Wisconsin bowler leads singles with first 800 of 2018 USBC Open Championships
April 23, 2018
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The name Cotie Holbek may be new to the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, but it forever will be etched in the tournament's record book after he rolled the first 800 series of the 2018 event.
The 24-year-old right-hander also is hoping to see his name engraved into the base of a coveted Eagle trophy, if his 802 effort is enough to remain at the top of the Regular Singles standings for another two and a half months.
Holbek posted games of 278, 278 and 246 at the Oncenter Convention Center on Monday to slip past USBC Hall of Famer Lennie Boresch Jr. of Kenosha, Wisconsin, who previously held the lead with 784, but a bad break and a miscue in his final two frames kept Holbek from raising the bar even higher.
Holbek started his last game with a spare and seven consecutive strikes, and he stepped up in the ninth frame with a chance at a 290 finish and 846 series. The string of strikes ended there, as the 9 pin refused to fall on his next offering, while a 2-10 split and open frame to close things out now will make the rest of the 107-day tournament a little more stressful.
"Plain and simple, I wanted it," said Holbek, who made his second Open Championships appearance and first since his debut in 2015. "I ran up there and fired the ball, and since I missed it at the bottom, instead of coming around it like all the other shots, I ended up with the worst case. It could've been just the 10 or just the 2, but I paid the ultimate price for my mistake."
Though his teammates helped keep him relaxed and focused as he made his way toward the lead and 800, Holbek didn't know exactly where he was mathematically going into the 10th frame. He knew he had enough for the top spot on the leaderboard, but he thought the split cost him 800 on the biggest stage in bowling.
Regardless of the eventual outcome or the what ifs, Holbek understands the magnitude of his accomplishment, which only happens a handful of times each year at the Open Championships, if at all.
"I still can't believe this happened, it's something I've always thought about," said Holbek, the scratch all-events champion at the 2017 Wisconsin State USBC Bowling Association Championships. "Would I like that frame back? Of course. But, the way I look at it, is that people have to bowl. It's not easy out here. You have to make good shots, and if you miss, you pay the ultimate penalty like I did in the 10th frame."
In order to be prepared for events like the Open Championships and the recent USBC Masters, also held at the Oncenter Convention Center, Holbek likes to sharpen his skills on the toughest lane conditions he can find. He finished 185th out of 360 participants at the 2018 Masters, but he excelled at the event in 2017, finishing tied for 13th place.
He also is a past participant of the Junior Gold Championships, an ultimate test of versatility for more than 3,000 youth bowlers each year.
The challenging 40-foot oil pattern at this year's Masters (April 9-15) served as a nice tuneup, while a night of practice last week on one of lane conditions from the 2017 Open Championships, helped Holbek get into the right mindset and narrow down his arsenal for his return to the championship lanes. Shooting 800 in league Thursday before heading to Syracuse also helped boost his confidence.
Holbek attributes much of his success Monday to teamwork, communication and strategy. The group he competed with is close-knit, bowling together as often as possible and some even working together at Burlington's Towne & Country Lanes, where Holbek is the daytime manager. He also spends evenings working in the pro shop.
Members of the same group invited him to join them at the last minute in 2015, when a few bowlers backed out. Logistically, it does not make sense for all of them to be gone at the same time, which is the main reason Holbek didn't bowl in the Open Championships in 2016 or 2017.
Holbek's doubles partner, Steven Fisher of Winthrop Harbor, Illinois, also got in on the singles fun and nearly matched Holbek through the first 15 frames. Fisher started singles with a 276 game and opened the second game with three consecutive strikes, before finishing with 230 and 203 for a 709 set.
"I'd bowl with these guys anytime," Holbek said. "We worked together extremely well and were able to break down the pattern perfectly. Getting everyone to buy in sometimes is tough, but that was a key to success. The other keys were making good, consistent shots and quickly seeing the moves before they got too drastic."
The rest of Holbek's sophomore Open Championships campaign was uneventful and included a 618 series in doubles and 532 set in team Sunday. He finished with a 1,952 all-events total, which is 222 pins higher than his debut in 2015.
The 2018 Open Championships kicked off March 24, and competition will run daily until July 8. During the 107 days, more than 40,000 bowlers will make their way to Salt City to compete in three-average based divisions.
The Regular Division is for bowlers with entering averages of 210 and above.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships Facebook page.
The 24-year-old right-hander also is hoping to see his name engraved into the base of a coveted Eagle trophy, if his 802 effort is enough to remain at the top of the Regular Singles standings for another two and a half months.
Holbek posted games of 278, 278 and 246 at the Oncenter Convention Center on Monday to slip past USBC Hall of Famer Lennie Boresch Jr. of Kenosha, Wisconsin, who previously held the lead with 784, but a bad break and a miscue in his final two frames kept Holbek from raising the bar even higher.
Holbek started his last game with a spare and seven consecutive strikes, and he stepped up in the ninth frame with a chance at a 290 finish and 846 series. The string of strikes ended there, as the 9 pin refused to fall on his next offering, while a 2-10 split and open frame to close things out now will make the rest of the 107-day tournament a little more stressful.
"Plain and simple, I wanted it," said Holbek, who made his second Open Championships appearance and first since his debut in 2015. "I ran up there and fired the ball, and since I missed it at the bottom, instead of coming around it like all the other shots, I ended up with the worst case. It could've been just the 10 or just the 2, but I paid the ultimate price for my mistake."
Though his teammates helped keep him relaxed and focused as he made his way toward the lead and 800, Holbek didn't know exactly where he was mathematically going into the 10th frame. He knew he had enough for the top spot on the leaderboard, but he thought the split cost him 800 on the biggest stage in bowling.
Regardless of the eventual outcome or the what ifs, Holbek understands the magnitude of his accomplishment, which only happens a handful of times each year at the Open Championships, if at all.
"I still can't believe this happened, it's something I've always thought about," said Holbek, the scratch all-events champion at the 2017 Wisconsin State USBC Bowling Association Championships. "Would I like that frame back? Of course. But, the way I look at it, is that people have to bowl. It's not easy out here. You have to make good shots, and if you miss, you pay the ultimate penalty like I did in the 10th frame."
In order to be prepared for events like the Open Championships and the recent USBC Masters, also held at the Oncenter Convention Center, Holbek likes to sharpen his skills on the toughest lane conditions he can find. He finished 185th out of 360 participants at the 2018 Masters, but he excelled at the event in 2017, finishing tied for 13th place.
He also is a past participant of the Junior Gold Championships, an ultimate test of versatility for more than 3,000 youth bowlers each year.
The challenging 40-foot oil pattern at this year's Masters (April 9-15) served as a nice tuneup, while a night of practice last week on one of lane conditions from the 2017 Open Championships, helped Holbek get into the right mindset and narrow down his arsenal for his return to the championship lanes. Shooting 800 in league Thursday before heading to Syracuse also helped boost his confidence.
Holbek attributes much of his success Monday to teamwork, communication and strategy. The group he competed with is close-knit, bowling together as often as possible and some even working together at Burlington's Towne & Country Lanes, where Holbek is the daytime manager. He also spends evenings working in the pro shop.
Members of the same group invited him to join them at the last minute in 2015, when a few bowlers backed out. Logistically, it does not make sense for all of them to be gone at the same time, which is the main reason Holbek didn't bowl in the Open Championships in 2016 or 2017.
Holbek's doubles partner, Steven Fisher of Winthrop Harbor, Illinois, also got in on the singles fun and nearly matched Holbek through the first 15 frames. Fisher started singles with a 276 game and opened the second game with three consecutive strikes, before finishing with 230 and 203 for a 709 set.
"I'd bowl with these guys anytime," Holbek said. "We worked together extremely well and were able to break down the pattern perfectly. Getting everyone to buy in sometimes is tough, but that was a key to success. The other keys were making good, consistent shots and quickly seeing the moves before they got too drastic."
The rest of Holbek's sophomore Open Championships campaign was uneventful and included a 618 series in doubles and 532 set in team Sunday. He finished with a 1,952 all-events total, which is 222 pins higher than his debut in 2015.
The 2018 Open Championships kicked off March 24, and competition will run daily until July 8. During the 107 days, more than 40,000 bowlers will make their way to Salt City to compete in three-average based divisions.
The Regular Division is for bowlers with entering averages of 210 and above.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships Facebook page.