PBA Regional Recap: 15-Year-Old Braden McDonough Prevails In Houston
For 50 years, athletes from all over the country have competed in PBA Regional Tour events across the United States. Almost 7,400 titles have been awarded to the best players in history — none younger than 15-year-old Braden McDonough.
In Houston, McDonough became the youngest bowler in PBA history to win a regional event, capturing the PBA Copperfield Southwest Challenge. As a non-member of the PBA, he is not credited with an official PBA Regional title. But the PBA Jr. ambassador collected his $2,500 winnings in scholarship.
Read more about that event and seven others in this week's regional recap:
PBA50 Century Lanes/PBA Booster Club of Hampton Roads Open
In search of his 63rd career regional title, Walter Ray Williams, Jr. got off to a hot start, averaging 229.38 for eight games, more than 10 pins higher than second place. But Deadeye’s run slowed and he ended up sneaking into the last seed for the stepladder.
In the first match, Sammy Ventura defeated the 62-time titleist, 258-234, thanks to an eight-bagger. Peter Dohan Jr. repaid the favor and took down Ventura 216-191. In the finals, Bobby Hall II from Landover, Md., won 215-208 in a back-and-forth, clean match. This marks Hall's first regional title since 2010 (fifth overall) and first senior title.
PBA50 Century Lanes/PBA Booster Club of Hampton Roads Open Final Standings
- Bobby Hall II, 2,500 points, $2,000
- Peter Dohan Jr. 1,500, $1,150
- Sammy Ventura 1,150, $1,050
- Walter Ray Williams Jr. 950, $950
PBA50 Century Lanes/PBA Booster Club of Hampton Rds Open Full Results
PBA50 Sherry Bodkins Memorial Central Open
The other half of the PBA50 population traveled to Victory Lanes in Galion, Ohio, for the second senior event of the weekend. Nobody ran through qualifying, but plenty of big names advanced into the top 12 for what was sure to be an intense match play round.
Eddie Graham of Kettering, Ohio, led after the first eight games on Saturday and held the lead through Sunday with one game to go. Graham had a 68-pin lead and made it easy, winning his final position round match to claim title No. 6.
PBA50 Sherry Bodkins Memorial Central Open Final Standings
- Eddie Graham, 2,500 points, $1,500
- Mark Sullivan, 1,500, $1,000
- Tom Adcock, 1,150, $850
- George Szczublewski, 950, $800
PBA50 Sherry Bodkins Memorial Central Open Full Results
PBA Rogue River Open
A few times a year, the bowlers and fans are delighted with a trio of tournaments out west: a standard, senior, and women’s regional. West/Northwest Regional buzzsaw PJ Haggerty led after qualifying, going +255 for eight games, but Nick Borgaro overtook the lead after the first advancer round by delivering a 1,062, capped off by a 300 in Game 4.
It was a back-and-forth battle between the two for the top seed, but Borgaro snuck through by just 13 pins. Haggerty took the No. 2 seed, and Johnny Leggett grabbed the three. Leggett defeated the familiar face in Haggerty in the first match, 237-225, to move on to face Borgaro. The final bout was close, but Leggett completed the upset, 206-202, for his first career title.
PBA Rogue River Open Final Standings
- Johnny Leggett, 2,500 points, $2,000
- Nick Borgaro, 1,500, $1,300
- PJ Haggerty, 1,150, $1,050
- Craig Tuholski, 950, $850
PBA Rogue River Open Full Results
PBA50 Caveman Bowl Classic
Next up in Grants Pass, Oregon, the PBA50 event attracted 48 bowlers on the 35-foot Cheetah pattern. Robby Porter averaged over 231 for his eight games, while second place Rich Corwin averaged just over 222. Corwin caught up after the first advancer round and ultimately took the lead and the one-seed for the stepladder after the second advancer round. Porter did snag the two-seed while Eric Adolphson took the three-seed.
In a close first match, Adolphson won 200-194 for a chance at securing his first regional title since 1989. However, Corwin was on a mission and defeated Adolphson 237-215 for his fourth career regional title.
PBA50 Caveman Bowl Classic Final Standings
- Rich Corwin, 2,500 points, $1,700
- Eric Adolphson, 1,500, $1,200
- Robby Porter, 1,150, $1,000
- Michael Kennedy, 950, $800
PBA50 Caveman Bowl Classic Full Results
PBA Women's Caveman Classic
Also using the Cheetah pattern, the women's event rounded out Saturday. Frequent competitor, Kristin Quah, averaged 234 for her five games, 17 pins per game higher than second place. Quah maintained her lead throughout the advancer rounds to claim the one-seed but still had work to do. Avery Domaguin, who won a title in California in 2022, took the three-seed, and Karen Rosprim grabbed the two-seed.
Domaguin eliminated Rosprim in the opening match, 226-178, to set up another spectacular final match. Domaguin succeeded 225-191 for her second title, matching the two career titles of Quah.
PBA Women's Caveman Classic Final Standings
- Avery Domaguin, $1,200
- Kristin Quah, $900
- Karen Rosprim, $700
- Leea Haworth, $500
PBA Womens Caveman Classic Full Results
PBA Copperfield Southwest Challenge (Non-Champions)
Down South, the field hit the triple-digit mark for the Copperfield Southwest Challenge. Justin Veitch used his momentum from a solid USBC Masters performance to lead the field in Houston by almost 100 pins as the field cut to 33. After five more games, the field cut to the top eight players for a single-elimination bracket.
Sean Sadat took the one-seed, but McDonough completed the upset. After McDonough defeated Christian Morris in the first round, he took down Sadat in the second round 2-0. McDonough had his work cut out in the finals, but he got it done, emerging victorious over Veitch 253-236. The 15-year-old from Coppell, Texas, became the youngest bowler in PBA history to win a regional event and earned a $2,500 scholarship for his efforts.
PBA Copperfield Southwest Challenge (Non-Champions) Final Standings
- Braden McDonough, $2,500
- Justin Veitch, $1,600
- Nathan Eaton, $1,100
- Sean Sadat, $1,100
PBA Copperfield Southwest Challenge (Non-Champions) Full Results
PBA Bowlero Charlotte Open (Non-Champions)
A pair of tournaments took place in Charlotte over the weekend, one for the PBA and one for the PBA50, both non-champs events. Ninety-four bowlers competed in the PBA division, and 16 moved on to bracket play. Two double-bye recipients advanced into the semifinals, including one-seed Kennon McFalls and three-seed Jack Ness.
There, McFalls moved past Ethan McDonald while Ness fell to Sean Connolly. In the two-game final, Connolly took a commanding 56-pin lead. The seven-seed put together a 257 while McFalls struggled, needing the back four to shoot a 201. In the second game, McFalls kept chipping away, frame by frame, until Connolly split on a double in the eighth frame. McFalls stepped up in the 10th frame and doubled to shut out Connolly and pick up his first career PBA title.
PBA Bowlero Charlotte Open (Non-Champions) Final Standings
- Kennon McFalls, $1,500
- Sean Connolly, $1,150
- Jack Ness, $1,000
- Ethan McDonald, $1,000
PBA Bowlero Charlotte Open (Non-Champions) Full Results
PBA50 Bowlero Charlotte Open (Non-Champions)
In the senior event, also held at AMF University Lanes, Dan Knowlton claimed the one-seed for the bracket, but he fell to David Lovin in the semifinals; his first PBA title will have to wait for another day. In the other semifinal, Rob Kuntz moved past Michael Ritz to claim a final spot.
In the deciding match, Kuntz could not string strikes, shooting a 193 with just one double, while Lovin threw a 245. Needing a 53-pin victory in the next match, Kuntz again began slowly with a single-pin miss and no doubles through four frames, but Lovin struggled as well, splitting in the third frame. Like many matches, it came down to the end. Kuntz put together a six-bagger and nine on the fill for a 237, forcing Lovin to double. Lovin got nine and shot a 182, giving Kuntz the victory.
PBA50 Bowlero Charlotte Open (Non-Champions) Final Standings
- Rob Kuntz, $1,400
- David Lovin, $1,100
- Dan Knowlton, $900
- Michael Ritz, $900
PBA50 Bowlero Charlotte Open (Non-Champions) Full Results
The full PBA Regional Tour schedule is available here.