October 1, 2023 Nolan Hughes

Twelve finalists walked into the renowned Bayside Bowl hoping to leave with The Duke, the grand trophy commemorating the champion of the inaugural PBA LBC National Championships Clash.

On the very lanes where Norm Duke threw the final shot of his Hall of Fame career, Tom Daugherty raised The Duke as the event’s first-ever champion.

Daugherty outlasted 11 competitors in the one-ball roll-off eliminator to earn the win and $60,000. He struck on 10 of his 12 shots (83.3%), including a roll-off in the sixth round, and bested PWBA star Danielle McEwan in the final round.

The 48-year-old hoisted The Duke, but said the trophy won’t be making the trip to Tampa with him.

"There's no way I can take this trophy home," Daugherty said. "This belongs at Bayside Bowl, so it's going to stay here for all the bowlers to look at."

Daugherty and McEwan were the last two players standing, but they were nearly the first two players eliminated. McEwan escaped the first round after two roll-offs against Carleton Chambers.

Daugherty knocked over just seven pins in the second round and thought he had no chance of reaching the third round. Trae Henrichsmeyer, the 17-year-old who won the Open Classic division, tallied a six-count at the end of the lineup, allowing Daugherty a second chance.

After that round, Daugherty struck on nine of his 10 shots. 

His only non-strike was a 7-pin in Round 6, which put him in a roll-off against McEwan and Liz Johnson. Daugherty missed left in that roll-off, but much to his surprise the ball held and struck.

“I missed in and I had zero expectations of hitting the pocket,” Daugherty said. “But when it just laid there, it told me I could move over there and probably create even a little bit more area because it will hook from that spot.

From the leadoff position, Daugherty struck on his next five shots to win the event. He led off each round following Balinda Maple’s elimination in Round 4.

“I wanted to go at the top (of the lineup) because I wanted to strike and get it over with,” Daugherty said. “As everyone was striking or getting nine, it was just putting more and more pressure down at the bottom of the lineup. 

“I made some blind moves because we had such long breaks and there were so many shots thrown between the first few rounds, but towards the end, like I said after that roll-off, I never had to move again.”

The four-time PBA Tour champion earned $60,000 for his efforts.

Round-by-Round Scores

Round 1: Balinda Maple X, Tom Daugherty X, AJ Johnson X, Jake Peters X, Danielle McEwan 9, Carleton Chambers 9, Lennie Boresch Jr. X, Derek Kindig X, Verity Crawley X, Trae Henrichsmeyer X, Liz Johnson X, Hunter Lawless 9

Roll-off: McEwan 9, Chambers 9, Lawless X ||| McEwan X, Chambers 9

Carleton Chambers eliminated

Round 2: Balinda Maple X, Tom Daugherty 7, AJ Johnson X, Jake Peters X, Danielle McEwan X, Lennie Boresch Jr. 9, Derek Kindig X, Verity Crawley 9,  Trae Henrichsmeyer 6, Liz Johnson 9, Hunter Lawless X

Trae Henrichsmeyer eliminated

Round 3: Balinda Maple 9, Tom Daugherty X, AJ Johnson 9, Jake Peters X, Danielle McEwan 9, Lennie Boresch Jr. X, Derek Kindig X, Verity Crawley 8, Liz Johnson X, Hunter Lawless 7

Hunter Lawless eliminated

Round 4: Balinda Maple 3, Tom Daugherty X, AJ Johnson X, Jake Peters X, Danielle McEwan X, Lennie Boresch Jr. 8, Derek Kindig X, Verity Crawley 9, Liz Johnson X

Balinda Maple eliminated

Round 5: Tom Daugherty X, AJ Johnson X, Jake Peters 9, Danielle McEwan X, Lennie Boresch Jr. X, Derek Kindig 7, Verity Crawley X, Liz Johnson X

Derek Kindig eliminated

Round 6: Tom Daugherty 9, AJ Johnson X, Jake Peters X, Danielle McEwan 9, Lennie Boresch Jr. X, Verity Crawley X, Liz Johnson 9

Roll-off: Tom Daugherty X, Danielle McEwan 9, Liz Johnson 7

Liz Johnson eliminated

Round 7: Tom Daugherty X, AJ Johnson X, Jake Peters X, Danielle McEwan X, Lennie Boresch Jr. X, Verity Crawley 9

Verity Crawley eliminated

Round 8: Tom Daugherty X, AJ Johnson 8, Jake Peters X, Danielle McEwan X, Lennie Boresch Jr. X

AJ Johnson eliminated

Round 9: Tom Daugherty X, Jake Peters 9, Danielle McEwan X, Lennie Boresch Jr. X

Jake Peters eliminated

Round 10: Tom Daugherty X, Danielle McEwan X, Lennie Boresch Jr. 9

Lennie Boresch Jr. eliminated

Final Round: Tom Daugherty X, Danielle McEwan 7

Danielle McEwan eliminated

Final Standings

  1. Tom Daugherty, $60,000
  2. Danielle McEwan, $10,000
  3. Lennie Boresch Jr., $3,000
  4. Jake Peters, $3,000
  5. AJ Johnson, $3,000
  6. Verity Crawley, $3,000
  7. Liz Johnson, $3,000
  8. Derek Kindig, $3,000
  9. Balinda Maple, $3,000
  10. Hunter Lawless, $3,000
  11. Trae Henrichsmeyer, $3,000
  12. Carleton Chambers, $3,000