MAY 9, 2024 JILL WINTERS
The Villages, Florida – One day after Tom Hess put on a show averaging nearly 250 in qualifying at the 2024 PBA50 The Villages Classic, Jason Couch caught fire averaging nearly 260 to pass Hess and take over the lead on the final day of qualifying. Couch shot 269, 244, 246, 256, 266 and 278 to improve to +664.
Hess is just 16 pins behind him followed by Andres Gomez, who was the leading qualifier after Day 1. Don Breeden is in fourth and John Janawicz climbed into fifth place on Wednesday.
Hess and Couch were just one pair a part, which allowed Couch to keep a close eye on last week’s tournament winner throughout the six-game block. In the final game of qualifying, Hess finished first with a 248. Couch then stepped up delivering a double and nine in the 10th frame to move into first place.
“(Hess) has been bowling fantastic this year. Obviously, I just tried to stay in my own game and just do what I do,” Couch said. “My feel has been really good for the first few weeks, and my timing has been really good. I just felt well prepared today and when you do that you have a little bit more confidence.”
It also helps that competing at Spanish Springs Lanes feels almost like home field advantage for Couch who lives just over an hour away.
“I think I bowl good here because it is the closest place (tour stop) to my house,” he said. “I always bowled good here on the regular tour, so I am comfortable here and it helps to have people pulling for you. I have a ton of support here.”
After Couch, Hess and the rest of the high scoring C-squad got the day off to a hot start, James Winterfeld created a lot of excitement late rolling a 300 the last game of qualifying during the final squad to be the cut line at +115. The only woman in the field is Kendra Cameron-Curry, who is currently in 19th.
The top 62 players will bowl four games in the advancers round starting at 9 a.m. Eastern Thursday. The top 24 players will then move into bracket match play best of three games, all pins are dropped. The top eight bowlers will earn a bye, while qualifiers 9 through 24 will take to the lanes in the Round of 24 starting at 12:30 p.m. ET.
The winners from those matches along with the top eight will start bracket match play at 2:30 p.m. in the Round of 16. Next up, those winners will advance to the Round of 8 beginning at 5 p.m. The top four bowlers and the highest seed to lose in the Round of 8 will be in the stepladder finals, which are scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m.
You can enjoy all of the action on BowlTV.
Top 10 PBA50 The Villages Classic standings:
- Jason Couch, 4,264 (+664)
- Tom Hess, 4,248 (+648)
- Andres Gomez, 4,128 (+528)
- Don Breeden, 4,094 (+494)
- John Janawicz, 4,062 (+462)
- Chris Barnes, 4,028 (+428)
- Bob Learn Jr., 4,016 (+416)
- Brian LeClair, 4,008 (+408)
- Joe Scarborough, 4,008 (+408)
- Tony Campagna Jr., 3,991 (+391)
Full standings – PBA50 The Villages Classic