Preliminary rounds wrap up on Monday afternoon. Competition resumes on Tuesday with quarterfinals at 6 and 8 pm; and Wednesday at 12 noon and 2 pm. Admission is $15. The championship round takes place on Wednesday at 8 pm; admission is $25. The preliminary rounds and championship are being taped and are scheduled to air ESPN on September 7, 14, 21, 28 and October. 5. For tickets, call Brunswick Zone XL at (630) 378-2695. For more information visit www.bowl.com
Diandra Asbaty of Lincoln Park is not only one of the top amateur bowlers in the world, but is also quite an entrepreneur who has created her own line of stylish and trendy bowling apparel. A Team USA member since 1999, Asbaty is the spokesperson for USBC Youth, which reaches out to youngsters and teens. Diandra won the 2006 QubicaAMF World Cup, which is among nearly 50 medals she has won in international competition. She was a winner of a PBA Women Series Tour event last fall and finished second in the 2007 USBC Queens. Also in 2007, she was voted World Bowling Writers Female Bowler of the Year for the second consecutive year, the first ever to accomplish the feat. She was the youngest person ever to be inducted into the World Bowling Writers Hall of Fame in December 2005. Also in 2007, she won the Masters gold medal at the Women's World Championships and finished first in the World Ranking Masters.
Carolyn Dorin-Ballard www.carolyndorin.com of North Richland Hills, TX, is one of four of the greatest bowlers of the past two decades to have been elected to the United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame. A 20-time winner on the PWBA Tour, Dorin-Ballard has served as USBC's High School Spokesperson since 2002 and currently sits on the USBC Board of Directors.
Seven of her titles came in 2001 when she tied the record for most titles in a season. Among those wins was the USBC Queens. She owns four USBC Women's Championship titles among an astonishing 19 "Top 10" Classic Division and nine USBC Queens finishes.
The nine-time US Bowler All-American was BWAA Woman Bowler of the Year in 2001 and 2003. After the women's tour ceased operations in 2003, she became one of the first women to join the PBA and became the first female member to bowl a 300 game in PBA competition in 2004. In August 2005, she rolled back-to-back 300 games in a PBA regional event. She competes regularly in regional and national events against the best male bowlers in the world.
Dorin-Ballard, 44, was also the winner of the inaugural PBA Women's Series event in the fall of 2007 in Taylor, Mich. and is a member of Team USA 2008. The Linden, N.J., native was a three-time Collegiate All-American at West Texas A&M before turning pro.
FIVE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT BOWLING
Q. What are the odds of rolling a 300 game?
A. There is no scientific way to determine this. The unscientific method, however, involves the number of games bowled and number of sanctioned 300 earned in a bowling season. It is estimated league bowlers roll an average of 100 games per season (90 league, 10 tournament). With about four million sanctioned league bowlers rolling about 400 million games and more than 35,000 perfect games rolled each year, the odds are about one 300 for approximately every 11,500 games. Since women and youth roll far fewer 300s than men, their odds are much greater.
Q. What is the origin of the term "Dutch 200?"
A. The Dutch 200 refers to a game in which strikes and spares are alternated. The term is believed to be a take-off of "Dutch treat" where two people share the cost of a date. Strikes and spares share the game in alternate frames in a "Dutch treat 200" manner which with usage was reduced to "Dutch 200."
Q. What is the origin of the term "Brooklyn strike?"
A. This refers to shots that "crosses over" the 1-3 pocket for right-handers and 1-2 for left-handers and produces a strike. It originated in New York where people would "cross over" to Brooklyn from Manhattan. A side term "Jersey side" references left-handers and refers to people crossing over from Manhattan to New Jersey.
Q. What is the origin of the term "Turkey?"
A. The term dates back to before the turn of the 20th century. In those years, scoring was much more difficult and to get three strikes in a row was quite an achievement. During Thanksgiving or Christmas week, the proprietor would present a live turkey to the first person on each team who scored three consecutive strikes. The term has carried over ever since.
Q. What is the bowling capital of the United States?
A. This depends on the criteria used. If it is for sheer number of bowlers, Detroit is the hands-down winner. If its because Bowling Headquarters has long been located there, its Milwaukee. If its because of the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame, St. Louis wins. Or if its best access to bowling, its Appleton-Oshkosh-Neenah, Wis., which according to the Places Rated Almanac has 522 residents per lane
2008 U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN FACT SHEET
- Major Tournament: The U.S. Women's Open, a United States Bowling Congress event, is one of two major professional women's bowling events still remaining after the Professional Women's Bowling Association (PWBA) ceased operations in 2003. The U.S. Women's Open returned in 2007 and Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., is the defending champion. The other major in women's bowling is the USBC Queens.
- Venue: The U.S. Women's Open will be conducted through Wednesday, Aug. 6 at Brunswick Zone XL Lanes, 735 N. Center Blvd., Romeoville
- Admission: Televised quarterfinals, Aug. 5 (6 p.m. and 8 p.m.) - $15
Televised quarterfinals, Aug. 6 (Noon and 2 p.m.) - $15 Televised finals, Aug. 6 (8 p.m.) $25
Tickets for qualifying rounds are available at the door. Tickets for quarterfinals and finals may be ordered by calling Brunswick Zone XL at (630) 378-2695. - Conducted by USBC: The U.S. Women's Open is conducted by the United States Bowling Congress, the governing body for the sport in the United States.
- Competitors: The U.S. Women's Open showcases bowling's best women players – former professionals and amateurs.
- Prize Fund: The U.S. Women's Open is one of the richest events in women's bowling with a $150,000 prize fund and $25,000 going to the winner.
- Format: The U.S. Women's Open continues the tradition of providing a challenging format with 32 games of qualifying bowled over four days (eight games each day) leading up to match play. To further test the participant's skill, each round of qualifying was conducted on USBC Sport compliant PBA Experience lane conditions. Qualifying rounds will be conducted Aug. 1-4 with preliminary match play rounds and the championship conducted Aug. 5-6 and televised by ESPN on a tape-delay basis for airing Sept. Sept. 7, 14, 21, 28 and Oct. 5 at 1 p.m. (ET).
- Tradition: The U.S. Women's Open began in 1949 as the Bowling Proprietors Association of America National All-Star Match Game Championships. The winner of the inaugural event was bowling legend Marion Ladewig, who would go on to win eight All-Star (U.S. Open) titles. In 1971, the name was changed to the U.S. Women's Open and was part of the Professional Women's Bowling Association Tour.
- Stars: The winners of the U.S. Women's Open/All-Star Tournament reads like a who's who of women's bowling. There have been eight multiple winners: Marion Ladewig (8); Sylvia Martin, Dorothy Fothergill, Paula Carter, Donna Adamek, Dana Miller-Mackie and Aleta Sill have won the event twice. Since 1971 there have been 15 winners who are also members of the USBC Hall of Fame. They are: Paula Carter, Lorrie Nichols, Millie Ignizio, Pat Costello (Fla.), Betty Morris, Patty Costello (Pa.), Donna Adamek, Dana Miller Mackie, Carol Norman, Lisa Wagner, Robin Romeo, Anne Marie Duggan, Tish Johnson, Aleta Sill and Cheryl Daniels.
