Brunswick News
Rash Finishes Third in PBA Chameleon Open Qualifying
LAS VEGAS (Nov. 6, 2011) – International twin-grip players Jason Belmonte of Australia and Osku Palermaa of Finland took the top two spots after qualifying in the Professional Bowlers Association Chameleon Open Sunday at South Point Bowling Center.
Belmonte and Palermaa, the only players to have won a PBA Tour title using a two-handed delivery, will advance to the Chameleon Open televised finals which will be taped by ESPN at 3 p.m. on Nov. 18.
After 14 games of qualifying in the second tournament of the PBA World Series of Bowling, Belmonte, whose PBA title came in the 2009 Bowling Foundation Long Island Open, led with a 3,308 pinfall total (236.2 average). Palermaa, who won last season’s GEICO Shark Championship, finished second with 3,292.
“I was bowling scared yesterday, like I was afraid to make errors which caused more errors,” said Belmonte of his disappointing 75th place performance in Saturday’s Bayer Viper Open. “I was too cautious and I had to make sure to come out more aggressive today.
“Today was a new day and generally I had more confidence. Any time I got into a lull or I was cruising I just kept reminding myself not to bowl scared—just grab the ball and get it. This is a huge confidence builder for the rest of the tournament.”
Also advancing to the Chameleon TV finals were four-time PBA Tour champion Sean Rash in third, with a 3,267 total, and Ildemaro Ruiz of Venezuela in fourth with 3,183 pins. It will be the second consecutive TV finals for both players who also qualified for the Bayer Viper Open finals.
With Rash and Belmonte in the Chameleon finals, a re-match is possible from their emotional “bottlegate” confrontation during the GEICO PBA Team Shootout in June in Chicago. Both players will also go head-to-head in the World Bowling Tour finals which is also part of the World Series of Bowling lineup.
The Chameleon Open is the second leg in the PBA World Championship. In addition to competing for a spot in the Chameleon Open finals, all World Series of Bowling competitors will bowl two more eight-game qualifying rounds in the PBA’s Scorpion and Shark tournaments over the next two days to qualify for the eight-game PBA World Championship cashers round.
The top 16 players after 40 games will then advance to the World Championship ESPN-taped divisional finals scheduled for Nov. 19 starting at 10:30 a.m.
PBA CHAMELEON OPEN
South Point Bowling Center, Las Vegas, Sunday
(After 14 games; top 4 advance to ESPN finals)
1, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 3,308.
2, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 3,292.
3, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 3,267.
4, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 3,183.
Jerry Schneider | PR/Media Relations
Professional Bowlers Association | 719 Second Avenue, Suite 701 | Seattle, WA 98104
jerry.schneider@pba.com | cell: (262) 366-2157