The first 50 exemptions for the 2004-2005 all-exempt, 64-man PBA tour have been determined.
Exemptions were awarded to this season's tour title winners and PBA world-point ranking leaders. Eight more exemptions will be awarded to the top eight finishers at the inaugural tour trials June 1-6 at Merrillville, Ind. Six weekly exemptions are available, four from a pretournament qualifier, one from a commissioner's exemption and one to an elite pro-am winner. All exemptions are for the 2004-2005 season only, except for those who have won major tournaments this season.
Exempt players are: Tom Baker, Pete Weber, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Patrick Healey Jr., Robert Smith, Norm Duke, Brian Himmler, Jason Couch, Steve Jaros, Patrick Allen, Ryan Shafer, Mika Koivuniemi, Mike Scroggins, Brad Angelo, Chris Barnes, Tommy Jones, Michael Haugen, Amleto Monacelli, Lonnie Waliczek, Doug Kent, Tommy Delutz, Brian Voss, Bob Learn, Rick Steelsmith, Mike Machuga, Tony Reyes, Wes Malott, D.J. Archer, Dennis Horan, Joe Ciccone, Danny Wiseman, Tim Criss, Hugh Miller, Bryon Smith, Steve Wilson, Jason Queen, Parker Bohn III, Dave D'Entremont, Chris Johnson, Jason Hurd, Tore Torgersen, Michael Fagen, Mike DeVaney, Justin Hromek, Rick Lawrence, Paul Fleming, Peter Hernandez, Brian LeClair, Eric Forkel and Richard Wolfe.
Players who did not earn exemptions must qualify through the trials, pretournament play or find day jobs.
HIDAY'S FIRST: Gary Hiday defeated Bob Chamberlain 2-1 to win the PBA Senior Clarksville Open at Clarksville, Tenn., April 27.
Hiday won the third game 214-165 to grab his first senior title. Chamberlain, reigning senior player of the year, won the first game 229-203 but Hiday rebounded to win the second game 242-222. Hiday earned $8,000 and Chamberlain $4,500.
Chamberlain rolled a 300 in Game 2 to defeat Ron Winger 300-234 in the semifinals. Hiday defeated George Pappas 2-1. Pappas and Winger each won $3,000.
Bradenton's Dave Soutar and Titusville's Pete Couture lost in the round of 32, and Homosassa's Steve Neff and Ocala's Roger Bowker were ousted in the round of 16. Missing the second-round cut were Bob Handley of Winter Park, Sal Bongiorno of Hollywood, Dale Eagle of Tavares, Ken Waters of Homosassa, Patsy DellaPenna of Palm Harbor, Timothy Bates of Orlando, George Lord of Lakeland and Howard Frostman of Hudson.
GLASS WINS AGAIN: Robert Glass made a serious case for winning his third Senior Player of the Year award when he defeated rookie Gary Skidmore 2-1 to capture the PBA Senior Chillicothe (Ohio) Open Tuesday.
Glass won the first game 211-195 before dropping the second 245-226. Glass dominated the final game 279-207 for his second title of the season and $8,000.
Glass defeated Ted Staikoff 2-1 in the semifinals and Skidmore beat Chamberlain 2-1. Skidmore earned $4,500 and Staikoff and Chamberlain $3,000 each.
Round-of-32 losers were Eagle, Neff and Soutar; Handley and Couture lost in the round of 16. Bowker, DellaPenna, Bongiorno, Frostman and Waters failed the second-round cut.
The tour now visits Sterling Heights, Mich., for the Senior U.S. Open, with the finals on May 14.
NEW PBA SCHEDULE: The PBA opens its 20-stop, 2004-05 tour with the Miller High Life Masters at Milwaukee Oct. 24. The tour features the U.S. Open at North Brunswick, N.J., and the PBA World Championship at Taylor, Mich. It ends with the Dexter Tournament of Champions at Uncasville, Conn., April 10, 2005.
The tour's closest stop to Florida is the Odor-Eaters Open at Norcross, Ga., Feb. 2-6.
CORNHUSKERS FIRST: Nebraska won the first NCAA women's championship at Houston, Texas last week.
The Huskers lost to Central Missouri State (CMSU) in the winner's bracket final, but rallied to beat CMSU twice by identical scores of 4-2 to claim the title. Shannon Pluhowsky, two-time All-American and three-time U.S. Amateur champion, clinched the win with a strike in the 10th frame.
It was Nebraska's third national women's title (one NCAA and two IBC) since the program was elevated to varsity status for the 1997-98 season. Coach Bill Straub collected his sixth career title. It is also the 21st national title won by the Huskers athletic department.
YABA EXPANDING: The Young American Bowling Alliance is expanding programs for members and its volunteer network, executive director Jim Zebehazy said in announcing the appointment of Bill Vint as the organization's new special projects manager.
Vint began work this month on development of a national volunteer registration program, new membership packages, expanded fund-raising efforts and the introduction of a national team tournament.
