Pete Weber took another step closer to 50 PBA Regional titles on Sunday by winning the PBA Midwest Region Oak Forest Bowl Chameleon Open sponsored by American Family Insurance at Oak Forest Bowl in Oak Forest, Ill.
PBA reported on its Facebook page that it was Weber's 47th Regional title, and he might get to 50 before he turns 50 on Aug. 19 because he shows few signs of slowing down with age — his amazing win at the U.S. Open (PBA Tour title 36) in February proved that.
I bowled my second Regional of the year and got a first-hand look at the Hall of Famer, as he crossed just a few lanes away from me. His famous sweet, smooth swing was getting the ball down the lane with ease even after they had trashed out pretty severely by the end of qualifying.
Weber topped the 8-game qualifying over new Madison resident Derek Eoff 1,841-1,839.
Competing on the Chameleon pattern, the cut to the top 16 in the 68-player field took a score of 1,647 and low to cash of 22nd was 1,619.
Eoff, though, grabbed the top seed after Sunday's 12 games of match play, with Jason Wojnar moving up to second, Weber in third and Tom Hess in fourth.
Weber then ran the stepladder, although the results posted on the Midwest PBA page here don't include the stepladder scores.
PBA reported on Wednesday that Weber beat Eoff 248-217 in the title match.
First was $2,500 and second $1,400.
The tournament also was an "animal pattern" championship tournament. Tom Hess, who finished fourth for $900, was the high finisher among those who paid the option $50 animal pattern championship entry and he earned a paid entry into the 2012 World Series of Bowling.
David Beres of Waukesha was seventh for $690. I finished 17th for $425, Chad Maas of Waukesha 18th for $425, and Ryan Yanel of Kenosha 21st for $400.
I played the lanes in the track to start with a new Storm IQ, then moved in gradually, switching to a VICTORY ROAD SOLID and then a new FIRE ROAD, ending inside the fourth arrow.
