Qualifying for the PBA Challenge in the three PBA divisions was awarded to those competitors who participate and excel in each of the PBA50, PBA Regional and PBAW divisions.
The top eight points earners in each of those divisions received free entries to the World Series of Bowling, as well as a special match-play round prior to the animal-pattern events.
Match Play
Match play consisted of eight games (round robin plus a position round), within respective divisions, contested simultaneously. Following the eight games, the top two competitors, based on total pinfall and bonus pins (30 per victory), earned a spot on the ESPN telecast of the PBA Challenge.
PBA50 Championship Match: Amleto Monacelli vs. Walter Ray Williams, Jr.
Last year during a similar event on ESPN, fellow Hall of Famers Amleto Monacelli and Walter Ray Williams, Jr. dueled until the end, when Williams emerged victorious. This time, Moncelli left nothing to wonder as he piled strike upon strike, opening with the front seven and building a large lead over Williams.
Although Monacelli left a 3-6-10 in the eighth frame, he picked it up and closed with four more strikes for a 277. By that point, Williams was out of the match, and Monacelli claimed the PBA50 PBA Challenge trophy
Final scores: Monacelli 277, Williams 219
PBAW Championship Match: Missy Parkin vs. Clara Guerrero
Missy Parkin needed to perform in the 10th frame of the final game of match play to earn a spot on this show, and she picked up a fairly difficult spare to do so. Her opponent, Clara Guerrero, made a televised finals at World Series of Bowling V a year prior, falling to Wes Malott in the opening stepladder match of the Cheetah Championship.
It’s no surprise at all to see Parkin and Guerrero emerging as the top two PBAW bowlers, and this match belonged to Parkin, who struck nine times on her first 10 shots. Two ill-timed splits for Guerrero helped Parkin open an insurmountable lead, which she carried into the 10th and to the end.
Final scores: Parkin 266, Guerrero 202
PBA Regional Championship Match: Josh Blanchard vs. E.J. Tackett
The two most recent Harry Golden PBA Rookie of the Year Award winners earned their way to the top quarter of the eight-person field during match play, pitting themselves against each other in the PBA Challenge finals.
Blanchard, the 2012 PBA Rookie of the Year, never had any serious problems during the match, which was a relief to him as he knew Tackett (the 2013 PBA Rookie of the Year) was going to bowl excessively well, as he had all year.
Neither bowler has yet won a PBA Tour national title, but both seem poised to do so sooner rather than later, with Tackett having bowled for multiple titles throughout 2014 but falling just short.
While Tackett was able to bowl a decent game, Blanchard stayed ahead of him the whole time and claimed the distinction of PBA Regional Challenge champion.
Final scores: Blanchard 258, Tackett 236
Teen Masters Championship Match: Kelly Skalacki vs. Michael Coffey
The Teen Masters exhibition consisted of the boys’ champion and the girls’ champion competing to determine the ultimate Teen Masters champion.
Unfortunately for Kelly Skalacki, she was never able to get anything going in this match, while Michael Coffey was able to stay clean throughout the game except for a single frame.
With limits on what equipment can be used (each bowler was limited to one urethane ball and/or one plastic ball), the Teen Masters championships are designed to focus on skill rather than equipment.
In this case, Coffey, who has PBA Tour aspirations, was best able to put scores on the board and win the scholarship.
Final scores: Coffey 202, Skalacki 156
Prize Money
The winners of each of the PBA divisions received $8,000. The runners up earned $4,000. Michael Coffey received $10,000 in scholarship money and Kelly Skalacki received a $7,500 scholarship.