Milestone 300 propels team into top five at Open Championships
The star-studded group, which didn't even come together until they ran into each other at the USBC Convention at the end of March, posted games of 1,097, 1,077 and 1,168 and moved into fifth place in Regular Team with a 3,342 total. Lava Lanes of Medford, Ore., leads with 3,405.
"Because of different industry obligations, none of us could lock down a full team or a date to come bowl, but we talked about it while we were at the Convention in Nashville (Tenn.), and everything came together," said Hoffman, whose perfect game was the 26th of this year's event. "We were very optimistic about bowling together because we have all spent time on Team USA and understand what team bowling is all about, and that helped us communicate effectively on the lanes. Plus, we got off to a good start and had a strong finish."
Hoffman, an eight-time member of Team USA, opened with 255 and 246 on the way to the first 800 in team event this year. He was followed by eight-time Team USA member David Haynes (658), nine-time Team USA member and USBC Youth spokesperson Diandra Asbaty (649), former Team USA member and the first woman to win a Las Vegas megabucks event Kari Schwager (621) and two-time Open Championships titlist Steve Kloempken (613).
Together, the group owns pages of accomplishments and accolades, and those years of experience and bowling together across the globe helped them gel on the lanes at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev.
Hoffman and Haynes recently returned from the Men's American Zone Championships in Guatemala City, where they helped Team USA to 11 out of a possible 18 medals. The group was later named the United States Olympic Committee's Team of the Month for May.
"Over the years, we've all spent a lot of time not only competing together, but also practicing together, so we've been able to understand each other's games and tendencies, and that really helps in an event like this," Hoffman said. "I personally didn't bowl very well in Guatemala, so this is a little bit of a redemption for me. This is a very different stage, though, and one thing that makes it so great is the number of people who have experienced this tournament and understand what it means to bowl a 300 here. You can have a great ball reaction and all the luck in the world, but that doesn't mean it's going to happen. A lot of things need to go right to turn in a good performance, but it also helped that I'm very comfortable in a team environment."
Hoffman, 33, is no stranger to making pressure-packed shots, as he proved in September when he rolled a 300 game to propel Team USA to the five-player team gold medal at the World Tenpin Bowling Association Men's World Championships in Busan, South Korea. It was the first time since 1971 that Team USA was able to take the crown, and was again redemption for Hoffman, who settled for the silver medal in the same event in 1999 and 2003.
The Stadium also has been a special place for Hoffman, who claimed the 1999 and 2003 U.S. Amateur titles in the one-of-a-kind venue, and aside from Tuesday's success on the lanes, Hoffman also got the chance to play bowling ambassador and share the Open Championships experience with a friend from overseas.
Hoffman, who made his 11th Open Championships appearance, invited England's Steve Innins to be his doubles partner, and from Reno, the two will head to International Bowl Expo in Las Vegas, where Innins, a soon-to-be certified coach, will take part in the USBC Level 1 and Bronze certification seminars.
"Some of the things we do at USBC are the most positive experiences people can have in their bowling careers," said Hoffman, a member of the USBC Board of Directors. "Anytime we get the opportunity to share one of those experiences with someone who might not otherwise get to see it, makes it that much better and very rewarding."
Hoffman added 683 in singles and 654 in doubles Wednesday morning and moved into seventh place in Regular All-Events with 2,138. Mike Rose of West Henrietta, N.Y., leads with 2,198.
Asbaty finished with 1,933 and was followed by Haynes (1,901), Kloempken (1,848) and Schwager (1,802), as the group moved into 16th place in Team All-Events with 9,622. Browning Pontiac of Eminence, Ky., leads with 10,071.
The first perfect game in the Open Championships 104-year history was rolled by William Knox of Philadelphia in 1913.
Presenting sponsors for the 2007 USBC Open Championships are Eldorado, Silver Legacy and Circus Circus Hotel/Casinos in Reno, Nev. Other participating sponsors are Kegel, official lane maintenance provider, Sands Regency Casino and Hotel, official brackets sponsor and supporting sponsors Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa and Harrah's Casino and Hotel.
By Matt Cannizzaro and David Ellis USBC Communications