Texas bowler has breakthrough performance at 2017 Bowlers Journal Championships
April 26, 2017
LAS VEGAS - Sean Lavery-Spahr of Pasadena, Texas, arrived in Las Vegas with a game plan for the Bowlers Journal Championships presented by the United States Bowling Congress and the nearby 2017 USBC Open Championships.
Regardless of what anyone said or advised, he intended to stick to that plan with the hope of outrunning a wave of mediocre performances at those events in recent years, unless his ball reaction on-site unquestionably determined a different strategy was required.
It only took the 26-year-old right-hander a few shots Tuesday to realize he'd made the right guess, and he piled on the strikes as he made his way into the lead in Open Singles at the Bowlers Journal Championships with a 798 series.
Just a couple hours off the plane from Texas, Lavery-Spahr started his day at the South Point Bowling Center with the third perfect game of the 2017 event and followed it with a 235 effort.
He made a run at bookend 300s, starting the final game with eight consecutive strikes, before a 3-4-6-10 split ended his run at perfection and the second 800 series of the tournament.
Lavery-Spahr needed just two pins in his final frame to move past previous leader, Anthony LaCaze of Hoffman Estates, Illinois, who held the top spot with 771. Lavery-Spahr delivered two strikes and a nine-count for a 263 finale.
"I threw a couple of shots the first game that were a little right, and when they made it back, I knew I had a great look," said Lavery-Spahr, who will make his sixth Open Championships appearance later this week. "This is the best ball reaction I think I've ever had bowling a tournament like this, and it probably could've been even better, if I didn't make a few absolutely terrible shots along the way."
Because he feels like he's been less than stellar in recent appearances, Lavery-Spahr wasn't even concerned with the leaderboard at the Bowlers Journal, though he expected the leading number to be in the 760-770 range.
His main goals for Tuesday's outing were simple - get some games in and get comfortable on the lanes and oil pattern, which also is being used for doubles and singles at the Open Championships, and get a feel for how effective the game plan might be.
"This really is phenomenal," said Lavery-Spahr, whose twin brother Anthony was part of the record-setting Artistic Expressions 1 team from Oklahoma City that claimed the Regular Team title at the Open Championships with a 3,720 total. "My plan was to come here and throw urethane and pretty much live and die by it, unless it definitely wasn't working. With the way I've bowled in both tournaments the last few years, all I wanted to do was throw good shots and put together a good set. I honestly had no idea what was leading."
Lavery-Spahr also decided to use the first set of his 2017 Bowlers Journal campaign to test the doubles waters, and he teamed with Brian Huther of Tampa, Florida (574), for a 1,372 total, which is just outside the top 10.
Casey Shephard of Portage, Michigan, and Andrew Klingler of Grand Rapids, Michigan, lead with 1,483, propelled by Shephard's 827 series.
Since Lavery-Spahr used his set for singles and doubles at the same time, he landed at the top of the Dual Entry standings, too, since Shephard's performance came during a doubles-only entry. LaCaze was the previous Dual Entry leader with 771.
Lavery-Spahr, Huther and their teammates will take to the lanes at the South Point Bowling Plaza for the Open Championships on Thursday (team) and Friday (doubles/singles) at 12:30 a.m. Eastern.
"I've been throwing the ball pretty well the last few months," Lavery-Spahr said. "I was really hoping for that to continue out here, and I'm pretty happy with the way things started."
The Bowlers Journal Championships is being held alongside the Open Championships for the 71st year and will run from February until July.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships Facebook page.
Regardless of what anyone said or advised, he intended to stick to that plan with the hope of outrunning a wave of mediocre performances at those events in recent years, unless his ball reaction on-site unquestionably determined a different strategy was required.
It only took the 26-year-old right-hander a few shots Tuesday to realize he'd made the right guess, and he piled on the strikes as he made his way into the lead in Open Singles at the Bowlers Journal Championships with a 798 series.
Just a couple hours off the plane from Texas, Lavery-Spahr started his day at the South Point Bowling Center with the third perfect game of the 2017 event and followed it with a 235 effort.
He made a run at bookend 300s, starting the final game with eight consecutive strikes, before a 3-4-6-10 split ended his run at perfection and the second 800 series of the tournament.
Lavery-Spahr needed just two pins in his final frame to move past previous leader, Anthony LaCaze of Hoffman Estates, Illinois, who held the top spot with 771. Lavery-Spahr delivered two strikes and a nine-count for a 263 finale.
"I threw a couple of shots the first game that were a little right, and when they made it back, I knew I had a great look," said Lavery-Spahr, who will make his sixth Open Championships appearance later this week. "This is the best ball reaction I think I've ever had bowling a tournament like this, and it probably could've been even better, if I didn't make a few absolutely terrible shots along the way."
Because he feels like he's been less than stellar in recent appearances, Lavery-Spahr wasn't even concerned with the leaderboard at the Bowlers Journal, though he expected the leading number to be in the 760-770 range.
His main goals for Tuesday's outing were simple - get some games in and get comfortable on the lanes and oil pattern, which also is being used for doubles and singles at the Open Championships, and get a feel for how effective the game plan might be.
"This really is phenomenal," said Lavery-Spahr, whose twin brother Anthony was part of the record-setting Artistic Expressions 1 team from Oklahoma City that claimed the Regular Team title at the Open Championships with a 3,720 total. "My plan was to come here and throw urethane and pretty much live and die by it, unless it definitely wasn't working. With the way I've bowled in both tournaments the last few years, all I wanted to do was throw good shots and put together a good set. I honestly had no idea what was leading."
Lavery-Spahr also decided to use the first set of his 2017 Bowlers Journal campaign to test the doubles waters, and he teamed with Brian Huther of Tampa, Florida (574), for a 1,372 total, which is just outside the top 10.
Casey Shephard of Portage, Michigan, and Andrew Klingler of Grand Rapids, Michigan, lead with 1,483, propelled by Shephard's 827 series.
Since Lavery-Spahr used his set for singles and doubles at the same time, he landed at the top of the Dual Entry standings, too, since Shephard's performance came during a doubles-only entry. LaCaze was the previous Dual Entry leader with 771.
Lavery-Spahr, Huther and their teammates will take to the lanes at the South Point Bowling Plaza for the Open Championships on Thursday (team) and Friday (doubles/singles) at 12:30 a.m. Eastern.
"I've been throwing the ball pretty well the last few months," Lavery-Spahr said. "I was really hoping for that to continue out here, and I'm pretty happy with the way things started."
The Bowlers Journal Championships is being held alongside the Open Championships for the 71st year and will run from February until July.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships Facebook page.