Trustcorp PBA National Championship
$280,000 TRUSTCORP PBA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Imperial Lanes, Toledo, Ohio, Mar 12-18, 1989
Pete Weber Completes Triple Crown; Wins Trustcorp PBA National Championship
"This makes up for the last four years of frustration," Pete Weber said, after capturing the final jewel of professional bowling's "Triple Crown" with his 221-216 victory against Dave Ferraro in the $280,000 Trustcorp PBA National Championship at Ducat's Imperial Lanes. The $54,000 win also was Weber's 12th PBA title and made him just the third player in PBA history to complete the "Triple Crown," joining the prestigious company of Johnny Petraglia and Billy Hardwick. Weber was the leading qualifier in this 30th renewal of the PBA National Championship by 322 pins entering the ABC Sports televised championship round and needed to prove himself in the final game after being thwarted this title the last three years. Weber, Florissant, Mo., opened with a strike, spare and three-bagger to lead Ferraro by 20 pins through five frames. Beginning in his fifth, Ferraro, Kingston, N.Y., responded with a four-bagger and took the lead (by four pins) after eight frames. Weber was not to be denied on this day, however, and came right back with a double, nine-spare to finish. Ferraro could have clinched his fifth PBA title and third in the state of Ohio with a double and six pins. After collecting the first strike in his 10th, he left the 6-10 on his next shot and Weber bounded into the winner's circle. Weber was outfitted with the traditional green National Championship blazer and three-diamond and gold PBA ring emblematic of his historic feat. "Before the final I wasn't thinking about the Triple Crown, but after I won I sure did," Weber said. "I never root against my opponent and felt Dave deserved the double. The best bowlers always come to the top in our long format (56-game) tournaments and it pumped me up to have the crowd chanting my name," he said. "I won the Firestone Tournament of Champions in 1987, Seagram's Coolers U.S. Open in '88 and at the start of this year I said, 'this is the year it will be the Trustcorp PBA National Championship.' " Weber shouted to the crowd immediately afterward, "We won this one too, dad," to PBA Hall of Famer and bowling legend Dick Weber, who was watching at home. "This is the second center dad and I both have won in (the other being Las Vegas' Showboat Center). If there's one admirer I've always had, it's been dad," Dick's 26-year-old son continued. Weber's big payday also pushed him to within $958 of being the PBA's fourth player to earn $1 million in prize money, joining Mark Roth, Marshall Holman and Earl Anthony. The championship round began with PBA Tour rookie Jim Johnson Jr. topping Mark Baker, Garden Grove, Calif., 182-171. Johnson, Wilmington, Del., then fell victim to Venezuela's Amleto Monacelli, 191-180. Monacelli was frustrated in the semi-final game against Ferraro when a solid pocket hit on his first 10th-frame shot left a solid 10-pin and he bowed, 203-200. Ferraro said, "I thought I was going to get the second strike against Pete, but then, I also thought Amleto was going to strike against me. I'm not unhappy with my performance or my last shot. That's the way you like to have it - having to strike to win or lose," he said. The 29-year-old Ferraro said he felt funny being "the old man" on the telecast, and was consoled with the $27,500 runnerup check. Monacelli, 27, earned $15,000 for third place, 28-year-old Johnson pocketed $10,000 and Baker, 27, banked $18,000 for fifth place. Of his slightly oversize blazer worn during the trophy presentation Weber replied, when queried by a local newsman what size the coat he was wearing, "Extra large, for how big I feel right now." CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND
PLAYOFF RESULTS - Johnson defeated Baker, 182-171; Monacelli defeated Johnson, 191-180; Ferraro defeated Monacelli, 203-200; and in the championship game, Weber defeated Ferraro, 221-216. 56-GAME TOTALS OTHER CASHERS *- Match play alternate. 32-game qualifying leader - Pete Weber, 6994. 24th place - Mark Williams, 6725. 90th place Ryan Shafer, 5748. # - Steve Cook, Dave Ferraro, Allen Johnson, Brian Mader, Jim Ragnoni and Mark Williams rolled 300 games ($100 each). PRO-AM CASHERS - Dave Ferraro, Steve Jaros, Hugh Miller, Marshall Holman, Ron Williams, Mats Karlsson, Mark Fahy, Roger Bowker, David Waswo, Jim Johnson Jr., John Colossi, Steve Hoskins, Curtis Odom, Kent Wagner, Henry Gonzalez and Mark Baker ($50 each). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
