By Bernie Kapp
THE VILLAGES, Fla. — Thomas Brown of Lexington, N.C., survived six nerve-racking rounds of head-to-head competition to capture the championship in the "Bowler's Review 45 & Over Ultimate Scratch Challenge" held Sunday, May 21 at The Villages, Fiesta Bowl.
Brown, a 50-year-old bricklayer, defeated Charlie Gadd of West Palm Beach, Fla., 235-226 and 243-218 in the best of three game title match to earn the $5,000 first place check. The 55-year-old Gadd pocketed $2,500 as runner-up.
Although he received a bye in Round 4, the road to the championship match was no cakewalk for Brown: He was extended to the full three games in two of his three preliminary matches in what PBA Hall of Famer Dave Davis called, "the most unique eliminator format I have ever bowled."
The field of more than 75 top players (amateurs and pros) each played "best of three game" matches against a single opponent, with the winner of each match advancing to the next round for another best of three game match. Since total pins meant nothing in this event, only winning games was important—and it didn't matter if you won the game by one pin or 100.
"One of the things I like about the format is that if you are losing late in a game by a lot of pins, you can experiment, (change your equipment, adjust your shot or speed) because how much you lose the game by doesn't matter," said Davis. "You can never fall too many pins behind because you just need to win the next game by one pin."
Included in the elite field were some of the top PBA touring pros, including Davis, fellow Hall of Famer Tommy Hudson, five-time National Tour winner Roger Bowker, PBA Senior Rookie of the Year Steve Neff, and current PBA Senior Player of the Year Dale Eagle.
The amateurs and non-touring pros in the event were nothing to sneeze at as well. They included players who have had some major success in megabuck events, regionals, and local and statewide senior associations and tournaments.
The well-known touring pros were the odds-on favorites of the crowd to advance to the finals, so a huge gasp of disbelief went up throughout the center when the scoreboard posted that Steve Neff and Dave Davis had drawn each other in the opening round. Davis cut Neff's day short by eliminating the two-time National Tour and two-time Senior Tour champion in two hard-fought games.
Dale Eagle was another who bit the dust in the first round as he was ousted by top amateur player Dennis Psaropoulos of Lake Worth, Fla. Tommy Hudson, who runs the pro shop at Fiesta Bowl, also exited in the first round, beaten by Bruce DeVivo of Winter Haven, Fla.
Bowker and Davis fared better, as each rolled through three opponents until they met their fate in the fourth round.
Bowker hooked up with Gadd in one of the best matches of the day. The opening game ended in a tie at 190. Game 2 saw Gadd squeek out a 227-221 win when Bowker left the 4-6-7-10 split on his first shot in the 10th frame. Now, needing to win the final game to force a tie-breaker, Bowker again fell short, 217-214.
Davis fell to DeVivo in another exciting three-gamer. After losing the first game, 233-221, the legendary lefty evened the match by taking the second tilt, 255-219. The third game came down to the final frame where DeVivo closed the door on Davis by doubling for a 244-238 win. DeVivo is no slouch, having won the Super Bowl High Roller in 1993 and the Orange Belt (Fla.) all events title twice (1995 and 1999).
Rounding out the final five in addition to Brown, Gadd, and DeVivo were Leon Wagler of Sarasota and 60-year-old super-senior John Wright of Leesburg, Fla.
The finals, which was televised on VNN, the Villages cable T.V. network, to more than 175,000 viewers opened with a five-player, one game shootout to determine the top two for the championship (best of three game) match.
From the opening frame of the shootout, there was no doubt that Brown would advance to the title match (he struck on his first seven shots). It became just a question of who would face him. Gadd struck on his first two shots in the 10th frame to give him a 214, which was good enough to win over Wright's 203, Wagler's 199, and DeVivo's 191.
Brown adds this title to an ever-growing list of impressive achievements. The past 12 months have been especially good to Brown, during which he won an Ultimate Bowlers Association (UBA) title in September, worth $40,000, the 40 & Over High Roller in January for $20,000, and he finished fourth in the July 1999 High Roller, winning $25,000. Not bad for an amateur—or should we say "Proamateur."
After the match, Brown was set to drive down the coast to Satellite Beach, Fla., to compete in the UBA Memorial Day Classic that offers a $20,000 top prize.
"I like coming down here (to Florida)," said Brown, with a big grin.
And who could blame him? Usually the Sunshine State takes money from tourists; Brown heads home to North Carolina with his pockets full.
The "Bowler's Review 45 & Over Ultimate Scratch Challenge" was sponsored by the Bowler's Review newspaper, The Villages, Three Amigos Pro Shop and Citizen's First Bank.
Bernie Kapp, a sportswriter for over 35 years, currently publishes The Bowler's Review in Florida.