A major premonition: familiarity bred a victory in the 1990 U.S. Open for this precocious six-time titlist

Bowling Digest, Fall, 2004 by Ron Palombi, Jr.

WHEN IT WAS ANNOUNCED IN the fall of 1989 that the 1990 U.S. Open would be held at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis, I picked myself to win.

A couple of guys I knew well on the PBA tour didn't argue with me, because they had seen how strongly I had performed at Woodland Bowl since joining the tour as a rookie from Erie, Pa., in 1983. In fact, in 1987 I won my second title in that house. I always felt comfortable there.

The surface was wood [Woodland Bowl has since converted to a synthetic surface--Ed.], and it seemed the lanes always broke down in the same way. I would play deep inside--between the 4th and 5th arrows--as a righthander. So it wasn't a shock for me to say I'd win the 1990 Open at Woodland Bowl.

Bud Fisher, the longtime PBA public relations director who is now retired and living in Indianapolis, also picked me to win in an article in The Indianapolis Star just before the tournament began.

By beating Amleto Monacelli, 269-205, on April 7, 1990, as the top seed in the championship game, I made Fisher and me look good in the match I'll never forget. It wasn't a frame-by-frame nailbiter, but it is probably the most meaningful match I've ever been involved in.

I remember pretty well the week in 1987 when I won my first event ever at Woodland Bowl, the True Value Open, on November 7. I was the tournament leader in that event, too. The other finalists were Gary Dickinson, Steve Cook, Randy Harvey--who was from South Bend, Ind.--and Mike Taylor.

Harvey was a virtual unknown, and he had earned only $475 before that tournament. He began the finals by beating Taylor, 216-211. He then defeated a couple of future Hall-of-Famers, Cook (224-205) and Dickinson (227-187). Those victories led to the title match against me.

Randy bowled OK, but I wasn't concerned about him. I was concerned about myself and how I would bowl. We both struck in the 1st frame, then both of us had a split--I left the 7-10 on a real solid hit. I reeled off five strikes in a row after that, and Randy struggled. I wound up winning, 236-164, and earning $21,000; Randy earned $12,000.

In 1988 and 1989 I had solid years, and by 1990 I was a threat to win every week. So as 1 got ready to go to Indianapolis in the first week of April, I felt good about my chances to win my first major. (I would later win the PBA National Championship in 1993.)

I liked the long format, and after I made the first couple of cuts I felt good about how I was bowling. The lanes played like I had remembered them, and I used my favorite ball, a Columbia Black U-Dot. It was urethane, before the reactive resin ball came out.

Prior to the tournament, I had about five Black U-Dots drilled differently. By the end of the week, I had settled on one of them and used it mostly in match play and in the finals. I still have that ball as part of a little trophy I made after the tournament. Next to the ball is the gorgeous silver trophy from Tiffany's I received for winning.

By the end of match play, I was the tournament leader, but it wasn't a runaway. In the position round, I had to beat Monacelli to secure the top seed. That was a huge match because of the money involved. The winner was to get $80,000, while second paid $44,000 and third $24,000. I beat Amleto, who qualified second. The other three qualifiers were Tony Westlake, Brian Voss, and Harry Sullins. I remember Sullins bowled phenomenally in match play, but he had trouble winning matches.

On the morning of the finals, I went to a mall near Woodland Bowl to get a haircut. I also bought a pair of black slacks--I had to be looking good. I had a light lunch and decided to get to the lanes earlier than I normally would. I didn't want to rush anything, just take care of all the little things and make sure I was comfortable.

They had put up a huge tent at one end of the center where the players could store equipment and hang out before and after bowling. There was a portable basketball hoop there. I played basketball when I was younger, so I shot hoops for about a half-hour for a nice change of pace.

Voss opened the TV show by defeating Sullins, 236-181, and beat Westlake, 257-204. Monacelli made the championship match by defeating Voss, 182-157. As I watched that match, the lanes were breaking down a little, and I saw Amleto go to a ball that didn't hook as much. I thought he made a mistake doing so. I told myself, "I'm going to stay with the ball I've used almost all week, but move even deeper inside on my approach."

In practice before the title match, I wasn't completely locked in on the two TV lanes. I was close on the right lane and a little indecisive on the left. I don't remember what Amleto did in the match, but I remember my results. I struck in the 1st frame on the right lane. I then left the 2-pin on the left lane for a spare. I again struck on the right lane in the 3rd frame. Before my delivery on the left lane in the 4th, I made a little move left with my feet. The ball came up a little light, but the 2-pin got tripped for a strike. I got absolutely locked in after that and struck all the way to the second ball in the 10th frame, when I left a solid 10-pin that I converted. I finished at 269.