Narrows Plaza holds the record for our largest ever 1-Day Tournament (205) and though we didn't come close to that number, we did have a GREAT turnout of 157 Entries for the 'Best 3 of 4' format Saturday.  We always enjoy seeing Members win their first Title and this week we had our 8th straight Tournament where we crowned another 1st-Time Champion.  Narrows was kind enough to be a substitute venue this week, which we appreciated!  This week's scoring fit perfectly within our ideal Target Range, a winning score of 825 and a moderate Cut-Line of 720, with Cash List scores coming from every squad.  We started the day with a BARRAGE of 9-Tap strings, that we thought were signs that the Jackpot was in jeopardy.  Sue Packman started the scare in the 1st squad, when she strung 6-Taps in-a-row at the end of her game, but ran out of frames before she could try for her 7th.  Many bowlers followed with strings both in the beginning and middle of their games, but in the end, it was Dorrie Quirante and Maribel Abella who took the Consolation with the front 5-Taps, earning a nice $375.00 each.  That left the 9-Tap Jackpot at a healthy $9,095.00 for Imperial next week and the Progressive Pot made a large increase to $2,317.00.

 

The Tour's newest 1st-Time Champion is Mark Hitchcock.  Currently in his 2nd year with the Tour, Mark topped his previous best finish, a 3rd Place at HiLine in May.  After struggling in his first entry, Mark decided to re-enter and bowl with his good friend Greg Roberts, in the 2:30 squad.  He started out with some big games, then tried his best to stay calm and focus, which he said wasn't easy since Greg was so excited for him.  After calming Greg, Mark managed to finish strong, taking a 15 pin lead, which held up through the remaining squads.  When we asked Mark if there was any special family or friends cheering him on, his response was very touching.  Mark's Mom passed away recently, so he asked us just to say, "THANKS MOM".  Matt Surina at the Daffodil Bowl Pro Shop drilled the 'Track 503C' that Mark used for his win.  He didn't have any plans for his $1,978.00 in winnings, other than to use some for more bowling.  Mark hangs gutters and also volunteers with the Lonesome Lake Preservation Group where he serves as President.  CONGRATS Mark on Win #1.

 

Thang Duc Thai was also looking for his first Tour Title and also had a previous best finish of 3rd, although he did surprise the Elite Bowlers with a Win last March.  His 1st squad leading 810 series did hold on for 2nd Place and a hefty $901.00 payday.  In 3rd Place, Minh Tran got hot in just his 3rd Tournament, making his first appearance on Cash List a high finish.  With $0 in the Pro Pot, it did limit his payout to $338.00, which is still pretty nice for your first check.

 

BIG CONGRATS to Cal Fisher who won the Elite Tour Title earlier Saturday morning at Narrows!