Major League Baseball’s World Series has long been a bone of contention among nations other than the United States or Canada that are home to organized baseball.
As the argument goes, how can they call it a WORLD Series when only one or two countries are involved?
Well, you won’t hear a similar complaint about the PBA’s World Series of Bowling, which is entering its home stretch at the South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas.
Not only is there a “USA vs. The World” telecast planned as part of THIS World Series, but the championship round of the Scorpion Championship will feature FOUR players who reside outside the United States.
Scorpion match play wrapped up early this evening with two Korean players, one Australian and one Canadian joining American pro Bill O’Neill in qualifying for the ESPN telecast, which will be taped on Saturday.
USA vs. The World? How about Bill O’Neill vs. The World?
The field of finalists is topped by Korean Jun-Yung Kim, the only player to win seven times in the nine-game match play round, and who rolled a 300 game during the first block of Scorpion qualifying.
He went around Aussie star Jason Belmonte in the position round, finishing three pins ahead of the “two-handed” phenom.
O’Neill qualified in the No. 3 position, just four pins behind “Belmo.”
The No. 4 spot was claimed by Korea’s Yong-Jin Gu, who finished four pins ahead of No. 5 qualifier Dan MacLelland of Canada.
Another international star just missed the telecast, as Sweden’s Martin Larsen finished sixth.
All told, seven non-U.S. players advanced to the Scorpion match play. Amleto Monacelli of Venezuela finished ninth, and England’s Paul Moor came in 10th.
All told, 14 nations were represented in the 2010 World Series of Bowling. And in the Scorpion Championship, bowlers from outside the United States truly shined.
*** For notes on the Chameleon Championship, which also had its match play round today, see Bob’s Blog, which can be accessed from the homepage.
