Here's the latest article from the Bowling site at BellaOnline.com.

Budgeting Advice For Bowlers
I work full-time as a credit counselor and these "happenings," prompted me to deviate from my bowling-only articles, at least this one time. I am, after all, a full-time credit counselor on top of being an avid bowling enthusiast. I would like to impart some general advice about "budgeting."

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art70375.asp

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Bill Vint | PBA Media Relations
Professional Bowlers Association | 719 Second Avenue, Suite 701 | Seattle, WA 98104

Haugen Advances to Saturday’s Round in PBA World Championship
Top three qualifiers waiting in the wings for $50,000 showdown in Sunday’s ESPN finals

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Jan. 14, 2011) – Michael Haugen Jr. of Carefree, Ariz., admittedly got out-bowled Friday, but he defeated Australia’s Jason Belmonte, 233-220, to advance to Saturday’s elimination round in the PBA World Championship at South Point Bowling Center.

Haugen, who entered the unique three-day, eight-player stepladder final as the No. 6 qualifier, converted a “crossover” strike into a turkey in the sixth frame and threw another pivotal crossover strike to build a string of four to end the game, eliminating Belmonte from contention for the $50,000 first prize.

Haugen advances to Saturday’s Match 3 where he’ll bowl No. 5 Mika Kovuniemi of Hartland, Mich. The winner of that match meets No. 4 qualifier Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas. Saturday’s second stepladder round begins at 8:30 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2. Saturday’s winner advances to the PBA World Championship final round Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

Sunday’s finalists include No. 3 Osku Palermaa of Finland, No. 2 Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., and leading qualifier Bill O’Neill of Southampton, Pa. The PBA World Championship, the first major championship of the 2010-11 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season, is being contested on the PBA’s Viper lane condition, selected by O’Neill as the tournament’s top qualifier over 60 games bowled during the PBA World Series of Bowling earlier in the season at South Point.

“I definitely didn’t bowl the better game, but the score says I won,” Haugen said. “I threw a couple of shots poorly, but they struck. I’m not proud of them, but I’ll take them.

“I was having a little trouble with my thumb hole,” Haugen said of his crossover strike in the 10th frame. “I hung up a little and flat out pulled the shot. Luckily I got a great break.”

Belmonte, one of the world’s premier two-handed players, advanced to his match against Haugen by eliminating Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, in the first game, 222-186. Belmonte started that match with four strikes and rolled into an early 50-pin advantage when Malott left splits and opened in his first two frames.

Belmonte started with a double against Haugen, and added two more strikes in the fifth and sixth frames, but a string of three consecutive 10 pins gave Haugen a chance to get back into the match. Belmonte missed the pocket only once in the game, but his lost his ability to carry strikes as the match progressed.

“I knew I was going to get into trouble with the ball I was using,” Belmonte said. “The disadvantage of using a urethane ball is you’re not going to kick 10 pins out all the time. But I’m not upset. I bowled a good game. Normally I’m pretty stubborn, but today I played what the lanes were telling me to do. I slowed down. I thought 220 would be good enough on that lane condition.

“But I’m not blind,” Belmonte added. “When (Haugen) threw it bad, he threw it bad enough to carry. When I threw it bad, I just missed. I know what it’s like. I’ve had my share of breaks, too - not always on TV, but sometimes you get the breaks that allow you to get to the TV show, too.”

Haugen expects the lane conditions to play a little differently Saturday when he meets Koivuniemi because “I have a feeling Mika and Chris (Barnes) will want to play more toward the area where I was playing the lanes today. But I don’t care; I’m going to play whatever is there. My job is to knock down 10 pins and not worry about anyone else.

“I just try to keep things simple. Things have worked out OK for me when I do that.”


PBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
South Point Bowling Center, Las Vegas, Nev., Friday

Match 1:
Jason Belmonte, Australia, def. Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas ($8,000), 222-186.
Match 2:
Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., def. Belmonte ($9,000), 233-220.

SATURDAY, 8:30 P.M. EASTERN/5:30 P.M. PACIFIC LIVE ON ESPN2
Match 3:
No. 5 Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., vs. Haugen (loser earns $10,000)
Match 4:
No. 4 Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, vs. winner of Match 3 (loser earns $11,000)

SUNDAY, 1 P.M. EASTERN/10 A.M. PACIFIC LIVE ON ESPN
Match 5:
No. 3 Osku Palermaa, Finland, vs. winner of Match 4 (loser earns $12,000)
Semifinal Match:
No. 2 Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., vs. winner of Match 5 (loser earns $14,000)
Championship Match
No. 1 Bill O’Neill, Southampton, Pa., vs. winner of Semifinal Match (winner earns $50,000, loser earns $25,000)

About the PBA
The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) is an organization of more than 3,800 of the best bowlers from 13 countries who compete in Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour, Regional and Senior Tour events. Nearly one million ESPN viewers watch PBA Tour on Sundays during the tour season and thousands watch PBA activities online by using PBA’s video streaming service, Xtra Frame. PBA sponsors include Bayer, Brunswick, Budweiser, GEICO, Golden Corral, Go RVing, Lumber Liquidators, One A Day Men’s 50+ Multivitamin, Pepsi-Cola, Storm Products and the United States Bowling Congress, among others. For more information, log on to the PBA website.

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