Classified leaderboards shaken up at 2015 USBC Open
March 24, 2015
By Matt Cannizzaro and Mel Lindemann
USBC Communications
EL PASO, Texas - An exciting day at the 2015 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships ended with a battle for the top spots in Classified Doubles and Classified Singles.
Brothers Donald and Gary Holtz of Hutchinson and Litchfield, Minnesota, respectively, catapulted into the top spot in Classified Doubles with a 1,153 total Tuesday night at the El Paso Convention Center.
Gary, 68, led the pair with a 593 series, while 65-year-old Donald contributed a 560 effort. The two surpassed the 1,111 shot earlier in the day by the father and son duo of Sterling Minke Sr. of Englewood, Florida, and Sterling Minke Jr. of Columbus, Ohio.
The Holtz brothers have been bowling doubles together at the USBC Open Championships for a few years and use the annual trip to the tournament as a chance to see different places and reunite with teammates and friends from all over the country. Taking the lead made a great trip even better.
"This is everybody's goal," said Donald Holtz, who made his ninth tournament appearance. "We've always talked about doing this, so it's great that it happened. Usually, he's the one who bowls well, but today, we both did. It's hard to explain how good it feels."
Donald Holtz also bowled well in singles, briefly claiming the top spot in Classified Singles with games of 206, 204 and 210 for a 620 series.
His dominance was short-lived, however, as Jim Conkle of Pentwater, Michigan, threw a clutch 10th-frame strike to cap off a 628 set just a few lanes away.
After a 163 start, the 62-year-old right-hander made a small move and found a more effective line to the pocket, which resulted in games of 239 and 226.
He had no idea he needed to strike on the first shot of his final frame, and he prefers it that way.
"I had no idea, and it's probably better that I didn't know," said Conkle, who made his second consecutive Open Championships appearance. "Tonight was much better than last night, and it feels unbelievable to be the leader. It's probably way too early to worry about it, but I'm sure I'll look at the leaderboards once in a while."
Donald Holtz added a 483 series in team for a 1,663 total, which is fourth in Classified All-Events. Gary Holtz, who participated for the seventh consecutive time, had 522 in team and 491 in singles for 1,606, while Conkle posted 490 in doubles and 416 in team for a 1,534 total.
Michael Thielen of Eagle Grove, Iowa, previously held the Classified Singles lead with 610 and still leads Classified All-Events with 1,712.
In order to be eligible for Classified Doubles, teams must have combined entering averages of 360 or below. Classified Singles and All-Events is for bowlers with entering averages of 180 or below.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open/Women's Championships page.
USBC Communications
EL PASO, Texas - An exciting day at the 2015 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships ended with a battle for the top spots in Classified Doubles and Classified Singles.
Brothers Donald and Gary Holtz of Hutchinson and Litchfield, Minnesota, respectively, catapulted into the top spot in Classified Doubles with a 1,153 total Tuesday night at the El Paso Convention Center.
Gary, 68, led the pair with a 593 series, while 65-year-old Donald contributed a 560 effort. The two surpassed the 1,111 shot earlier in the day by the father and son duo of Sterling Minke Sr. of Englewood, Florida, and Sterling Minke Jr. of Columbus, Ohio.
The Holtz brothers have been bowling doubles together at the USBC Open Championships for a few years and use the annual trip to the tournament as a chance to see different places and reunite with teammates and friends from all over the country. Taking the lead made a great trip even better.
"This is everybody's goal," said Donald Holtz, who made his ninth tournament appearance. "We've always talked about doing this, so it's great that it happened. Usually, he's the one who bowls well, but today, we both did. It's hard to explain how good it feels."
Donald Holtz also bowled well in singles, briefly claiming the top spot in Classified Singles with games of 206, 204 and 210 for a 620 series.
His dominance was short-lived, however, as Jim Conkle of Pentwater, Michigan, threw a clutch 10th-frame strike to cap off a 628 set just a few lanes away.
After a 163 start, the 62-year-old right-hander made a small move and found a more effective line to the pocket, which resulted in games of 239 and 226. He had no idea he needed to strike on the first shot of his final frame, and he prefers it that way.
"I had no idea, and it's probably better that I didn't know," said Conkle, who made his second consecutive Open Championships appearance. "Tonight was much better than last night, and it feels unbelievable to be the leader. It's probably way too early to worry about it, but I'm sure I'll look at the leaderboards once in a while."
Donald Holtz added a 483 series in team for a 1,663 total, which is fourth in Classified All-Events. Gary Holtz, who participated for the seventh consecutive time, had 522 in team and 491 in singles for 1,606, while Conkle posted 490 in doubles and 416 in team for a 1,534 total.
Michael Thielen of Eagle Grove, Iowa, previously held the Classified Singles lead with 610 and still leads Classified All-Events with 1,712.
In order to be eligible for Classified Doubles, teams must have combined entering averages of 360 or below. Classified Singles and All-Events is for bowlers with entering averages of 180 or below.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open/Women's Championships page.