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DUKE DELIVERS AGAIN
Posted on Tuesday April 1st @ 3:40 PM
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 For the second consecutive year, Storm staffer Norm Duke defeated fellow staffer Ryan Shafer to a win a title at Woodland Bowl, but this one meant so much more.
Duke, who came into the week on the verge of losing his Denny’s PBA Tour exemption, defeated Shafer, 202-165, to win the Denny’s World Championship for his third career Major and 27th title overall.
Three out of the four players on the telecast were Storm staff members, including Storm International amateur Andrew Frawley.
The win gives Duke a much-needed two-season Tour exemption. The veteran has struggled through various injuries this season and came into the week 51st in the PBA World Point Rankings with just five events remaining. The top 39 via the point rankings earn exemptions at season’s end.
Suffering from the flu all week, Duke showed his usual flair for the dramatic, gutting it out to advance to the final round, which moved him up to 37th in the point rankings. His win, however, means he doesn’t have to worry about points for the next two years.
“The number of times I thought about pulling out of this event and now to see myself sitting here with another Major title and $50,000 and all the things that come with a Major, I just can’t believe it. I’m shocked,” Duke (Clermont, Fla.) said. “This was the most painful flu I’ve ever had. Bowling this week was not fun. I really wanted to quit but every time I would go back and lay down I felt miserable so I thought, ‘I’m going to be miserable either way. I may as well bowl.’"
Duke used a Storm Secret Agent and Paradigm Passion on the telecast, while Shafer used a Storm Rapid Fire.
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TJ Earns 11th PBA Tour Title and becomes second bowler to conquer all five PBA oil patterns.
Posted on Tuesday April 1st @ 3:19 PM
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HOPKINSVILLE, Kent.—Ebonite’s Tommy Jones sealed two consecutive victories at the ConstructionJobs.com Championship this Sunday at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev. While defeating long-time rival, Patrick Allen, to capture his 11th PBA Tour title, Jones also conquered the Shark lane pattern, making him only the second bowler to ever win on all five of the PBA’s oil patterns.
“Not only did Tommy overcome his opponents to capture his 11th PBA Tour Title, he surpassed himself by achieving the distinguished honor of being one of two bowlers to defeat the five PBA oil patterns.” said, Ed Gallagher, Ebonite Brand Manager. “Tommy’s extreme talent and drive to continuously improve upon his game makes him a tremendous force to be reckoned with on Tour.”
Jones faced off against Ryan Shafer in the semifinals, gaining a steady lead after throwing a turkey in frames four through six using the Ebonite Raid. Jones won the match 223-210. He then went head to head against Allen in the finals, as both players claimed 10 PBA Tour titles going into the match. Jones threw six strikes in a row using Ebonite’s Gamebreaker and took the lead, winning 254-214. He earned $25,000 for his win.
In the 2006-2007 season, Jones broke the PBA record for the shortest time between earning his first and 10th PBA Tour Titles by four days. He also placed first in the 2007 Tournament of Champions. Jones joined the Ebonite PBA Tour staff in 2002, the same year he joined the PBA Tour. He has amassed $902,730 in PBA Tour earnings since 2002.
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Michael Haugen wins Tournament of Champions
Posted on Tuesday April 1st @ 2:38 PM
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Michael Haugen won his first career Tournament of Champions event in Las Vegas, presented by H & R Block, earning the $50,000 grand prize and a two-year exemption through the 2009/2010 season. Haugen overcame a 50-pin deficit to defeat Chris Barnes, 215 to 214, and this is his second career Denny’s PBA Tour title and his first career Major.
Michael began the game using a Radar Alert and then made a gutsy move to not only switch balls but to throw 2 different balls on 2 different lanes. Needing the last 5 out of 6 strikes to stay in the hunt, Mike used a Radar Lock on the right lane and a Maximum Velocity on the left.
Michael never gave up and will now be able to bowl the Tournament of Champions for as long as he is a PBA member. Both of Michael's titles came after he signed a long term contract with AMF in early September.
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Haugen captures first National Title
Posted on Tuesday April 1st @ 2:37 PM
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Michael Haugen captures the Denny’s PBA Tour Lake County Indiana Classic, presented by United Way, for his first National Tour Victory. Michael, who owns 10 career regional titles, defeated Wes Malott 247-239 to claim the $25,000 first place check and exemption for the 2008-2009 season.
Haugen's victory came on the PBA Chameleon oil pattern, using a Heist on the left lane and a Night Hawk Pearl on the right, in the final match against Malott. Haugen earlier defeated Todd Book 194-192 using a Heist. But as the television lights and bowlers moved the oil around, Haugen realized that he needed to use two different balls in order to match up best to the changing lane condition. No doubt, his past television and regional experience allowed him to remain in the moment and make the right choice.
This season, Michael is currently 6th in average at 225.72 and 6th and 7th in points and earnings respectively, after five events this year.
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HAMMER ADDS CHAD KLOSS TO PBA TOUR STAFF
Posted on Friday October 5th @ 2:24 PM
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HOPKINSVILLE, Kent. – With the start of the Tour right around the corner, Hammer has added another talented player, Chad Kloss, to its PBA Tour roster for the 07-08 season.
“Chad’s a talented, powerful player on the PBA circuit and he’ll be a great addition to our dynamic team,” said Brian Graham, Hammer brand manager. “Hammer is hot on the heels of its most successful Tour season ever and our products are even hotter. Tour fans can expect stellar performance from our team this year.”
Since early childhood, Kloss has dreamed of being a professional bowler and he made that dream a reality in 2005 when he joined the PBA. In his first year as a PBA member, he won the very first regional tournament he bowled in and cashed in at 80 percent of the events he bowled that year, earning “Rookie of the Year” honors for the Midwest region.
Kloss finished an impressive 8th in the 2006 USBC Masters. He also finished fourth in points among non-exempt players on the PBA Tour and qualified for the 07-08 Tour finishing sixth at the Tour Trials. Most recently, Kloss captured the 2007 Peterson Classic, throwing an impressive 1657 at this event known for being one of the toughest tournaments in the industry.
 “Bowling on Tour and bowling with Hammer is just an unbelievable opportunity for me. Hammer’s equipment is second to none and I cannot wait to get out there,” he shared.
Kloss says his goal this year is to win, pure and simple. “I’m not going to be consumed with points. I just want to go out and stay focused and bring home the wins.”
Kloss has spent the summer training with his friend and Tour roomie, Jason Wojmar, and has also worked with Eugene McCune on his physical game.
Look for Kloss at the 2007 Masters in his hometown of Milwaukee at the end of October. His daughter, MaKenna, will be among the local crowd of fans at this first event of the season.
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The Toast of Tokyo
Posted on Thursday September 27th @ 1:08 PM
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Mika Koivuniemi became the first European player to win the Japan Cup and solidified his standing as one of the world’s top bowlers, defeating fellow Denny’s PBA Tour star Mike Wolfe, 200-178, to win the Dydo Japan Cup 2007 Sunday at the Tokyo Metro Gymnasium.
The win was the eighth Denny’s PBA Tour title of Koivuniemi’s career, and gave him a title in 11 different countries. The Finland native has been bowling on the Denny’s PBA Tour for nine years after spending 10 years with Team Finland.
“It’s great to win anywhere, but to win in Japan and to win in an arena atmosphere makes it even more special,” Koivuniemi (Hartland, Mich.) said. “I have bowled in a few arena finals but never won until now so it’s just a great feeling to do it in front of a big crowd like this.”
Koivuniemi and Wolfe were the only two PBA stars to advance to the eight-bowler finals after a format change which featured single elimination, best-of-three games match play through the Round of 16 as opposed to the round robin format used in years past. Last season, all nine finalists were from the PBA.
This year’s finals had an international flavor as five Japanese bowlers, one Korean, one American and one Finish bowler made up the final eight. The home crowd in Japan was hoping to see a Japanese bowler win the Japan Cup for the first time since 1988.
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HAMMER’S DOUG KENT SELECTED PBA PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Posted on Friday July 6th @ 2:05 PM
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HOPKINSVILLE, Kent. – After a record-setting season, two-year Hammer staffer and 18-year Tour veteran Doug Kent has captured the title of all titles, Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year.
“It’s a career dream to be voted the Player of the Year and I’m thrilled by this honor,” shared Kent. “At the level that all of the players are at today, it’s impossible to win without great equipment in your hands. It’s a necessity. Week-in and week-out I felt like I had the best equipment in my hands because Hammer offers such a wide variety of balls for all of the conditions we bowl on. I felt like I had lots of choices and I wasn’t limited by the selection, so I just had to choose the right ball for the job.
“I look forward to returning to the Tour with Hammer in my bag next season.”
 Kent, who owns two bowling centers with his wife, Chrissie, resides in Newark, NY, and has been bowling on Tour since 1988. During that time he has posted nine career wins, including two wins this season. Early in the season, Kent walked home with the USBC Masters title, defeating Jack Jurek, 277-230. He earned his second Tour Major victory of the season at the PBA World Championships after defeating Chris Barnes, 237-216. With this win, he became the sixth bowler in Tour history to win two Major Championships in one season.
In addition to his Major titles, Kent was the runner-up in the Etonic Championship. His three championship round appearances were his best since 2001-02 and he went 6-1 with a 234.57 average. He led the Tour with a career-best $200,530 in earnings and finished the season ranked fourth in PBA World Point Rankings and 10th on Tour with a 222.43 average.
As if he still had something to prove, Kent continued his winning streak with a win at the season-ending Motel 6 Roll to Riches special event. Kent pocketed a cool $150,000 for this top prize, a title and earnings that are not included in his overall season title or earnings count.
“Doug is someone that everyone wants to emulate. He’s super-smooth on the lanes and he’s a tough competitor all while being a great guy off the lanes,” said Hammer brand manager, Brian Graham. “We really enjoyed watching him win all that money with Hammer equipment.”
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ROOKIE HAMMER STAFFER WINS PBA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD
Posted on Friday July 6th @ 2:04 PM
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HOPKINSVILLE, Kent. – Rookie Hammer staff player Billy Oatman has been chosen the 2006-07 Harry Golden PBA Rookie of the Year by his peers and the media.
“Billy performed like wildfire this season, sweeping over the Tour and the fans with his charisma and talent,” said Brian Graham, Hammer brand manager. “He was a rookie on our staff this year, but you haven’t seen the last of Billy Oatman. You can bet on him next season.”
Known as “Billy O,” Oatman finished 11th in the 06-07 Tour Trails but earned exempt status when Ritchie Allen deferred his exemption due to injury. The rest is Tour history.
Oatman, who hails from Chicago, is the first African-American and, at 41 years old, the oldest bowler in PBA history to earn PBA Rookie of the Year honors. He led the rookies in points (37th), earnings ($46,145) and match play appearances (7) and finished second in averages (216.14). Oatman is also the first left-handed bowler to win this award since 1996. In January, Oatman came dangerously close to winning his first career title at the Motel 6 Classic, but fell just one pin short to Jason Couch.
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Mika Koivuniemi captured his seventh career Denny's PBA Tour title.
Posted on Monday February 5th @ 12:43 PM
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 Mika Koivuniemi captured his seventh career Denny's PBA Tour title on Sunday.
The Big Fin is back.
Mika Koivuniemi ended the longest title drought of his career, knocking off new roommate Chris Barnes, 214-185, to win the 2007 Sun City Classic at El Paso Lanes for his seventh career Denny’s PBA Tour title.
The Finland native and 2003-04 PBA Player of the Year won for the first time since the 2005 Baby Ruth Real Deal Classic, a span of 38 events. He and Barnes just recently became roommates and Koivuniemi treated him rudely in their first-ever match-up on television.
Barnes held a slim lead before leaving a 1-2-10 washout and opening in the 7th frame. Koivuniemi responded with four consecutive strikes to take over the match, marking in the 10th frame for the win.
Koivuniemi has struggled this season by his standards, coming into the week with just one TV appearance and a No. 19 world ranking.
“It’s been a long time. It really feels great,” said Koivuniemi. “A guy like Barnes doesn’t usually give you a chance, but he did give me a chance and luckily I took advantage.
“It was just an amazing week. I had to bowl a 246 the last game Thursday just to make match play and two of my matches went seven games and then I had to come from behind to win the title.”
As the No. 30 seed Koivuniemi became the lowest seed to win a single elimination match play event since the format was implemented in 2001-02.
Koivuniemi advanced to the title match with a 214-202 win over Patrick Allen. Allen opened three times in the first four frames, but mounted a huge comeback with a five-bagger after his third open. A spare in the 10th, however, meant Koivuniemi only needed a mark in the 10th and he struck for his fourth win in six tries over Allen on TV.
Barnes advanced to the title match with a 269-257 win over Mike Edwards. Edwards ran off eight consecutive strikes after an open in the 2nd frame, but Barnes matched him shot-for-shot to maintain a one-pin lead. Edwards struck and spared in the 10th forcing Barnes to strike with his first ball in the 10th. He struck three times for good measure to deny Edwards his first title since 1994.
Koivuniemi (Hartland, Mich.) earned $25,000 and an exemption for the 2007-08 season for the win. Barnes (Double Oak, Texas) took home $13,000 for second wile Edwards (Tulsa, Okla.) earned $6,500 for third and Allen (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) earned $5,500 for fourth.
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HAMMER’S TONY REYES WINS FIRST CAREER PBA TITLE, POSTS PERFECT SCORE
Posted on Friday December 29th @ 2:28 PM
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HOPKINSVILLE, Kent. – Sunday, November 5 will go down in the record books for Hammer staff player Tony Reyes. Reyes not only won his first career PBA Tour title, he also fired off the 17th televised 300 game in the 47-year history of the Tour.
“Tony’s a dynamic player and an all-round good guy,” said Hammer brand manager, Brian Graham. “He was on fire Sunday and you could tell he was focused for the win.”
 Using the Hammer Hawg Zilla, Reyes started the day by defeating Parker Bohn III, 300-215, in the semifinal match and becoming the first player since 1996 to shoot a 300 game on his way to winning his first career title. Reyes then went on to defeat Wes Malott, 255-238, to take home the Motor City Classic title and $25,000 plus a bonus check of $10,000 for his perfect 300 game.
Reyes, in his second year on Hammer’s staff and eighth year on Tour, is a former two-time First Team All-American from San Jose State University. A resident of San Bruno, Calif., Reyes won the 2005-06 “The Final Frame” event and ended the season with 225.3 average.
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