Hall of Famers Bohn and Duke Advance to Cheetah Championship Finals

by Jerry Schneider December 16, 2015 07:35
Two of PBA’s all-time greats proved they still have gas in the tank on the PBA Tour as Hall of Famers Norm Duke and Parker Bohn III advanced to the finals of the PBA Cheetah Championship presented by PBA Bowling Challenge Mobile Game Wednesday at the National Bowling Stadium.

Also advancing were PBA Tour titlist Paul Moor of England and Former collegiate standout, Team USA member and former USBC president Andrew Cain of Phoenix.

Duke, who ranks third on the all-time win list with 38 titles, defeated PBA50 Tour standout Ron Mohr of Las Vegas, 3-0, in the best of five-game single elimination Round of 8 (257-246, 267-226, 216-202).

“The World Series was kind of disappointing for me but I salvaged something here making the Cheetah finals,” Duke said. “I was bowling just good enough to bowl myself out of the top 24 (for match play). It seemed like I was always down early in a round or even a game and had to struggle back but on the Cheetah condition the condition kind of developed to my advantage.”

Bohn, who ranks tied for fifth on the all-time list with Mark Roth with 34 titles, defeated Wayne Garber of Modesto, Calif., 3-0 to advance to the finals (246-193, 259-224, 258-205).

“It’s going to be filled with a lot of memories bowling in a final with Norm,” said Bohn, who has competed on Tour with Duke for more than a quarter-century. “Norm and I have our AARP cards but we’re going to give these young guys a run.”

Both Duke and Bohn compete on the PBA Tour and PBA50 Tour for players 50 years and older.

“Eventually there’s going to be a last tournament for us on the PBA Tour but this isn’t going to be it,” Duke added.

Moor, trying for his second PBA Tour title and first in the U.S., also swept his best of five match beating three-time Tour winner Eugene McCune of Munster, Ind. 3-0 (279-247, 298-247, 224-214). Moor’s first title came in the Ballmaster Open World Bowling Tour event back in January.

Former collegiate standout, Team USA member and USBC president Andrew Cain of Phoenix rounded out the top four. A two-time PBA regional titlist, he won his match 3-1 against three-time Tour winner Rhino Page (214-160, 224-255, 247-213, 224-179).

The finals for the Cheetah Championship, the first animal pattern event of the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling presented by Silver Legacy will be taped Friday at 1 p.m. The show will air this Sunday on ESPN at 1 p.m. ET.

The crown jewel of the GEICO PBA World of Series VII presented by Silver Legacy will be Thursday’s live ESPN telecast of the Rolltech PBA World Championship from the National Bowling Stadium at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT). The first prime time weekday evening telecast in 14 years will involve top qualifier EJ Tackett’s bid for his first major championship, No. 2 qualifier Ryan Ciminelli’s bid to become the first PBA player in 44 years to win three consecutive PBA Tour titles, and Gary Faulkner Jr.’s bid to become the second African-American player to win a PBA Tour title.

PBA CHEETAH CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY PBA BOWLING CHALLENGE MOBILE GAME

National Bowling Stadium, Reno, Nev., Wednesday

Round of 8 (best of five games, winners advance to ESPN taped finals Friday at 1 p.m. PT; losers earned $2,000)

Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., def. Ron Mohr, Las Vegas, 3-0 (257-246, 267-226, 216-202).
Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., def. Wayne Garber, Modesto, Calif., 3-0 (246-193, 259-224, 258-205).
Paul Moor, England, def. Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 3-0 (279-247, 298-247, 224-214).
Andrew Cain, Phoenix, def. Rhino Page, Orlando, Fla., 3-1 (214-160, 224-255, 247-213, 224-179).

ESPN Match Play Finals (ESPN telecast Sunday, Dec. 20, 1 p.m. ET)

Match One: Cain vs. Bohn

Match Two: Moor vs. Duke

Championship: Winner Match One vs. Winner Match Two