Belmo clinches title in breath-taking stepladder final

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elsie

Active Member
Now, that’s a champion !!!!

After slipping from the top 8 and finals contention this afternoon at the TTBA World Bowling Tour in Thailand, Aussie bowling sensation Jason Belmonte stormed back in the last game of the finals with a perfect game to leap into pole position for the stepladder final matches in Bangkok this evening.

He then had to cool his heels and watch Ryan Ciminelli survive a tie in the first round of the stepladder, and go on to shoot two red-hot matches in which Ciminelli posted wins with 278 and 280 games before losing momentum in the penultimate game against PBA colleague, Mike Fagan.

After Fagan’s 234 to214 win over Ciminelli, the stage was set for a thrilling climax, but it would be almost impossible to predict the drama that subsequently unfolded on live TV.

Top seed Belmonte began the first of best-of-two games with an open frame, and faltered again in the fourth, while his opponent cruised to a stunning 300 in the first game. Set with the target of overcoming Fagan’s enormous lead, Belmo showed the mettle that has earned him the admiration of fans worldwide by effortlessly repeating Fagan’s perfect game, and in doing so taking the match, title and Baht $1,000,000 prizemoney.

The frame-by-frame results eloquently describe this cliff-hanger match: ttbaworldtour.com - THAI TENPIN BOWLING ASSOCIATION WORLD TOUR


CONGRATULATIONS JASE!
 
Here's a more detailed story from the WTBA reporter on the ground in Bangkok ...

Aussie shoots 300 to win title

30th September, Bangkok:
PBA pro and top seed, Jason Belmonte of Australia responded with a perfect game to beat challenger, Mike Fagan of USA in the second deciding final match to win the PTT World Bowling Tour Thailand 2011 title on Friday.

The title match between PBA pro and top seed, Jason Belmonte and challenger, Mike Fagan certainly lived up to its billing as the best-ever finals of the inaugural PTT World Bowling Tour hosted by the amazing Thai Tenpin Bowling Association.

Fagan thrilled the capacity crowd that has gatered at the concourse of the Major Cineplex on the fifth floor of the Siam Paragon Shopping Mall with 12 consecutive strikes for the first perfect game on the specially constructed pair of Brunswick TV lanes to beat Belmonte, 300-211 in the first match.

But the two-handed Aussie returned with his own 300 in the deciding match to defeat Fagan, 300-205 to win the coveted crown and picked up a whopping top prize of 1 million Thai Baht (approx. US$32,250).

Jason Belmonte with the champion's cheque of 1 million Thai Baht

"I had a bit of a problem in the first match when I had two splits," said the 28-year-old 2008-09 PBA Rookie of the Year, Belmonte from Orange in New South Wales, Australia.

"I knew that if Mike (Fagan) had shot a 300 in the first match, it will be hard for him to repeat with another good game so I took advantage of it. I had to make sure I threw my ball straight out further to the right for it to get into the pocket.

"Mike has been fantastic all week and after he had beaten Ryan, I knew it was going to be a tough game. I'm glad to have made it counted when it mattered most. The tour has been fantastic and the host has put up a fantastic tournament."


Fagan, who settled for the first runnerup prize of 500,000 Thai Baht (approx. US$12,120), ended the superb run of PBA pro and the only surviving left-hander, Ryan Ciminelli of USA, 234-214 to earn a crack at the title.

Eighth seed, Ciminelli had edged No. 6 seed and Thai national bowler, Peerawich Rungcharoen with a strike to Peerawich's 6 pins in the one-ball roll-off to break the tie after squaring off at 227 each in the first match in which seventh seed and PBA pro, Sean Rash managed 214.

Ciminelli was unstoppable when he trashed No. 4 seed and Korean PBA pro, Choi Won Young and No. 5 seed and UAE national bowler, Sayed Al Hashemi, 278-238-245 to win the second match.


Mike Fagan winning 500,000 Thai Baht as first runnerup

The American continued with his sizzling form to cruise into the third match after he dispatched No. 3 seed and another PBA pro, Dan Maclelland of Canada, 280-258 before Fagan put an end to his fine run in the fourth match.

Ciminelli took home 300,000 Thai Baht (approx. US$9,670) for finishing third while Maclelland went home with 200,000 Baht. Choi (5th-100,000 Baht), Sayed (6th-90,000 Baht), Peerawich (7th-85,000 Baht) and Rash (8th-80,000 Baht) finished in that order.

Earlier in the day, Belmonte shot the tournament's third perfect 300 in the sixth and final game of the Round 4 finals to snatch top seed with 1387 pinfalls. Mike Fagan finished second with 1377 while Dan Maclelland claimed third spot with 1372.

UAE's Hussain Al Suwaidi missed the top 8 finals by 12 pins finishing ninth with 1301 while PBA pro, Norm Duke, who was second in yesterday's Round 3 finals, ended in 11th position behind Surasak Manuwong of Thailand in tenth.

Dr. Chodechai Suwanaporn, Executive Vice President for Energy Economics & Policy of the title sponsor PTT Public Company Limited was on hand to present the prize to the champion. Mr Vicha Poolvaraluck, Chairman of Major Cineplex Group PLC was also on hand to present prizes to the runnerup.

Police Lt. General Somyot Poompanmoung, Assistant Commission General and President of the Thai Tenpin Bowling Association and Mr Toti Lopa, President of the Philippines Bowling Congress were also on hand to present prizes.

Attending on behalf of the newly re-elected World Tenpin Bowling Association President, Mr Kevin Dornberger, was second Vice President, Mr Michael Seymour of Australia.

Over 85 bowlers from the PBA, Korean PBA and amatuers from Chinese Taipei, Finland, India, Kuwait, Malaysia, Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, UAE and host Thailand participated in the championship.

The World Bowling Tour Thailand 2011 was the sixth leg of the inaugural WTBA World Bowling Tour. The seventh and final leg will be the AMF Australia MAsters 2011 which will be held the AMF Bowling Rooty Hill in Sydney, Australia from 10th to 22nd October.

The World Tenpin Bowling Association, which is made up of more than 100 bowling federations, governs the sport throughout the world. For more information on WTBA and the World Bowling Tour, visit World Tenpin Bowling Association.
 
Just finished watching the first game...

2 points - how proffesional is Mike Fagan, strike 11 holds up on his thumb a bit and wastes no time pulling out some sandpaper and gives his thumb hole a bit of a work out, then proceeds to throw number 12. My point being how many people here would make any kind of change at all after the first 11.

secondly how good is Belmo... the first one up there to double high five Fagan and pick him up. A Legend of a guy!
 
Hey Roysa. Your mention of Mike Fagan attacking his thumb hole bought back memory's of Cara Honeychurchs first US TV appearance. She had the front 10 (it might have been 11) against Michelle Feldman and i think Carolyn Dorin Ballard. Her finger grip came out so she took a time out and reglued it and proceeded to throw only the second female 300 on telly. Ice running through her veins
 
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