FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Bill Vint | PBA Media Relations
Professional Bowlers Association | 719 Second Avenue, Suite 701 | Seattle, WA 98104

Timing Arrives in Time to Propel Malott into Chameleon Qualifying Lead
O�Neill advances to match play in third straight stage to top PBA World Championship standings

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Oct., 2010) � Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, won the Chameleon Championship qualifying round Wednesday to make his first match play final as the PBA World Series of Bowling completed its third day at South Point Bowling Center.

Also on Wednesday, Bill O�Neill of Southampton, Pa., qualified among the top 16 for the third consecutive day, finishing seventh in the Chameleon round, to take the lead in the PBA World Championship standings after 36 of 60 games.

Malott, after finished 31st in the Cheetah Championship round Monday and 38th in the Viper Championship qualifying round Tuesday, rolled games of 224, 246, 289, 202, 204 and 237 in his second six-game block Wednesday for a 2,809 12-game total to top Finland�s two-handed star, Osku Palermaa, by 52 pins.

�We�re into day three and things are starting to fall into place,� Malott, the 2008-09 PBA Player of the Year, said. �For me it�s timing � waiting for the ball to fall into the swing instead of me pulling it. It�s the thing I�ve been fighting for the last year and, honestly, it�s just a lack of practice and bowling. I�ve been working on opening my second pro shop, and I haven�t taken the time to practice. I need to get my focus back, get into shape and get back into a groove.�

Malott, who failed to win a PBA Tour title last season, has also kept himself in contention for the top eight PBA World Championship qualifiers who will advance to the live stepladder finals Jan. 14, 15, and 16. The World Championship standings will be based on 60 qualifying games, including 12-game rounds on the Scorpion and Shark lane conditions over the next two days.

�I�m close to making the show,� said Malott, who moved into eighth place in the World Championship standings. �That�s obviously everyone�s main focus and if you make a show on one of the stages along the way, that�s an added bonus.�

The top 16 players in each of five �animal pattern� championships will advance to nine-game match play rounds next week, with the top five in each then advancing to stepladder finals next Friday and Saturday.

O�Neill, the reigning U.S. Open champion, qualified for next week�s match play rounds in 15th place in Monday�s Brunswick Pro Bowling Cheetah Championship round and eighth in Tuesday�s Viper Championship round. He has averaged 230 in posting an 8,283 pinfall total for 36 games. Sean Rash of Wichita, Kan., is second with 8,263 pins. The top 63 in the PBA World Championship standings will cash, and the top eight will advance to the live ESPN/ESPN2 stepladder finals Jan. 14, 15 and 16 at South Point.

Bowling fans around the world are following the action on Xtra Frame, the PBA�s exclusive video-streaming service. Full-year, World Series only and one-day trial memberships are available by visiting xtraframe(dot)tv

2010 PBA WORLD SERIES OF BOWLING
South Point Bowling Center, Las Vegas, Nev., Wednesday

CHAMELEON CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFYING
(After 12 games; top 16 advance to round-robin match play Tuesday, Nov. 2)
1, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 2,809.
2, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 2,757.
3, Tyler Jensen, Ft. Worth, Texas, 2,756.
4, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 2,731.
5, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 2,725.
6, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 2,720.
7, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 2,714.
8, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 2,713.
9, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 2,702.
10, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 2,699.
11, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 2,677.
12, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 2,664.
13, Scott Norton, Costa Mesa, Calif., 2,660.
14, Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., 2,654.
15, Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan., 2,653.
16, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 2,646.


Clyde "Choc" Higa, Editor
http://bowling.bellaonline.com
USBC Bronze Certified Coach
International Bowling Media Association