By BILL SNIER
FAIRLAWN — This was not something 22-year-old Douglassvile, Pa., native Alexander Horton saw himself doing at this point of his life.
“I’ve been bowling since I was 2 years old or as long as I can remember,” the two-handed right-hander said. “I didn’t always know or think the (Professional Bowlers Association) Tour was in my future.
“Yeah, I knew I enjoyed bowling. But you really have to eat, sleep and drink bowling to do this.”
But after four years competing for Indiana Institute of Technology in Fort Wayne, Ind., Horton made a decision.
“I felt like I was a decent bowler and I enjoy it,” said Horton, an All-Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference selection and NAIA first-team All-American who majored in financial services at Indiana Tech. “I love practicing and putting in the work. So I decided to give it a try, and that’s where we are now.”
After bowling in six events this season and cashing in the last two, including in Rochester, N.Y., and the PBA Roth-Holman Doubles in Maine (bowling with Matt Sanders), Horton entered the pre-tournament qualifier for this week’s PBA Tournament of Champions at AMF Riviera Lanes. His lone regional title came in September during the PBA East Region BowlTV RPI to qualify to bowl in the PTQ, which is reserved for bowlers who have at least one title on the PBA regional level.
Despite shooting just 183 and 210 his final two games of the PTQ, Horton was able to secure a spot in the main TOC field by just two pins, averaging 216 over seven games.
But he took advantage of his opportunity, sitting 14th after the opening 12 games of qualifying while averaging 224 and then completing his run by finishing 16th overall through 18 games to secure a spot in the 24-player match-play rounds with 4,025 total pinfall.
Horton shot 289 in Game 17 following a 246 to move up the ladder and hold his spot despite a final game of 200.
The big change for Horton is when he moved out of urethane and went to an Ebonite GB5 Hybrid. He gave a shoutout to Dino Castillo and Matt Russo for encouraging his change.
“It really ended up working for me,” said Horton, who also had to make a similar move during the PTQ to preserve a spot in the main field. “I started with urethane (in the PTQ) too, and moved to reactive. It was a little touchy. It’s something I’m working on improving and I’m getting better at it.”
Horton’s first big step was to make the main field; the next step was making the cut, which is huge for the PBA points race. He currently is 73rd and inside the top 75 to earn priority status for tour events.
“This is a big week for points so making it out of the PTQ was huge,” Horton said. “Everything after that is a bonus.”
Horton, Tim Foy Jr. (ninth, 4,127) and Sean Lavery-Spahr (23rd, 3,992) were the lone PTQ qualifiers to advance to match play. Lavery-Spahr, after tying for the final spot Tuesday, had to win a one-game rolloff to reach the main field.
No PTQ qualifier has won the TOC since Matt O’Grady in 2018. But that means little to Horton at this point.
“I’m just going to try to free roll it, enjoy my time here and get as much experience as I can for future years for sure,” Horton said. “I’m just going to take it in stride. There’s no added pressure on myself.
“I’m just going to bowl the best I can and see where it takes me.”
QUALIFYING WRAPUP
Day 1 leader Brandon Bonta, a Wichita, Kan., right-hander, remained in the top spot following 18 qualifying games with 4,260 (236 average), finishing 33 pins ahead of former TOC champion Kris Prather (4,227). Zach Wilkins, who won his first title with AJ Chapman just last week during the doubles event in Maine to earn an exemption into the field, sits fourth (4,162) after being the runner-up following Day 1.
Among those making the cut are four-time champion Jason Belmonte (10th, 4,123), Ohioans Chris Via (seventh, 4,130) and Patrick Dombrowski (19th, 4,018); and PBA points leader and Player of the Year EJ Tackett (20th, 4,016).
Ethan Fiore earned the final qualifying spot with 3,984 despite shooting a pair of 207 games to complete the morning round. He finished just five pins ahead of Richie Teece and six ahead of Nick Pate.
COHAGAN CASHES
Outside of the top 24, eight players earned cash spots, with PBA Hall of Famer Mika Koivuniemi earning the final spot with 3,932.
Among the cashers was 29-year-old Jefferson right-hander and PTQ qualifier Casey Cohagan, who finished 57th a year ago in his first TOC appearance after qualifying also from the PTQ.
“The only thing that upsets me is I should be doing this full time,” said Cohagan, who has bowled the USBC Masters and the TOC this season. “But that’s not going to change unless I find a better financial way of doing it.”
Cohagan, who works for Four Seasons Interior and Exterior Painting in Fairport Harbor, said his employer has been very lenient with his time off.
“I feel between the ears and physically, I can do anything out here that everyone else can. But it is what it is,” said Cohagan, who averaged 218 for 18 games.
He admitted his stubbornness got in the way when moving away from urethane in Games 3 and 5 when he shot 192 and 190, respectively.
“Game 5 was just bad execution here and there and grabbing the ball too much, which I have a tendency to do,” Cohagan said. “In Game 3, the right lane hooked at my feet and the left lane was playing similar to my previous two pairs. I just was too stubborn.”
NOTEBOOK: The opening eight-game match-play round begins at 6 p.m. Thursday, with two more rounds at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Friday to determine the five finalists for Sunday’s finals (4 p.m.,, The CW ). Admission is $10 per shift or $15 for an all-day pass. … Bowlers receive 30 bonus pins for match wins and 15 pins for a tie. … Jason Sterner had the lone 300 of the week so far in the first round. He finished 28th overall and did not make the cut. Anthony Simonson also had 299 in Game 5 of the final qualifying round. … PBA50 Rookie of the Year Tom Daugherty and Koivuniemi were the lone seniors to cash. … It was not a good week for left-handers as Urbana’s Graham Fach was the high southpaw, finishing 40th (3,867). … Plenty of high schoolers attended Thursday’s early session after participating in a clinic with their favorite pros on Monday.
See complete standings here:
https://www.leaguepals.com/league-info?id=69320bcc8ba2fdb0125045fe