Osku Palermaa Wins Shark Championship
Osku Palermaa came from the #3 spot in the TV finals to win the PBA GEICO Shark Championship. It looked as Jason Belmonte was going to run the table to win the tournament, but he ran into Palermaa in the third round. Belmonte started the TV finals against Mike Fagan, winning 248-223. Belmonte went on to bowl against Tom Smallwood. Belmonte was able to overpower Smallwood and won the match, 208-192, to move on and bowl against fellow two-hander Osku Palermaa. Palermaa won the grueling match, 182-176, and went on to bowl against tournament leader Dan MacLelland as the lanes continued to get tougher. Palermaa was able to win the match, 173-149, as both bowlers struggled on the tough lane conditions. This win gave Osku Palermaa his first PBA Title.
Yong-Jin Gu Wins PBA Scorpion Championship
South Korean Yong-Jin Gu rolled through the TV finals to win the PBA Scorpion Championship. Gu had to climb the ladder to earn the title. The first match had Yong-Jin Gu bowling against Canadian Dan MacLelland, who was an All-American and USBC Collegiate Bowler of the Year at Saginaw Valley State University. Gu won the match, 245-204, and went on to bowl against another SVSU standout, Bill O’Neill. Gu also beat O’Neill, 256-208, to move on to the semifinals against Australian Jason Belmonte. Yong-Jin Gu beat Belmonte, 233-208, and went to the finals against fellow South Korean, Jun-Yung Kim. Gu continued to bowl well, as he had done all day, and beat Kim, 236-224.
This is Yong-Jin Gu’s first PBA title. He had not bowled any PBA events prior to the PBA World Series of Bowling this year.
Scott Norton Wins PBA Chameleon Championship
Scott Norton led the qualifying and matchplay rounds of the PBA Chameleon Championship to earn a spot in the finals on ESPN. The first TV match had Sean Rash bowling against Osku Palermaa. Rash won the match 236-211 and advanced to bowl against Chris Barnes. Rash continued to roll through opponents and won the match, 227-175. Rash went on to bowl against Wes Malott in the semifinals and was able to win, 235-217. This earned him a spot in the finals to bowl against Scott Norton. Norton continued to bowl well, as he did all week, and won the match convincingly, 256-181. This win gave Scott Norton his first PBA Tour title.
Bill O’Neill Wins PBA Viper Championship
Bill O’Neill rolled through the TV finals of the Pepsi PBA Viper Championship to win his third PBA title. O’Neill started the day off with a match against Amleto Monacelli, winning 244-159. O’Neill went on to face Mike DeVaney and beat him 242-209, which moved him onto the semifinals to bowl against Tommy Jones. O’Neill won the match 248-192 to move on to the finals against Andres Gomez. O’Neill won the match and the championship, 237-203.
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