Columbia 300 Open
$140,000 COLUMBIA 300 OPEN
Highland Lanes, Austin, TX, Feb 3-7, 1998
Bowker Tops Roomate Soper Again; Earns Second Columbia 300 Open Title
Butch Soper waited six years far a rematch with roommate Roger Bowker. When it finally came the result, unfortunately for Super, was the sameJust as he did at the 1992 event, Bowker knocked off Soper in the championship match at the PBA Tour's Columbia 300 Open. Six years ago Bowker turned the trick in San Antonio Texas. This time the victory came In the form of a nearly-perfect 279-258 outing at Highland Lanes in Austin. The win, the fifth of Bowker's career and first since 1993, earned the resident of Ocala, Fla., $22,000. "It's tough bowling Butch," said Bowker. "But I know he wanted the rematch. When I beat him before I tripped a couple of 4-pins and I heard about it for six months. I'll probably hear about this one for six years." Soper had qualified as the tournament leader for the second consecutive week, and for the second consecutive week his opponent shot 279 at him in the title match. "I guess I need to learn to shoot 280," quipped Soper afterward. It was actually Bowker who trailed early in the final match. After throwing a double to start the match, he left a 10-pin which he converted for a spare in frame three. Soper struck on his first five shots before leaving a 10-pin of his own in frame six, which he also converted. Soper, a resident of Lake Havasu City Ariz., seeking his seventh title, struck in frames seven and eight beforeleaving and converting a 4-pin in frame nine. But that would be the difference as Bowker never missed after thethird frame, leaving Soper with the second place check for $11,500. Bowker, who was bowling in his first tournament of the year, felt he was lucky to even be bowling in Austin. "I had such a bad year last year. Nothing was going right and I thought about quitting the National Tour and just staying home and bowling regional events. But my sponsor talked me into bowling three or tour events this swing, and since I'm on Columbia's staff, it only made sense to start here. "He talks about quitting every year and right now I wish he would've stayed home,' joked Soper, who has now finished second four times in the Columbia 300 Open (1992 to Bowker; 1993 to Walter Ray Williams Jr.; 19961 to C.K. Moore and 1998). CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND
PLAYOFF RESULTS-Husted defeated Haugen, 277-187; Husted defeated Jurek, 227-217; Bowker defeated Husted, 266-237; and in the championship game, Bowker defeated Soper, 279-258. 42-GAME TOTALS OTHER CASHERS *-Match play alternate. 18-game qualifying leader-Brian Voss, 4237. 24th place-Steve Jaros, 4011. #--Chris Barnes, Tim Criss, Danny Wiseman, Chris Warren, Dave Husted, Warren Guernsey, Butch Super and Rohn Morton rolled 300 games ($100 each). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
