Bill O’Neill Sweeps Jason Sterner to Win First FloBowling PBA ATX Invite

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Bill O’Neill Sweeps Jason Sterner to Win First FloBowling PBA ATX Invite

O’Neill wins 257-176 and 237-215 in best-of-three title match to win $25,000 first prize

AUSTIN, Texas (Sept. 21, 2019) – No. 6 seed Bill O’Neill of Langhorne, Pennsylvania swept No. 4 seed Jason Sterner of Rochester, New York, 2-0, in a best-of-three-game championship match to win the first FloBowling PBA ATX Invite and a $25,000 first prize Saturday at Dart Bowl.

Streamed live by PBA’s online streaming partner FloBowling, O’Neill, an 11-time Go Bowling! PBA Tour titlist, was among eight PBA Tour stars in the non-title elimination event who earned berths by finishing in the top eight in USBC Cup points during the nine-tournament FloBowling PBA Summer Tour.

O’Neill took the first game of the title match with a dominating 257-176 win and was able to continue the momentum heading into the second game beating Sterner 237-215 for the victory.

“I was able to stay with my game plan and didn’t have to deviate much from it,” said the 37-year-old O’Neill, “I was able to keep adjustments simple with footwork and keeping my angles tight to the pocket. When you can keep the adjustments simple and manageable, you’re better able to keep your focus and stay in a rhythm.”

O’Neill’s Summer Tour was highlighted by a win in the PBA Harry O’Neale Chesapeake Open for his second title of the season.

“I think overall from top to bottom this is probably one of the best seasons of my career,” O’Neill said. “I haven’t won a major yet but I’m probably as confident as I’ve ever been with my game and the way I’m throwing the ball. I’ve had a lot of success learning from my mistakes and putting myself in the best position to succeed. After that, it’s all about executing to the best of my ability.”

Sterner’s Summer Tour was highlighted by winning the PBA Illinois Open, which concluded the FloBowling PBA Summer Swing presented by the Brands of Ebonite International, for his third career tour title.

Competition on the 45-foot PBA Dick Weber lane condition started with four one-game quarterfinal matches with the winners advancing to the one-game semifinal matches.

In the opening round O’Neill beat No. 3 seed two-hander Anthony Simonsen of Little Elm, Texas, 248-207 and Sterner beat No. 5 seed AJ Johnson of Oswego, Illinois, 267-254, to advance to the semifinal round.

In the semifinal O’Neill beat No. 7 seed Kyle Sherman of O’Fallon, Missouri, 280-212, while Sterner defeated No. 1 seed Sean Rash of Montgomery, Illinois, 236-225, to advance to the title match.

Sherman advanced to the semifinal after beating No. 2 seed EJ Tackett of Bluffton, Indiana in the second one-ball roll-off 10-9 after tying 212-212 in the quarterfinal. Rash advance to the semifinal with a 228-216 win over No. 8 seed Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, South Carolina.

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FLOBOWLING PBA ATX INVITE RESULTS

Dart Bowl, Austin, Texas, Saturday

Opening round (one-game matches; losers eliminated earn $3,750)

Match 1 – No. 1 Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill. def. No. 8 Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 228-216.

Match 2 – No. 4 Jason Sterner, Rochester, N.Y. def. No. 5 AJ Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 267-254.

Match 3 – No. 7 Kyle Sherman, O’Fallon, Mo. def. No. 2 EJ Tackett, Bluffton, Ind., 212-212 (Sherman def. Tackett 10-9 in second one-ball roll-off).

Match 4 – No. 6 Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, Pa. def. No. 3 Anthony Simonsen, Little Elm, Texas, 248-207.

Semifinals (one-game matches; losers eliminated earn $7,000)

Semifinal Match 1: Sterner def. Rash, 236-225.

Semifinal Match 2: O’Neill def. Sherman, 280-212.

Finals (best-of-three-game format)

O’Neill ($25,000) def. Sterner ($13,000), 2-0.

Game One – O’Neill def. Sterner, 257-176.

Game Two – O’Neill def. Sterner, 237-215.