Pete Weber Gets A Major Victory, Wins Bud Moore PBA50 Players Championship
Sterling, Virginia – As Pete Weber said on Wednesday after day one of match play at the 2023 Bud Moore PBA50 Players Championship, “I got breaks, I’ve got it, I’m winning.”
He backed that statement up with a 11-1 record in match play Thursday, which included another 300 game, to earn the No. 1 seed. Then it was time to pack up his equipment to head to Bill Moore’s home to finish the job.
Once inside the unique setting, Weber wasn’t quite as optimistic about his chances during practice. But two people changed all of that for him.
“I owe Bill Rowe and I owe Kelly Kulick for my title tonight,” Weber said. “Kelly filmed Bill, and she said, ‘Pete, look at what he is doing. He is throwing the ball as hard as he can, and he is trying to keep it in the line.’”
So, when it was Weber’s turn to face Troy Lint in the championship match, it was all about executing and self-encouragement.
“Throw it as hard as you can, that is what I said to myself every time I got on the approach and it worked,” Weber said. “I can’t thank Kelly enough for being here and telling me to be a man and throw it.”
Weber and Lint were tied through two frames before Lint left the 6-7-10 in the third frame for an open. The first thought in Weber’s mind was to take full advantage. Weber did just that rolling five straight strikes. Lint responded with a spare and four strikes to bring the match to the foundation frame.
“He threw a great shot and left the solid-8,” Weber said of Lint. “I threw probably the worst shots I threw all day, and I got breaks. Like I said yesterday, if you don’t get breaks, you don’t win.”
Weber picked up the 6-10 in the ninth and needed just a spare in the 10th for the win. He felt like he threw it “terrible again,” but he was fortunate to leave a 10-pin and he picked it up. He rocketed his spare ball toward the head pin for the 236-211 victory.
He earned a major championship — his first win since May 2021 — and the $20,000 top prize. He is now tied with John Handegard with 14 career PBA50 titles, and sits just two behind Walter Ray Williams Jr.
“Walter has got 16 and we still have three tournaments left,” Weber said of his chance to match Williams. “I’ve won twice at The Villages. I like Florida and we have three stops in Florida, so don’t count me out.”
“I owe my mom, I owe my dad, I owe everybody up in heaven for what I’ve got today,” Weber said.
In the opening match, Tom Hess was in complete control. Barnes had six total open frames, while Hess opened only once for the 198-116 win. Next up for Hess was Troy Lint. Hess had back-to-back splits in the second and third frames while Lint had a great look all to himself on the left side of the lanes. Lint put together nine straight strikes for the 279-204 victory.
It was a strike fest in the semifinal match between Lint and Bill Rowe, the No. 2 seed. Rowe started out with five straight strikes, while Lint doubled, converted a 7-pin and responded with seven strikes in a row to finish with 268. Rowe made two single-pin spares, coming up just short with a 258.
The PBA50 Tour now heads to Florida with action beginning on Tuesday at the PBA50 The Villages Classic.
FINAL SCORES
Match 1: Hess def. Barnes 198-116
Match 2: Lint def. Hess 279-204
Match 3: Lint def. Rowe 268-258
Championship match: Weber def. Lint 236-211
FINAL STANDINGS
- Pete Weber $20,000
- Troy Lint $11,000
- Bill Rowe $7,000
- Tom Hess $5,000
- Chris Barnes $4,000