www.pba.com on February 26, 2012.
  3. ↑ Richgels, Jeff (May 3, 2014). "BPAA cancels U.S. Opens for 2015".
  4. ↑ Wiseman, Lucas (May 9, 2014). "USBC, BPAA reach agreement to bring back U.S. Open". Retrieved June 30, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Bowlmor AMF becomes title sponsor for 2015 Bowling's U.S. Opens". bowlingdigital.com. December 12, 2014. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Central New York Bowling: Syracuse to host three upcoming national events". March 2, 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  7. ↑ Cannizzaro, Matt (March 1, 2017). "2017 U.S. OPEN TO FEATURE SELECT FIELD, IMPROVED PATTERN INTEGRITY". bowl.com. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  8. ↑ Schneider, Jerry (November 1, 2017). "Rhino Page Wins 2017 U.S. Open for First Major Title". Retrieved November 3, 2017.
  9. ↑ Pedersen, Randy. Transcript of 4/5/2009 U.S. Open broadcast on ESPN.
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