Clermont's Jason Couch struck in the final frame to defeat Lake Worth's Steve Wilson 187-177 in the PBA Pepsi Open at Wyoming, Mich., Nov. 2.
Wilson missed the 4-9 split in the opening frame and never caught up while Couch had five strikes en route to his 11th career title and $40,000.
"I knew I had to get lined up early before Steve got going," Couch said. "I made shots when it counted, and that's what made the difference in the match."
Wilson, who won $20,000, advanced to the final by defeating Lonnie Waliczek 215-169 in the wild-card match, then beating Jeff Smith 259-163. Waliczek earned $9,000 and Smith $10,000.
In the other semifinal, Mike Scroggins fell to Couch 215-200. It was the third consecutive time Scroggins lost in the semifinals. He earned $10,000.
Couch, a three-peat winner of the Tournament of Champions, gained a spot in next season's all-exempt, 64-man field. The victory moved him into sixth place on the tour's world point rankings with 49,000 points.
Steve Hoskins, a 10-time winner from Tarpon Springs, used a nine-game, 2,041 pinfall to place second in first-round qualifying. He rebounded from a 188 opening game to shoot 246, 234, 238 and 248. He shot his high game, 276, followed by a 196 to close out the day.
"I changed a lot of things this week," Hoskins said. "I completely changed my thumb pitch and cleared the ball differently. I added a stutter-step during practice yesterday as well."
A 16-year pro and former rookie of the year, Hoskins' last title came in the 2000 Lone Star Open in Pasadena, Texas. This season he finished 12th at the PBA Banquet Open and missed the cut the past three weeks. He lost in the round of 32 at Michigan.
"I just got into a funk and didn't bowl well," he said. "I had no rhythm whatsoever and was disconnected from my swing. I wasn't in panic mode, though."
Ocala's Roger Bowker missed the second-round cut.
JAROS WINS: Chris Johnson left a 2-4-10 split in the final frame and Steve Jaros went on to win the PBA Toledo Open and $40,000 with a 224-222 victory.
"Chris bowled great in the finals. Things could have gone either way and, luckily, I came out on top," Jaros said after clinching his fourth tour title.
Jaros defeated Patrick Healey Jr. 209-195 in the wild-card match, leaving Healey with $9,000. Johnson stopped Danny Wiseman 224-172 in the first semifinal and Jaros defeated Amleto Monacelli 226-207 in the other. Johnson earned $20,000, Monacelli and Wiseman $10,000 each.
Jaros is the fourth semifinalist to come from the wild-card match to win a title. The last was Healey, last year at Blue Springs, Mo.
Orlando's Chris Hayden and Wilson missed the second-round cut. Tampa's Don Yoshihara lost to Mike Koivuniemi, Couch lost to Johnson, and Ricky Ward of North Fort Myers was ousted by Healey in the round of 32.
The tour is at Springfield, Pa., for the Greater Philadelphia Open. The finals will be televised live on ESPN from 1-2:30 p.m. Sunday. The field of 160 includes 11 international players.
TOUR NOTES: Chris Barnes leads tour money winners with $53,550 this season. Clermont's Norm Duke is second at $50,400 and Couch is third at $49,100. ... Barnes missed the Banquet Open cut last month, the first time he has failed to cash since February 2002. ... Brad Angelo, last season's rookie of the year, is second in the World Point Rankings behind Koivuniemi without winning a title this season. He is the lone bowler to reach the round of 16 match play in all four stops this season. ... Couch, who is fourth in the world rankings, has reached the final match in four of his last five televised championship-round appearances.
