By the slender margin of three pins, Dick Ritger claimed his 11th title when he defeated Don McCune, 225-222, in the championship game of the $60,000 Fair Lanes Open. A consistent casher all winter, Ritger had yet to win a title, but he defeated McCune and Don Johnson, Akron, Ohio, to claim the $7,000 winner's prize before a packed crowd at Fair Lanes Towson. Ritger opened the title game with four straight strikes, but McCune struck, spared and notched three more strikes of his own to stay close to the Wisconsinite until the sixth frame. Then McCune left a 6-10 split, and a frame later Ritger converted a 3-10 split, and that margin held up to the end, despite four of five closing strikes by McCune. TELEVISED FINALS | Pos. |  | Name, City/State | Total | Amount | | | 1 | | Dick Ritger, Hartford, Wisc. | 441 (2 games) | $7,000 | | 2 | | Don McCune, Munster, Ind. | 222 (1 game) | 4,000 | | 3 | | Don Johnson, Akron, Ohio | 616 (3 games) | 2,500 | | 4 | | Bobby Knipple, Long Beach, Calif. | 192 (1 game) | 2,000 | | 5 | | Ernie Schlegel, Newburgh, N.Y. | 190 (1 game) | 1,800 | |
PLAYOFF RESULTS-Johnson defeated Schlegel, 192-190; Johnson defeated Knipple, 235-192; Ritger defeated Johnson, 216-189; and in the championship game Ritger defeated McCune, 225-222.
42-GAME TOTALS | | | Name, City/State | | Pins | | WLT | | + | | Tot | | Amt | | | 1 | | Don McCune, Munster, Ind. | | 9156 | | 15-8-1 | | 465 | | 9621 | | | | 2 | | Dick Ritger, Hartford, Wis. | | 8872 | | 16-8-0 | | 480 | | 9352 | | | | 3 | | Bobby Knipple, Long Beach, Calif. | | 8935 | | 11-12-1 | | 345 | | 9280 | | | | 4 | | Don Johnson, Akron, Ohio | | 8730 | | 16-7-1 | | 495 | | 9225 | | | | 5 | | Ernie Schlegel, Newburgh, N.Y. | | 8757 | | 15-9-0 | | 450 | | 9207 | | | | *6 | | Chris Buck, London, England | | 8726 | | 16-8-0 | | 480 | | 9206 | | $1,650 | | 7 | | George Pappas, Charlotte, N.C. | | 8805 | | 12-11-1 | | 375 | | 9180 | | 1,400 | | 8 | | Jay Robinson, Los Angeles, Calif. | | 8779 | | 13-11-0 | | 390 | | 9169 | | 1,300 | | 9 | | Don Russell, San Diego, Calif. | | 8750 | | 12-12-0 | | 360 | | 9110 | | 1,250 | | 10 | | Larry O'Neill, Silver Springs, Md. | | 8720 | | 12-12-0 | | 360 | | 9080 | | 1,200 | | 11 | | Matt Surina, Longview, Wash. | | 8720 | | 11-13-0 | | 330 | | 9050 | | 1,150 | | 12 | | Tim Harahan, Canoga Park, Calif. | | 8649 | | 12-11-1 | | 375 | | 9024 | | 1,100 | | 13 | | Norm Meyers, St. Louis, Mo. | | 8583 | | 14-10-0 | | 420 | | 9003 | | 1,050 | | 14 | | Neil Brown, Hazelton, Pa. | | 8622 | | 12-11-1 | | 375 | | 8997 | | 1,000 | | 15 | | Louis Moore, Columbus, Ohio | | 8604 | | 13-11-0 | | 390 | | 8994 | | 950 | | 16 | | John Handegard, Eugene, Ore. | | 8684 | | 10-14-0 | | 300 | | 8984 | | 900 | | 17 | | Mark Roth, Brooklyn, N.Y. | | 8648 | | 11-13-0 | | 330 | | 8978 | | 850 | | 18 | | Jim Stefanich, Joliet, Ill. | | 8634 | | 11-13-0 | | 330 | | 8964 | | 800 | | 19 | | Paul Colwell, Tucson, Ariz. | | 8656 | | 9-14-1 | | 285 | | 8941 | | 750 | | 20 | | Les Schissler, Denver, Colo. | | 8468 | | 11-13-0 | | 330 | | 8798 | | 700 | | 21 | | Butch Soper, Los Angeles, Calif. | | 8462 | | 10-14-0 | | 300 | | 8762 | | 650 | | 22 | | Bob Hood, San Francisco, Calif. | | 8499 | | 8-15-1 | | 255 | | 8754 | | 600 | | 23 | | Don Helling, St. Louis, Mo. | | 8537 | | 7-17-0 | | 210 | | 8747 | | 550 | | 24 | | Billy Hardwick, Louisville, Ky. | | 8509 | | 7-17-0 | | 210 | | 8719 | | 500 | |
18-GAME TOTALS | Pos. | | Name, City/State | Total | Amount | | | 25 | | Jimmy McHugh, New York, N.Y. | 3703 | $397.50 | | | | Teata Semiz, River Edge, N.J. | 3703 | 397.50 | | *27 | | Gary Dickinson, Ft. Worth, Texas | 3702 | 465 | | 28 | | Steve Neff, New Orleans, La. | 3700 | 385 | | 29 | | Jim Godman, Lorain, Ohio | 3693 | 380 | | 30 | | Mike Orlovsky, Endicott, N.Y. | 3691 | 375 | | 31 | | Mike McGrath, EI Cerrito, Calif. | 3685 | 370 | | 32 | | Art Trask, Miami, Fla. | 3683 | 365 | | 33 | | Gil Sliker, Washington, N.J. | 3681 | 360 | | 34 | | Wayne Zahn, Tempe, Ariz. | 3679 | 355 | | 35 | | Dick Battista, Astoria, N.Y. | 3674 | 350 | | 36 | | Dick Weber, St. Louis, Mo. | 3671 | 345 | | 37 | | Wayne Sheridan, Richmond, Va. | 3670 | 340 | | 38 | | Tye Critchlow, Los Angeles, Calif. | 3662 | 335 | | 39 | | Dwayne Martin, Wichita, Kan. | 3651 | 330 | | 40 | | Bobby Williams, Detroit, Mich. | 3650 | 325 | | 41 | | Alex Seymore, Kannapolis, N.C. | 3646 | 317.50 | | | | Mike Somers, E. Meadow, L.I., N.Y. | 3646 | 317.50 | | 43 | | Steve Buell, Salt Lake City, Utah | 3644 | 307.50 | | | | Ed DiTolla, Maywood, N.J. | 3644 | 307.50 | | 45 | | Tommy Tuttle, King, N.C. | 3639 | 300 | | 46 | | Dale Glenn, Los Angeles, Calif. | 3636 | 295 | | 47 | | Dave Davis, Miami, Fla. | 3631 | 290 | | 48 | | Barry Asher, Costa Mesa, Calif. | 3628 | 285 | | 49 | | Barry Warshafsky, Watertown, Mass. | 3624 | 280 | | 50 | | Skee Foremsky, Houston, Texas | 3618 | 275 | | 51 | | Bill Johnson, New Orleans, La. | 3617 | 267.50 | | @ | | Jim Robinette, Alexandria, Va. | 3617 | 267.50 | | 53 | | Rich Bennett, Owego, N.Y. | 3611 | 260 | | 54 | | Bob Stearns, Minneapolis, Minn. | 3606 | 255 | | 55 | | Sam Guarino, Detroit, Mich. | 3602 | 250 | | 56 | | Jim Maxey, Atlanta, Ga. | 3596 | 245 | | 57 | | Craig Mueller, Union, N.J. | 3595 | 240 | | 58 | | Dave Soutar, Gilroy, Calif. | 3592 | 235 | |
*Alternate. @Local entry. 18-game qualifying leader-McCune 4037. 24th low-Roth 3711. PRO-AM CASHERS-$100-Don McCune. $75-Dave Soutar. $50-Gary Madison, Teata Semiz, Dick Weber, Paul Colwell, Doak McDonnell, Carmen Salvino, Dan Roche, Jerry Buchholz, Larry Laub, Tim Albin and Johnny Petraglia. $25-Bobby Jenkins, Skee Foremsky, Dennis Swayda.
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