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PBA to open Friday with Peoria Open

By PHIL GULICK

© St. Petersburg Times,
published September 20, 2001

The PBA's opener, the Columbia 300 Open at Wichita, Kan., was rescheduled for later this season to show respect for the victims of last week's terrorist attacks.

The Peoria (Ill.) Open will begin the season Friday with the final live on ESPN at 7 p.m. Tuesday. The first six stops of the 20-event tour will be aired live Tuesdays, usually from 8-9:30 p.m.

Starting with the Greater Cincinnati Classic on Nov. 6-11 the tour will be broadcast Sundays, with starting times of 12:30 p.m., 1 p.m. or 5 p.m. Regular-event winners earn $40,000; the big four events pay $100,000 to the winners.

NOT TOO BAD: Bob Learn Jr. of Erie, Pa., bowled his worst game in the Japan Cup at Tokyo last week ... and won. Learn beat top-seeded Ryan Shafer of Elmira, N.Y., in the championship match 176-172 to earn his fifth title and $50,000.

"I thought the average scores would have been close to 230," Learn said. "But, the lanes broke down and became unpredictable. And the unpredictable element was evident at the end of our match."

Steve Hoskins of Tarpon Springs lost the opening match to Tommy Delutz 224-205 and finished sixth, good for $7,000.

PERFECT GAME: Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., won her second straight PWBA title with a perfect game in the final of the Paula Carter Classic at Davie on Thursday. Johnson beat Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of North Richland Hills, Texas, 300-226 and earned $9,000. She got a $50,000 bonus for the 300 game.

"This has been a tough week for all of America," Johnson said. "I think what makes this performance special for me is that the fans that came today left with smiles on their faces."

The tour was at Cape Coral for the Storm Challenge that ends today. ESPN2 will air the final at 8 p.m. Monday and 2 p.m. Tuesday.

WOMEN'S OPEN ON: The Riverside Resort Hotel and Casino in Laughlin, Nev., will host the Women's U.S. Open Dec. 1-9.

ESPN will air live the championship round from 2:30-4 p.m. on Dec. 9. The women's final will air following the men's U.S. Open finals, also on ESPN.

For the past three years, the U.S. Open field included men and women, pros and amateurs. This month, however, the PWBA threatened to pull players from the Open because the men demanded a higher payoff and all TV coverage. The men's U.S. Open will be Dec. 2-9 at Fountain Valley, Calif.

- Phil Gulick can be reached at xerxes8@msn.com.

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