Bowling News USA - February 16, 2013 Gold Ball Powers Haugen To Mark Roth Classic Title...
Two In a Row For Storm/RotoGrip!
ALLEN PARK, Mich. – Michael Haugen Jr. of Carefree, Ariz., was a man on a mission, and survived a battle that wasn’t resolved until the final frame in defeating Scott Norton of Mission Viejo, Calif., 215-194, to win his third Professional Bowlers Association Tour title in the Mark Roth Classic at Thunderbowl Lanes.
The Mark Roth Classic title match, and the PBA League Mark Roth round finals, aired Sunday on ESPN.Haugen, 46, won both of his previous PBA titles in 2008, but came into the 2012-13 season without the support of a bowling ball company sponsor and felt snubbed because he wasn’t one of the 48 players selected to participate in the new PBA League. He vowed it would take 10 quality shots by Norton to beat him for the Roth title, and Norton fell short, leaving back-to-back 4-6-7-10 splits in the ninth and 10th frames which turned a tight battle into an easy win for Haugen.
The win was the second in a row on the 2012-13 PBA Tour for Storm/Roto Grip. Last week, Storm staffer Andres Gomez won the PBA Carmen Salvino Classic.
“Being able to stay in the moment and make the shot you need to make is very rewarding, and I was able to do that today,” Haugen said. “Scott and I both felt there wasn’t going to be a 250 game on those conditions, so it was a matter of staying clean. I was just very fortunate today that Scott got a couple of bad breaks. You never expect a guy that talented to make shots like that.”
Being overlooked in the inaugural PBA League draft also provided incentive for Haugen.
“I’ve been at this (PBA competition) for 14 years. I’ve made a TV show every year, and done ok in stats, but I didn’t get picked,” he said. “I don’t know why, but that was motivation for me, too. It feels really good.”
Next Sunday, ESPN will air the two-hour live finals of the United States Bowling Congress Masters from Brunswick Zone Carolier in North Brunswick, N.J., starting at 3 p.m. ET.
PBA League coverage continues on Sunday, March 3 at 3 p.m. ET with the title match of the Don Carter Classic between top qualifier Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, and challenger Jason Sterner of McDonough, Ga., and the PBA League Carter round featuring the BROOKLYN STyLES, the New York City WTT KingPins, Chris Hardwick’s Silver Lake Atom Splitters and the team that advances from the Clash eliminator round.
PBA MARK ROTH CLASSIC
Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Mich.
Championship Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz. ($15,000) def. Scott Norton, Mission Viejo, Calif. ($7,500), 215-194.
STORM ALL-TIME WINS PBA TOUR
1st Win - Dennis Horan Jr. - 1996 Greater Hartford Open (Forest Fire)
2nd Win - Pete Weber - 1997 Tucson Open (Lightning Storm)
3rd Win - Pete Weber - 1997 Comfort Inn Classic (Blue Thunder Pro)
4th Win - First Major - Pete Weber - 1998 National Championship (Bolt)
5th Win - Dennis Horan Jr. - 1998 Bayer/Brunswick Touring Players Championship (Bolt)
1st Storm Sponsored PBA Tour Event - 1998 Storm Flagship Open
6th Win - Brian Himmler - 1999 Albuquerque Open (Sky Bolt)
7th Win - Eric Forkel - 1999 Brunswick Long Island N.Y City PBA Experience (Meteor Flash)
8th Win - Pete Weber - 2000 Empire State Open (El Nino 2000)
9th Win - Dennis Horan Jr. - 2000 Bayer/Brunswick Touring Players Championship (ThunderFlash Pro)
10th Win - Second Major - Robert Smith - 2000 U.S Open (Fire Power)
11th Win - Robert Smith - 2000 Flagship Open (Super Power)
12th Win - Ryan Shafer - 2001 Orleans Casino Open Championship (X-IT)
13th Win - Pete Weber - 2001 Great Lakes Classic (X-IT/Eraser)
14th Win - Pete Weber - 2001 Greater Louisville Open (Trauma Recovery)
15thWin - Pete Weber - 2002 Columbia 300 Tar Heel Open (Trauma ER)
16thWin - Robert Smith - 2002 PBA Empire State Open (Erase It/Super Power)
© 1999-2013 Storm Products, Inc. All rights reserved.
