The final day.
I was not feeling the best, had another early morning wake up and not much sleep because we finished late the night before and Billy lives 45 min away.
Got to bowl and i slowly stared to wake up.
I had to bowl Norm Duke in my first match and was hoping that if I got off to a flier i could catch the leaders and make the show. 170 something is not what i call off to a flier, but i did win my match, so i got my 30 pins.
The rest of the day was really and truly like a roller coaster. I would hit a great pair and bowl 240 then make the cross and shoot 170. I spared a heap better but on this pattern, nearly there only gives you a split not 9.
I was winning my matches and staying in touch. With 3 games to go i needed a run, i shot 223 and lost by 2 pins, with a soild 9 and ringing 10 to lose, then 247 with a win and i was 175 pins out with 2 games to go. If i could somehow shoot 250, 250 i was in.
NO GOOD. I hit an awful pair and had no clue where to bowl, 175....the dream was over :)
I finished 11th and was happy with how i played. Looking back i threw away so many pins and when i come back next year and bowl, thats something i will not do again.
My first US OPEN and i finished 11th, I'm happy.
Cant wait to go get home and see my wonderful wife and family. I miss them all very much.
Be good
Belmo
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
US OPEN Day 2, 3 and 4
I have had a little trouble with this site getting my blogs up, but it seems to be ok now.
Day i bowled great, it was the 'burn' squad so by the first ball of the squad i was launching the ball over the left gutter, made almost all my spares and got a little unlucky at the wrong times to shot 105 over.....that score leaped frogged me into 2nd.
I was over the moon.
The next day i bowled about as bad as i could. -35 and never had a chance to improve my score. Everything i tried was awful, my ball reaction was either washout or big 4.
I dropped to 14th i think.
The 4th day was a roller coaster, The top 122 came back for 9 more games and the top 24 would be determined.
I started the day exactly how i finished the day off yesterday. 157.
I dropped from well inside the cut, to a little bit out. Not very happy.
I scrambled my way back and made every spare i could. I needed a big last game to make sure i was there and i bowled 237.
I qualified in 15th.
The same night we had the first 8 of 24 round robin matches.
I started awesome. 207 (with a open in the 10th) 246. With 30 pins for a win, winning is a huge factor. Then i bowled on what can only be described as the most evil pair in the building.
154, i lost all my timing, the ball reaction was awful and my confidence dropped faster than you could say "trouble".
I finished the day bowling dreadful, missed a bunch of spares and was really too tired to bowl well. I started the day at 6am to drive to the bowl, then we finished bowling that night at 10pm. I was spent.
Right now im 223 pins out from the show, after a good night snooze, anything could happen
Cheers and be good
Belmo
Day i bowled great, it was the 'burn' squad so by the first ball of the squad i was launching the ball over the left gutter, made almost all my spares and got a little unlucky at the wrong times to shot 105 over.....that score leaped frogged me into 2nd.
I was over the moon.
The next day i bowled about as bad as i could. -35 and never had a chance to improve my score. Everything i tried was awful, my ball reaction was either washout or big 4.
I dropped to 14th i think.
The 4th day was a roller coaster, The top 122 came back for 9 more games and the top 24 would be determined.
I started the day exactly how i finished the day off yesterday. 157.
I dropped from well inside the cut, to a little bit out. Not very happy.
I scrambled my way back and made every spare i could. I needed a big last game to make sure i was there and i bowled 237.
I qualified in 15th.
The same night we had the first 8 of 24 round robin matches.
I started awesome. 207 (with a open in the 10th) 246. With 30 pins for a win, winning is a huge factor. Then i bowled on what can only be described as the most evil pair in the building.
154, i lost all my timing, the ball reaction was awful and my confidence dropped faster than you could say "trouble".
I finished the day bowling dreadful, missed a bunch of spares and was really too tired to bowl well. I started the day at 6am to drive to the bowl, then we finished bowling that night at 10pm. I was spent.
Right now im 223 pins out from the show, after a good night snooze, anything could happen
Cheers and be good
Belmo
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
US OPEN- Day 1
135 over the card is where I am after day 1.
And let me be the first to say that my score did not reflect how i bowled. I really should be about 35 over. I got very lucky today, but this is one game that when you get a break or 2 or 10, you must capitalize on it and I did.
The lanes are not easy at all, some pairs seem easier than others but on a whole, no pair is easy. The low end of the centre is about 20 boards drier and i ended up throwing over the left gutter and the high end is extremely tight down lane.
Making the cross is the hardest thing to do, you just have no idea where to stand or where to bowl.
Anyway, im off to a good start and I hope i can keep the luck going my way.
Ill let you know how it all goes after i bowl tomorrow
BE GOOD
Belmo
And let me be the first to say that my score did not reflect how i bowled. I really should be about 35 over. I got very lucky today, but this is one game that when you get a break or 2 or 10, you must capitalize on it and I did.
The lanes are not easy at all, some pairs seem easier than others but on a whole, no pair is easy. The low end of the centre is about 20 boards drier and i ended up throwing over the left gutter and the high end is extremely tight down lane.
Making the cross is the hardest thing to do, you just have no idea where to stand or where to bowl.
Anyway, im off to a good start and I hope i can keep the luck going my way.
Ill let you know how it all goes after i bowl tomorrow
BE GOOD
Belmo
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
US OPEN- Can't wait!
Its finally here.
The the greatest event in the world. Possibly the hardest tournament to win, 492 bowlers on the most demanding lane pattern in an unpredictable bowling centre.
Today we had the practice session. 82 lanes, you could bowl anywhere you wanted. The bowling centre is situated in New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA. There are 46 on the higher level and the rest are on a floor only 6 steps lower.
But the differences from the top end to the low end are much greater than the 6 steps it takes to walk down.
Lanes 1-46 play much drier. The ball reads the backend harder and you will find the lanes will break down not only completely different, but much faster.
Lanes 47-82 are so much tighter down lane and there is no real defined hook spot pair to pair. For me the down stairs lanes will be much lower scoring, so sparing will be so important (not that it isn't normally).
The bowling centre was packed today for the Pro-Ams they had. 82 lanes with 5 on a lane for 2 squads. The pro's are constantly being asked for autographs and photos, people are forever saying "Hi, do you remember me, we met 7 years ago", or "Hi, how do you get that spin on your ball". The questions are relentless and the pro's prove that not only are they amazing players, but they respect each and every bowler there with polite and honest answers.
Pro-Ams consist of 3 games, with the pros moving a pair to their right after every 5 frames. Its a long day, especially when you have 10 to a pair.
Im am extremely lucky for 2 reasons this time on my travels. Jason Walsh, one of my great mates from back home has joined me for this trip and Bill O'neil (one of the exempt pro bowlers) is putting us both up at his place for the week.
Billy is a great bowler who is also a great guy. He is young (26) and is one of the rising stars of the PBA tour. Usually when i travel to the states or he travels overseas we hang out as much as we can.
Anyway.......
The practice session is done and dusted, tomorrow its for the main event. We are all bowling 'C' squad, so we dont start till late, but at least we can have a little look at how the lanes are playing.
Will let you know how Me, Walshy, Billy and Mike Fagan (another young rising star of the tour who is also staying with Billy) go. Lets hope we all strike alot
Belmo
The the greatest event in the world. Possibly the hardest tournament to win, 492 bowlers on the most demanding lane pattern in an unpredictable bowling centre.
Today we had the practice session. 82 lanes, you could bowl anywhere you wanted. The bowling centre is situated in New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA. There are 46 on the higher level and the rest are on a floor only 6 steps lower.
But the differences from the top end to the low end are much greater than the 6 steps it takes to walk down.
Lanes 1-46 play much drier. The ball reads the backend harder and you will find the lanes will break down not only completely different, but much faster.
Lanes 47-82 are so much tighter down lane and there is no real defined hook spot pair to pair. For me the down stairs lanes will be much lower scoring, so sparing will be so important (not that it isn't normally).
The bowling centre was packed today for the Pro-Ams they had. 82 lanes with 5 on a lane for 2 squads. The pro's are constantly being asked for autographs and photos, people are forever saying "Hi, do you remember me, we met 7 years ago", or "Hi, how do you get that spin on your ball". The questions are relentless and the pro's prove that not only are they amazing players, but they respect each and every bowler there with polite and honest answers.
Pro-Ams consist of 3 games, with the pros moving a pair to their right after every 5 frames. Its a long day, especially when you have 10 to a pair.
Im am extremely lucky for 2 reasons this time on my travels. Jason Walsh, one of my great mates from back home has joined me for this trip and Bill O'neil (one of the exempt pro bowlers) is putting us both up at his place for the week.
Billy is a great bowler who is also a great guy. He is young (26) and is one of the rising stars of the PBA tour. Usually when i travel to the states or he travels overseas we hang out as much as we can.
Anyway.......
The practice session is done and dusted, tomorrow its for the main event. We are all bowling 'C' squad, so we dont start till late, but at least we can have a little look at how the lanes are playing.
Will let you know how Me, Walshy, Billy and Mike Fagan (another young rising star of the tour who is also staying with Billy) go. Lets hope we all strike alot
Belmo
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
