– Jason Couch looks like a man on a mission. After three top 10 finishes at last year’s PBA50 World Series of Bowling II, the left-hander came into this year’s tournament determined and focused. He is off to a strong start winning the PBA50 Ballard Championship on Friday. Yet, he almost had to withdraw before qualifying ever began.
After arriving in Michigan, he could barely walk. He woke up on Wednesday’s practice day struggling to move. He has battled through numerous knee injuries and surgeries for years. He purchased a knee brace and put one on again for the first time in five years.
“I called Tony Lanning, the tournament director, and said I was going to try practicing but if it is a no-go, you can pull me right out,” Couch said. “I practiced for maybe 45 minutes, and it felt OK. Still a little pain but icing it and alternating pain medication has really helped.”
What also helped was sweeping his two matches earlier in the day to earn the No. 1 seed. In the championship match, the Florida native chose to start on the left lane and finish on the right lane. Throughout the tournament, he had the right lanes inside JAX 60 playing tighter than the left lanes yet on the TV pair, which had not been bowled on, he quickly noticed they played the exact opposite.
“The left lane was tighter but had an early hook spot. And there was a ton of traffic on my side with four left handers before me,” Couch said. “I decided while talking to my ball rep Jeff Johnson, that I was going to play farther left than the other left handers. I stayed out of their traffic and farther outside.”
With his decision, that meant Quintero would have to finish on the left lane, where he only struck three times in the previous match compared to seven strikes on the right lane.
Couch started the match by picking up the 2-7 split followed by three straight strikes. Through the first six frames, Quintero had four single-pin spares, and two strikes tossed in. After a re-rack on the left lane in the fifth, Couch left the 4-7-10 split for an open frame. He bounced back, crushing the pocket in the sixth and eighth on the right lane with a mixer in between on the left lane in the seventh.
Quintero struck just three times on the left lane and never struck on the right ending up with 184. Couch picked up the 2-4-7 on the left lane in the ninth frame and walked back with a sigh of relief. He stepped up and delivered three perfect strikes in the tenth frame, clenching both fists in the air and smiled after shooting 232. This was his third PBA50 Tour title, and first since last year.
“Qualifying second on Ballard was a great start to the World Series of Bowling for the World Championship. Come in tomorrow, try to refocus and start at zero again,” Couch said. “That is a tough battle when you are out here. Being on top of the mountain for less than a day, then you start back at zero again. But that is part of the job.”
The opening match featured two left-handers. In Anthony Crews’s first PBA50 Tour stepladder finals appearance, he started with a double before missing a 6-pin and failing to convert the 3-5-6-9. Hartter, who qualified as the No. 16 seed, began with a spare followed by a double along with another spare to take the lead. Starting in the fifth frame, Crews rolled five straight strikes to set up his tenth frame. Hartter responded with three straight strikes followed by back-to-back single-pin spares in the eighth and ninth frames. Hartter ended the match with 225, while Crews rolled his sixth straight strike and a spare for 235.
In came another left-hander, Brian Hoffman, rolling urethane in the second match. Crews started double, spare then a strike. Hoffman, the No. 15 qualifier, was also making his first PBA50 Tour stepladder appearance. He opened up with two spares and a strike before back-to-back open frames. After three straight spares, Crews opened in the eighth frame for 152. Hoffman slowed himself down resulting in three straight strikes then a spare. Finishing the match first, Crews got two spares before a ball change, and a strike for 190. Hoffman took a rerack. He then flushed a strike and got nine to finish with 194.
The semifinal match featured the only right-hander in the show, Quintero, who won the 2024 PBA50 World Championship. The Mexico native, who was the No. 13 qualifier, had a fresh look in front of him. That quickly resulted in six straight strikes using urethane. Hoffman battled transition throwing just five strikes in the match for 192. Quintero’s streak ended in the seventh frame leaving a 2-4-5, which he picked up. He then struck four more times for 257.
Next, bowlers will compete in Monacelli Championship qualifying. B-squad will begin at 9 a.m. Eastern followed by A-squad at 4 p.m. The top 16 will advance to bracket match play on Sunday.
Qualifying pins from the Ballard, Monacelli, Petraglia and Holman Championship will carry over to determine the top bowlers set to compete in the PBA50 World Championship. Couch has earned the first title at the WSOB III, and he is looking to play add-on.
“I am trying to take it as one tournament at a time. Try to put this one behind me tonight, celebrate it a little but get back at it tomorrow,” he said. “Come in like it is a brand-new tournament and day. Try to get refocused and try to get as much score as you can every day.”
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