"Mom and dad, pack your bags, because we're going to the Tournament of Champions!" Jason Couch exclaimed, upon winning his first PBA title in the 10 000 Tums Classic at Bradley Bowl. Couch, the reigning PBA Rookie of the Year, outshot 1988 PBA Player of the Year Brian Voss, 226-173, for the $34,000 first prize and further stated his case in ousting two-time "King of the Hill" winner Ricky Ward, 237-227, to collect the $5,000 "winner take all" stakes. Couch, Winter Garden, Fla., showed a poise and aggressiveness that hadn't been present in his two previous championship round appearances. Against Voss, the strong lefthander started with a strike, opened in the second frame, and then added a fivebagger. Voss, Boca Raton, Fla., led early, but couldn't string strikes together and a second open frame in the ninth guaranteed his fate and $18,000 runnerup payday. In the "battle of rookies" (Ward was voted PBA's 1991 Rookie of the Year), Couch started with a six-bagger and never looked back. Ward, N. Fort Myers, Fla., closed the gap to one pin in the seventh frame, but Couch came back with a double to build his lead. The ABC Sports' broadcast began with 1991 Turns Classic champ Billy Young trouncing Kelly Coffman, Topeka, Kan., 257169, after starting with seven strikes. Voss then entered and survived against Young, Tulsa, Okla., 227-224, when Young left a solid 10-pin in the 10th frame, needing a strike to advance. CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND | Pos. |  | Name, City/State | Total | Amount | | | 1 | | Jason Couch, Winter Garden, FL | 226 (1 game) | $34,000 | | 2 | | Brian Voss, Boca Raton, FL | 400 (2 games) | 18,000 | | 3 | | Billy Young, Tulsa, OK | 481 (2 games) | 10,000 | | 4 | | Kelly Coffman, Topeka, KS | 169 (1 game) | 7,000 | |
PLAYOFF RESULTS-Young defeated Coffman, 257-169; Voss defeated Young, 227-224; and, in the championship match, Couch defeated Voss, 226-173. KING OF THE HILL -Couch defeated Ricky Ward, North Fort Myers, FL, 237-227, for $5,000.
42-GAME TOTALS | | | Name, City | | Pins | | Avg | | WLT | | + | | Tot | | Amt | | | 1 | | Jason Couch, Winter Garden, FL | | 10001 | | 238.1 | | 16-8-0 | | 480 | | 10481 | | | | #2 | | Brian Voss, Boca Raton, FL | | 9918 | | 236.1 | | 17-6-1 | | 525 | | 10443 | | | | 3 | | Kelly Coffman, Topeka, KS | | 9909 | | 235.9 | | 13-11-0 | | 390 | | 10299 | | | | 4 | | Billy Young, Tulsa OK | | 9389 | | 234.3 | | 15-9-0 | | 450 | | 10289 | | | | #5 | | Steve Fields, Stockton, CA | | 9696 | | 230.9 | | 14-10-0 | | 420 | | 10116 | | $6,000 | | 6 | | Jeff Morin, Rockaway, NJ | | 9752 | | 232.2 | | 12-12-0 | | 360 | | 10112 | | 5,000 | | 7 | | Jeff Germann, Warren, OH | | 9632 | | 229.3 | | 15-9-0 | | 450 | | 10082 | | 4,500 | | 8 | | Bob Vespi, Coral Springs, FL | | 9708 | | 231.1 | | 12-12-0 | | 360 | | 10068 | | 4,000 | | 9 | | Robert Lawrence, Austin, TX | | 9647 | | 229.7 | | 13-10-1 | | 405 | | 10052 | | 3,500 | | #10 | | Bob Benoit, Topeka, KS | | 9727 | | 231.6 | | 10-14-0 | | 300 | | 10027 | | 3,200 | | 11 | | Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela | | 9600 | | 228.6 | | 13-10-1 | | 405 | | 10005 | | 3,000 | | 12 | | Paul Koehler, Stuart, FL | | 9622 | | 229.1 | | 11-11-2 | | 360 | | 9982 | | 2,800 | | 13 | | Jim Johnson, Wilmington, DE | | 9591 | | 228.4 | | 12-11-1 | | 375 | | 9966 | | 2,700 | | 14 | | Bryan Goebel, Merriam, KS | | 9620 | | 229.1 | | 11-12-1 | | 345 | | 9965 | | 2,600 | | 15 | | Jeff Lizzi, Sandusky, OH | | 9551 | | 227.4 | | 12-11-1 | | 375 | | 9926 | | 2,500 | | #16 | | David Ozio, Vidor, TX | | 9593 | | 228.4 | | 11-13-0 | | 330 | | 9923 | | 2,400 | | 17 | | Adam Cotton, Coral Springs, FL | | 9571 | | 227.9 | | 10-13-1 | | 315 | | 9886 | | 2,300 | | 18 | | Del Ballard Jr., Richardson, TX | | 9478 | | 225.7 | | 13-11-0 | | 390 | | 9868 | | 2,200 | | 19 | | George Branham III, Indianapolis | | 9543 | | 227.2 | | 10-13-1 | | 315 | | 9858 | | 2,100 | | 20 | | Rich Dodge, Woodbridge, VA | | 9557 | | 227.6 | | 7-16-1 | | 225 | | 9782 | | 2,000 | | 21 | | John Hricsina, Franklin, PA | | 9516 | | 226.6 | | 8-16-0 | | 240 | | 9756 | | 1,900 | | 22 | | Mike Miller, Albuquerque, NM | | 9453 | | 225.1 | | 10-14-0 | | 300 | | 9753 | | 1,800 | | 23 | | Mike Shady, Ripon, WI | | 9433 | | 224.6 | | 10-14-0 | | 300 | | 9733 | | 1,750 | | #24 | | Brian McClure, Wichita Falls, TX | | 9013 | | 214.6 | | 7-16-1 | | 225 | | 9238 | | 1,700 | |
OTHER CASHERS | Pos. | | Name, City/State | Amount | | | *25 | | Philip Ringener, Big Springs, TX | $1,530 | | # | | Dave Smalley, Louisville, KY | 1,410 | | 27 | | Dave Ferraro, Kingston, NY | 1,360 | | 28 | | Martin Letscher, Bel Air, MD | 1,330 | | | | Mark Turney, Corpus Christi, TX | 1,330 | | 30 | | J. Hickenbottom, Thousand Oaks, CA | 1,300 | | 31 | | Bob Spaulding, Harrisburg, PA | 1,280 | | 32 | | Dave D'Entremont, Midburg. Hts., OH | 1,260 | | 33 | | Marshall Holman, Medford, OR | 1,240 | | 34 | | Brad Snell, Elk Grove, IL | 1,230 | | 35 | | Rick Miller, Lincoln, NE | 1,220 | | 36 | | Joe Baca, Dublin, CA | 1,210 | | 37 | | Ron Williams, Fort Worth, TX | 1,200 | | 38 | | Billy Orlikowski, Grand Rapids, MI | 1,190 | | 39 | | Gary Dickinson, Edmond, OK | 1,180 | | 40 | | Roger Bowker, Ocala, FL | 1,170 | | 41 | | Bill Oakes, Lawton, OK | 1,160 | | 42 | | Joe Hutchinson, Scranton, PA | 1,150 | | 43 | | Joe Firpo, Lake Worth, FL | 1,140 | | 44 | | Tony Westlake, Edmond, OK | 1,130 | | 45 | | Butch Soper, Lake Havasu City, AZ | 1,120 | | 46 | | Dave Wodka, Milwaukee, WI | 1,110 | | 47 | | Myron Tkaczuk, Edison, NJ | 1,100 | | 48 | | Charlie Standish, Kalamazoo, MI | 1,090 | | 49 | | Henry Gonzalez, Cob. Springs, CO | 1,080 | | 50 | | Mark Williams, Beaumont, TX | 1,070 | | 51 | | Gary Hulsenberg, San Jose, CA | 1,060 | | 52 | | Bob Belmont, Clearwater, FL | 1,050 | | 53 | | Tim Criss, Bel Air, MD | 1,045 | |
*-Match play alternate. 18-game qualifying leader- Bob Benoit, 4356. 24th place - Adam Cotton, 4125. 53rd place Tim Criss, 4019. #-Mark Mosayebi, Dave Smalley, Stephen Hardy, Bob Benoit (2), Ryan Shafer, Gary Schluchter, Steve Fields, Brian McClure, John Losito, Pete McCordic, Scott Poe, Mark Thayer, Steve Wilson, Brian Voss and David Ozio rolled 300 games ($100 each). PRO-AM CASHERS Jimmy Keeth, Ricky Ward, Curtis Odom, Pete Couture, Bob Spaulding, Jeff Lizzi, Eric Forkel, Billy Young, Brad Snell, Butch Soper, Mark Bowers and Dave Ferraro ($50 each).
Not-so-poor Walter Ray Williams Jr. again fell victim to Del Ballard Jr. in an important championship final, as Ballard captured his second BPAA U.S. Open title at Roseland Bowl. Second-seeded Ballard downed leading qualifier Williams, 237-193, after Williams had lapped the field by more than 500 pins over the 56-game format. Williams' $22,000 check as runnerup vaulted him atop the Tour's yearly earnings list, while Ballard collected the $40,000 first prize plus $5,000 as the new "King of the Hill".
Ballard stopped reigning PBA Rookie of the Year Jason Couch, 227191, in the winner-take-all "King of the Hill" match.
Williams started the championship game with a strike and was in or around the pocket throughout, including an inopportune 4-9 leave in his fourth frame, which he nearly converted. Ballard held a slight lead at that point, but immediately pounced on Williams' open by firing a four-bagger and pulled away.
Williams led the 240-man field in average by more than five pins per game over second place Ballard. The field was made up of 144 leading PBA players and 96 Bowling Proprietors' Association of America (BPAA) league qualifiers.
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