onefrombills
07-19-2009, 04:07 AM
LAS VEGAS - Joseph Costa of Chicago made a run at the Classified Singles lead at the USBC Open Championships on Saturday, but came up short and settled into sixth place.
After struggling in the first five games of his 2009 Open Championships campaign, everything seemed to click for the 29-year-old right-hander during his final game of doubles, and that momentum carried over into singles.
Costa started singles with five consecutive strikes on the way to a 233 game and followed it up with a 255 effort. Halfway through his last game, he realized he had a legitimate shot at the lead, but the pins did not fall his way. After missing a 10 pin in the sixth frame, he opened two more times to finish with a 181 game and 669 series. Vernon Daniels of Bermuda leads with 692.
"I walked into the scale room today and just felt like I was going to bowl well," said Costa, who made his eighth Open Championships appearance. "I bowled badly for six games, basically, but I found my spot in the third game of doubles. I was able to relax and talk to other people, which kept my mind off of the score. But in the last game, it seemed like no one wanted to talk to me, and that's when I started thinking about what was going on."
Although Costa has always hoped to win a title at the Open Championships, getting close is a sizeable accomplishment and leaves little room for disappointment. At this point, he's just extremely grateful to be able to bowl at all after suffering an injury during the 2004 Open Championships in Reno, Nev.
"That year, I damaged the cartilage in my wrist and wasn't able to finish bowling singles," Costa said. I tried to bowl left-handed, but that didn't go too well. I finished my first game of singles with an 85 and then decided not to continue. I just wanted to put in the effort and finish, but it didn't work."
Doctors told Costa that surgery likely would be necessary, but he only had an 80 percent chance of being able to bowl like he did prior to the injury. Instead, he chose to go with the alternative and try to rehabilitate his wrist.
He now throws a 15-pound ball and went from a handful of leagues each week to just one and doesn't hit the lanes for any additional practice. Following the injury, he started taping his wrist completely, but it has become stronger through exercise, and he now uses just a basic wrist support.
"In the beginning, I thought it was just going to get better, but then they said I would need surgery," said Costa, who bowls at Fireside Bowl. "I decided I'd rather try to make it stronger and rebuild my game without surgery. It's better, but I still can't bowl that much. Right now, I feel great about being in sixth place. I'm happy, and there's no disappointment."
Costa had 554 in doubles and 527 in team for a career-best 1,750 all-events total. His previous high was 1,725 at the 2006 event in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Presenting sponsors for the 2009 USBC Open Championships are the Coast Casinos in Las Vegas and the Eldorado Hotel Casino, Silver Legacy Resort Casino and Circus Circus in Reno, Nev. Other participating sponsors are Kegel, official lane maintenance provider; Brunswick, capital equipment supplier; Storm Products, Inc.; Binion's Gambling Hall and Hotel and Four Queens Hotel and Casino, the official brackets sponsors; Sapphire Gentleman's Club; Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino; MGM Mirage; Jerry's Nugget Casino and Fitzgerald's Casino and Hotel.
After struggling in the first five games of his 2009 Open Championships campaign, everything seemed to click for the 29-year-old right-hander during his final game of doubles, and that momentum carried over into singles.
Costa started singles with five consecutive strikes on the way to a 233 game and followed it up with a 255 effort. Halfway through his last game, he realized he had a legitimate shot at the lead, but the pins did not fall his way. After missing a 10 pin in the sixth frame, he opened two more times to finish with a 181 game and 669 series. Vernon Daniels of Bermuda leads with 692.
"I walked into the scale room today and just felt like I was going to bowl well," said Costa, who made his eighth Open Championships appearance. "I bowled badly for six games, basically, but I found my spot in the third game of doubles. I was able to relax and talk to other people, which kept my mind off of the score. But in the last game, it seemed like no one wanted to talk to me, and that's when I started thinking about what was going on."
Although Costa has always hoped to win a title at the Open Championships, getting close is a sizeable accomplishment and leaves little room for disappointment. At this point, he's just extremely grateful to be able to bowl at all after suffering an injury during the 2004 Open Championships in Reno, Nev.
"That year, I damaged the cartilage in my wrist and wasn't able to finish bowling singles," Costa said. I tried to bowl left-handed, but that didn't go too well. I finished my first game of singles with an 85 and then decided not to continue. I just wanted to put in the effort and finish, but it didn't work."
Doctors told Costa that surgery likely would be necessary, but he only had an 80 percent chance of being able to bowl like he did prior to the injury. Instead, he chose to go with the alternative and try to rehabilitate his wrist.
He now throws a 15-pound ball and went from a handful of leagues each week to just one and doesn't hit the lanes for any additional practice. Following the injury, he started taping his wrist completely, but it has become stronger through exercise, and he now uses just a basic wrist support.
"In the beginning, I thought it was just going to get better, but then they said I would need surgery," said Costa, who bowls at Fireside Bowl. "I decided I'd rather try to make it stronger and rebuild my game without surgery. It's better, but I still can't bowl that much. Right now, I feel great about being in sixth place. I'm happy, and there's no disappointment."
Costa had 554 in doubles and 527 in team for a career-best 1,750 all-events total. His previous high was 1,725 at the 2006 event in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Presenting sponsors for the 2009 USBC Open Championships are the Coast Casinos in Las Vegas and the Eldorado Hotel Casino, Silver Legacy Resort Casino and Circus Circus in Reno, Nev. Other participating sponsors are Kegel, official lane maintenance provider; Brunswick, capital equipment supplier; Storm Products, Inc.; Binion's Gambling Hall and Hotel and Four Queens Hotel and Casino, the official brackets sponsors; Sapphire Gentleman's Club; Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino; MGM Mirage; Jerry's Nugget Casino and Fitzgerald's Casino and Hotel.