DeeRonn Booker wins 2024 USBC Masters for first major title
March 31, 2024
FULL STANDINGS
LAS VEGAS – DeeRonn Booker has arrived.
The 33-year old right-hander from Albuquerque, New Mexico, won the 2024 United States Bowling Congress Masters at Suncoast Bowling Center in Las Vegas on Sunday, claiming his first major championship and becoming the third African-American bowler to win a major title on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour.
Booker’s path to the winner’s circle certainly wasn’t an easy one as he was forced to take down the likes of two-time defending Masters champion Anthony Simonsen of Las Vegas, 2023 U.S. Open champion EJ Tackett of Ossian, Indiana, and two-time PBA titlist Sam Cooley of Australia during double-elimination bracket match play on Thursday and Friday.
Those victories allowed Booker to earn the top seed for Sunday’s stepladder finals, which meant that he’d only have to win one match on TV to capture his first PBA Tour title and major. When his turn to take the lanes arrived, Booker did just that, defeating Patrick Dombrowski of Parma, Ohio, 217-177 to win the coveted Masters title and the tournament’s $100,000 first-place prize.
Booker had enormous support from the crowd during the title match as several family members and friends were on hand to take in Booker’s TV finals debut.
The nerves showed on his first shot when Booker missed his mark left and almost went for a Brooklyn strike but instead left a 9 pin. He would make the spare and then deliver a flush strike on his next ball.
At that point, Booker’s strike song was revealed to be the Price is Right theme, which was an homage to the fact that the bowler appeared on the show in 2009 and won the showcase showdown.
Despite Booker’s early strike and entertaining song, Dombrowski was unfazed, doubling during his first two frames of the championship match. Trouble would strike shortly thereafter, however, as Dombrowski’s third shot went left and left a 3-10 split, which he was unable to convert. .
Booker attempted to take advantage of the opening by continuing to throw great shots; nevertheless, he was unable to pull away early, leaving a 10-pin in the third frame and a 4-pin in the fifth, which allowed Dombrowski to stay in the match.
That is until another shot went high for Dombrowski in the fifth, leaving the 4-6-7-10 split and giving him another open frame.
Booker capitalized this time, throwing three-straight strikes in frames six through eight, including tripping the 4-9 split out and getting a slow-rolling messenger, to build a lead.
A late double by Dombrowski added some pressure, but a light 5 pin put Booker in the driver’s seat to shut out Dombrowski with only two marks during the closing frames.
Booker did exactly that, sparing twice and finishing with a 217 to Dombrowski’s 177 to solidify his status as a major champion.
“I can’t believe it,” Booker said after his win, during which he was surrounded by enthusiastic supporters. “This is perfect; I could not have painted a better picture of what’s going on right now.”
Many of those who were in the stands had less than 24 hours to make accommodations, so Booker was grateful and appreciative for all that they did to travel to Las Vegas and support him.
“It takes a village, and my village is here; it couldn’t have been any better,” Booker said.
Dombrowski earned $50,000 for his runner-up finish.
Sunday’s stepladder started with Cooley squaring off against Richard Teece of England.
Teece had two opens in the first five frames, allowing Cooley to take advantage and win the game 206-180. . Teece earned $10,000 for his fifth-place finish.
Waiting for Cooley was another Australian, Jason Belmonte, who was looking for his first title of the 2024 season, his fifth Masters title and his record-extending 16th overall major.
Belmonte and Cooley stayed close to even halfway through the match, but Belmonte did what he has done over and over again, stringing together four strikes in frames six through nine while Cooley couldn’t get the pins to fall his way. That allowed Belmonte to come out on top 222-191, sending Belmonte through to the semifinal match and sending Cooley home with $15,000 for fourth place.
In what was arguably the most tense match of the day, Dombrowski and Belmonte couldn’t get anything going on the tough 44-foot lane condition as both bowlers exchanged turkeys and an open to start the first six frames of the game.
Dombrowski had another open in the ninth frame, but Belmonte could only manage one strike in frames seven through nine, which still left the door open for either player to move on to the title match.
Dombrowski finished the game first, leaving a light 7 pin and converting it before delivering a strike on his fill ball to end at 198.
Belmonte was on a spare and needed only a mark to close out the match and move on, but his first shot went a little right and never recovered, leaving the 8-10 split.
Knowing he had to make the split, Belmonte went at the 10 pin hoping for a good bounce, but it never came, leaving him at 193 and one game short of competing for the title. Belmonte earned $25,000 for his third-place finish.
BowlTV provided livestream coverage of the 2024 USBC Masters during qualifying and match play.
For more information on the USBC Masters, visit BOWL.com/Masters.
LAS VEGAS – DeeRonn Booker has arrived.
The 33-year old right-hander from Albuquerque, New Mexico, won the 2024 United States Bowling Congress Masters at Suncoast Bowling Center in Las Vegas on Sunday, claiming his first major championship and becoming the third African-American bowler to win a major title on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour.
Booker’s path to the winner’s circle certainly wasn’t an easy one as he was forced to take down the likes of two-time defending Masters champion Anthony Simonsen of Las Vegas, 2023 U.S. Open champion EJ Tackett of Ossian, Indiana, and two-time PBA titlist Sam Cooley of Australia during double-elimination bracket match play on Thursday and Friday.
Those victories allowed Booker to earn the top seed for Sunday’s stepladder finals, which meant that he’d only have to win one match on TV to capture his first PBA Tour title and major. When his turn to take the lanes arrived, Booker did just that, defeating Patrick Dombrowski of Parma, Ohio, 217-177 to win the coveted Masters title and the tournament’s $100,000 first-place prize.
Booker had enormous support from the crowd during the title match as several family members and friends were on hand to take in Booker’s TV finals debut.
The nerves showed on his first shot when Booker missed his mark left and almost went for a Brooklyn strike but instead left a 9 pin. He would make the spare and then deliver a flush strike on his next ball.
At that point, Booker’s strike song was revealed to be the Price is Right theme, which was an homage to the fact that the bowler appeared on the show in 2009 and won the showcase showdown.
Despite Booker’s early strike and entertaining song, Dombrowski was unfazed, doubling during his first two frames of the championship match. Trouble would strike shortly thereafter, however, as Dombrowski’s third shot went left and left a 3-10 split, which he was unable to convert. .
Booker attempted to take advantage of the opening by continuing to throw great shots; nevertheless, he was unable to pull away early, leaving a 10-pin in the third frame and a 4-pin in the fifth, which allowed Dombrowski to stay in the match.
That is until another shot went high for Dombrowski in the fifth, leaving the 4-6-7-10 split and giving him another open frame.
Booker capitalized this time, throwing three-straight strikes in frames six through eight, including tripping the 4-9 split out and getting a slow-rolling messenger, to build a lead.
A late double by Dombrowski added some pressure, but a light 5 pin put Booker in the driver’s seat to shut out Dombrowski with only two marks during the closing frames.
Booker did exactly that, sparing twice and finishing with a 217 to Dombrowski’s 177 to solidify his status as a major champion.
“I can’t believe it,” Booker said after his win, during which he was surrounded by enthusiastic supporters. “This is perfect; I could not have painted a better picture of what’s going on right now.”
Many of those who were in the stands had less than 24 hours to make accommodations, so Booker was grateful and appreciative for all that they did to travel to Las Vegas and support him.
“It takes a village, and my village is here; it couldn’t have been any better,” Booker said.
Dombrowski earned $50,000 for his runner-up finish.
Sunday’s stepladder started with Cooley squaring off against Richard Teece of England.
Teece had two opens in the first five frames, allowing Cooley to take advantage and win the game 206-180. . Teece earned $10,000 for his fifth-place finish.
Waiting for Cooley was another Australian, Jason Belmonte, who was looking for his first title of the 2024 season, his fifth Masters title and his record-extending 16th overall major.
Belmonte and Cooley stayed close to even halfway through the match, but Belmonte did what he has done over and over again, stringing together four strikes in frames six through nine while Cooley couldn’t get the pins to fall his way. That allowed Belmonte to come out on top 222-191, sending Belmonte through to the semifinal match and sending Cooley home with $15,000 for fourth place.
In what was arguably the most tense match of the day, Dombrowski and Belmonte couldn’t get anything going on the tough 44-foot lane condition as both bowlers exchanged turkeys and an open to start the first six frames of the game.
Dombrowski had another open in the ninth frame, but Belmonte could only manage one strike in frames seven through nine, which still left the door open for either player to move on to the title match.
Dombrowski finished the game first, leaving a light 7 pin and converting it before delivering a strike on his fill ball to end at 198.
Belmonte was on a spare and needed only a mark to close out the match and move on, but his first shot went a little right and never recovered, leaving the 8-10 split.
Knowing he had to make the split, Belmonte went at the 10 pin hoping for a good bounce, but it never came, leaving him at 193 and one game short of competing for the title. Belmonte earned $25,000 for his third-place finish.
BowlTV provided livestream coverage of the 2024 USBC Masters during qualifying and match play.
For more information on the USBC Masters, visit BOWL.com/Masters.