Nominations for Best Bowler ESPY Announced
This years nominations for ESPNs annual Best Bowler ESPY award have been announced. The 2015 nominees are: Jason Belmonte, defending PBA Player of the Year for two years running; Famer Parker Bohn, already a PBA Hall of Famer; and Mike Fagan, five-time Tour winner. Belmonte was previously given the award in 2011; neither Bohn nor Fagan have won the ESPY before now. Pete Weber, winner of the Best Bowler ESPY in both 2013 and 2014, was not nominated for this years award.
All three players have made impressive showings during this years play. Belmonte won the 2015 United States Bowling Congress Masters to maintain an unprecedented three-year winning streak at the event, and also successfully defended his title at the Barbasol PBA Tournament of Champions, bringing his career win total to 13. In addition to his first place finishes, Belmonte has also managed 5 top-five finishes in 2015 at events including the Maine Xtra Frame Shootout and the Oklahoma Open.
For his part, Bohn scored his 34th career PBA Tour Title when he won this years PBA Players Championship. He has also managed to earn two additional top-ten finishes, including at the Barbasol Tournament of Champions and the Mark Roth/Marshall Homan Doubles Championship. Fagan took home the 2014 PBA World Championship, his fifth career title and second major win. He has three additional top-ten finishes at events, including the DHC Japan Invitational, the Bahrain International, and Badger Opens.
ESPN has given out a Best Bowler ESPY every year since 1995. The voting panel consists of sports writers, broadcasters, executives, retired players, and fans.
Bill ONeil Successfully Defends Oklahoma Title
With a final score of 191-164, Langhorne, Pennsylvanias Bill ONeill took the title at the Oklahomas Grand Casino Resort King of the Swing for the second year in a row, beating Simpsonville, South Carolinas Tommy Jones. The King of the Swing was the final event of the Summer Swing, and presented a challenge to finalists by requiring them to compete on two different lane conditions, a 32-foot Wolf lane and a 52-foot Badger lane, in order to win the event.
In addition to his King of the Swing win, ONeill also finished third in the Bear and Wolf Opens, also part of the Summer Swing. Second place King of the Swing finisher Jones won the Bear Open, and defeated Badger Open winner Ronnie Russell at the Grand Casino Resort in order to face ONeill in the finals. Other competitors at the event included two-time defending PBA Player of the Year (and 2015 Best Bowler ESPY nominee) Jason Belmont, and Wolf Open winner Kyle Troup. Belmont entered the King of the Swing in the wild card position, which he earned by being the player with the highest number of points in the series without a title, but was defeated by Ronnie Russell in the second match.
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Sources
- http://www.californiabowlingnews.com/
