FEBRUARY 2014 -
9
Walter Ray Williams Jr. Tops
Hall-of-Fame Field to Win
PBA50 Tour Finals
Laughlin wins PBA Regional Players
Invitational Finals; Young repeats as
Teen Masters champion
LAS VEGAS – Walter Ray Williams Jr. topped a three
-man all-star field to win the inaugural PBA50 Tour Fi-
nals, Arizona’s Ben Laughlin won the PBA Regional
Players Invitational Finals, and Florida’s Greg Young
repeated as Teen Masters champion in a television
tripleheader that concluded the Professional Bowlers
Association’s World Series of Bowling V at South Point
Hotel, Casino and Bowling Center.
In the PBA50 Tour finals, which featured three PBA
Hall of Famers who qualified based on competition
points earned during the 2013 PBA50 Tour season, two
-time PBA50 Player of the Year Williams defeated
Venezuela’s Amleto Monacelli, 224-204, after Monacelli
eliminated 2013 PBA50 Rookie of the Year Pete Weber
of St. Ann, Mo.,243-208, in the first match.
―The fans had a chance to see three players with a lot
of history with the organization and who had great sea-
sons on the PBA50 Tour,‖ Williams, an Ocala, Fla.,
resident, said. ―You can’t get much better than that.‖
Williams, who won three PBA50 Tour titles in 2013,
led throughout the match before Monacelli made a late
charge with a three-bagger heading into the 10th
frame. But Monacelli left the 4 pin on his first ball in the
10th and missed the spare to end his chances.
―The momentum was going back and forth,‖ Williams
said. ―It was going my way with a four-bagger and then
I left a 10 pin in the ninth which gave Amleto a chance.
I was really surprised when he left the 4 pin. If he
strikes, the match could have gone down to the last
ball.‖
Laughlin, who won the combined PBA West/Northwest
RPI to qualify for the finals, defeated South Region
representative Tom Daugherty of Wesley Chapel, Fla.,
225-187, to win the special event for PBA regional
champions. The RPI Finals included six PBA members
who won RPI titles in their respective regions.
Laughlin won his opening round match by rolling a
222 game against East Region representative Brian
LeClair of Albany, N.Y. (198) and Southwest Region
representative Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas
(163). Daugherty’s 244 eliminated Midwest Region
representative Dave Beres of Waukesha, Wis. (202)
and Central Region representative Brian Kretzer of
Dayton, Ohio (177).
―Bowling on ESPN was a dream come true,‖ the 42-
year-old Laughlin said. ―It’s the best feeling I’ve ever
had in bowling.
―I bowled on Tour during the 2005-06 season, but I
didn’t fare so well,‖ he added. ―I’ve been bowling re-
gionals ever since and enjoying it. The RPI program
with a TV show this year was great. You couldn’t ask
for much more than that. It absolutely provided incen-
tives for regional players to get out and bowl.‖
The Teen Masters Grand Championship featured a re
-match of last season's finalists, which Young also won.
He won his second straight $64,000 scholarship pack-
age – the richest scholarship prize in the sport – by
beating Ashley Dunn of Palmdale, CA, in a one-ball roll
-off after the best-of-two-game match ended in a tie.
Dunn, who was swept in the 2012 title match, got the
upper hand when she won the first game, 179-160, but
Young sent the match into sudden-death with a 184-
153 decision in game two. In the roll-off, Young struck
and Dunn left the 2-4-5 to hand Young the victory.
Young, who will graduate from Viera High School in
2014, will attend collegiate powerhouse Robert Morris
University-Illinois
next fall and
plans to pursue
a career in cyber
security
PBA RPI FINALS:
South Point Exhibition Hall, Las Vegas
Championship
Ben Laughlin, Chandler, Ariz. ($6,000 and PBA Tour-
nament of Champions entry) def. Tom Daugherty,
Wesley Chapel, Fla. ($3,000), 225-187.
Playoff Results (winner of each match advanced; losers
earned $1,000)
Match One – Daugherty (244) def. Dave Beres, Wau-
kesha, Wis. (202) and Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio
(177).
Match Two – Laughlin (222) def. Brian LeClair, Albany,
N.Y. (198) and Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas (163).
PBA50 FINALS
South Point Exhibition Hall, Las Vegas
Final Standings
1, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., $10,000.
2, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, $6,000.
3, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., $4,000.
Stepladder Results
Match One – Monacelli def. Weber, 243-208.
Championship – Williams def. Monacelli, 224-204.
TEEN MASTERS GRAND CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS
Championship (best of two games; one-ball roll-off to
break tie)
Greg Young, Viera, Fla. ($64,000 scholarship) def.
Ashley Dunn, Palmdale, Calif.,
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