PBA Spare Shots: Tommy Jones’ PBA Hall of Fame Classic 300 Game was One of a Kind

Fourteen hours after his induction into the PBA Hall of Fame in Arlington, Texas, Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, S.C., rolled the 27th nationally-televised perfect game in PBA history in the title match of the PBA Hall of Fame Classic at the International Training and Research Center, a part of the International Bowling Campus, on Sunday.

It was a one-of-a-kind nationally televised 300 game on a number of levels:

• It was Jones’ first 300 on TV.

• It was the first televised 300 under the PBA’s television partnership with FOX.

• It was the first bowled on TV on a dual lane condition (Dick Weber 45 pattern on the left lane, Mike Aulby 39 pattern on the right lane).

• It was the first bowled in the title match of a season-opening telecast (Jim Stefanich bowled a 300 in the second match of the 1974 Midas Open, the first ABC-TV telecast of 1974).

• It was the first in the title match by a player who was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame the same week.

• It was the first in a televised title match in 27 years. Mike Aulby (who was on hand to watch Jones bowl his 300 in Arlington) defeated David Ozio, 300-279, to win the 1993 Wichita Open. The first 300 bowled in a title match was by Bob Benoit in the 1988 Quaker State Open.

Jones’ perfect game also triggered the 2020 version of the “Go Bowling Free America” offer, whereby PBA fans can register to receive a free game of bowling coupon if a PBA bowler bowls a 300 game on any televised event on Fox or FS1 during the 2020 Go Bowling PBA Tour Schedule. To enroll, click on this link: https://woobox.com/2oyvhz. Make sure you review the terms and conditions related to the promotion.

TOMMY JONES TAKES EARLY 2020 PBA PLAYOFFS POINTS LEAD

With his victory in the PBA Hall of Fame Classic, the first tournament of the 2020 Go Bowling PBA Tour season, Tommy Jones took the early lead in the competition points race that will eventually determine the 24 players who will qualify to compete for the second annual PBA Playoffs title in April and May.

Points are awarded to all players in each PBA Tour tournament according to how the event is ranked in a three-tier points structure. The PBA Hall of Fame Classic was a Tier 1 tournament, where first place was worth 2,500 points with each additional place awarded points in a declining manner. Tier 2 tournaments award 5,000 points to the winner and Tier 3 tournaments begin with 7,500 points to the winner.

Tier 1 tournaments are limited field and/or restricted format events. Tier 2 tournaments are standard PBA Tour events. Tier 3 events are major championships. Below are the top 24 standings after one event:

2020 Go Bowling PBA Tour Competition Points Standings
(Top 24 after one event)
1, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 2,500
2, Darren Tang, Las Vegas, 1,500
3, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 1,150
4, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 950
5, Jakob Butturff, Tempe, Ariz., 850
6, Ryan Ciminelli, Lancaster, S.C., 775
7, Patrick Hanrahan, Wichita, Kan., 745
8, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 715
9, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 685
10, Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 655
11, Anthony Lavery-Spahr, Pasadena, Texas, 625
12, Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 595
13, Patrick Girard, Canada, 565
14, Tom Hess, Granger, Iowa, 535
15, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 505
16, Anthony Simonsen, Little Elm, Texas, 475
17, Brad Miller, Lees Summit, Mo., 445
18, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 425
19, Nicholas Pate, Inver Grove Heights, Minn., 405
20, Stuart Williams, England, 385
21, AJ Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 365
22, Nate Garcia, Port St. Lucie, Fla., 345
23, Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., 325
24, Matt Sanders, Evansville, Ind., 305