K. Sergejevas – 'PBA South Region Rookie of the year award is very special to me'

Dec 10, 2022 | By Erikas Jansonas

Interviews

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Kristijonas Sergejevas / From personal archives

K. Sergejevas – 'PBA South Region Rookie of the year award is very special to me'

Dec 10, 2022 | By Erikas Jansonas

Kristijonas Sergejevas / From personal archives

Interviews

One of the best Lithuanian bowling players of all time made the whole American bowling society check where our little country is. He took PBA (Professional Bowlers Association) Southern Region Rookie of the Year title of the 2019 season. All about his achievements, hard decision to move to the USA, and unfading desire to bowl in an exclusive interview with Kristijonas Sergejevas.

You are undoubtedly one of the most talented Lithuanian bowlers. A virtuoso of the first trick shots on the YouTube channel and probably the only Lithuanian bowler currently known outside the Atlantic. But how did this sport emerge in your life? When did you start bowling?

I started bowling when I was about 10 or 11 years old. My dad would take me to a bowling alley on weekends and let me bowl. I was enjoying the game and wanted to bowl more and more. I tried other sports like swimming and basketball, but bowling was the one that I stuck with, which now looks like a good choice.

Kristijonas Sergejevas
Kristijonas Sergejevas / From personal archives

When did you start participating in LBF (Lithuanian Bowling Federation) ranking tournaments? When did you sense them not being enough to fulfill your bowling drive?

My first official tournament was in 2002. It was a National rankings tournament in my hometown – Kaunas. There was no youth division back then. I believe I got to bowl one squad and was ranked with men, so making it to the next round was nearly impossible for me. I do not remember how I did, but I know that tournament inspired me to keep bowling.

Back in the day, I was happy to be able to compete in any tournament. I was fortunate enough to have the ability to compete in many national and high-level international events when I was younger. I always enjoyed bowling in any tournament; therefore, the hunger for the game was always there regardless of the tournament's importance. One thing I knew for sure was that I needed to get much better to achieve something outside Lithuania.

Please remind the readers about your most memorable tournament moments or most significant achievements while still here in Lithuania.

I have many excellent memories from various tournaments before I left Lithuania. The most memorable wins were my National Championships: First National Youth Championship in 2006; First National Men's Championship in 2009 (I believe I am still the youngest bowler to win Men's title); First National Team Championship in 2009.

European Youth Championships in 2009 was also very special because I happened to qualify for the "Masters "event, which any Lithuanian youth bowler had never done.

I remember the last tournament I bowled in Lithuania in 2016, where I won my second National Men's Championship. I stayed in Lithuania for the 2015-2016 season, which allowed me to bowl some tournaments. The ranking tournaments during the season could have gone better for me. I couldn't win. Something was missing. It all came together at the National Championships, where I had one of my best tournaments. Great memory, for sure!

What made you decide you wanted to move to the United States? Was leaving your homeland difficult? How did you pick a university in the first place? What did your typical day at a university look like? Was it bowling all day long?

I am trying to remember when I decided to go to the United States. It was my mum that decided for me. We both knew that I needed to get better coaching if I wanted to achieve something more in bowling.

I applied to several universities and got replies with their interest before I heard about WIU (Webber International University). I learned about WIU at European Champions Cup in 2009, where I met Sid Allen. Sid is a World-Class coach who was coaching Team Latvia at the time. He was the one who recruited me to WIU. I chose that school mainly because of its bowling program and practice facility – Kegel Training Center. Working with the top coaches in the world, getting a good education, and living in sunny Florida sounded like a great deal to me.

Leaving my home country wasn't easy. I was still determining where and how I would get there. The thought of living by myself was scary but knowing that I was getting an opportunity to train in the best facility in the world kept me going forward. Once I arrived and settled in, I realized I was in the right place.

There was a decent amount of bowling done every day. However, student bowlers do not have the whole day to bowl. A typical day for a bowler athlete looked like this: 3 classes in the morning and team practice in the evening. Sometimes, a bowler has individual practice during the day. Bowlers, like any other athlete, also have to attend team and individual workouts in the gym. Add homework and tournaments over the weekends; you can see how busy the schedule was.

When did you bowl your first 300? Do you still keep count of your perfect games? What helps you keep the hand firm and legs straight when the only thing separating you from perfection is a single shot?

My first 300 happened pretty late in my career. It was in 2011. It was the summer after my first year at WIU during the V.I.P. Cup in Klaipėda. I had many 299s and 298s before my first 300. I now mainly count 300 games I achieve in tournaments, of which I now have 10.

The last shot of a 300 game is as hard as you make it. It is all about how you perceive the moment and how much pressure you put on yourself for that final shot. I think what makes it easier to make that shot is the realization that the final shot of the game is just another shot, no different from the other shots.

Do you still get nervous before tournaments? What is your way of dealing with this type of anxiety? Do you get more nervous during individual or team competitions?

In my eyes, being nervous before any important tournament is standard. Having that pre-tournament excitement or anxiety shows that we are alive and that what we do is important to us.

I do get nervous before major tournaments up to this day. The way I deal with that is simple – I embrace it and perceive it as an everyday occurrence. I always feel less nervous when I put less pressure on myself. I think there is more pressure and anxiety in the team competition. In team bowling, you have however many teammates behind you. For example, in college bowling, you have seven teammates who all rely on you to make a good shot or make a single-pin spare. Throwing a winning shot for your team is much more complex than throwing a winning shot just for yourself.

Everyone in Lithuania is waiting for the miracle of bowling becoming an Olympic sport. Would you agree that this will be the case sooner or later? Do bowlers in the United States converse about that? Would you represent your homeland if Lithuania had a spot in the Olympics?

I hope to see bowling in the Olympic Games. I am not sure if it will happen soon. The sooner, the better. The talks about bowling being an Olympic sport are constant around the United States. Everyone wants this to happen. That is, in the end, the ultimate goal.

I always said I will bowl for Lithuania whenever I get an opportunity. Sadly, I didn't have a chance to bowl any international events for Lithuania in recent years. Hopefully, in the near future, with some upcoming championships, I will be able to bowl for team Lithuania again.

Let's bring the interview back to the titles. This year you achieved something most other bowlers could only dream about. I am not only talking about Lithuanian players. What made you a PBA Southern Region Rookie of the Year?

PBA Regional Managers around the country vote for this award. They chose the recipients in each region based on tournament rankings, averages, earnings, and several other statistics. I had a decent season where I bowled well in several tournaments. It was enough to earn this award.

Was that your aspiration since the very beginning of the season? What does this award mean to you? What new opportunities has it given to you? Did it inspire you to achieve even more? What is next?

Receiving the PBA South Region Rookie of the Year award is very special to me and is one of my top achievements. You only have one attempt to win this award, and I managed to get it. I was hoping to achieve this when I got my PBA membership, so I am glad it happened.

There is more I want to achieve. I want to win a PBA Regional tournament this year.

Becoming PBA South Region Player of the Year would be another goal for the future. I also plan to participate in a couple of PBA Tour events, like the USBC Masters or US Open and see where I stand with the best bowlers in the world.

Your close relationship with professional bowling player Verity Crawley is no secret. Is bowling the main topic of your conversations? Do you practice together? Which of the two is more likely to advise the other? Who would win if you had to bowl one game competing with each other?

We speak a lot about bowling. We both are very passionate about this sport. We want to help each other to get better. I would say that 50% of our conversations are bowling-related. We have a few other hobbies that we like to talk about as well.

Kristijonas Sergejevas
Kristijonas Sergejevas / From personal archives

Currently, we only get a chance to practice a little together. Verity lives and works in another state couple of hours away. We only get to practice together on the weekends.

I am more willing to advise her. However, we try to share our knowledge with each other as much as we can. She has more experience from bowling at a professional level, while I have more experience with the technical side of bowling.

I think we both have a 50/50 chance at winning one game. But I am very competitive and will always say that I can beat her anytime. Now, in reality, that may not always happen.

Since you live and play in the motherland of bowling, a country in which the conditions and opportunities of this sport are undoubtedly the best in the world, do you have an overall picture of how bowling could become a popular sport in the countries where people still only treat it as a way of entertainment and cannot imagine it without a couple of beers and fried bread in their hands?

Bowling is ultimately a game; people come to bowling centers to have fun. Bowling centers don't make money from professional bowlers, so party bowling is essential to the business. To me, it is about identifying and emphasizing the differences between sports bowling and party bowling. Starting some leagues and showcasing the professional side of bowling could be a good start to get some more people involved in this sport. We also need more enthusiastic people like you to emerge, enjoy and help grow bowling as a sport.

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Brunswick to USBC Urethane Ban: "We Do Not Agree"

Following a public statement from the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) confirming that it is in advanced talks to ban urethane bowling balls in certified competition, reactions have started to come out from within the bowling community. public statement public statement in advanced talks to ban urethane bowling balls in advanced talks to ban urethane bowling balls Brunswick, one of the leading bowling equipment manufacturers, confirmed it has been in contact with USBC since April regarding potential changes to ball specifications. These discussions are part of USBC’s wider review process, which includes input from technical experts, manufacturers, and stakeholders. In an interview with Erikas Jansonas from BowlingLife, Jordan Vanover, VP International at Brunswick Bowling Products, LLC, said the company has been in ongoing discussions with USBC in recent months, actively sharing feedback and addressing the concerns raised by the organization. “USBC contacted us in late April requesting feedback on potential changes to bowling ball specifications, and we have maintained open communications with the USBC over the past few months,” Mr. Vanover said “We have listened to the USBC concerns and had the opportunity to share our thoughts and ideas.” In those imput exchanges, Brunswick made it clear that it does not support a ban on urethane. The company believes urethane balls play an important role for many bowlers, especially in more demanding lane conditions. “We do not agree with the idea of banning urethane balls,” Vanover stated. “These balls are an important tool for many bowlers who use them to achieve more controllable ball motion on challenging lane patterns.” Brunswick’s product lineup includes several urethane balls under its umbrella, including the most popular one - Hammer’s Purple Pearl Urethane. A full ban would have financial consequences for the company. “The elimination of urethane balls would have a measurable impact on our sales,” Vanover noted. In recent months, there has been speculation that manufacturers have slowed or stopped urethane development due to the pottential USBC urethane ban. Brunswick, however, denied this connection. “The urethane ball released in March 2024 was not connected to the ongoing USBC discussions,” said Vanover. While USBC has not yet announced a final decision, the topic remains one of the most widely discussed in the bowling community today. BowlingLife has been in contact with USBC officials, but at this time, the organization has no further comment beyond what was published in its social media post on July 23. USBC has also launched a public survey asking for input on how urethane bowling balls should be handled in certified competitions. USBC has also launched a public survey USBC has also launched a public survey All feedback gathered so far, along with any new responses, will be reviewed by the Equipment Specifications Committee at its next meeting, set for late August or early September 2025.

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Darren Tang Makes PBA History Winning With Both Styles: “The Optimal Way to Throw Strikes Is With Two Hands”

Darren Tang, a PBA Tour title holder since his win at the 2021 Bowlerstore.com Classic, has officially written his name into the PBA record books with one exceptional achievement. After years of competing as a one-handed player, Tang made a bold move in late 2024 by switching to a two-handed delivery. Many fans assumed it was just for content - since Tang is the one of the biggest bowling content creators on YouTube - but it wasn’t. He bowled his first tournament using the two-handed style in November and fully committed to the change in February 2025. biggest bowling content creators on YouTube biggest bowling content creators on YouTube This weekend, his efforts fully paid off as he won the PBA Santa Maria Open in the West Region. With this victory, Tang becomes the first bowler ever to win PBA titles using both one-handed and two-handed techniques. Following the victory, Darren Tang spoke with Erikas Jansonas from BowlingLife about his newest achievement, the challenges he faced during the transition to two-handed, and how he sees his future on tour. As most things in life, best of them comes unexpectedly. That happened and this time. When asked what it meant for him to become the first player in PBA history to win titles using both styles, Darren said that he didn’t pursue the distinction on purpose, but acknowledged it was still a special moment. “Always cool to have the distinction to be the first to do something. It’s not something that I thought too much about,” Tang stated. “I just want to keep getting better to give myself the best chance possible to win again on the tour.” “Always cool to have the distinction to be the first to do something. It’s not something that I thought too much about,” Tang stated. “I just want to keep getting better to give myself the best chance possible to win again on the tour.” Even though many say that two-handed bowling is a kind of cheat code, it’s still difficult to learn - especially well enough to win a PBA title. When explaining the technical challenges that came with switching styles, Tang shared that one old habit in particular was especially tough to break. “The hardest habit to break for me is the internal rotation of my shoulder. I had this move as a one hander, and it would cause misses to the left and is more or less a power leak," Tang explained. "It’s exaggerated bowling two handed because of the position I have to rotate around now. If I don’t keep it in check, my elbow flies around the ball much worse than a good shot.” “The hardest habit to break for me is the internal rotation of my shoulder. I had this move as a one hander, and it would cause misses to the left and is more or less a power leak," Tang explained. "It’s exaggerated bowling two handed because of the position I have to rotate around now. If I don’t keep it in check, my elbow flies around the ball much worse than a good shot.” Starting over with a brand-new style is never easy—it takes time to develop, and there’s always some doubt. For pros like Tang, who need to perform just to make a living, the risk is even bigger. He admitted that the initial decision to switch wasn’t easy. But once he fully committed to going two-handed, he never looked back. “I haven’t doubted the switch. I did doubt switching initially. I think the hardest part in anything someone does is start. I understood that this would take some time. I told myself that I need to be okay with not cashing for the rest of the season to develop this skill. Once I committed, I never looked back. I was extremely fortunate to pick up on it much faster than I anticipated.” “I haven’t doubted the switch. I did doubt switching initially. I think the hardest part in anything someone does is start. I understood that this would take some time. I told myself that I need to be okay with not cashing for the rest of the season to develop this skill. Once I committed, I never looked back. I was extremely fortunate to pick up on it much faster than I anticipated.” Tang noticed that he strikes more often with the two-handed style, but some old habits of one-handed style still sneak into his current technique - reminding us that bowling is always changing and adapting. “I have committed to both styles. I believe the optimal way to throw strikes is with two hands. I also believe that the optimal way to shoot spares is with the thumb in. So that is what I will be committing to for the foreseeable future.” “I have committed to both styles. I believe the optimal way to throw strikes is with two hands. I also believe that the optimal way to shoot spares is with the thumb in. So that is what I will be committing to for the foreseeable future.”

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“You Never Know What Can Happen in Europe With Purples” – Inside Team Italy’s Domination at the EMC 2025

At the 2025 European Men’s Bowling Championships in Aalborg, Denmark, Team Italy delivered one of its strongest performances in decades.Gli Azzurri claimed medals in Singles, Doubles, the Team event, and All-Events, and came close in Trios — missing the podium by just 9 pins. Singles Singles Doubles Doubles Trios Trios When many powerhouses struggled to find a game plan on a challenging oil pattern — one that some players called the toughest ever seen at the European Championships — Italy’s national team obviously thrived, scoring well above the EMC average. Much of that Italy's success was led by Antonino Fiorentino, who, in addition to bronze medals in Doubles and Team event, also claimed gold in All-Event and Singles, becoming the only Italian bowler to ever win European titles in Singles, Doubles, and Trios. Fiorentino previously won Doubles gold with Nicola Pangolini in 2023 and Trios gold in 2019 and 2022 alongside Pangolini and Alessandro Santu. won Doubles gold with Nicola Pangolini in 2023 won Doubles gold with Nicola Pangolini in 2023 BowlingLife caught up with Antonino Fiorentino after the event to hear how Italy navigated the challenging lane conditions, adapted their strategy mid-tournament, and came just one brave and timely decision away from earning medals in every event at the EMC 2025. Reading the Lanes, Not Just the Pattern Sheet Fiorentino said he noticed early on that playing traditional lines near the second or third arrow wouldn’t be an option this year at the European Men's Bowling Championships, and that some non-standard adjustments would be necessary. “I noticed from official practice that big asymmetrical balls didn’t hold up well on the fresh — maybe for one game. After that, the best look I had was moving in and playing really close to the pocket with a forward roll and a low-flaring ball. For me, that was the Envy Tour.” “I noticed from official practice that big asymmetrical balls didn’t hold up well on the fresh — maybe for one game. After that, the best look I had was moving in and playing really close to the pocket with a forward roll and a low-flaring ball. For me, that was the Envy Tour.” His usual go-to ball didn’t look as promising. For transition, he also avoided fast-response asymmetric shapes like the Brunswick Hypnotize, opting instead for his Track Theorem. “My benchmark ball — the Trouble Maker Solid — just looked worse overall. For the transition, I also decided to go with my Theorem instead of the Hypnotize, for the same reason. I noticed that big, quick-asym balls weren’t effective there either.” “My benchmark ball — the Trouble Maker Solid — just looked worse overall. For the transition, I also decided to go with my Theorem instead of the Hypnotize, for the same reason. I noticed that big, quick-asym balls weren’t effective there either.” While urethane bowling balls had repeatedly shown success at past European Championships, using them wasn’t part of Italy’s original strategy this time — but as Fiorentino noted, in Europe, you always have to be prepared to both use urethane and face opponents who do. “We all picked one urethane ball each, but we didn’t really test them during practice. It was more of a defensive move — you never know what can happen in Europe with the Purples.” “We all picked one urethane ball each, but we didn’t really test them during practice. It was more of a defensive move — you never know what can happen in Europe with the Purples.” Like a Finely Tuned Stradivarius Violin In the early stages of the tournament, everything was falling into place for Antonino Fiorentino. He opened his six-game block with a 211 and kept building momentum, finishing strong with a 269 in the final game — a performance that secured him third place in Singles qualification. It was clear that his equipment choices were spot on and performing exactly as expected. “In Singles and Doubles, my arsenal worked perfectly. I saw exactly what I had anticipated during practice. Shot-making was obviously crucial, but if you had the right types of balls and played the correct part of the lane in the right way, you could still score.” “In Singles and Doubles, my arsenal worked perfectly. I saw exactly what I had anticipated during practice. Shot-making was obviously crucial, but if you had the right types of balls and played the correct part of the lane in the right way, you could still score.” In the semifinal, Fiorentino rolled 246 and a dominant 277 in the final — beating two French bowlers with urethanes inside the lane. “In Singles I bowled against Valentin Saulnier and Gaëtan Mouveroux. They were both using the Purple Hammer playing inside. I used the Perfect Mindset against Valentin, and then switched to the Envy Tour against Gaëtan because that pair was slower. It was basically a shot-making contest — we didn’t really interfere with each other’s game. There were too few shots.”In Doubles, paired with Erik Davolio, Antonino Fiorentino finished third in qualification with a mutual 212.4 average. In the semifinal, they faced the same opponents — but this time, France’s urethane strategy proved more effective. Davolio scored 155, Fiorentino added 194, but it wasn’t enough to break through to the Doubles final. “In Singles I bowled against Valentin Saulnier and Gaëtan Mouveroux. They were both using the Purple Hammer playing inside. I used the Perfect Mindset against Valentin, and then switched to the Envy Tour against Gaëtan because that pair was slower. It was basically a shot-making contest — we didn’t really interfere with each other’s game. There were too few shots.” “They were able to migrate left faster than us and ended up breaking down our lines.” “They were able to migrate left faster than us and ended up breaking down our lines.” The Turning Point: France and Finland Change the Game After the Doubles block, things began to shift. France started playing urethane deep inside, around the fourth arrow — and it was clearly working. The French trio of Valentin Saulnier, Gaëtan Mouveroux, and Maxime Dubois averaged 218.7, leading the Trios qualification by more than 200 pins over their closest competitors. “We noticed that France was using Purples at the beginning of the block, and they were playing them inside — around the fourth arrow, keeping it tight to the pocket. That allowed them to score well as a team on the fresh. We decided to copy that strategy for the rest of the tournament, and it turned out to be a good choice. It was much easier than trying to use big asyms. I think we were the only team — maybe along with part of the Swedish team — who picked up on that.” “We noticed that France was using Purples at the beginning of the block, and they were playing them inside — around the fourth arrow, keeping it tight to the pocket. That allowed them to score well as a team on the fresh. We decided to copy that strategy for the rest of the tournament, and it turned out to be a good choice. It was much easier than trying to use big asyms. I think we were the only team — maybe along with part of the Swedish team — who picked up on that.” Another turning point in the competition came when Finland’s Niko Oksanen rolled a 1396 block using a Purple Hammer, playing on the outside part of the lane. His success sparked a wave of imitation — with more and more players, and in some cases entire teams, trying to replicate the strategy. While it paid off for some, like the Romanian national team, Fiorentino noted that for many others, it ended up doing more harm than good. like the Romanian national team like the Romanian national team “Sometimes there was more room than usual, but other times no room at all. The point is that many teams couldn’t get anything going inside, so they took the gamble and tried to copy that strategy. As a result, in Trios and Team, there was much more urethane going down the lanes. And if before I had just a small amount of miss-room to the right playing inside, urethane completely took that away — and scores dropped even further.” “Sometimes there was more room than usual, but other times no room at all. The point is that many teams couldn’t get anything going inside, so they took the gamble and tried to copy that strategy. As a result, in Trios and Team, there was much more urethane going down the lanes. And if before I had just a small amount of miss-room to the right playing inside, urethane completely took that away — and scores dropped even further.” A Crucial Adjustment By the time the Team event began, lane conditions had become much tighter due to the surge in urethane use. With miss-room shrinking, Fiorentino made a bold choice — instead of switching balls early, he decided to polish his Envy Tour. That little maneuver proved crucial and ultimately secured him the All-Events gold. “On the first day of the Team event, I noticed the lanes were tighter because of all this. So for the final block, I decided to polish my Envy Tour instead of switching too early to the Theorem. That ended up being the decisive move for my All-Events gold as I bowled 290 with it.” “On the first day of the Team event, I noticed the lanes were tighter because of all this. So for the final block, I decided to polish my Envy Tour instead of switching too early to the Theorem. That ended up being the decisive move for my All-Events gold as I bowled 290 with it.” The same strategy might have worked for the entire Italian team, but in the Team semifinals against Denmark, they opted to start with urethane — a decision that didn’t quite pay off. By the time they adjusted their approach, the momentum had already shifted, and it was too late to recover. “We wasted valuable practice time trying to make urethane work, and by the time we switched to reactive… they were already lined up and striking way more than we were.” “We wasted valuable practice time trying to make urethane work, and by the time we switched to reactive… they were already lined up and striking way more than we were.” A Little Too Late In the Masters, Fiorentino started as a No. 1 seed and skipped the first final step. In the final step 2, Fiorentino met No. 24 seed Iceland's Arnar David Jonsson, who previously defeated Sweden's Markus Jansson. As both players were throwing balls at the same part of the lane with similar ball’s Fiorentino was happy about this matchup. "It was a good matchup for me — we were playing the same part of the lane with similar balls (Envy Tour vs. Ion Pro), and I just outperformed him." "It was a good matchup for me — we were playing the same part of the lane with similar balls (Envy Tour vs. Ion Pro), and I just outperformed him." But then, Fiorentino's run came to an end against Denmark's Tim Stampe — a matchup that clashed stylistically. Italian knew righ from the beginning that this match will be a tough one. He lost the first nervous game 158-189. Pushed back against the wall and needing something fast, Fiorentino made a tactical shift to urethane in the next game but lacked reps in that part of the lane. “I got paired with Tim Stampe, which I wasn’t too happy about. He was using higher-flaring balls (900 Global Harsh Reality and Roto Grip Rockstar), which allowed him to play left of me and completely blow up my line. I think I made the right move at the start of Game 2, realizing that the only way to beat him was to use urethane outside. But I had literally never thrown a ball in that zone for the whole two weeks, so I didn’t have enough info or confidence to make it work.” “I got paired with Tim Stampe, which I wasn’t too happy about. He was using higher-flaring balls (900 Global Harsh Reality and Roto Grip Rockstar), which allowed him to play left of me and completely blow up my line. I think I made the right move at the start of Game 2, realizing that the only way to beat him was to use urethane outside. But I had literally never thrown a ball in that zone for the whole two weeks, so I didn’t have enough info or confidence to make it work.” Ironically, Stampe went on to lose the semifinal 2-0 (248–201, 234–169) to Maxime Dubois — who succeeded using urethane on the outside, the very strategy Fiorentino had turned to just a bit too late. Had he made the switch earlier, it might have led to yet another medal. Still, the Italian came remarkably close to achieving something rare at the European Championships: medaling in every single event.

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"With This Win, New Doors Opened Up For Me” – Rasmus Edvall Reflects on First PBA Tour Title

This week, Sweden’s Rasmus Edvall made history by claiming his first Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour title at the PBA Scorpion Championship. He defeated Ryan Barnes, then Tobias Börding, EJ Tackett, and No. 1 seed Malaysia's Rafiq Ismail in the title match. PBA Scorpion Championship PBA Scorpion Championship His victory as a No. 5 seed marked one of the most remarkable comeback stories in recent PBA Tour history. For Rasmus, winning the title was always a childhood dream, but when the time came to face the pressure of the stepladder final, he approached the match with a focused mindset. “Of course I wanted to win, it’s one of my childhood dreams. But my mindset in the stepladder final, I took it match by match, frame by frame. If I had my focus on the win, I knew something bad could happen,” Rasmus shared with Erikas Jansonas from BowlingLife in an interview after the win. His strategy in the finals was one of simplicity. Rather than chasing the perfect shot, he knew that precision was key. “My plan for the matches was to be as simple as I could. I knew if I hunted the perfect line to get as many strikes as I could, I could also get many splits. If I left more than 2 pins after a shot, that could be trouble,” he explained. This approach helped him navigate the pressure, ensuring consistency throughout the matches. The finals weren’t without their difficulties, however. With many bowlers seeking their first-ever PBA Tour title, nerves were high. Under pressure, many mistakes were made—so many that some spectators even labeled the Scorpion Championship as one of the ugliest finals in history. “There were many debutants in the final, so most of us were a little bit nervous. The lanes were tricky, but the nervous players made it look trickier than what it was. A lot of grip pressure makes you often push the ball too far down the lane and miss inside the ideal line,” Rasmus recalled. Despite the challenges, his adaptability and poise kept him on track—he started the stepladder finals with not taking the 6-10 spare but stayed clean for the remaining 39 frames he bowled that night. After securing the victory, the reality of the moment still hadn’t fully sunk in. Rasmus couldn't believe what he had just accomplished, so his teammates from IS Göta, who had cheered him on from the front row, were quick to remind him of the significance of the achievement.“They tried to tell me what I had done and what it meant. I couldn’t believe it myself. It was a huge accomplishment that I still haven’t realized,” Rasmus admitted. As for the celebration, Rasmus kept it low-key, opting for a quiet dinner with his teammates. “We had a dinner with most of the boys, but nothing really exciting. Might be a little celebration when I get home,” he said, hinting at a bigger celebration when he returns to Sweden. Knowing the parties Helsingborg (the city in Sweden where IS Göta is based) is capable of, the author of this article predicts a night to remember. Looking ahead, Rasmus is already setting his sights on new challenges. The first one: a road trip across America to Allen Park, Michigan, where the next PBA Tour stop will take place. “This week we are heading to Detroit by car for the USBC Masters. After that, we will finally fly home. I will also play in the PBA Players Championship and the PBA Tournament of Champions. With this win, new doors have opened up for me with the PBA Tournament of Champions. It feels really cool to be able to participate in that prestigious tournament!” Both PBA Scorpion and Viper Championship titles were won by international players, with Darren Ong winning just a day after. The WSOB XVI continues today with the PBA Chameleon Championship, with stepladder finals airing live on FS1. International viewers can follow the action on BowlTV. Darren Ong winning just a day after Darren Ong winning just a day after BowlTV BowlTV

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