COLUMBUS — Bad shots, nerves … just plain mistakes.
Those three situations, not the lanes and the 38-foot Mike Aulby PBA oil pattern, were reasons given by three stepladder finals competitors for their losses during Monday’s PBA60 Tristan’s T.A.P.S. Memorial tournament finals at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl.
Ron Mohr, a 66-year-old Las Vegas right-hander and PBA Hall of Famer who owns 11 PBA50-60 titles and 24 regional crowns, called it “poor execution” following his 242-228 loss to Bremen, Germany, right-hander Peter Knopp in the opening stepladder match.
Mohr, who was seeking his second PBA60 title in less than seven days after winning last Thursday in Jackson, Mich., had just two strikes through the first seven frames against Knopp before throwing the final five.
“The right lane was tight and I just made bad shots. I was too tentative and afraid to let it go,” said Mohr, who also was looking for his third PBA60 win in a row after capturing the USBC Super Seniors event in Las Vegas.
“I had a 240 look, but I didn’t make enough good shots on the right lane. It was poor bowling, and there was no excuse for that.”
Mohr, who has two firsts and two seconds in five appearances in the Super Seniors event in five appearances at Sam’s Town in Las Vegas, didn’t return to the PBA60 Tour until it hit Michigan.
“It was so expensive to travel to Florida. I would have been a $5,000 bill and as strong as the guys are on the PBA50 Tour are, I wasn’t confident I could make it work,” Mohr said.
“You don’t always get what you deserve. You get what you believe, and that’s why I’ve been successful. I work out more than probably any of the other 60-year-olds do with the exception of Amleto (Monacelli). I just believe I should have success when I come out here.”
Knopp, who fell to Mohr 665-603 in the Round of Eight match play, got revenge with his win after rolling six strikes in a row. He opened with two in a row before leaving a 7-10 split in the third frame.
But his roll was short-lived as he threw only three strikes during a 226-171 quarterfinal loss to Jasper, Ind., left-hander Gary Reh. He also failed to convert an 8-pin spare in the fifth frame after opening with a 4-6-7 split in the first.
“The right lane hooked more for me and I could never adjust. I tried to move left, changed balls, and left the solid 8 (pin),” said the 62-year-old Knopp, who has won in eight countries around the world, but not in the United States “I moved a little right to make the spare and it sailed on me.
“I was so tense that I could not see. I tried to make stupid adjustments and didn’t perform well. You get what you deserve. When you’re bowling against the best senior players in the world you should be nervous, and it showed.”
Knopp has traveled with Tom Carter and his wife, Linda, in their motor home to events during his time in the U.S. He bowled during the April swing, returned to Germany and then came back for the Midwest run.
“I’ve been traveling with Tom for 12 years. I love him to death and he’s like a brother to me,” said Knopp, who was appearing in his first U.S. stepladder finals (he finished third in the 2011 Senior Masters before the stepladder format). “The whole year was fantastic, but with a couple of better finishes, it could have been better.”
Gary Reh, who has been assisting in maintenance at Columbus Bowl since April, also has been staying with the Carters in their mobile home parked on the property.
“Just made mistakes,” the 64-year-old soft-spoken Reh said after his 194-187 loss to Canadian right-hander John Chapman in the semifinals.
“I slowed the ball down a few times and when the timing goes, that’s when the ball goes high. I threw the ball great all day, but that match I didn’t throw it so great.”
After staying clean with four strikes in a row at one point against Knapp, Reh started the semifinals with three strikes. But a missed 2-4-7 spare and a 4-6-10 split sealed his doom.
“I really wasn’t nervous. I know everyone says that,” said Reh, who also was making his first stepladder finals appearance. “I just try to hit my target and make good shots. Sometimes, you get mixed up. When I don’t murder the pocket, I’m doing something wrong with the ball probably and my timing is off.”
It was Reh who knocked Carter out of the Round of 8 with a 714-583 win, while Chapman advanced with a 712-608 win over Bryan Goebel.
Monday was a normal day of match play after the preceding two days of challenges due to power outages.
“Right now, the adrenaline is still running, but in an hour I’m going to be exhausted,” said Mohr, the most experienced of the stepladder finalists outside of Monacelli, who won the title with a 208-200 win over Chapman.
“The number of games is not the issue, but it’s bowling against these guys that’s hard. You are trying so hard in three-game matches and every shot means so much. That’s the challenge.”
NOTEBOOK: Monacelli came out firing with 804 in his opening match against Michael Snow (711) before stopping Walt Blackston 802-686 in the Round of 8 en route to the top seed. … Carter, who operates the pro shop at Columbus Bowl, reached the Round of 8 while Wayne Webb was eliminated in the Round of 24 by Reh 631-612. … Monacelli produced the high tournament game of 288 in the Round of 8. The previous high game was 279. … Carter eliminated No. 1 qualifying seed Tom Adcock 650-625 in the Round of 16. … Former John Klonowski Memorial champion Ted Hannahs also fell in the Round of 16 to Reh 654-641 after being seeded eighth. Mohr eliminated all-time PBA wins leader Walter Ray Williams Jr. 709-692 also in that round. … This marked the PBA Tour’s return to Columbus Bowl for the first time since the 2020 PBA Players Champlonship. Webb plans to have the event return in 2023. … This marked the final event of the season for the PBA60 Tour, with the PBA50 Tour ending last week. Lennie Boresch Jr., expected to be the PBA60 Player of the Year, fell in the Round of 16 641-589 to Blackston.
I thought the article was done well. However my last name wasn’t spelled correctly at times. REH.
Thank you. Gary Reh
That has since been corrected. Spell check problems