onefrombills
10-18-2008, 07:26 PM
Norm Duke Looks to Make PBA History by Winning Three Straight Majors
PBA World Championship to Kick off in Wichita, Kan., Oct. 19
WICHITA, KAN. (October 18, 2008) — Defending Champion Norm Duke looks to make PBA history by becoming the first bowler on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour to win three straight Majors.
Duke won the final two Majors of the 2007-2008 season, after being on the verge of losing his exemption. Duke rallied back from injuries to fashion one of the greatest late-season runs in PBA history, winning titles in both the Denny’s World Championship and the 65th Denny’s U.S. Open.
The 50th Anniversary season of the PBA Tour kicks off Oct. 19 in Wichita, Kan., with the first of four Majors, the PBA World Championship. A win for Duke at this event would break the current record of two straight Majors held by Wayne Zahn, Dave Davis, Earl Anthony, Mike Aulby, Walter Ray Williams Jr. and Norm Duke himself.
“The start of this year’s season is special for me because I have a chance to be the first player to win three consecutive Major titles right out of the gate,” said Duke. “I prepare differently for the Majors because of the lower scoring pace and I have been working especially hard on my spare game for the upcoming PBA World Championship. I want to be prepared just in case I need to convert a ‘bucket’ late in the event to capture the title.”
Activities for the PBA World Championship get underway Sunday, Oct. 19 with official PBA Pro-Ams starting at 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., giving fans the opportunity to bowl alongside PBA Tour stars.
Official practice sessions will be held on Monday, Oct. 20 from 8 - 10 a.m. and again from 12:30 - 2:30 p.m., where fans can collect autographs and take photos with their favorite PBA Tour bowlers. Following the practice sessions, there will be an all-exempt PBA player Pro-Am at 7 p.m.
Competition begins Tuesday, Oct. 21 with the first of three six-game qualifying blocks. Bowlers will be separated into three squads competing at 8 a.m., noon and 6 p.m. After the completion of three six-game qualifying blocks, the top 25% of the field will advance to the 9-game semifinal block on Friday, Oct. 24 at 9 a.m.
Friday’s competition will continue with the top 40 finishers advancing to single elimination best 4-of-7 match play, starting at 6 p.m. Match play continues on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 9 a.m. The top four bowlers will advance to Sunday’s ESPN live televised final.
About the PBA
The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) features the best bowlers in the world competing in National, Regional and Senior Tour events. The organization has more than 4,000 members spanning 13 countries, and nearly one million viewers tune-in to watch the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour every Sunday on ESPN throughout the season. PBA sponsors include Bayer, Brunswick, CLR, Denny's, Etonic, Flomax, GEICO, Go RVing, H&R Block, Lumber Liquidators, Motel 6, Pepsi-Cola and the USBC, among others. For more information on the PBA, log on to www.pba.com<http://www.pba.com/>.
PBA World Championship to Kick off in Wichita, Kan., Oct. 19
WICHITA, KAN. (October 18, 2008) — Defending Champion Norm Duke looks to make PBA history by becoming the first bowler on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour to win three straight Majors.
Duke won the final two Majors of the 2007-2008 season, after being on the verge of losing his exemption. Duke rallied back from injuries to fashion one of the greatest late-season runs in PBA history, winning titles in both the Denny’s World Championship and the 65th Denny’s U.S. Open.
The 50th Anniversary season of the PBA Tour kicks off Oct. 19 in Wichita, Kan., with the first of four Majors, the PBA World Championship. A win for Duke at this event would break the current record of two straight Majors held by Wayne Zahn, Dave Davis, Earl Anthony, Mike Aulby, Walter Ray Williams Jr. and Norm Duke himself.
“The start of this year’s season is special for me because I have a chance to be the first player to win three consecutive Major titles right out of the gate,” said Duke. “I prepare differently for the Majors because of the lower scoring pace and I have been working especially hard on my spare game for the upcoming PBA World Championship. I want to be prepared just in case I need to convert a ‘bucket’ late in the event to capture the title.”
Activities for the PBA World Championship get underway Sunday, Oct. 19 with official PBA Pro-Ams starting at 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., giving fans the opportunity to bowl alongside PBA Tour stars.
Official practice sessions will be held on Monday, Oct. 20 from 8 - 10 a.m. and again from 12:30 - 2:30 p.m., where fans can collect autographs and take photos with their favorite PBA Tour bowlers. Following the practice sessions, there will be an all-exempt PBA player Pro-Am at 7 p.m.
Competition begins Tuesday, Oct. 21 with the first of three six-game qualifying blocks. Bowlers will be separated into three squads competing at 8 a.m., noon and 6 p.m. After the completion of three six-game qualifying blocks, the top 25% of the field will advance to the 9-game semifinal block on Friday, Oct. 24 at 9 a.m.
Friday’s competition will continue with the top 40 finishers advancing to single elimination best 4-of-7 match play, starting at 6 p.m. Match play continues on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 9 a.m. The top four bowlers will advance to Sunday’s ESPN live televised final.
About the PBA
The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) features the best bowlers in the world competing in National, Regional and Senior Tour events. The organization has more than 4,000 members spanning 13 countries, and nearly one million viewers tune-in to watch the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour every Sunday on ESPN throughout the season. PBA sponsors include Bayer, Brunswick, CLR, Denny's, Etonic, Flomax, GEICO, Go RVing, H&R Block, Lumber Liquidators, Motel 6, Pepsi-Cola and the USBC, among others. For more information on the PBA, log on to www.pba.com<http://www.pba.com/>.