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Perfect Game Helps Chris Gibbons

Take First Round Lead in PBA50 South Shore Open

HAMMOND, Ind. (July 24, 2018) – Bowling in only his second PBA50 Tour tournament, Chris Gibbons of Madison, Wis., bowled a 300 game and averaged 251.5 to take the first round lead in the PBA50 South Shore Open presented by Hammer Tuesday at Olympia Lanes.

Bowling on the 45-foot PBA Shark lane condition, the 51-year-old Gibbons, bowled a 2,012 eight-game pinfall total with games of 225, 256, 256, 264, 256, 248, 300 and 207 to lead Christopher Keane of Cape Coral, Fla., in second with 1,981.

“I had a few butterflies in the first game but then I settled down and got pretty comfortable,” said Gibbons, who owns one PBA regional title. “I was able to use the same ball for the entire round and didn’t have to move more than three of four boards.

“For the 300 game I was able to anticipate what I needed to do and just made a minor one board adjustment and stayed firm with my ball speed and was fortunate to make 12 great shots,” he added.

PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber finished the first round in third with a 1,979 pinfall total with games of 225, 245, 279, 268, 274, 266, 200 and 222.

Weber is hoping to improve on a season’s best fourth-place finish, which came in the PBA50 Mooresville Open in May.

“I’ve done well here over the years so I’m hoping this can be a breakthrough tournament for me this season,” the 55-year-old Weber said. “At this point in the tournament you don’t want to give any pins back so I’m just trying to enjoy myself and stay focused.”

Weber finished sixth in the Suncoast PBA Senior U.S. Open in June where he rallied from 19th in the last match play round to just miss the stepladder finals. He also finished sixth in the PBA50 National Championship, the season’s first major, in April.

Weber, an 11-time PBA50 Tour winner, won the South Shore Open in 2016 which was part of his record-breaking season in which he won four consecutive titles and six overall.

Rounding out the top five were three-time PBA50 Tour winner Harry Sullins of Chesterfield Twp., Mich., in fourth, with 1,896, and Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, N.Y., in fifth with 1,870.

Last week’s PBA50 River City Extreme Open winner and PBA50 Player of the Year points leader Michael Haugen Jr. of Phoenix finished the first round in eighth with a 1,868 pinfall. Defending champion PBA Hall of Famer Ron Mohr of Las Vegas finished 23rd with 1,778.

After Wednesday’s second round, the top 16 players will advance to Thursday’s match play rounds with players finishing 17th-26th, plus eight PBA60 players advancing to the cashers round Thursday morning which will determine eight additional match play spots. After match play, the top five players will advance to the stepladder finals at 7 p.m.

The South Shore Open is being streamed live on PBA’s online bowling channel PBA Xtra Frame on FloBowling. For subscription and schedule information visit Flobowling.com.

PBA50 SOUTH SHORE OPEN PRESENTED BY HAMMER

Olympia Lanes, Hammond, Ind., Tuesday

FIRST ROUND (after eight games)

1, Chris Gibbons, Madison, Wis., 2,012.
2, ss-Christopher Keane, Cape Coral, Fla., 1,981.
3, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 1,979.
4, ss-Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Twp., Mich., 1,896.
5, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 1,870.
6, (tie) Mark Sullivan, Indianapolis, and Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., 1,869.
8, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 1,868.
9, Billy Froberg, St Joseph, Mich., 1,854.
10, (tie) Bryan Goebel, Shawnee, Kan., and ss-Sammy Ventura, Syracuse, N.Y., 1,824.
12, Todd Kjell, Roscoe, Ill., 1,817.
13, ss-Warren Nelson, Hemet, Calif., 1,809.
14, (tie) Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., and Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 1,808.
16, ss-Don Blatchford, Santa Monica, Calif., 1,798.
17, Greg Thomas, Irmo, S.C., 1,797.
18, Steve Kenyon, Grosse Ile., Mich., 1,792.
19, Gary Schluchter, Femont, Ohio, 1,791.
20, Don Breeden, Clive, Iowa, 1,790.
21, Bob Learn Jr., Erie, Pa., 1,786.
22, Jeff Johnson, Freeport, Ill., 1,782.
23, ss-Ron Mohr, Las Vegas, 1,778.
24, (tie) Rick Zakrajsek, Lorain, Ohio, and ss-Dale Traber, Cedarburg, Wis., 1,770.
26, ss-Henry Dawson, Elma, Wash., 1,761.
27, Scott Greiner, Sunrise Beach, Mo., 1,759.
28, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 1,756.
29, ss-Mike Dias, Lafayette, Colo., 1,747.
30, Ed Carter, Austintown, Ohio, 1,744.
31, Gary Alstott, Washington, Ill., 1,740.
32, n-Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 1,738.
33, Brian Voss, Centennial, Colo., 1,732.
34, John Marsala, St. Louis, Mo., 1,728.
35, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 1,718.
36, n-John Chapman, Canada, 1,713.
37, (tie) n-Stephen Pintoy, Lockport, Ill., and ss-Darryl Bower, Middletown, Pa., 1,695.
39, ss-Tom Carter, Columbus, Ohio, 1,692.
40, Don Herrington, Ballston Lake, N.Y., 1,690.
41, Danny Clark, New Palestine, Ind., 1,684.
42, Tony Rodriguez Jr., Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., 1,675.
43, (tie) ss-Ted Staikoff, Black Hawk, S.D., and ss-Bruce Hall, Westborough, Mass., 1,670.
45, (tie) n, ss-Leroy Johnson, Chicago, and Peter Knopp, Germany, 1,661.
47, Eddie Graham, Kettering, Ohio, 1,660.
48, ss-Emilio Mora Sr., Defiance, Ohio, 1,640.
49, ss-Edward Silva, Manteca, Calif., 1,638.
50, ss-Steven Jansson, Barnes, Wis., 1,629.
51, Ernie Segura Jr., Taylor, Mich., 1,625.
52, ss-Richard Hunt, Valparaiso, Ind., 1,622.
52, John Conroy, Mahopac, N.Y., 1,622.
54, (tie) ss-Brendan Bierch, Grafton, Mass., and John Burkett, Southlake, Texas, 1,621.
56, ss-Lyle Zikes, Arlington Heights, Ill., 1,618.
57, ss-Lee Brosius, Ashburn, Va., 1,615.
58, Ralph Brunt Jr., Jensen Beach, Fla., 1,614.
59, ss-Tom Baker, King, N.C., 1,605.
60, ss-Kevin Foley, Reno, Nev., 1,599.
61, Glenn Morgan, Carson City, Nev., 1,593.
62, n-Jeff Richgels, Madison, Wis., 1,590.
63, ss-John Dudak, Orland Park, Ill., 1,586.
64, ss-Michael Chrzanowski, Shepherd, Mich., 1,584.
65, John Kidwell, Indianapolis, Ind., 1,570.
66, ss-Dave Bernhardt, Romeo, Mich., 1,553.
67, Robert Kicmal, LaGrange, Ill., 1,540.
68, ss-Allen Meskan, Addison, Ill., 1,525.
69, ss-Paul Mielens, Menomonie, Wis., 1,519.
70, ss-Gary Kammes, Winfield, Ill., 1,512.
71, (tie) ss-James Storts, Westfield, Ind., and David Rosengarten, Gardendale, Ala., 1,510.
73, Craig O’Reilly, Tinley Park, Ill., 1,488.
74, ss-Jim Dilyard, Burbank, Ohio, 1,466.
75, ss-Garry Blanton, Owensboro, Ky., 1,459.
76, ss-Harv Pallas, Stevensville, Mich., 1,438.
77, Tony Johnson, Canton, Ohio, 1,433.
78, John Christensen, Carmel, N.Y., 1,419.
79, n-ss-Ronald Shlensky, Munster, Ind., 1,400.

300 games – Chris Gibbons

n-non-member

ss-PBA60 player ages 60 and older

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