6
- FEBRUARY 2015
SERVING THE BOWLING INDUSTRY SINCE 1967
USBC Masters on ESPN Reaches
More Than 3.5 Million Viewers
By
USBC Communications
Ratings increase by 62 percent over last year’s telecast
ARLINGTON, Texas –
The Professional Bowlers Association
Tour telecast of the United States Bowling Congress Masters on
ESPN was the most-watched cable sports program on Sunday,
reaching more than 3.5 million viewers.
The telecast, which featured two-handed Australian bowler Ja-
son Belmonte winning a historic third-straight Masters title, aver-
aged 1.17 million viewers in the last quarter-hour of the telecast.
The two-hour telecast averaged a 0.60 household U.S. rating rep-
resenting a 62 percent increase versus the 2014 USBC Masters
telecast.
―Viewership numbers for the PBA on ESPN have been very en-
couraging,‖ PBA Commissioner Tom Clark said. ―The USBC Mas-
ters was another historic, action-packed spectacular. Sports fans
nationwide are tuning in which is great for our sponsors, players
and the game. When more people see bowling on TV, more peo-
ple go bowling, become interested in bowling, become inspired by
the best.‖
The Masters telecast was part of a positive household U.S. rat-
ings increase for the PBA on ESPN this year, up 20 percent year-
over-year when compared to the 2013-14 season-to-date.
The television success comes following a partnership between
PBA and USBC to include the USBC Masters as part of the PBA
Tour schedule in 2015 and 2016. The event had previously been
planned for late summer.
―We want to thank our great partners in Green Bay for the flexibil-
ity to host the USBC Masters in the prime of bowling season,‖
USBC Executive Director Chad Murphy said. ―The move ulti-
mately benefited the PBA, the players and product manufacturers
with tremendous national exposure. USBC is committed to mak-
ing decisions in the best interest of the future for the sport and this
is a prime example.‖
Belmonte became the first bowler in the sport’s history to win the
Masters three consecutive years. He won a drama-filled semifinal
against Hall of Famer Pete Weber of St. Ann, Missouri, before
defeating AJ Johnson of Oswego, Illinois, for the title.
The USBC Masters drew a sold-out field of 336 of the best bowl-
ers in the world and awarded more than $250,000 in prize money.
Ohio Bowler Rolls 900
By Matt Cannizzaro
Earon Vollmar of Toledo, Ohio, didn't have the
best weekend on the lanes, but a few adjustments
put him back on track in time for his Monday night
league, where he rolled three consecutive 300
games for a 900 series.
The 26-year-old right-hander had 36 consecutive
strikes during the Monday Night All-Stars league
at Toledo's New Glass Bowl Lanes, making him
the 25th bowler in history, and third from Ohio, to
record a perfect series. The achievement is pend-
ing approval from the United States Bowling Con-
gress and would be the 26th USBC-approved
900.
Vollmar struggled with his footwork and timing in
a disappointing performance at a local event Sun-
day, but he tried a few things at the end of that
tournament that helped get his game back in the
right tempo.
"It was an uneventful weekend, but I learned a
few things at the end that might have helped,"
said Vollmar, who works in a pro shop six days a
week but competes in three leagues and Sunday
tournaments whenever possible. "When I bowled
in my morning league Monday, I wasn't quite
where I wanted to be, but I felt better. At the end
of league, I tried a few more things, and then eve-
rything seemed to fall into place."
Even as an accomplished bowler with 16 perfect
games and nine 800 series before Monday's per-
formance, Vollmar's game is a work in progress,
and his focus lately has been on his slide tech-
nique. He also tends to be hard on himself at
times, but that wasn't the case during his recent
run at the record books.
When the strikes started to add up Monday, he
found himself in a place mentally he hadn't been
since rolling his first career 800 (an 811 series) on
bowling's biggest stage at the 2010 USBC Open
Championships. That effort also helped him to a
tie for second place in Regular Singles.
"I am a nervous person to begin with, so anytime
I have a string going, I can feel the nerves a little,"
Vollmar said. "With every shot at the end of the
first game, I got more nervous, but I wanted to
keep throwing good shots. As the night went on, I
just tried to keep my mind occupied and not let
the nerves get the best of me."
By the end of the third game, the 36-lane bowl-
ing center had grown quiet and two leagues worth
of bowlers surrounded Vollmar's pair of lanes.
That's when he turned to the experience of be-
coming one of 35 bowlers in history with a 300
game and 800 series at the Open Champion-
ships.
"There was a substantial crowd, but I wanted to
keep my thoughts clear, take deep breaths and
stay calm," Vollmar said. "Every bowler dreams of
having a chance to shoot 900, but you never think
you're going to be the next one to do it. I've have-
n't been able to duplicate anything like that night
in Reno until last night. I think it was the first time
since then I really was able to keep my mind clear
and not let any thoughts creep in."
The other 900s in Ohio were rolled by Lonnie
Billiter Jr. (Fairfield) in 2006 and Matt Latarski
(Medina) in 2010.
The first USBC-approved 900 occurred Feb. 2,
1997 when Jeremy Sonnenfeld rolled three con-
secutive perfect games in Lincoln, Neb. There
never has been a Sport-certified 900 series.
USBC-APPROVED 900 SERIES (26)
Jeremy Sonnenfeld (R), Lincoln, Neb., Feb. 2, 1997
Tony Roventini (L), Greenfield, Wis., Nov. 9, 1998
Vince Wood (R), Moreno Valley, Calif., Sept, 29, 1999
Robby Portalatin (L), Jackson, Mich., Dec. 28, 2000
James Hylton (R), Salem, Ore., May 2, 2001
Jeff Campbell II (R), New Castle, Pa., June 12, 2004
Darin Pomije (R), New Prague, Minn., Dec. 9, 2004
Robert Mushtare (R), Fort Drum, N.Y., Dec. 5, 2005 and
Feb. 19, 2006
Lonnie Billiter Jr. (R), Fairfield, Ohio, Feb. 13, 2006
Mark Wukoman (R), Greenfield, Wis., April 22, 2006
P.J. Giesfeldt (R), Milwaukee, Dec. 23, 2006
Rich Jerome Jr. (R), Baltimore, Dec. 22, 2008
Chris Aker (L), Winnemucca, Nev., Oct. 30, 2009
Andrew Teall (R), Medford, N.J., Nov. 2, 2009
Andrew Mank (R), Bellevue Ill., March 18, 2010
William Howell III (L), Middletown, N.Y., Oct. 21, 2010
Matt Latarski (R), Medina, Ohio, Nov. 28, 2010
Bob Kammer Jr. (R), Crown Point, Ind., Jan. 8, 2011
John Martorella Sr. (R), Greece, N.Y., April 12, 2012
Jimmy Schmitzer (R), Riverside, Calif., April 20, 2012
James Williams (R), Pawcatuck, Conn., (bowled in
Wakefield, R.I.), April 16, 2013
Joe Scarborough (R), Charlotte, N.C., (bowled in The
Villages, Fla.), April 21, 2013
Todd James (R), East New Market, Md., (bowled in
Laurel, Del.), March 18, 2014
Amos Gordon (R), Colorado Springs, CO, April 11, 2014
Earon Vollmar (R), Toledo, Ohio, Jan. 19, 2015**
** Pending formal approval by the United States Bowling
Congress
EARON used a
for his record-
setting performance.
