TAVARES, Fla. – Tom Daugherty of Wesley Chapel, Fla., defeated Jason Sterner of McDonough, Ga., 219-209, to win the Professional Bowlers Association South Region’s Regional Players Invitational title Sunday, concluding two days of live coverage from Break Point Alley on PBA’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel.
Daugherty, who earned $6,000, a paid entry into the PBA World Series of Bowling V in Las Vegas in late October and a berth in a new PBA RPI Finals which will be televised on ESPN. Daugherty won his only PBA Tour title in the Bowlers Journal Scorpion Championship during the 2012 WSOB. Sterner earned $3,500 as the runner-up.
“The best part about it was this event was on a grueling lane condition and I had to bowl against the best 48 guys in our region, so it was definitely a good win,” Daugherty said.
“(The new RPI program) gives players a reason to bowl a couple more regionals,” he added. “Any time you’ve got a $6,000 prize and other benefits, it’s really an incentive. I’ve had this tournament circled on my calendar for a long time. I bowled a couple of additional regionals I probably wouldn’t have bowled because of it.
“I bowled in the World Series last year and come away with my first (PBA Tour) title,” Daugherty continued, “so I’m looking forward to going back.”
The South Region RPI was the first in a series of six PBA Regional championship events. The PBA East, Central, Midwest, Southwest and combined West/Northwest Regions also will host RPI events in the coming weeks, with each RPI winner advancing to the PBA RPI Finals that will be taped for delayed airing on ESPN as part of the World Series of Bowling V at South Point Casino, Hotel and Bowling Center, Oct. 26-Nov. 3. Each RPI is open to 48 players who have qualified through a season-long points competition in their respective regions, and each RPI will be covered live from start to finish on PBA’s exclusive bowling channel, Xtra Frame.
Sterner started the tournament with a 300 game and had a chance to win it by throwing three strikes in the 10th frame of the title match, but only threw the first strike.
Sterner defeated Scott Newell of Deland, Fla., 185-172, and Daugherty won over Randy Weiss of Columbia, S.C., 229-217, in the semifinal round to set up the championship match.
The next RPI will be the PBA Midwest Regional Players Invitational at Super Bowl in Peru, Ill., Aug. 31-Sept. 2. The PBA South Region’s next tournament will be Fayetteville, N.C., Aug. 23-25.
To watch each RPI in its entirety, subscribe to Xtra Frame, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame logo.
PBA SOUTH REGION PLAYERS INVITATIONAL
Break Point Alley, Tavares, Fla., Sunday, Aug. 4
Championship:
Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, Fla., ($6,000) def. Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga. ($3,500), 219-209.
Semifinal Round (losers earned $1,600):
Daugherty def. Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., 229-217.
Sterner def. Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 185-172.
Round of 8 (best of five games, losers eliminated and earned $1,050 each):
Daugherty def. Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 3-1.
Sterner def. Jeremy Mooney, West Palm Beach, Fla., 3-1.
Newell def. Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C. 3-1.
Weiss def. Dave O’Sullivan, Oviedo, Fla., 3-1.
Round of 12 (best of five games, losers eliminated and earned $850 each):
O’Sullivan def. Gary Faulkner, Norfolk, Va., 3-0.
Sterner def. Kip Roberts, Glen Allen, Va., 3-2.
Newell def. B.J. Moore, Apex, N.C., 3-2.
Troup def. Chris Collins, Fayetteville, N.C., 3-2.
Round of 16 (best of five games, losers eliminated and earned $750 each):
Sterner def. Jeff Schrum, Cherryville, N.C., 3-1.
Collins def. Blane Anderson, Valdosta, Ga., 3-2.
Moore def. Kelvin Wiggins, Rocky Mt., N.C., 3-1.
O’Sullivan def. Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C., 3-1
300 Games: Jason Sterner.