MAY 3rd, 2024 JILL WINTERS– Story and Photo
- Facebook Twitter
- North Carolina – Tom Hess is a self-described dream chaser. He has always believed in himself and his ability on the lanes. Less than a week ago, he said all of his dreams came true when he was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame. He followed that milestone moment up by leading the 2024 PBA50 Granville Financial Open wire-to-wire and finished the job.
Just as he dominated the field this week, he defeated the greatest winner this sport has ever seen Walter Ray Williams Jr. 257-193. Hess envisioned himself having to put up a high game to win his sixth PBA50 Tour title, so he came into this match calm and focused. Just as his license plate says, “Bowl to win.”
“I wanted the opportunity to step up, strike out and shut Walter out,” Hess said, about his plan to have Williams Jr. start the match. “I like to finish first unless there is a huge difference between the right and the left lane.”
Hess admits he played both lanes almost exactly the same, moved his feet to the left, and kept his ball speed down. Seeing his opponent with two opens in the first four frames relaxed Hess. Williams Jr. finished the match by bowling two-handed striking out in the ninth and 10th frame.
Reflecting on his day, Hess admits he wasn’t sharp Wednesday morning during the Advancers Round. After his first-round bye, he felt the pressure of being the No. 1 seed and began to fire the ball down the lane getting “out of whack” against Brian Dennis. He calmed down and got through it then came a battle with Brad Angelo. The fire and emotions usually displayed by Hess were evident. Hess admits he was lost on the lanes early losing 246-162 then bounced back winning 299-217 and 249-202 to maintain the top seed in the stepladder. He admits he “got lucky to beat Brad. I carried everything.”
After thinking about his fellow Hall of Famers in this stepladder, Hess reflected. “I am in the Hall of Fame, and I belong. I am where I belong, and I am one of the guys to beat every week on this tour.”
Now it’s time for Tom Hess to establish some new dreams.
In the semifinal match, Williams Jr. cruised to a 263-203 win over Chris Barnes, striking nine times. The closest match of the stepladder saw Williams Jr. defeat Tom Adcock 236-216 in match two. Adcock held a two-pin lead in the seventh frame then Williams Jr. struck four out of his final five shots. In the opening match, Parker Bohn III had three straight splits for open frames early on and Adcock earned the 235-167 victory.
MATCH SCORES:
Match 1: Adcock def. Bohn III 235-167
Match 2: Williams Jr. def. Adcock 236-216
Match 3: Williams Jr. def. Barnes 263-203
Championship match: Hess def. Williams Jr. 257-193
2024 PBA50 GRANVILLE FINANCIAL OPEN FINAL STANDINGS:
- Tom Hess $8,000
- Walter Ray Williams Jr. $4,500
- Chris Barnes $3,300
- Tom Adcock $2,700
- Parker Bohn III $2,300