News 2015

Plainview, NY:  Maggie Joseph, a 57 year old right hander from Bay Shore, NY, won her first LIGBT title and the $1,000 top prize at AMF Plainview. Maggie doubled in the final frame to defeat Pak Wong, New York City, 242-240 in an incredible finish. While Pak earned $500 for second place, third went to Teddy Lucente, Las Vegas, NV, with a 208 worth $350. Finishing fourth was Sean Teahan, Islip, NY, with a 200 earning him $300.

The final shootout involved all non-champions looking for an invitation to LIGBT’s Tournament of Champions. Maggie, who was getting the most handicap with 63 pins, opened in 3 of her first 7 frames but still had a 2 pin lead going into the final frame. Pak doubled in the 10^th frame forcing Maggie to do the same to win. Maggie threw two strikes and 9 to win the title in exciting fashion.

The AMF Plainview holiday tournament an incredible crow of 153 entries, advanced 31 bowlers to the finals, and paid out $5,670. Kegel’s “Sunset Strip” pattern (40 feet) was used resulting in a cut of 753 in the 1pm squad and 735 in the 3pm squad. High series of the tournament was shot by Andrew Mienkiewicz, Massapequa, NY, with an 844 in the 3pm squad.  

LIGBT’s next tournament is a New Year’s Day 5-game marathon at AMF Babylon. Top prizes are guaranteed to pay $1,000-1^st, $600-2^nd, $400-3^rd, $300-4^th with one in 5 cashing for a minimum of $100. Entry fee is $90 for LIGBT members and $100 for non-members. For complete results of the AMF Plainview holiday tournament please visit www.ligbtour.com. The LIGBT is sponsored by Brunswick, Kegel, Randi Siegel Law Offices, Knockout Ball Cleaner, and CLS Custom Upholsterers.

 NEW BONUS PIN RULES

AS OF JANUARY 1, 2016

The cut scores for LIGBT events have gone up the last few tournaments. When researching why this is occurring we noticed scratch scores are similar but bonus pins have increased tremendously. As you are aware we changed the bonus pin rules at the beginning of Season 8. While the changes have been well received it is now starting to affect the actual tournaments.

Average and bonus pin rules will constantly be updated to protect the integrity of the competition. Beginning January 1, 2016 the following bonus pin rules will be in effect.

• You earn 2 bonus pins when you fail to cash on an entry. (NO CHANGE)
• You can earn up to 4 bonus pins in a tournament. (This rule applies only if you re-enter and fail to cash on either entry.) (NO CHANGE EXCEPT FOR MAJORS)
• In tournaments with more than 2 squads (Majors) the maximum number of bonus pins you can earn during that event is 4. (NEW)
• If you cash or make the finals in a tournament you will not earn bonus pins from any of your non-cashing squads in that event. (This rule applies only if you bowl re-enter.)  (NEW)
• In tournaments that do not use bonus pins (marathons and house shot tournaments) you will not earn bonus pins for if you don't cash. (NEW) 
• You will not lose bonus pins if you do cash in a house shot or marathon event. (NO CHANGE)
• When you make a finals you will lose 4 bonus pins for each round you advance (up from 2 per round) in a tournament that uses bonus pins. (NEW) 
• You will lose all of your bonus pins if you make a shootout of a tournament using bonus pins. (NO CHANGE)
• The maximum number of bonus pins you can earn per game remains at 16 (48 total.) (NO CHANGE)
• Bowlers cannot “bank” bonus pins once they reach the maximum of 16 pins (48 total.) (NO CHANGE)
• Bowlers will never have negative bonus pins. (NO CHANGE)
• The LIGBT no longer freezes bonus pins at any tournaments. (NO CHANGE)
• Bonus pins are used in qualifying only-never in finals, desperado, or side action. (NO CHANGE)
• Bonus pins are NOT USED in house shot tournaments or marathons. (NO CHANGE)

East Meadow, NY:  Angel Villavicencio, a 71 a year old retired grandfather from Whitestone, NY, captured his first LIGBT title at AMF East Meadow. Angel, who throws the ball without inserting his thumb, defeated Richie Patson, Lindenhurst, NY 246-235 with a mark in the tenth to win the $1,000 top prize. While Richie earned $500 for being the runner-up, third place went to Rafael Ongjoco, Babylon, NY with a 228 worth $350. Fourth was Eddie Cintron, Laurelton, NY with a 201 worth $300 and fifth went to Dwayne Redman, who was fighting a stiff back, with a 199 earning him $250.

The 5-person shootout started close as all of the bowlers had similar handicaps. Dwayne was getting the least amount and was the only champion in the finals. Angel started strong with 5 strikes in his first 7 frames which gave him a 50 pin lead. But when he opened in the 8^th and 9^th frames it gave several of the finalists a chance if they threw some late strikes. No one could mount a charge and Angel soon was holding the winner’s check and trophy with his wife Nancy.

The AMF East Meadow tournament drew 98 entries, advanced 17 bowlers to the finals, and paid out $3,640. Kegel’s “Autobahn” pattern (42 feet) was used resulting in unexpected high scores (due to a lot of bonus pins from the Thanksgiving Major); the cut was 755 in the 1pm squad and 761 in the 3pm squad. High series of the tournament was shot by Terry Cooper, Brooklyn, NY with an 826 in the 3pm squad.  

LIGBT’s next tournament is our annual Holiday Tournament at AMF Plainview on Sunday, December 20^th with 2 squads; 1pm & 3pm. Top prizes are guaranteed to pay $1,000-1^st, $500-2^nd, $300-3^rd, $250-4th. One in 6 each squad advances to the finals and cashes for a minimum of $80. Entry fees are only $70 & $60. For complete results of the AMF East Meadow tournament please visit www.ligbtour.com. The LIGBT is sponsored by Brunswick, Kegel, Randi Siegel Law Offices, and CLS Custom Upholsterers.

Babylon, NY:  Bobby Wunsch, a pharmaceutical assistant from East Meadow, NY, won the 2015 LIGBT Thanksgiving Major at AMF Babylon. Bobby, although owning 2 LIGBT regular titles, has been in a terrible slump due to a variety of physical ailments. In fact, Bobby has only cashed in 1 out of his last 9 LIGBT events. With his $2,000 victory, and first major title, it looks like Bobby is feeling better.

The final 5 shootout, worth almost $5,000, was a real battle. Bobby was only getting 30 pins in handicap while everyone else was getting between 42 and 69 pins! Bobby knew he had to get off to a fast start and began the match with 4 perfect shots. Bobby took the lead in the 8^th frame and finished with a 243 giving him a 19 pin victory over Sun Kim, Flushing, NY who finished with a 224 and earning $1,000.

There were other great performances in the final shootout. Finishing third with a 214 was Clive Tobias, Huntington, NY earning $750. The next spot went to Joe LaBargo, Bayside, NY who struck out in the final frame to grab 4^th with a 201 worth $600. The final spot in the shootout went to Maniram Basdeo, Bronx, NY with a 200 worth $500.

The AMF Babylon Thanksgiving Major drew an incredible 4 squad crowd of 250 entries plus 27 desperado entries. A total of 53 bowlers cashed (almost a 1 in 3 ratio) in a prize fund that paid $11,300. Kegel’s 35 foot Boardwalk pattern was used and scoring was on the high side for an LIGBT major with cuts ranging from 702 to 737. High series and high game of the tournament was shot by Terry Cooper, Brooklyn, NY with an 860 series, including a 300 game, in the Friday 9pm squad.

LIGBT’s next tournament is at AMF E. Meadow on Sunday, December 6^th (1pm& 3pm). Top prizes are guaranteed to pay $1,000, $500, $300 and $250. One in 6 each squad advances to the finals and will cash for a minimum of $80. Entry fees are only $65 & $55. For complete results of the Thanksgiving Major please visit www.ligbtour.com. The LIGBT is sponsored by Brunswick, Kegel, Randi Siegel Law Offices, and CLS Custom Upholsterers

Sayville, NY:  James Dickerson, a 47 year old letter carrier from Norwalk, Connecticut, won his first LIGBT title at AMF Sayville in a special house shot tournament. James defeated Kyle Lathen, Bronx, NY, 289-273 in the final shootout to earn the $1,000 top prize and the LIGBT trophy. While Kyle earned $500 for second Dave Perrone, W. Babylon, NY earned $350 for third with a 272. Rounding out the top 5 was 4^th place finisher Sean Teahan, Islip, NY with a 263 worth $300 and in fifth was Rich Patson, Lindenhurst, NY with a 216 earning him $250.

The 5 person shootout featured only one bowler with a title, Dave Perrone. The shootout quickly became a 2-person race as James and Sean kept throwing strikes and nine counts. Sean took a quick lead in the 8^th frame but opened in the 9^th giving James the opportunity to strike out the last 2 frames to secure the title. The final frame did have a lot of excitement as 3 of the finalists were trying to secure second place which eventually went to Kyle by one pin.

The AMF Sayville house shot tournament drew a nice crowd of 97 entries, advanced 17 bowlers to the finals, and paid out $3,640. As expected the house shot pattern resulted in high scoring; the cut was 783 in the 1pm squad and 813 in the 3pm squad (both LIGBT records!) High series of the tournament was shot by third place finisher Dave Perrone with an 890 series in the 1pm squad. There was only one 300 game and that was by our champion James Dickerson who shot his perfect game in the semi-finals.  

LIGBT’s next tournament is our annual Thanksgiving Major at AMF Babylon. This 2-day event (Friday and Sunday) will feature top prizes of $2,000-1^st, $1,000-2^nd, $750-3^rd, $500-4th. One in 6 each squad advances to the finals and cashes for a minimum of $100. Entry fee is only $70 per squad. For complete results of the AMF Sayville house shot tournament please visit www.ligbtour.com. The LIGBT is sponsored by Brunswick, Kegel, Randi Siegel Law Offices, and CLS Custom Upholsterers.

Wantagh, NY:  Eric Kaplan, 34 a year old right-handed commercial banker from Oakland Gardens, NY, won his first LIGBT title at AMF Wantagh with a clutch performance. Eric defeated Adam DeRossi, Massapequa Park, NY 251-244 with a double in the tenth to win the $1,000 top prize. While Adam earned $500 for being the runner-up, third place went to Sam Cooke, Patchogue, NY with a 225 worth $350. Fourth was Angel Villavicencio, Whitestone, NY with a 208 worth $300 and fifth went to Angelo DeSena with a 195 earning him $250.

The 5-person shootout started slow as all 5 bowlers had an open by the 4^th frame. Adam took the lead with a double in the 6^th and 7^th frames and increased it to 36 pins with a strike in the 9^th frame. Eric refused to surrender as he doubled in frames 8 & 9 and when Adam missed an easy one pin spare in the tenth it gave him the chance he wanted. Eric needed a double in the final frame to capture the title and he threw two perfect strikes to grab the $1,000 victory.

The AMF Wantagh tournament drew 98 entries, advanced 17 bowlers to the finals, and paid out $3,695. Kegel’s “Abbey Road” pattern (40 feet) was used resulting in unexpected high scores; the cut was 733 in the 1pm squad and 726 in the 3pm squad. High series of the tournament was shot by our champion Eric Kaplan with a 791 in the 1pm squad.  

LIGBT’s next tournament is a special “house shot” event at AMF Sayville on Sunday, November 22^nd with 2 squads; 1pm & 3pm. Top prizes are guaranteed to pay $1,000-1^st, $500-2^nd, $300-3^rd, $250-4th. One in 6 each squad advances to the finals and cashes for a minimum of $80. Entry fees are only $65 & $55. For complete results of the AMF Wantagh tournament please visit www.ligbtour.com. The LIGBT is sponsored by Brunswick, Kegel, Randi Siegel Law Offices, and CLS Custom Upholsterers.

Farmingdale, NY:  Paulo Martins, a 66 year old retired right hander from New York City, won his first LIGBT title with a pressure filled performance. Paulo defeated Sam Cooke, Patchogue, NY by one pin, 230-229 to earn the $1,000 top prize. While Sam earned $550 for second Joe LaBargo, Bayside, NY finished third with a 225 worth $350. Rounding out the top 4 was Rafael Ongjoco, Babylon, NY with a 215 worth $300. 

The Farmingdale Lanes shootout was a tight match for all 10 frames. There was only 1 title among the four finalists but the anxiety to win never showed. Going into the 10^th frame any of the four finalists could have won. Paulo was the last to shoot and he needed to fill at least 19 pins to capture the trophy. Paulo’s 5 year wait to grab the trophy ended when he spared and threw a 9 count to win by one pin.

The Farmingdale Lanes tournament drew an incredible fall crowd of 126 entries, advanced 22 bowlers to the finals, and paid out $4,890. The WTBA Montreal pattern (41 feet) was used resulting in moderate scoring; the cut was 704 in the 1pm squad and 713 in the 3pm squad. High series of the tournament was shot by Cary Fishman, New York, NY with a 784 in the 3pm squad.  

LIGBT’s next tournament is at AMF Wantagh on Sunday, November 15^th with 2 squads; 1pm & 3pm. Top prizes are guaranteed to pay $1,000-1^st, $500-2^nd, $300-3^rd, $250-4th. One in 6 each squad advances to the finals and cashes for a minimum of $80. Entry fees are only $65 & $55. For complete results of the Farmingdale Lanes tournament please visit www.ligbtour.com. The LIGBT is sponsored by Brunswick, Kegel, Randi Siegel Law Offices, and CLS Custom Upholsterers.

Levittown, NY:  Archie Nabas, a left-hander bowler from Queens Village, won his second LIGBT title in a month. Archie’s first title was at JIB Lanes on October 4^th and his second title was only 3 weeks later, this Sunday at South Levittown Lanes. To win the $1,000 top prize Archie shot a 244 handicap game to defeat second place finisher Jose Ferreira, Woodside, NY by a mere 5 pins. Jose, who was also looking for his second LIGBT title, earned $500 for his runner-up position.

The final 4 shootout was very close as all 4 bowlers were within 10 pins late in the match. Archie doubled in the 8^th and 9^th frames forcing Jose to do the same in the 10^th. Jose threw the first strike but got 9 on his second shot costing him the title. Finishing third and earning $400 was Dave Soren, Long Beach, NY with a 235. Fourth went to Frank Lunghi with a 222 worth $300.

The South Levittown Lanes tournament drew an incredible fall crowd of 131 entries, advanced 23 bowlers to the finals, and paid out $4,935. The PBA Chameleon pattern (39 feet) was used resulting in moderate scoring; the cut was 697 in the 1pm squad and 707 in the 3pm squad. High series of the tournament was shot by TJ Kim, Mineola, NY with an 813 in the 3pm squad.  

LIGBT’s next tournament is at Farmingdale Lanes on Sunday, November 8^th with 2 squads; 1pm & 3pm. Top prizes are guaranteed to pay $1,000-1^st, $500-2^nd, $300-3^rd, $250-4th. One in 6 each squad advances to the finals and cashes for a minimum of $80. Entry fees are only $65 & $55. For complete results of the South Levittown tournament please visit www.ligbtour.com. The LIGBT is sponsored by Brunswick, Kegel, Randi Siegel Law Offices, and CLS Custom Upholsterers.