Patrick Healey Jr. defeated Randy Pedersen 222-188 to win the PBA's first major of the season, the Dexter Tournament of Champions on Sunday at Uncasville, Conn.
Healey, a right-hander from Mexico, struck five of his final six shots for a two-year tour exemption.
"I'm calm on the outside but fighting through it inside," Healey said. "The lane conditions played difficult today, and I paid the price for it. But you have to have patience and perseverance to battle through it, and I did. I'm proud of my performance."
In the semifinals Pedersen defeated Cincinnati's Brian Himmler 278-227. Healey ousted Dallas' Chris Barnes 210-192. Pedersen earned $30,000, Barnes and Himmler $10,000 each. The Dexter ended the first half of the season. The second half starts Jan. 7 with the Earl Anthony Classic in Tacoma, Wash. The final of that tournament airs on ESPN at 1 p.m. Jan. 11.
TOP SENIOR: Bob Chamberlain edged Dale Eagle of Tavares for the 2003 PBA Senior Player of the Year, and Don Sylvia is the Senior Rookie of the Year. The awards are voted by the PBA membership.
Chamberlain, a right-hander from Auburn Hills, Mich., cashed and made the match-play rounds in 10 of 11 tournaments. He won his only title at the Senior Days Inn Open at Jackson, Mich. Chamberlain had two third- and one fifth-place finishes.
Sylvia, from Discovery Bay, Calif., was tops after finishing first in points and money among rookies.
The seniors begin the 2004 season in April. The schedule will be released next month.
PBA CHANGES: Minor revisions regarding exemptions were announced. The changes primarily affect the number of exemptions coming from the tour trials and the weekly pretournament qualifier.
For the 2004-05 season, eight exemptions come from the 2004 trials rather than the previously announced 10. The weekly qualifier pushes four bowlers into the 64-man bracket, up from two.
Other minor changes begin during the season. It was announced 46 spots would come from a combination of champions and point leaders. That number is now 40. Other exemptions will be seven from the points leader in each PBA region; 11 determined at the trials; four from the weekly pretournament qualifier; one from a commissioner's exemption and one from the weekly Elite Pro-Am.
PERFECT SERIES: Pro player Ryo Nishimura is the first outside the United States to roll a 900 series, which he did at the All-Japan Professional Championship at Tokyo. Seven U.S. men have accomplished the feat.
