Butturff rolls into lead at 2017 U.S. Open
October 28, 2017
LIVERPOOL, N.Y. - Jakob Butturff of Tempe, Arizona, rolled a 300 game to start the second round of qualifying Saturday at the 2017 U.S. Open, and he cruised to the top of the leaderboard at Flamingo Bowl.
The 23-year-old left-hander posted the highest eight-game block of the day, averaging more than 235 for a 1,881 total, bringing his overall score to 3,626, a 226.6 average for 16 games. England's Dom Barrett maintained second place with a 3,533 total, and first-round leader JR Raymond of Saginaw, Michigan, is third with 3,516.
One round of qualifying remains at the 2017 U.S. Open, and at the conclusion of Sunday's final squad, the field will be cut to the top 36 players for Monday's cashers' round. The cashers' round will consist of an additional eight games to determine the 24 players for round-robin match play.
Heading into Sunday's final round of qualifying, 2005 U.S. Open champion Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, is the cut in 36th place with a 3,299 total, and defending champion Francois Lavoie of Canada is 57th with 3,234.
Butturff was tied for 10th after Friday's opening round and quickly climbed towards the top of the standings after posting the perfect game, building a lead of more than 90 pins over the rest of the field. Butturff is the only competitor at the 2017 U.S. Open to roll a 300 game.
The two-time Professional Bowlers Association Tour champion learned from his opening round as the scores began to add up, and the fresh 43-foot lane condition matched up to Butturff's strengths.
Each competitor at the 2017 event will have one qualifying block on each of the three phases of the lane condition used at the U.S. Open - fresh, burn and double-burn.
"I learned a lot from yesterday's block on the burn," said Butturff, the 2017 United States Bowling Congress Team USA Trials champion. "I was able to get an idea of where I needed to be on the fresh, and it ended up developing to where I started yesterday. I was able to play them pretty straight with a lot of surface and weaker equipment, and we all know my A game is throwing urethane. I also felt like I was executing shots really well, and that was the key today."
In his two previous U.S. Open appearances, Butturff advanced to the cashers' round but was unable to make match play. As he heads into his final round of qualifying, which will start at 6:30 p.m. Eastern on the double-burn, Butturff finds himself in an enviable spot and looks to build on the two strong blocks.
"I'm going to come in with the same mindset and try to keep doing the things that have worked so far," Butturff said. "The right-handers have been getting pretty deep, so I'm planning to use less surface and expect to throw it a little harder. I hope to execute as well as today."
Sunday's qualifying round will start at 8 a.m. Eastern, and match play will begin Monday at 6 p.m. Eastern following the cashers' round with the first of three eight-game rounds. Match play will resume Tuesday at 10 a.m. Eastern, concluding with a position round. The five finalists for the stepladder finals will be determined by total pinfall, including bonus pins, for 56 games.
The stepladder finals will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network on Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern. The champion will earn the $30,000 top prize and coveted green jacket.
The U.S. Open is the fourth of five major championships on the 2017 PBA Tour schedule and is conducted jointly by the USBC and Bowling Proprietors' Association of America.
Each round of the 2017 U.S. Open leading up to the stepladder finals will be broadcast live on Xtra Frame, the exclusive online bowling channel for the PBA.
The 23-year-old left-hander posted the highest eight-game block of the day, averaging more than 235 for a 1,881 total, bringing his overall score to 3,626, a 226.6 average for 16 games. England's Dom Barrett maintained second place with a 3,533 total, and first-round leader JR Raymond of Saginaw, Michigan, is third with 3,516.
One round of qualifying remains at the 2017 U.S. Open, and at the conclusion of Sunday's final squad, the field will be cut to the top 36 players for Monday's cashers' round. The cashers' round will consist of an additional eight games to determine the 24 players for round-robin match play.
Heading into Sunday's final round of qualifying, 2005 U.S. Open champion Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, is the cut in 36th place with a 3,299 total, and defending champion Francois Lavoie of Canada is 57th with 3,234.
Butturff was tied for 10th after Friday's opening round and quickly climbed towards the top of the standings after posting the perfect game, building a lead of more than 90 pins over the rest of the field. Butturff is the only competitor at the 2017 U.S. Open to roll a 300 game.
The two-time Professional Bowlers Association Tour champion learned from his opening round as the scores began to add up, and the fresh 43-foot lane condition matched up to Butturff's strengths.
Each competitor at the 2017 event will have one qualifying block on each of the three phases of the lane condition used at the U.S. Open - fresh, burn and double-burn.
"I learned a lot from yesterday's block on the burn," said Butturff, the 2017 United States Bowling Congress Team USA Trials champion. "I was able to get an idea of where I needed to be on the fresh, and it ended up developing to where I started yesterday. I was able to play them pretty straight with a lot of surface and weaker equipment, and we all know my A game is throwing urethane. I also felt like I was executing shots really well, and that was the key today."
In his two previous U.S. Open appearances, Butturff advanced to the cashers' round but was unable to make match play. As he heads into his final round of qualifying, which will start at 6:30 p.m. Eastern on the double-burn, Butturff finds himself in an enviable spot and looks to build on the two strong blocks.
"I'm going to come in with the same mindset and try to keep doing the things that have worked so far," Butturff said. "The right-handers have been getting pretty deep, so I'm planning to use less surface and expect to throw it a little harder. I hope to execute as well as today."
Sunday's qualifying round will start at 8 a.m. Eastern, and match play will begin Monday at 6 p.m. Eastern following the cashers' round with the first of three eight-game rounds. Match play will resume Tuesday at 10 a.m. Eastern, concluding with a position round. The five finalists for the stepladder finals will be determined by total pinfall, including bonus pins, for 56 games.
The stepladder finals will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network on Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern. The champion will earn the $30,000 top prize and coveted green jacket.
The U.S. Open is the fourth of five major championships on the 2017 PBA Tour schedule and is conducted jointly by the USBC and Bowling Proprietors' Association of America.
Each round of the 2017 U.S. Open leading up to the stepladder finals will be broadcast live on Xtra Frame, the exclusive online bowling channel for the PBA.