Johnson earns top seed for TV show at U.S. Women's Open
5/11/10

By Lucas Wiseman
USBC Communications

FORT WORTH, Texas - Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., earned the top seed Tuesday for the championship round of the 2010 U.S. Women's Open, a United States Bowling Congress event.

Johnson will have a shot to win her third U.S. Women's Open title at the International Training and Research Center in Arlington, Texas, live on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. EDT on Wednesday. Johnson won the event in 2007 and 1996.

After 48 total games, 24 in qualifying and 24 in match play, Johnson found herself at the top of the standings with a match-play record of 14-10 and a total of 10,745, including 30 bonus pins for each match-play victory.

"Today I kept making the right moves and making good shots all day long," Johnson said. "I had a rough time yesterday and my timing was inconsistent, so today I concentrated on breathing and making good shots."

Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J., earned the No. 2 seed for the finals with a record of 13-11 and a 10,610 total. Kulick made sports history when she became the first woman to win a Professional Bowlers Association Tour title in January at the Tournament of Champions and also won the other women's major, the USBC Queens, two weeks ago.

"I put myself in position to make the show, so now I just have to get the job done," Kulick said. "It's been an amazing run the last few months, and I hope it just keeps going tomorrow and all the way into 2011."

Taking the third seed was Colombian native Clara Guerrero, who lives in Pflugerville, Texas, and finished with an 18-6 record and 10,581 total. Lynda Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, was fourth at 11-13 and 10,480, while Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of Keller, Texas, earned the No. 5 seed at 19-5 and 10,452.

"This is probably the best female television show we have had in a long time," Johnson said. "It's not easy being the top seed, but at least I only have to bowl one game. But it's going to have to be the best game of my life."

The U.S. Women's Open began with a field of 100 of the top amateur and professional bowlers in the world competing in 24 games of qualifying. The top 24 players then advanced to compete in 24 games of round robin match play, which concluded Tuesday afternoon.



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