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By PHIL GULICK
© St. Petersburg Times, published June 14, 2001
WIBC Queens champion Carolyn Dorin-Ballard won her second tournament of the year, beating Lisa Bishop 248-184 in the PWBA Albuquerque (N.M.) Open.
Cara Honeychurch was third, Wendy Macpherson fourth and Liz Johnson, winner of the St. Clair Classic two weeks before, finished fifth. Dorin-Ballard earned $9,000 and led from wire to wire. Cocoa's Kim Adler finished 11th.
After the match, Dorin-Ballard said, "My husband (PBA pro Del Ballard) and I are the only husband-wife team to win 12 professional titles each. He's won the ABC Masters and I won the Queens and we've both won the World Open."
Michelle Feldman rallied from a slow start at Omaha, Neb., to win her second straight Miller High Life Open on May 24. The seven-time tour winner defeated Honeychurch 257-224 to collect $15,000. Dorin-Ballard finished third, Kelly Kulick was fourth and Leanne Barrette was fifth.
After leading the first day, Feldman stumbled to eighth, and stumbled on the approach in practice, injuring her thumb. "I checked the sliding shoe three or four times, but it still was in the back of my mind," Feldman said. The next two days, Feldman compiled a 17-7-0 match-play mark to earn top qualifier.
Adler finished 19th, Lisa Wagner of Fort Myers was 22nd and Kendra Gaines of Sebring was 32nd.
Tish Johnson picked up her 24th career title and $9,000 by winning the $50,000 Wheelchair Awareness Classic June 7 at Mesa, Ariz. She defeated Adler 210-150 and pushed her career earnings to more than $995,000, soon to be the third million-dollar winner on tour. Aleta Sill and Macpherson are the others. The pros bowled with wheelchair bowlers in the pro-am event.
Lisa Bishop was third, followed by Barrette and Anne Marie Duggan. The finals will be televised at 3 a.m. Sunday on ESPN2.
After five stops on the 12-event summer tour, Dorin-Ballard is the money leader with $36,870, followed by Honeychurch ($19,200) and Kulick ($19,100).
The tour is at the Greater San Diego Open, which ends today.
SENIORS TOUR: After three fruitless years on the PBA Senior Tour, Bob Chamberlain claimed his first title, winning the Northwest Classic at Beaverton, Ore.
Chamberlain, back from knee surgery last year, defeated Sal Bongiorno of Hollywood, Fla., 268-202 to earn the $10,000 payoff. Bongiorno was aiming to end a drought, too. His last title came in 1975 on the same lanes.
Ron Winger was third, followed by Dale Eagle of Tavares and Gene Stus.
The seniors are at Klamath Falls, Ore., for the Epicenter Classic, which ends today.
MASTERS UNDER WAY: More than 100 PBA pros and 300 amateurs are in Reno, Nev., this week for the ABC Masters, the only TV event for the pros until their season starts in September.
Mike Koivuniemi, who beat Pete Weber last year, is the defending champion. Other top pros expected are Jason Couch, Norm Duke, Steve Hoskins, Parker Bohn III, Walter Ray Williams and Brian Voss, among others.
The finals are Saturday, but they will be televised at 12:30 Sunday on ESPN.
PBA CHATS: The PBA has introduced chat rooms to its Web site, pba.com. Users must log on to the site to create personal chat identities. The chat room will be open from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday hosting the ABC Masters champion. It will open again on June 26, same time, for the Orleans Casino Senior champion.
- Phil Gulick can be reached at xerxes8@msn.com.