The best thing I gained from my short and undistinguished PBA Tour career were a bunch of great friends.
Amleto Monacelli was among the very best of the great guys I met on Tour and it was great to see him again last week and enjoy the great speech he gave when he was inducted into the United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame.
My favorite Amleto story was the time he uttered a mild curse quietly in Spanish after leaving a single pin. I called him on it with a chuckle and he reacted with wide-eyed surprise — he had no idea I took four semesters of Portugese, which is similar to Spanish, at UW-Madison.
In addition to his engaging personality and powerful release, Monacelli was known for his fitness regime, and seeing him last week it was clear he has not slacked off a bit.
So don’t be surprised if you see him dominating the PBA Senior Tour, which he became eligible for after the end of last year’s Senior Tour.
As my girlfriend Sue and I were leaving the Sheraton Arlington last Friday, we ran into Monacelli in — where else? — the fitness center and stopped to say goodbye, telling him I’d see him in August after I turn 50 and wishing him better luck than his loss in the Round of 24 last week.
“They were high scoring,” he said with a smile. “I didn’t strike enough.”
Scores are lower this week, and Amleton is on top after the second round of the PBA Senior Don Carter Memorial Open.
Monacelli, who was 16th after the first round, rolled games of 209, 238, 266, 215, 235 and 268 in Monday’s second round for a 12-game total of 2,734 (227.8 average) and a 4-pin lead over fellow Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr., PBA reported.
“Today I was able to find the right angle to the pocket right away and all I had to do was adjust my speed,” Monacelli said in this PBA news release. “The conditions don’t change as drastically as they do on the PBA Tour so you can adjust quicker. In regular tour tournaments it seems like I’m always one step behind and it’s harder to stay ahead of the changes.”
After the third six-game qualifying round on Tuesday, the 106-player field will be cut to the top 32 for match play on Wednesday.
When it's over, don't be surprised if Moncelli still is there.
PBA SENIOR DON CARTER MEMORIAL OPEN PRESENTED BY EBONITE
Carter Family Bowl, Winter Garden, Fla., Monday
SECOND ROUND RESULTS
(12 games)
a-indicates amateur
1, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 2,734.
2, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 2,730.
3, Paul McCordic, Sugarland, Texas, 2,704.
4, Bob Learn Jr., Erie, Pa., 2,685.
5, Ron Profitt, Brookville, Ohio, 2,675.
6, Ron Dixon, Boynton Beach, Fla., 2,664.
7, Ricky Beck, Box Elder, S.D., 2,659.
8, Ron Mohr, Eagle River, Alaska, 2,647.
9, (tie) Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas, and Brian Cooper, Visalia, Calif., 2,644.
11, Tim Kauble, Marion, Ohio, 2,613.
12, Bryan Goebel, Shawnee, Kan., 2,596.
13, Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Twp., Mich., 2,581.
14, Christopher Keane, New City, N.Y., 2,580.
15, Todd Kjell, Roscoe, Ill., 2,577.
16, Kent Wagner, Palmetto, Fla., 2,570.
17, Bo Goergen, Sanford, Mich., 2,569.
18, Dave Bernhardt, Romeo, Mich., 2,567.
19, (tie) Randy Shewmake, Ft. Worth, Texas, and Tom Baker, King, N.C., 2,557.
21, Larry Barwick, Wauchula, Fla., 2,556.
22, Brian Brazeau, Ocala, Fla., 2,550.
23, Tony Majcher, Rolling Meadows, Ill., 2,547.
24, Kenny Parks, Hammond, Ind., 2,543.
25, Larry Popp, Marion, Ohio, 2,539.
26, Steve Lickliter, Beckley, W. Va., 2,536.
27, Dale Eagle, Tavares, Fla., 2,534.
28, Steve Neff, Homosassa Springs, Fla., 2,532.
29, Bill Henson, Westerville, Ohio, 2,523.
30, Sammy Ventura, Syracuse, N.Y., 2,506.
31, Dave Sill, Titusville, Fla., 2,505.
32, Peter Knopp, Germany, 2,501.
33, Keith Sharp, Orlando, Fla., 2,494.
34, George Patel, England, 2,485.
35, Michael Henry, Brunswick, Ohio, 2,478.
36, Bob Handley, Winter Park, Fla., 2,466.
37, (tie) Steve Ferraro, Kingston, N.Y., and Dennis Lane, Kingsport, Tenn., 2,465.
39, Emilio Mora Sr., Defiance, Ohio, 2,461.
40, Arturo Hernandez, Venezuela, 2,458.
41, Tom Carter, Rockford, Ill., 2,452.
42, Ernie Schlegel, Vancouver, Wash., 2,449.
43, (tie) Charlie Toney, Oak Hill, W. Va., and John Petraglia, Jackson, N.J., 2,447.
45, Steve Stein, Staten Island, N.Y., 2,441.
46, Dave Soutar, Bradenton, Fla., 2,440.
47, Jim Burch, Columbus, Ohio, 2,438.
48, Roger Kossert, Lithia, Fla., 2,437.
49, Gary Hiday, Indianapolis, 2,432.
50, Pete Couture, Titusville, Fla., 2,429.
51, Larry Lichstein, Ft. Myers, Fla., 2,423.
52, Don Blatchford, Santa Monica, Calif., 2,419.
53, Bruce Hall, Los Altos Hills, Calif., 2,415.
54, Bob Chamberlain, The Villages, Fla., 2,414.
55, a-Chuck Richardson, The Villages, Fla., 2,410.
56, Frank Gallo Jr., Jacksonville, Fla., 2,409.
57, (tie) Daniel Miner, East Moline, Ill., and Kerry Fulford, Brownwood, Texas, 2,401.
59, Phil Gessner, Spring, Texas, 2,400.
60, Terry Metzner, Kentwood, Mich., 2,396.
61, (tie) Henry Gonzalez, Colorado Springs, Colo., and Bob Pazur, Venice, Fla., 2,393.
63, Mike Dias, Lafayette, Colo., 2,392.
64, Sal Bongiorno, Hollywood, Fla., 2,386.
65, Vince Mazzanti Jr., Levittown, Pa., 2,378.
66, Garry Blanton, Owensboro, Ky., 2,374.
67, George Lord, Lakeland, Fla., 2,369.
68, Lee Rucker, Fort Myers, Fla., 2,364.
69, Thomas Young, Houston, 2,337.
70, William Keenan, Jr., Orlando, Fla., 2,333.
71, Steve Fuhrman, Fort Worth, Texas, 2,325.
72, Ron Garr, Ridgedale, Mo., 2,317.
73, Gary Lambert, Orlando, Fla., 2,299.
74, Bobby Dunn, Augusta, Ga., 2,286.
75, Michael Truitt, Orland Park, Ill., 2,266.
76, Keith Glasgow, St. Petersburg, Fla., 2,264.
77, Vince Honeycutt, Buford, Ga., 2,257.
78, Tom Kennedy, Shepherdsville, Ky., 2,251.
79, Mike Anthony, Mason, Ohio, 2,233.
80, (tie) Thomas Ream, Tampa, Fla., and Mark Scime, Winter Garden, Fla., 2,231.
82, Jim Lesiuk, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., 2,230.
83, (tie) Andy Anderson, Falls Church, Va., and Danny Gould, Palm Bay, Fla, 2,222.
85, James Souder, Greeneville, Tenn, 2,201.
86, Bob Andersen, Forest City, N.C., 2,200.
87, Howard Frostman, Washburn, 2,192.
88, Peter Brainard, Tampa, Fla., 2,178.
89, Randy Niehaus, Rockford, Ill., 2,174.
90, Timothy Bates, Orlando, Fla., 2,173.
91, Frank Manley Jr., Fletcher, N.C., 2,164.
92, Ray Randall, Dearborn, Mich., 2,161.
93, Bruce Himschoot, Sanford, Fla., 2,148.
94, Miguel Ventura, Kississmee, Fla., 2,139.
95, Tom Howison, Chillicothe, Ohio, 2,135.
96, Edward Kramarcik Sr., Lake Mary, Fla., 2,133.
97, (tie) Angel Zugarramurdi, Venezuela, and Nick Panicaro, Naples, Fla., 2,131.
99, Rod Michael, Florissant, Mo., 2,117.
100, Brian DiCicco, Ridgefield, Conn., 2,111.
101, Donald Breihan, Columbia, S.C., 2,102.
102, Rolando Sebelen, Dominican Republic, 2,061.
103, a-Rick Bucceri, Deltona, Fla., 2,052.
104, a-Miguel Varela, Venezuela, 2,032.
105, Larry O’Neill, Alexandria, Va., 2,004.
106, Dan Howsmon, Lutz, Fla., 1,972.
300 Games - Paul McCordic
