onefrombills
03-11-2009, 05:24 AM
The house that Earl built lived up to the reputation of its patriarch on Sunday as Golf 'N Bowl posted a 299 handicap game in baker-format competition en route to a victory at the United States Bowling Congress Storm Mixed Team Challenge event at Pacific Lanes in Tacoma, Wash.
"A lot of people bowl here because it's the house where Earl Anthony bowled," said Pacific Lanes league coordinator Jennifer Evans.
Earl would have been proud. In a combined 22 games that consists of three games of four-bowler team play and 10 games in baker format, Golf 'N Bowl posted a total pinfall of 5,216 for a 237 overall average, taking home a top prize of $1,200. The team squeaked out their victory over the second-place team 616SwissTrios.com by just 18 pins.
"We're thrilled," Golf 'N Bowl team captain Roy Harker said. "I can't describe it. I love the tournament. The format is exhilarating and you're drained when you're done. We tried really hard to focus just on staying clean and not making an error. When you're only bowling two frames a game and you close your frames, you say 'OK, I feel really good.' But if you're the only one to open, you feel pretty bad, so emotions are pretty extreme."
Emotions were not just extreme for the winners, however. Evans, who participated in the event herself in addition to working at Pacific Lanes, struggled to speak with a hoarse and cracking voice.
"Excuse my voice, I was screaming all day," Evans said. "It was fun. I have never bowled a format like that, where you bowl three games and then 10 games in the baker style. I had a blast, and I have been bowling for 25 years. I'm totally psyched about it coming back again."
Evans is not the only one who is psyched. Teams drove in from far-away Seattle to bowl the event in Portland this weekend, while others skipped a local Masters event because they preferred the format of the Mixed Team Challenge.
Brad McClean, captain of the team that won the Saturday event at Hollywood Bowl in Portland, Ore., shared those sentiments.
"It was really exciting," McClean said. "The fun thing about this tournament is working together as a team. You're not just relying on yourself. It's fun to work together. Everybody there has a great time."
McClean's team, Hollywood, posted a high handicap game of 293 in the baker format and flirted with a baker 300 when they began another game with the front six, gutting out a victory in a fiercely close battle with several other teams that came down to the final game.
"It was pretty tight," McClean said. "We were in the top three, fighting pretty much back and forth with two other teams all the way through the baker format. It's a long tournament and difficult to stay focused, but we were able to make shots and do it."
Tight it was: OSIMA, the second-place team, posted baker scores of 287, 282 and 272 and still fell just short of McClean's team by 38 pins. Team Hollywood's total pinfall of 5,322 amounted to a 242 tournament average and a check for $1,100.
The Mixed Team Challenge transitions to the northeast for its next events on March 21 and 22, with JIB Lanes hosting the Saturday event in Flushing, N.Y.. Bradley Bowl in Windsor Locks, Conn., the house where PBA Hall of Famer Larry Lichstein began his career, will open its doors for the Sunday event.
"A lot of people bowl here because it's the house where Earl Anthony bowled," said Pacific Lanes league coordinator Jennifer Evans.
Earl would have been proud. In a combined 22 games that consists of three games of four-bowler team play and 10 games in baker format, Golf 'N Bowl posted a total pinfall of 5,216 for a 237 overall average, taking home a top prize of $1,200. The team squeaked out their victory over the second-place team 616SwissTrios.com by just 18 pins.
"We're thrilled," Golf 'N Bowl team captain Roy Harker said. "I can't describe it. I love the tournament. The format is exhilarating and you're drained when you're done. We tried really hard to focus just on staying clean and not making an error. When you're only bowling two frames a game and you close your frames, you say 'OK, I feel really good.' But if you're the only one to open, you feel pretty bad, so emotions are pretty extreme."
Emotions were not just extreme for the winners, however. Evans, who participated in the event herself in addition to working at Pacific Lanes, struggled to speak with a hoarse and cracking voice.
"Excuse my voice, I was screaming all day," Evans said. "It was fun. I have never bowled a format like that, where you bowl three games and then 10 games in the baker style. I had a blast, and I have been bowling for 25 years. I'm totally psyched about it coming back again."
Evans is not the only one who is psyched. Teams drove in from far-away Seattle to bowl the event in Portland this weekend, while others skipped a local Masters event because they preferred the format of the Mixed Team Challenge.
Brad McClean, captain of the team that won the Saturday event at Hollywood Bowl in Portland, Ore., shared those sentiments.
"It was really exciting," McClean said. "The fun thing about this tournament is working together as a team. You're not just relying on yourself. It's fun to work together. Everybody there has a great time."
McClean's team, Hollywood, posted a high handicap game of 293 in the baker format and flirted with a baker 300 when they began another game with the front six, gutting out a victory in a fiercely close battle with several other teams that came down to the final game.
"It was pretty tight," McClean said. "We were in the top three, fighting pretty much back and forth with two other teams all the way through the baker format. It's a long tournament and difficult to stay focused, but we were able to make shots and do it."
Tight it was: OSIMA, the second-place team, posted baker scores of 287, 282 and 272 and still fell just short of McClean's team by 38 pins. Team Hollywood's total pinfall of 5,322 amounted to a 242 tournament average and a check for $1,100.
The Mixed Team Challenge transitions to the northeast for its next events on March 21 and 22, with JIB Lanes hosting the Saturday event in Flushing, N.Y.. Bradley Bowl in Windsor Locks, Conn., the house where PBA Hall of Famer Larry Lichstein began his career, will open its doors for the Sunday event.