Two perfect games highlight team event at USBC Open
May 03, 2014
By Jessica Gilgor and Aaron Smith
USBC Communications
RENO, Nev. - An exciting team event at the 2014 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships on Saturday was capped off with two perfect games and one team cracking the top 10 at the National Bowling Stadium.
Two-time USBC Open Championships titlist Gary Green of Houlton, Wis., rolled the 13th perfect game of the 2014 event during his last game of team, while Larry Case Jr. of Jamestown, N.Y., matched the effort several minutes later.
Green's companion team, Linds Lakers 1 of Brooklyn Park, Minn., put together games of 1,109, 1,081 and 1,244 to move into seventh place in the Regular Team standings with 3,434. Motion Plus Lanes of Cudahy, Wis., leads with a record score of 3,561.
Case, a 50-year-old right-hander, struggled with games of 168 and 194 before making a move left to find the right look. His 11th offering ran high in the pocket, tripping the 4 and 10 pins, which took the pressure off during his final delivery.
"I finally got deep enough and found a spot I could get the ball to and have it recover and still carry," said Case, who made his 13th tournament appearance. "Having the 4-10 fall was just a great break and took a lot of pressure off of the last ball. I really felt no pressure whatsoever. I just decided I was going to pipe it and see what happened."
Case is unable to bowl as much as he would like due to his work schedule, but he appreciates the chance to have his name among the tournament greats.
"It feels very good and satisfying, considering I haven't bowled as much this year," Case said. "It's very humbling to be mentioned among some of the real greats of the sport, and it's an honor to shoot that kind of score in this tournament. This is the pinnacle of our sport."
Green, a 56-year-old right-hander, and his Linds Lakers 1 and 2 teammates, always are a threat to take home an eagle, and their tireless commitment to be prepared for the Open Championships paid off once again.
Green began his 2014 event with games of 236 and 215 before lining up 12 consecutive strikes for a 751 series to help Linds Lakers 2 to a 3,148 total. He was joined by Scott Sodergren (622), three-time titlist Charles Vashaw (605), Tom Corbett (602) and David Hoppenrath (568)
"This meant a lot to him," said Corbett, the group's coordinator. "He threw the ball really well and just wanted to make sure he got it off his hand well with a good roll. He had a couple of late 10 pins, including the messenger in the 11th, but the 12th was solidly packed."
Linds Lakers 1 were led by three-time Open Championships titlist Matt McNiel's 759 series, and he was joined by USBC Hall of Famer Todd Savoy (717), two-time titlist Sam Lantto (686), Luke Voaklander (655) and two-time champion John Eiss (617).
Between the two teams, they have claimed 18 titles at the Open Championships.
Casey Creutz of North Brunswick, N.J., bowled on the same team squad and nearly joined Green and Case with a 300 game of his own, but he settled for the fourth 299 of the 2014 event after a 10 pin stood on his final delivery. Creutz sandwiched his near-perfect effort between games of 192 and 176 for a 667 series to help Cornogglers of Staten Island, N.Y., to 3,153 total.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open/Women's Championships page.
Presenting sponsors for the 2014 USBC Open Championships include Circus Circus Reno, Eldorado Hotel Casino Reno and Silver Legacy Resort Casino Reno.
USBC Communications
RENO, Nev. - An exciting team event at the 2014 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships on Saturday was capped off with two perfect games and one team cracking the top 10 at the National Bowling Stadium.
Two-time USBC Open Championships titlist Gary Green of Houlton, Wis., rolled the 13th perfect game of the 2014 event during his last game of team, while Larry Case Jr. of Jamestown, N.Y., matched the effort several minutes later.
Green's companion team, Linds Lakers 1 of Brooklyn Park, Minn., put together games of 1,109, 1,081 and 1,244 to move into seventh place in the Regular Team standings with 3,434. Motion Plus Lanes of Cudahy, Wis., leads with a record score of 3,561.
Case, a 50-year-old right-hander, struggled with games of 168 and 194 before making a move left to find the right look. His 11th offering ran high in the pocket, tripping the 4 and 10 pins, which took the pressure off during his final delivery."I finally got deep enough and found a spot I could get the ball to and have it recover and still carry," said Case, who made his 13th tournament appearance. "Having the 4-10 fall was just a great break and took a lot of pressure off of the last ball. I really felt no pressure whatsoever. I just decided I was going to pipe it and see what happened."
Case is unable to bowl as much as he would like due to his work schedule, but he appreciates the chance to have his name among the tournament greats.
"It feels very good and satisfying, considering I haven't bowled as much this year," Case said. "It's very humbling to be mentioned among some of the real greats of the sport, and it's an honor to shoot that kind of score in this tournament. This is the pinnacle of our sport."
Green, a 56-year-old right-hander, and his Linds Lakers 1 and 2 teammates, always are a threat to take home an eagle, and their tireless commitment to be prepared for the Open Championships paid off once again.
Green began his 2014 event with games of 236 and 215 before lining up 12 consecutive strikes for a 751 series to help Linds Lakers 2 to a 3,148 total. He was joined by Scott Sodergren (622), three-time titlist Charles Vashaw (605), Tom Corbett (602) and David Hoppenrath (568)
"This meant a lot to him," said Corbett, the group's coordinator. "He threw the ball really well and just wanted to make sure he got it off his hand well with a good roll. He had a couple of late 10 pins, including the messenger in the 11th, but the 12th was solidly packed."
Linds Lakers 1 were led by three-time Open Championships titlist Matt McNiel's 759 series, and he was joined by USBC Hall of Famer Todd Savoy (717), two-time titlist Sam Lantto (686), Luke Voaklander (655) and two-time champion John Eiss (617).Between the two teams, they have claimed 18 titles at the Open Championships.
Casey Creutz of North Brunswick, N.J., bowled on the same team squad and nearly joined Green and Case with a 300 game of his own, but he settled for the fourth 299 of the 2014 event after a 10 pin stood on his final delivery. Creutz sandwiched his near-perfect effort between games of 192 and 176 for a 667 series to help Cornogglers of Staten Island, N.Y., to 3,153 total.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open/Women's Championships page.
Presenting sponsors for the 2014 USBC Open Championships include Circus Circus Reno, Eldorado Hotel Casino Reno and Silver Legacy Resort Casino Reno.