February 23, 2008
PBA Denny's World Championship
Amateur bowler makes it g'day, mate
Australian puts tip to good use en route to reaching finals in only his 2nd PBA event
Frawley, a 43-year-old Australian bowling in just his second Professional Bowlers Association tournament, finds himself in the finals of the Sunday's Denny World Championship at Woodland Bowl.
Frawley edged Wes Malott four games to three in the Round of 8 Friday night. Frawley opened the final game with 10 consecutive strikes en route to a 287-204 win.
"Coming through the brackets, I said I wanted to face Malott because I feel he's one of the most talented bowlers of the new era that I've seen," said Frawley, whose only other PBA appearance was in the U.S. Open several years ago. "To win that match is incredible. Now to go to the TV show with this talent is a dream come true for any amateur bowler."
Frawley will face Ryan Shafer in the opening semifinal at 12:30 p.m. Sunday. Norm Duke will face Walter Ray Williams in the second semifinal match. The winners will meet in the title match for the $50,000 first prize.
Williams has a record 44 PBA career titles. Duke has 26 titles.
Frawley had planned to just watch the pros this week. But his friend Tim Mack, a top international bowler now living in Indianapolis, signed him up.
Frawley said he was worrying about embarrassing himself after a rough outing in a recent High Rollers amateur tournament in Las Vegas.
But a tip he picked up at a coaching clinic had Frawley make a shoulder adjustment on the point of his release. He tried it in practice two hours before the tournament began.
"I haven't bowled this well since I was in my 20s," said Frawley, coaching in the Middle East the past four years.
Duke, Williams and Shafer all swept their Round of 8 matches in four games. For Duke, it was just what the doctor ordered.
"I can't tell you how sweet that is to go and rest," said Duke, who has been battling the flu. "I'm gone and I'm beddy-bye if I don't go to the hospital to see a doctor. I don't know. I just know I have a day-and-a-half to get this under control."
Duke, who won the Pepsi Championship title at Woodland last year, has struggled this year with injuries. "This is huge," he said of reaching the TV finals.
Shafer rolled a perfect game on TV at Woodland last year. He also finished third in 2006 World Championship at Woodland.
All eight bowlers who had byes into the Super 16 round on Friday afternoon lost, including No. 4 seed Steve Harman of Indianapolis. Harman was eliminated by Malott four games to three, losing 263-218 in the final game.
The top eight bowlers from 27 games of qualifying got to skip two rounds.
"From a mental standpoint, it's nice to have the break," Harman said. "From a bowling standpoint, those guys get to see the lanes transition. I think that gives me them a little bit of an advantage."
Harman finished 11th, earning $4,500.
IndyStar.com (Indiana's no.1 local media site)
