Malott Takes on Prime-Time Challengers as “King of Bowling” Series Begins

[onefrombills]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mike Jakubowski | PR/Media Relations

Professional Bowlers Association | 719 Second Avenue, Suite 701 | Seattle, WA 98104

Tel: 800.903.0930 | Fax: 206.332.9722 | mike.jakubowski@pba.com





Malott Takes on Prime-Time Challengers as “King of Bowling” Series Begins

ESPN’s Michael Wilbon makes appearance to preview upcoming Malott challenge match



LAKE WALES, Fla. (April 17, 2009) – Newly-crowned Professional Bowlers Association Player of the Year Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, steps back into the spotlight Wednesday night in a head-to-head battle as professional bowling returns to “prime time” in the first King of Bowling Powered by Amp Energy telecast.



A five-week series of one-hour King of Bowling Powered by Amp Energy telecasts will air on ESPN2 at 9 p.m. Eastern on Wednesdays April 22 through May 20.



Each King of Bowling Powered by Amp Energy show will open with two of the top players from the 2008-09 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season bowling a one-game match for the right to bowl the reigning “King” for a $10,000 prize. The winner of the “King of Bowling” match will return the following week where two new challengers will try to knock him off his throne.



Malott earned the throne for the opening telecast as PBA Player of the Year for the 2008-09 season. His opponent in Week One will be the winner of a match between Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla., and Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, who finished second and third, respectively, in the Player of the Year points race.



A highlight of the opening telecast will be a special appearance by ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption” co-host Michael Wilbon, who criticized Malott for not competing at PBA’s GEICO Plastic Ball Championship in February. After winning the Etonic Marathon Open in the next Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour event, Malott responded to the controversy and issued the challenge with the resulting public feud playing out over several PTI shows.



Wilbon agreed to take on Malott in the upcoming April 29 and May 6 King of Bowling telecasts in a special challenge match. Wilbon will have a 57-pin handicap and choice of bowling equipment while Malott will be using only the plastic ball allowed in the Plastic Ball Championship.



In subsequent weeks, the “King of Bowling” will face challenges from Patrick Allen and Mike Scroggins, Walter Ray Williams Jr. and Bill O’Neill, John Nolen and Rhino Page, and Brad Angelo and “wild card” competitor Parker Bohn III.





About the PBA

The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) features the best bowlers in the world competing in National, Regional and Senior Tour events and will award over $4.3 million in prize money during the 2008-09 Lumber Liquidators PBA National Tour. 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 Amp Energy, 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.

[Whitelightning]

ought to be interesting for sure. I'll watch.