WAUKESHA, Wis. - Four-time PBA Tour winner Bill O’Neill averaged 252 and opened with a 300 game to take the first round lead in the GEICO PBA Summer Swing Badger Open at Waukesha Lanes today. Competing on PBA’s new 52-foot Badger lane c...
WAUKESHA, Wis. - Four-time PBA Tour winner Bill O’Neill averaged 252 and opened with a 300 game to take the first round lead in the GEICO PBA Summer Swing Badger Open at Waukesha Lanes today. Competing on PBA’s new 52-foot Badger lane conditioning pattern on a wood surface, O’Neill had a 1,262 five-game pinfall total with games of 300, 279, 223, 212 and 248. “Bowling on a wood surface, which is something we never do, it makes you think and I like that,” O’Neill said. “I grew up bowling on wood surfaces so I know what to expect. “For me bowling on wood lanes means you have to make your adjustments faster than on a wood surface. Every game I was having to move three or four boards to the left but I was still able to throw hard which is what I like to do.” O’Neill is trying for his second win of the season having won the Alka Seltzer Plus Cold Cheetah Championship at the World Series of Bowling. “I’ve had my ups and downs this season but overall I’m bowing well,” said the 2010 U.S. Open winner. “I felt like I really had only one bad event in the (USBC) Masters but other than that it’s been pretty good this year.” Rounding out the top five are reigning PBA Player of the Year Sean Rash, 1,228; four-time titlist Mike Fagan, 1,185; Ryan Ciminelli, 1,172 and Jake Peters, 1,170. Qualifying for the Badger Open continues this afternoon with the second round at 5 p.m. After Monday’s qualifying the field will be cut to the top 24 for match play on Tuesday. Following the Badger Open will be the Wolf Open May 22-24 at AMF West Lanes, the Bear Open May 26-28 at AMF Bowlero and the Milwaukee Open May 29-30 also at AMF Bowlero. The top 28 qualifiers based upon 30 games, total pinfall from the three animal pattern events, will advance to the Milwaukee Open. Stepladder finals will be taped over two days by the CBS Sports Network June 1-2 at Bowlero for airing on five consecutive Tuesdays at 7 p.m. ET beginning June 11. The GEICO Summer King of the Swing special event featuring the four Summer Swing event champions plus the next highest points leader will compete in a five-player, $25,000 stepladder final for a $10,000 first prize to conclude the summer series on June 2. PBA BADGER OPEN AMF Waukesha, Waukesha, Wis., Tuesday First Round (after 5 games; top 24 after 10 games advance to round robin match play Wednesday) 1, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 1,262. 2, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 1,228. 3, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 1,185. 4, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 1,172. 5, Jake Peters, Decatur, Ill., 1,170. 6, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 1,167. 7, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 1,161. 8, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 1,155. 9, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 1,154. 10, Quinton Bohlen, Decorah, Iowa, 1,151. 11, Mike Dole, Loves Park, Ill., 1,135. 12, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 1,131. 13, Erik Gulbrandson, Superior, Wis., 1,128. 14, Patrick Girard, Canada, 1,123. 15, Aaron Lorincz, Belleville, Mich., 1,121. 16, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 1,120. 17, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 1,118. 18, Scott Norton, Mission Viejo, Calif., 1,116. 19, Brett Cunningham, Clay, N.Y., 1,114. 20, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 1,113. 21, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 1,112. 22, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 1,110. 23, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 1,108. 24, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 1,107. 25, Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 1,098. 26, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 1,094. 27, Brian Gunn, Chicago, 1,092. 28, Jon VanHees, Charlestown, R.I., 1,090. 29, Brad Miller, St. Charles, Mo., 1,083. 30, Greg Thomas, Oak Creek, Wis., 1,081. 31, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 1,079. 32, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 1,077. 33, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 1,075. 34, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 1,073. 35, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 1,071. 36, T.P. Peterson, Evergreen Park, Ill., 1,070. 36, Tom Hess, Ur