Bowlers Journal International - April 2008 - (Page 42)

PBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PBA LLC / MITCHELL (2) explained Shafer. “If Norm can’t play first arrow on a lane, I don’t see how I can.” In the press room, with tissues alternating between his nose and his eyes, Duke began putting the victory into perspective. “I thought about pulling out a number of times, and now I find myself sitting here. A major championship. Fifty grand. A two-year exemption. And I get to bowl the Motel 6 Roll to Riches. I’m shocked and extremely happy.” The victory was all the more poignant because Duke felt he owed PBA management a debt — for allowing him to even compete. “We’re required to bowl 75 percent of the events to maintain our exemption,” he explained. “I talked to [Tour Director] Kirk [von Krueger], and it was handled.” Asked if it would have been prudent for the PBA to kick him off the Tour, Duke chuckled, then said, “The PBA must have felt they had a good product.” Still, it’s doubtful that Seattle would have offered him an exemption next season if he hadn’t earned it — not after cutting ties with the likes of Brian Voss, Amleto Monacelli and Randy Pedersen. And even with the threat of losing his exemption hanging over Duke's head, there was the little matter of earning a living. “I’ve got a family at home, and when I’m not bowling, we’re in jeopardy.” (Prior to the World Championship win, Duke had collected a miniscule $20,000 in prize money this season.) The win means the guy some people call “The Elf” will be back next season to entertain fans and give hope to those who can’t twist it up like Ken Simard, Robert Smith or Sean Rash. And that's perhaps the perfect epilogue for one of the most remarkable major championships in bowling history. Walter Ray Williams Jr. (left) and Ryan Shafer ponder what went wrong during the ESPN telecast. A pair of 4-7-10 splits proved to be Williams' undoing, while Shafer had to endure his 10th "major" telecast without a title. For Norm Duke (opposite), the win brought pure joy. 158 to Shafer’s 204. But it was Shafer who seemed lost in the title contest, consistently missing the pocket right, and posting an equally dismal 165 to Duke’s 202. As the cameras were being shut down, Shafer told reporters that despite having no look that last game, he actually prefers this type of condition: “It’s the way bowling is supposed to be. It’s not supposed to be easy. This is a major.” As for the lack of drama, Shafer acknowledged, “It may not look good on TV, because we’re splitting. We’re playing tic-tac-toe. When you have only one game to try to find something, sometimes it doesn’t look very pretty.” Shafer struggled at third arrow and deeper, but declined to engage Duke on the twig. “He was having trouble on the left lane, almost 2-8-10ing twice,” 42 bowlers journal international APRIL 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Bowlers Journal International - April 2008

Bowlers Journal International - April 2008 Contents Leading Off Letters Bowlitically Incorrect Calendar Par Bowling The Coach Frame of Mind Inside Line The Truth Be Bowled Tournaments Pro Bowling PBA Bayer Classic PBA Pepsi Championship PBA Don Johnson Classic Regional Roundup Cover Story Up Close Senior Tour The USBC Move USBC Convention Pattern Play Anniversary Flashback Time Capsule Media Beat No Holes Barred Shop Talk Spotlight Marketplace Hall Marks Profit Prophet Advertisers' Index Classified Advertising Intelligencer Business Calendar Business People Strikes Me

Bowlers Journal International - April 2008

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