Tom Baker Survives 10th Frame Shootout To Win PBA60 Killer 'B' Open
5/9/2017NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. – Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Famer and Four- time PBA50 Player of the Year Tom Baker of King, N.C., survived a 10th frame shootout in the title match to win the PBA60 Killer ‘B’Open at Lane Glo Bowl for his first PBA60 title.
Baker, who had thrown a double and nine- count to finish with a 247 game, had to wait in the wings as tournament top qualifier two- time PBA50 Player of the Year Ron Mohr of Las Vegas, had a chance to win the match by one pin with three strikes in the 10th frame. Mohr threw the first two strikes but on the third shot left the 2-4-8 to finish with 245.
“That was a great back and forth match,” said Baker, who is a 12-time winner on the PBA50 Tour and 10-time winner on the PBA Tour. “You couldn’t ask for more than that.
“It’s very rewarding when you can win with a big finish,” the 62-year-old Baker added. “The way Ron was bowling I expected he would probably do the same thing but it looked like he got the ball a little inside in the oil and the ball didn’t have a chance to finish.”
For Baker it was his first national PBA tournament title since winning the 2014 PBA50 Dayton Classic. In 2016, on the PBA50 Tour, he had four top-five finishes with a best of third in the Mooresville Classic.
“I’m looking forward to a good season,” Baker said. “To get a win right out of the gate really adds to your confidence so hopefully there will be more to come.”
Mohr, an eight-time PBA50 Tour winner, who was trying for his first national PBA tournament win since capturing the 2012 PBA50 Senior Decatur (Ill.) Open title, had a combined eight top-five finishes in PBA50 and PBA60 tournaments in 2016 with a best finish of second in the UnitedHealthcare Sun Bowl In The Villages and PBA60 Dick Weber Classic.
In the semifinal match, Mohr beat John Dudak of Orland Park, Ill., 236-231, to advance to the final. Dudak, beat Mike Chrzanowski of Shepherd, Mich., 257-215 in the opening match and Don Blatchford of Santa Monica, Calif., 203-151, in the second match to advance to the semifinal against Mohr. All five players will join a field of
approximately 150 players, including defending champion Walter Ray Williams Jr., for the PBA50 Pasco County Florida Open which begins Tuesday at Lane Glo Bowl with first round qualifying. Qualifying continues on Wednesday which will determine the top 32 players who will advance to match play on Thursday. The top five players will advance to the stepladder finals at 4 p.m. ET.
Article was posted with permission from Stars & Strikes, America's Bowling Newsmagazine. www.starsandstrikesbowling.com
