Trio of women still rolling at USBC Masters
The trio survived the 15 games of qualifying that whittled a field of 485 of the best professional and amateur players in the world down to the 63 competitors who will join defending champion Doug Kent in match play.
Johnson and Dorin-Ballard both will be looking to improve on last year's top 24 finishes, while Barnes makes her first appearance in the top 64.
"I am confident, and things are going well, but in an event like this, you can't look too far ahead," said Dorin-Ballard, a 20-time professional champion who is the No. 20 seed entering match play and will meet Denny's PBA Tour newcomer Steve Weber. "You have to pace yourself and focus on one cut at a time. It's a new tournament now, and anything can happen in three games."
All three women also had recent success and top-four finishes at the U.S. Women's Open, where Johnson earned her second U.S. Women's Open crown live on ESPN on Oct. 14. The momentum and confidence from her win has helped her to the No. 26 seed at the Masters. She will face local standout Scott Helm in the first round of match play.
"I definitely came into this week confident and mentally strong and feeling good about making the right choices and moves on the lanes," Johnson said. "It all starts over now, so you really have to bring your 'A' game, especially when you're bowling against the best bowlers in the world. I'm just really happy to be here and hope to keep bowling well."
Barnes, the reigning U.S. Amateur champion, is one of 18 amateurs in the top 64 and half of the first husband and wife tandem to qualify for match play in the same year. Barnes earned the No. 49 seed and will face Wes Malott in the opening round, while her husband, Chris, the USBC Sport Bowling spokesperson, qualified ninth and will take on local player Tim Janz.
"All of this bowling has definitely helped me stay sharp, which is especially important while bowling against the men," Lynda Barnes said. "The first goal today was to make the cut, and even though I didn't have the best look today, I got just enough to get in, and now we're all back to even."
But regardless of the outcome for the trio of women this week, the future looks bright for them and women's bowling.
Dorin-Ballard and Johnson will head to Taylor, Mich., for the first of four Professional Bowlers Association Women's Series events, which will be run alongside four Denny's PBA Tour events this fall. Barnes, however, will not be participating in the Women's Series, but will head to St. Petersburg, Russia, for the upcoming QubicaAMF World Cup.
"I'm so happy to be bowling in the events I've been bowling in lately, and I think the Women's Series is a great opportunity for women's bowling," Dorin-Ballard said. "I'm looking forward to the coming weeks and what it could mean for the future."
The 2007 USBC Masters is a major on the Denny's PBA Tour and the athletes are competing for a top prize of $100,000 and an overall prize fund of $350,000.
The finals of the Masters will be held Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern at Miller Park, home of Major League Baseball's Milwaukee Brewers, and televised live on ESPN.
For tickets to the finals, visit tickets.com, the Miller Park box office or call the Miller Park box office at (414) 902-4000. Tickets range in price from $12.50 to $77.50 and each ticket also includes admission to Bowlfest, a special event to be held at Miller Park on Oct. 27 from 6-9 p.m.
10/25/2007
By Matt Cannizzaro USBC Communications