The U.S. Open, one of the most prestigious tournaments in bowling, has long been associated with the Bowling Proprietors' Association of America and is classified as a major championship. Along with the PBA World Championship and the PBA Tournament of Champions, it forms the Triple Crown of bowling. The ABC Masters, the fourth of the major tournaments, constitutes the Grand Slam. The only bowler to win the Grand Slam is Mike Aulby, who also won the Touring Players Championship, a tournament once regarded a major but no longer included on the PBA schedule.
With all due respect to the incredible impact the PBA has had on bowling, the BPAA U.S. Open has been a celebrated tournament designed to showcase the greatest bowling talent in the world. Unfortunately, this outstanding event is being tarnished in stature by the admission of unqualified contestants. The original U.S. Open was held in held in Chicago in 1941 under the BPAA All-Star Championship banner. In this memorable contest, Hall of Famer John Crimmins triumphed over Joe Norris, another all-time great.. The last All-Star champion, Bobby Cooper, beat Billy Hardwick in 1970.
Some of the greatest names in the history of the game reflect the quality of competition of this great event. Players like ABC Hall of Fame members Connie Schwoegler, Ned Day, Buddy Bomar, Joe Wilman, Andy Varipapa, Junie McMahon, Dick Hoover, Don Carter, Steve Nagy, Bill Lillard, Billy Welu, Dick Weber, Bob Strampe, Jim Stefanich, and Billy Hardwick carted off All-Star titles.
After being renamed the U.S. Open in 1971, such stars as Don Johnson, Nelson Burton Jr., Johnny Petraglia, Marshall Holman, Mark Roth, Dave Husted, Larry Laub, Mike McGrath, Del Ballard Jr., Steve Cook, Mike Aulby, Pete Weber, and Walter Ray Williams Jr. have hoisted the victory cup in the U.S. Open.
With this in mind, one has to wonder why this outstanding event is being besieged with bowlers who post scores of embarrassing proportions, including a few so-called “pros.” Many of the amateurs who were participating through BPAA sponsorship this past February in Fountain Valley, Calif., actually made a mockery of the game.
For example, 105 of the 360 players were at least 300 pins under a 200 average for 18 qualifying games. To put it in proper perspective, any player who averaged 190 would have been 180 under. Following are some of the dismal figures posted in one of America’s most prestigious tournaments:
Folks, I am not trying to be harshly critical, but one player recorded a score of 1,047 pins under,, an average of 142 in a major bowling tournament! Can you imagine the frustration, not only to himself, but even more important, for the professional bowler who shared the lanes with him for three days. How can this be? Does it happen in the PGA U.S. Open or the U.S. Tennis Open championships? Absolutely not! Although superior amateurs who have made their marks in national amateur championships and qualified under stringent rules are permitted to compete with professionals in the PGA U.S. Open. No other professional sport admit amateur participation other than in pro-am competition.
Understandably, bowling proprietors are allotted a number of spots from each city or area around the country to compete in the BPAA U.S. Open. It’s quite reasonable that BPAA proprietors are affording their clientele the opportunity to display their talents. However, to maintain the prestige of this historic tournament, wouldn’t it be prudent to be more selective for those who are chosen to represent their sponsors?
Perhaps, I‘m being too presumptuous. Heaven knows, I‘ve condemned phony scores that have been recorded on doctored lanes for the past 20 years. More important, I’ve cautioned proprietors and bowlers of the consequences individuals must face when forced to perform on bowling lanes that are not blocked. Major tournaments lane conditions are dressed to reward superior shotmakers—not “adult bumper bowlers”—and rightfully so. Major tournaments are not for the faint-hearted, nor are they supposed to favor novices or duffers.
Although high scores may be more exciting (as my good buddy, Dick Evans, prefers), quality execution must prevail for tournaments of major magnitude. And, in this year’s Open, quality execution did prevail. This was evident, as four of the top five qualifiers for the 2004 BPAA U.S. Open—Pete Weber, Brian Voss, Walter Ray Williams Jr., and Chris Barnes—summed up the importance of proper execution. The fifth qualifier was Osku Palermaa, a 20-year-old phenom from Finland who dazzled Americans in both the ABC Masters and the U.S. Open with his unorthodox two-handed release. Despite Palermaa’s uncanny ability to apply more revolutions on the ball than any player in the tournament, including Robert Smith and Tim Mack, the Finnish youngster could not get past Williams in the first match.
In the championship final, Pete Weber was the epitome of quality execution. He exhibited uncanny ability in controlling his wide-arcing hook as he overwhelmed Brian Voss, perhaps the most fundamentally sound bowler in the game.
In doing so, Pete Weber annexed his third U.S. Open title, leaving him one behind his illustrious dad, Dick Weber.