The Foreign dominance of the PBA World Series of Bowling tour continues. As reported by Bill Vint at pba.com, Colombia's Andres Gomez defeated Wes Malott to earn his first PBA title at the Carmen Salvino Classic on Sunday, April 1.
The tournament was aired by ESPN, and proved to be an exciting television event for those of us watching from home. In the first of three matches, Gomez bowled against Wes Malott, Ronnie Russell and Australia's Jason Belmonte. Ronnie Russell simply was not able to keep pace with the rest of the pack and was eliminated in the first round with a score of 215. I was disappointed to see Russell eliminated so early, as he was one of the two Americans and I had hoped to watch him earn his first PBA Tour title on Sunday.
In the second match, Malott seemed to find his stride and absolutely dominated with a score of 227, throwing a number of consecutive strikes. Gomez came in second with a score of 189. Belmonte seemed to have difficulties with changing lane conditions during the second round and even left a few open frames. With a score of 169, he was eliminated during the second game - leaving Wes Malott and Andres Gomez to face one another in the championship match.
Once the final match began, it was clear that Gomez was on fire. He consecutively threw strikes and his performance never seemed to falter. Malott, on the other hand, had apparently lost the edge that had made him so dominant throughout the second match and had problems throwing strikes. He converted all his spares, but that proved too little against an opponent who was playing with Gomez' intensity.
As an American fan, I had hoped to see an American bowler end the foreign dominance of the PBA World Series of Bowling tour. I was disappointed that this hope was not realized, but I cannot claim to be fully disappointed. Colombia's Andres Gomez very much earned the victory, which he secured with a score of 246-207, securing his first PBA Tour title. The Carmen Salvino Classic proved to be an event worthy of television, and I hope to see more of this sort of intense competition as the 2011-12 season moves forward.
Christopher Brown is an amateur bowler who closely follows PBA events, but has never competed on a serious level. Above all, he appreciates the mutual respect and friendliness that is found within the bowling community. Bowling has proven to be a rewarding pastime for Chris and his two sons who share an equally strong attraction to the sport.
Sources:
http://news.pba.com/post/2012/4/1/Colombiae28099s-Andres-Gomez-Becomes-Fourth-First-Time-Title-Winner-with-Carmen-Salvino-Classic-Victory.aspx
http://www.pba.com/Bowlers/Bowler/121
http://www.pba.com/Bowlers/Bowler/8642
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