With a host of relatives and friends from his hometown area looking on, 25-year-old Jimmie Pritts Jr. rose to the occasion and disposed of three opponents in a businesslike fashion to win the $115,000 Greater Hartford Open. In notching his second PBA title, Pritts downed Butch Soper, 269-168, veteran Sam Flanagan, 200-198, and then captured the final game from leading qualifier Tom Milton, 203-188. Milton, the defending champ, fell behind in the first frame when he missed a 6-7-10 split, but closed to within two pins midway in the game when Pritts missed the 1-2-8-10. Milton needed a double in the 10th frame, but couldn't muster it, and Pritts struck out to insure the victory and $16,000 top prize. CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND | Pos. |  | Name, City/State | Total | Amount | | | 1 | | Jimmie Pritts Jr., Lawrence, Mass. | 672 (3 games) | $16,000 | | 2 | | Tom Milton, St. Petersburg, Fla. | 188 (1 game) | 8,250 | | 3 | | Sam Flanagan, Parkersburg, W.Va. | 198 (1 game) | 6,000 | | 4 | | Butch Soper, Newport Beach, Calif. | 413 (2 games) | 5,000 | | 5 | | Mike Steinbach, Alsip, Ill. | 233 (1 game) | 4,000 | |
PLAYOFF RESULTS - Soper defeated Steinbach, 245-233; Pritts defeated Soper, 269-168; Pritts defeated Flanagan, 200-198; and in the championship game, Pritts defeated Milton, 203-188.
42-GAME TOTALS | | | Name, City | | Pins | | Avg | | WLT | | + | | Tot | | Amt | | | 1 | | Tom Milton, St. Petersburg, Fla. | | 8999 | | 214.2 | | 18-6-0 | | 540 | | 9539 | | | | 2 | | Sam Flanagan, Parkersburg, W.Va. | | 9065 | | 215.8 | | 15-9-0 | | 450 | | 9515 | | | | 3 | | Jimmie Pritts Jr., Lawrence, Mass. | | 8990 | | 214.0 | | 15-9-0 | | 450 | | 9440 | | | | 4 | | Mike Steinbach, Alsip, III. | | 9030 | | 215.0 | | 13-11-0 | | 390 | | 9420 | | | | 5 | | Butch Soper, Newport Beach, Calif. | | 8870 | | 211.1 | | 17-7-0 | | 510 | | 9380 | | | | **6 | | Gary Skidmore, Albuquerque, N.M. | | 9013 | | 214.5 | | 12-12-0 | | 360 | | 9373 | | $3,550 | | 7 | | Sam Maccarone, Glassboro, N.J. | | 8895 | | 211.7 | | 14-9-1 | | 435 | | 9330 | | 3,200 | | 8 | | Bob Handley, Pompano Beach, Fla. | | 8920 | | 212.3 | | 13-11-0 | | 390 | | 9310 | | 3,000 | | 9 | | Jim Miller, Mesa, Ariz. | | 8909 | | 212.1 | | 13-11-0 | | 390 | | 9299 | | 2,800 | | 10 | | Bill Spigner, Chicago | | 8857 | | 210.8 | | 14-10-0 | | 420 | | 9277 | | 2,700 | | 11 | | Mike Durbin, Chagrin Falls, Ohio | | 8907 | | 212.0 | | 12-12-0 | | 360 | | 9267 | | 2,600 | | 12 | | Mats Karlsson, Sweden | | 8834 | | 210.3 | | 13-11-0 | | 390 | | 9224 | | 2,500 | | 13 | | Gary Shultis, Mineola, N.Y. | | 8862 | | 211.0 | | 12-12-0 | | 360 | | 9222 | | 2,400 | | 14 | | Larry Laub, Tucson, Ariz. | | 8837 | | 210.4 | | 12-11-1 | | 375 | | 9212 | | 2,300 | | 15 | | Marshall Holman, Jacksonville, Ore. | | 8797 | | 209.4 | | 13-11-0 | | 390 | | 9187 | | 2,200 | | 16 | | Warren Nelson, Downey, Calif. | | 8832 | | 210.2 | | 10-12-2 | | 330 | | 9162 | | 2,100 | | 17 | | Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla. | | 8764 | | 208.6 | | 10-12-2 | | 330 | | 9094 | | 2,000 | | 18 | | Mal Acosta, Hayward, Calif. | | 8803 | | 209.5 | | 9-14-1 | | 285 | | 9088 | | 1,900 | | 19 | | Tom Laskow, Commack, N.Y. | | 8864 | | 211.0 | | 7-17-0 | | 210 | | 9074 | | 1,800 | | 20 | | Frank Ellenburg, Mesa, Ariz. | | 8725 | | 207.7 | | 10-14-0 | | 300 | | 9025 | | 1,700 | | 21 | | Magic Gray, Morningside, Md. | | 8624 | | 205.3 | | 13-11-0 | | 390 | | 9014 | | 1,600 | | #22 | | Dan Eberl, Tonawanda, N.Y. | | 8755 | | 208.4 | | 5-18-1 | | 165 | | 8920 | | 1,500 | | 23 | | Charlie Tapp, S. St. Paul, Minn. | | 8579 | | 204.2 | | 8-16-0 | | 240 | | 8819 | | 1,400 | | 24 | | Lynn Austermuhl, Anchorage, Alaska | | 8581 | | 204.3 | | 6-18-0 | | 180 | | 8761 | | 1,300 | |
OTHER CASHERS | Pos. | | Name, City/State | Amount | | | *25 | | John Forst, La Grange, Ill. | $1,275 | | 26 | | Philip Ringener, Big Spring, Texas | 1,170 | | 27 | | Billy Young Jr., Tulsa, Okla. | 1,120 | | 28 | | John Wilcox, Shaverton, Pa. | 1,090 | | 29 | | Ernie Schlegel, Vancouver, U.S.A. | 1,070 | | 30 | | Steve J. Martin, Kingsport, Tenn. | 1,060 | | 31 | | Joe Hutchinson, Scranton, Pa. | 1,030 | | 32 | | Mike Lastowski, Baltimore, Md. | 1,020 | | 33 | | Pete Couture. Windsor Locks, Conn. | 1,000 | | 34 | | Bruce Carter, Round Rock, Texas | 990 | | 35 | | Jim Murtishaw, Vista, Calif. | 980 | | 36 | | Avery LeBlanc, Houma, La. | 965 | | | | Mathew Ruben, W. Hempstead, N.Y. | 965 | | 38 | | Sam Zurich, Huntington, N.Y. | 950 | | 39 | | Rob Comito, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. | 940 | | 40 | | Greg Nesbit, Pittsburgh. Pa. | 930 | | 41 | | Art Trask, Fresno, Calif. | 920 | | 42 | | Bob Chamberlain, Pontiac, Mich. | 910 | | 43 | | Joe Berardi, Brooklyn, N.Y. | 895 | | | | Frankie May Jr., W. Reading, Pa. | 895 | | 45 | | Gary Dickinson, Burleson, Texas | 880 | | 46 | | Nelson Burton Jr., St. Louis | 870 | | 47 | | Alvin Lou, El Cajon, Calif. | 860 | | 48 | | Casey Berry, Albuquerque, N.M. | 845 | | | | Ted Kone, Windsor Locks, Conn. | 845 | | 50 | | Dave Heller, White Plains, N.Y. | 830 | | 51 | | Fred Jaskie, Greendale, Wis. | 820 | | 52 | | Dave Ferraro, Kingston, N.Y. | 805 | | | | Pete McCordic, Houston | 805 | |
* - Match play alternate. ** - TV finals alternate. # - Herry Gross and Dan Eberl rolled 300 games ($100). 18-game qualifying leader - Mal Acosta, 4027. 24th place - Bill Spigner, 3822. 52nd place (tie) - Dave Ferraro and Pete McCordic, 3706. PRO-AM CASHERS - Gary Skidmore, Bruce Carter, Randy Stoughton, Gary Dickinson, Storm DeVincent, Ron Bell, Bob Learn Jr., Mike Durbin, Pete McCordic, Fred McClerkin, Russ Mills, Art Trask, Teata Semiz, Larry Laub, Tony Torrice, Mats Karlsson, Steve Fehr, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Mick Morton, Pete Couture and Dave Ferraro ($50 each).
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