Stop #2 - The PWBA Storm Sacramento Open

This past week, I travelled to Sacramento, Calif. for the second stop of the PWBA Tour Season – The PWBA Storm Sacramento Open at Steve Cook’s Fireside Lanes.

This has been one of my favorite stops in the past as we always have a huge fan base and the center is always packed. This week was also awesome because I was able to talk my good luck charm into coming - bestie Scott Norton!

During the tournament this week, we competed without knowing the oil pattern. A lane graph was purposefully not posted and the pattern won’t be released until the TV show.  Although an official pattern wasn’t posted, we definitely competed on a long pattern.

The format was exactly the same as the PWBA Sonoma County Open, with the exception that the lanes were freshly re-oiled in between every block. The scoring pace was again on the lower spectrum, which is perfectly fine with me since it puts a premium on shot making and picking up spares. 

I started off strong the first block of qualifying, using my Hammer Scandal with 1000 grit, playing inside and shooting games of 235 and 196 before switching to my Scandal Pearl for a 226, 200 and 203. I then used my Ebonite Maverick Pearl the last game to shoot 212. Despite having a little bit of an issue with spares that block, I did manage to stay steady and shoot +72, which put me in 8^th place overall.

We didn’t have much of a break in between blocks, as we had 5 people on a pair, which makes for a very long qualifying day. Prior to the start of the second block, I was presented with a special 300 ring for shooting 300 during the 2017 Team USA Trials. A nice surprise!

The second set, the lanes were pretty tough. I started out well shooting 228 again with my Hammer Scandal and then switched to my Scandal Pearl for a 216. I struggled the next couple of games to find the right look and shot 186 and 185. Then I switched to my Ebonite Game Breaker 2 Phenom Pearl and ended the block with 205 and 196 to shoot +16, putting me at +88 overall and in 9^th place.

We had a very quick turnaround, not getting done until after 11pm Friday night, I was back in the center by 7:45am Saturday morning to get ready for the casher’s round. I again had the same game plan, shooting 195 and 218 to start. However, I then hit a couple of bad pairs and shot 184 and 172, which dropped me down to being 50 pins out of the top 12 cut to match play with 2 games to go.

I rallied and switched to my Ebonite Game Breaker 2 Phenom Pearl and managed to shoot 236 and 211 to secure the 12th and final spot into match play at +104 overall.

I knew there were a lot of games left, especially with the added bonus pins for winning each match. Although I tried my best, I just couldn’t seem to get anything going in match play. Despite not winning many matches, I still had an outside chance of making the stepladder finals going into position round. Unfortunately, things didn’t’ turn out the way I had hoped and I finished in 11^th place overall in the tournament. With a high game of 235 and a low game of 172 for the entire tournament, I am pleased with my overall performance for the week.

All in all, still a great week and 2 for 2 on match play appearances this season. 

Congratulations to Liz Johnson, Rocio Restrepo, Diana Zavjalova and Danielle McEwan for making the TV show. 

Don’t forget! If you’re in the Southern California area, come out to Fountain Bowl in Fountain Valley, Calif. to watch the best women bowlers in the world compete at the PWBA Fountain Valley Open starting this Thursday, May 11^th. For a full schedule, click here. Can’t wait to compete in my own backyard! See you on the lanes!

 Action Photos courtesy of Kimberly Power

1st Stop of the PWBA Season - the QubicaAMF PWBA Sonoma County Open

The PWBA Tour Season is Back! Last week, started the season off at Double Decker Lanes in Rohnert Park, Calif. for the QubicaAMF PWBA Sonoma County Open.

Needing to arrive a couple of days early prior to the start of the event due to two special media training sessions, I stayed one night with friend and Hall of Famer Vesma Grinfelds in San Francisco. It’s always nice to visit friends and see this amazing City. 

   

Our first week back, we bowled on a grueling 40’ flat pattern, meaning the lanes are oiled straight across exactly the same, creating no room for error. This puts a premium on shot making and picking up spares. 

The format for this event featured two 6-game blocks of qualifying on Saturday. The field was then cut to the top 32 for the casher’s round, in which we then bowled 6 more games of qualifying before cutting to the top 12 for matchplay.

I decided to attack the pattern different than most the first block. I stayed far to the right, pointing the ball to the pocket using my Track Mako, but had a rough start shooting only 169. I then switched to my Track Heat Xtreme playing the same angle shooting 223. Game 3, I again switched balls to my Game Breaker 2 Phenom Pearl shooting 172 and then decided to go old school using my Black Hammer urethane for the duration of the squad shooting 217, 210 and 185 for -24 overall. With scores being very low, and +86 leading the squad, -24 put me in 14^th place going into the second block of qualifying.

I changed my strategy for the 2^nd block, as there was no re-oil in between blocks this week. I used my trusty Orange Eruption Pro and played far inside with speed and giving the ball a  little room and shot games of 248, 186, 223, 245, 175 and 208 for +85 on the night and +61 overall which moved me up into 3^rd place, with only 4 people in the entire field plus. It took -172 to make it to the top 32 casher’s round.

The next day, I again played the lanes different. I played inside with speed, a little loft and a more direct line. I used my Game Breaker 2 Phenom to shoot 194 and then switched to my Game Breaker 2 Phenom Pearl and shot 180, 214, 190, 228 and 222 for +28 on the block and +89 overall, which kept me in 3^rd place going into match play.

Matchplay is unique in the sense that bowlers get split up into two different brackets – even numbered positions (2,4,6,8 10, and 12) and odd numbered positions (1,3,5,7,9,11). We then bowl 6 games of round robin matchplay against players in our respective backets only, with a 30 pin bonus granted for each win.  The top bowler in each bracket automatically advances to the TV show. Then the No. 2, 3 and 4 seeds in each bracket bowl a stepladder final (3 vs 4 and the winner bowls 2) with the overall winner of each bracket also advancing to the TV show to composite the top 4.

I had a bit of a rough time in macthplay as I was bowling very well, but couldn’t seem to win enough matches. In my first match, I faced Brandi Branka and shot 221 to lose to her 237. I won my next two matches shooting 221 and 217. Game 4 was crucial. I was catching up to the leader. I could strike out for 224 but only needed a mark in the 10^th frame to win my match. I threw a great shot and left an unlucky pocket 8, 10 to lose the 30 bonus pins and only shot 193. Going into game 5, only 7 pins separated the top 3. My look started going away in the worst possible time since I was bowling against top seed Diana Zavjalova. I left another pocket 8, 10 as well as a pocket 7, 10 to lose by 10 pins - 182 to her 192. This dropped me down into 3^rd place going into position round.

I had a chance to still earn the top seed and a spot on the TV show. If Diana won the match against Brandi Branka, I needed to win my match and beat Diana by 46 pins. If Brandi won the match against Diana, I needed to win my match and beat Brandi by 7 pins. Unfortunately, I was stuck on the same pair that I had just bowled on against Diana. I still coulndn’t seem to figure out the lanes and only shot 166 losing the match.

Brandi Branka ended up striking out in the 10^th frame to defeat Diana Z for the top seed in our bracket. This put Diana is 2^nd place for the stepladder finals, I was 3^rd place and Maria Jose Rodriguez was 4^th place. I would face Maria in match 1.

The stepladder finals were bowled on fresh oil and not having the greateset look on fresh, I decided to try a different bowling ball to start the match. This looked promising in practice, but then quickly went away as I struggled the entire match shooting my lowest game of the tournament – 152 to Maria’s 206. Maria went on to defeat Diana Z 187-181 to earn the other spot on the TV show.

In the other bracket, Rocio Restrepo earned the overall top seed on the TV show. With Shannon Pluhowsky winning in the stepladder final against amateur Karen Rosprim to earn the final spot on the TV show.

TV show finalists - Maria Jose Rodriguez 4th, Shannon Pluhowsky 3rd, Brandi Branka 2nd and Rocio Restrepo 1st  

This week was definitely a great start to the season, but bittersweet for it to end the way it did. It was by far the most difficult pattern I have ever bowled on. I averaged 203.71 and the highest average was 205.5 with only 5 players averaging over 200. Great week, but definitely more motiviation for next week in Sacramento for the PWBA Storm Sacramento Open! Until then…

Bowling photos courtesy of Kimberly Power. Thanks for the amazing shots!!!

Missy Heads Out to 2017 PWBA Tour

I am thoroughly excited to be starting the 2017 PWBA Tour Season. Be sure to check out my website for weekly, detailed blogs summarizing each event.

I will also be posting on Twitter - @MissyParkin,  Instagram - @Missy_Parkin and my Facebook Fanpage. Please follow and "like" my social media outlets to stay up-to-date with my progress throughout the 2017 PWBA Tour Season.

Our first event officially starts on Thursday, April 27th at the QubicaAMF PWBA Sonoma County Open at Double Decker Lanes in Rohnert Park, Calif.

Tune in to watch all of the action LIVE on XtraFrame. 

#letsbowl #PWBATour

Missy Wins PWBA Regional

Recently, I competed in the PBA/PWBA Earl Anthony Memorial Regional event in Dublin, Calif. at Earl Anthony’s Dublin Bowl.

That weekend, we competed on the 40’ Earl Anthony oil pattern. The lane conditions were very challenging, which put a premium on hitting your target and picking up spares.

It was a pleasure to see proprietors - Marilyn Hoffman and Susie Anthony. I always love coming up to this venue because the area is so peaceful and the hospitality of the center staff is second to none.

In the 8 games of qualifying, I started off using my Columbia 300 Tyrant playing outside, pointing the ball. I shot games of 228, 227 and 196. I then switched to my Track Heat Xtreme and shot 255 ad 276. Unfortunately, I hit a couple of tough pairs, as there are definitely a few in that building and shot 160 and 172. I then brought it back with a 215 my last game to end up +129 overall. I was leading the PWBA Division and the same score would have put me in 4^th place in the Regular Men’s Division.

The next day, we came back for 8 games of round robin match play. The winner of each match would earn 30 bonus pins and a tie would earn 15. I honestly struggled, shooting -32 scratch for the 8 games. However, I did manage to win matches, going 6-2.

With my high qualifying scores and match play record, I ended up winning the event, making it three West Region PWBA Regional titles in-a-row. Here are the final scores from the event.

This was definitely great practice gearing up for the PWBA Tour.

Until next time…

Missy Makes Team USA 2017

Last week, I travelled to Henderson, Nev. to compete at the Team USA Trials at Sunset Station for a chance to earn a bern onto Team USA 2017. Team USA Trials features five days of competition on five different WTBA oil patterns. The format features a unique point system in which you earn ranking points based on your overall finish each day. If you finish in 1st place, you earn 1 point, 2nd place, 2 points, etc. The 4 lowest ranking points, after five days of competition earn an automatic spot onto Team USA 2017.

On Day 1, we competed on the 35' Los Angeles oil pattern.

Typically the short patterns have been my weakness, but I've put in a lot of work to get better at attacking them. I started out slow, shooting back-to-back 181 games, but then switched to my New Ebonite Game Breaker 2 Phenom Pearl to shoot 213, 246, 200 and 233 to end up +54. This put me in 15th place for the day, giving me 15 ranking points.

Knowing I needed to bowl four amazing days to get back up to the top, I really focused on keeping things simple. I did not look up at the score board at all and simply thought of simple execution keys the rest of the week. This definitely paid off. 

I started out Day 2 on the 40' Athens oil pattern using my Ebonite Warrior Supreme to shoot a perfect 300 game to start the day. Check out the 10th frame of my 300 game here.  

I then shot games of 216 and 258 before switching to my Hammer Scandal Peal to shoot 229. I had to Switch balls again to my Columbia 300 Impulse to shoot 216 and finished the day going back to my Hammer Scandal Pearl to shoot 229. This put me at +248 for the day, which was enough to lead the block and earn me 1 ranking point for a total of 16 points overall.

On Day 3, we competed on the 45' Rome oil pattern.

I again started out the block strong using my trusty Columbia 300 Oath, throwing the first 9 strikes in a row. Check out the 10th frame to see what happened. I followed up that game with games of 256, 205, 279, 257 and 278 for +362 on the day, which was possibly a USBC scoring record for Team UA Trials. I finished in the top spot for the day, which again earned me 1 ranking point, putting my total at 17 points for the week and moved me into the overall lead. Check out the video to see my thoughts on this crazy, fun day of bowling. 

On Day 4, we competed on the 44' Tokyo oil pattern.

I started out slow shooting 196 using my Columbia 300 Oath. I then switched to my Ebonite Game Breaker 2 Phenom and shot 213 and 206. As the lanes continued to break down, I switched to my Hammer Scandal Pearl and shot 248, 236 and 205 to end up +105 for the day. I am happy with my execution, but unfortunately with the scores being so high that put me in 20th place for the day and gave me a total of 37 ranking points, which dropped me down to 3rd place overall. 

On Day 5, the final day of qualifying, we bowled on the 39' Seoul oil pattern. 

Being 10 points behind 1st and 2nd place going into the final day, I knew I needed a good day on the lanes. I had a great look playing near the track with my Game Breaker 2 Phenom. Unfortunately that quickly went away towards the end of the game 1, as I shot 199 to start the block. I then switched strategies and played further right with a flatter release, more speed and used my Track Heat Xtreme to shot 207. Having carry issues, I again switched strategies and moved inside, slowed down my ball speed and used my Oath to shot 201. I again needed better carry to compensate for the higher scores and changed my hand position and switched to my Hammer Scandal Pearl to shoot 200. In game 5, I continued to have carry problems and switched to my Columbia 300 Impulse in the 9th and 10th frame to shoot 186. Going into the final game, I threw every shot really well and again used both my Hammer Scandal Pearl and Columbia 300 Impulse and ended the block shooting 236 for +29 on the day. This put me in 34th position for the day, due to the higher scoring pace.  

Despite my finish on the day, I was extremely happy with my execution. I tried a variety of bowling balls, areas on the lane, changed my ball speed and changed hand positions, but I just couldn't seem to get my ball to go through the pins correctly. I definitely showed a lot of versatility and guts to be able to make all of those changes in a crucial point in the tournament. Some days that's just the way things go. 

Overall I lead the field by 130 pins finishing at +798 over the 30 games of qualifying, averaging 226.6. I was extremely consistent all week with my low game only being 181 (during day 1 of qualifying.) I am extremely happy with my overall execution all week long. With my final day of qualifying, I finished in 7th place in the ranking points, which did not earn me an automatic spot onto Team USA.

Fortunately, I was selected my the National Selection Committee to be a part of Team USA 2017 based on my performance at Team USA Trials. I am elated to again be a part of the best Team in the World! This is my 8th year on the adult team and I couldn't be happier to be surrounded by an amazingly talented group of ladies! 

Congratulations to Erin McCarthy and Jakob Butturff for winning Team USA Trials and Julia Bond and Matt Russo for winning the US Amateur. Big congratulations to everyone that qualified for Team USA and Junior Team USA! The future is definitely bright for Team USA! #TeamUSA #BestTeamInTheWorld  

For the full recap on Team USA Trials, click here.  

Missy Featured on TLCMe

I was recently contacted by TLCMe to be a part of their new social media series called "Female Firsts." Being the first woman to join the PBA and helping to break barriers for other women bowlers, TLCMe put together a short video clip, highlighting my bowling career. Check out the video here.