Professional Bowlers Association

Jim Johnson Jr. was beginning to wonder how much time he had left before the opportunity to win a PBA title would pass him by. At Hollywood Bowl, Portland, Ore., Johnson found there was no time like the present to get his first win.

Johnson, a 36-year-old from Tampa, Fla., defeated Pete Weber, 232-197, in the title match of the Oregon Open. The victory was worth $18,000 and a trip to the 1998 Brunswick World Tournament of Champions.

"I wasn't thinking about the money or the T of C, all I could think about was the win," said Johnson. "When you are 36 years old you begin to wonder how much time you have. This is what you put in all the practice for and this makes all the hard work worth it."

Johnson had been the dominant player all week, leading the final five rounds and finishing 95 pins ahead of the field. But Weber was on a roll making his third championship round appearance in four weeks.

Both players started the title match slowly. Atter opening with a strike, Weber, spared, then had an open frame in the third following a 4-9 split, before throwing consecutive strikes in frames four and five. Johnson started with a spare, struck, then also left an open frame in the third atter failing to convert the 2-4-5. He quickly recovered, striking in the next three frames.

Weber, St. Ann, Mo., followed his double with a difficult conversion of the 3-4-6-7-10 split in frame six, then struck in frame seven. However, another 4-9 split in the eighth proved to be his undoing as Johnson followed a spare in frame seven with four consecutive strikes to clinch the victory.

Johnson, an 11-time PBA regional titlist, is the owner of more than 50 perfect games.

CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND

PLAYOFF RESULTS-Criss defeated Kent, 221-205; Steelsmith defeated Criss, 215-204; Weber defeated Steelsmith, 232-195; and in the championship game, Johnson defeated Weber, 232-197.

42-GAME TOTALS

		Name, City		Pins		Avg		WLT		+		Tot		Amt
1		Jim Johnson Jr., Tampa, FL		9311		221.7		14-8-2		450		9761
2		Pete Weber, St. Ann, MO		9231		219.8		14-9-1		435		9666
3		Rick Steelsmith, Wichita, KS		9041		215.3		17-7-0		510		9551
4		Doug Kent, Canandaigua, NY		9094		216.5		14-10-0		420		9514
5		Tim Criss, Bel Air, MD		9044		215.3		15-9-0		450		9494
6		Don Moser, Murrieta, CA		8999		214.3		16-8-0		480		9479		$3,200
7		Len Blakey, Tacoma, WA		9013		214.6		12-10-2		390		9403		2,800
8		Steve Wilson, Tamarac, FL		8967		213.5		14-10-0		420		9387		2,600
#9		Brian LeClair, Hudson, NY		8932		212.7		14-10-0		420		9352		2,400
10		Ernie Schlegel, Vancouver, WA		8969		213.6		11-13-0		330		9299		2,300
11		Randy Pedersen, Hollywood, FL		8912		212.2		11-13-0		330		9242		2,200
t#12		Darren Wong, San Jose, CA		8903		212.0		11-5-0		330		9233		1,563
13		Bryan Goebel, Shawnee, KS		8938		212.8		9-14-1		285		9223		2,000
14		Doug Wallace, Portland, OR		8786		209.2		13-11-0		390		9176		1,900
15		Justin Hromek, Andover, KS		8772		208.9		13-11-0		390		9162		1,800
16		Paul Koehler, Mechanicsburg, PA		8838		210.4		10-13-1		315		9153		1,700
17		Tom Baker, Buffalo, NY		8833		210.3		10-13-1		315		9148		1,650
18		George Branham III, Indianapolis		8804		209.6		11-13-0		330		9134		1,600
19		Steve Jaros, Bolingbrook, IL		8794		209.4		9-14-1		285		9079		1,550
20		Greg Thomas, Old Town, ID		8689		206.9		12-12-0		360		9049		1,500
21		Norman Titus, Flemington, NJ		8734		208.0		9-15-0		270		9004		1,450
22		Dennis Jacques, Brooklyn, NY		8668		206.4		10-14-0		300		8968		1,400
23		Scott Alexander, Seattle		8706		207.3		6-18-0		180		8886		1,350
24		Bill Guthrie, Winter Park, FL		8361		199.1		5-18-1		165		8526		1,300

Pos.		Name, City/State	Amount
25		Bob Learn Jr., Erie, PA	$1,060
26		Norm Duke, Clermom, FL	1,020
27		Dave Husted, Milwaukie, OR	990
28		Mark Williams, Beaumont, TX	970
29		George Brooks, Aurora, CO	945
t30		Danny Wiseman, Baltimore	1,523
31		Ryan Shafer, Elmira, NY	930
*32		Philip Ringener, Big Spring, TX	1,000
33		Bob Benoit, Topeka, KS	910
34		Wayne Webb, Las Vegas	900