Seasoned bowler still learning

By Steve Thompson

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Parker Bohn III could have stayed home this week in New Jersey and everyone at the Brunswick Pro Staff Training Camp would have understood.

Bohn, after all, is the fifth-winningest player in the history of the Professional Bowlers Association Tour with 30 career titles, including a major, in 22 seasons. He's a two-time PBA player of the year and a PBA Hall of Famer.

He's earned the respect he gets.

But when Brunswick tour representative Rick Benoit got the green light from his bosses to hold a training camp in Topeka, Bohn signed up along with six fellow Brunswick staff members, none of whom was required to attend.

"I need to be here for two reasons," Bohn said Tuesday during Day 2 of the Brunswick camp at West Ridge Lanes. "One, because if you think you know everything and you don't need to learn something, it's time to hang it up.

"The second reason is because I believe the input and information I was fortunate to have given to me 20 years ago, honestly, it's time for me to share that information."

So, the slender, 44-year-old left-hander, who looks several years younger, joined Brad Angelo, Nathan Bohr, Mika Koivuniemi, Mike Mineman, Sean Rash and Steve Weber for five days of classroom work, hands-on practice and exhibition events.

"I feel very fortunate to be in the situation that I'm in," said Bohn, who ranks third all-time with more than $2.6 million in PBA earnings. "A lot of things have really gone my way to allow me to be where I am today.

"You know, we all had to start somewhere, we all learned something at sometime. Regardless of your age or what level you play anything at, if you're open-minded to it you can learn something new every day."

Benoit is hoping the players will learn enough at camp to be better prepared for the upcoming PBA Tour season, and the players seem to agree that it has been a valuable experience. But will it pay off with more tournament victories?

Bohn certainly hopes so. After collecting 18 titles from 1999 through 2001-02, he has won only once (2004-05) in the past five seasons. He's not taking that as a sign his career is tapering off, however.

"I don't want to say I'm on the tail end of my career," Bohn said. "I hope that I'm on the later part of my prime. I believe that I'm still a competitor, no question about it. Unfortunately, I didn't win last season, or the season before for that matter.

"The biggest thing that got the best of me last year was bowling the wrong guys at the wrong time. I made five telecasts and my first three shows, for those three games, I bowled about 680. But my opponents were averaging over 282.

"So what do you do at that point? You sit on the chair and you become a spectator."

Among his many accomplishments, Bohn ranks the 300 game he rolled on national TV in the 1998 ABC Masters (now USBC Masters) as he's biggest single moment, and his first player of the year award in 1999, when he won five titles and almost $250,000, as his greatest accomplishment.

"There's only one PBA player of the year at the end of the season, never two," Bohn said. "There's only one guy who stands above everybody else when all the dust settles. Fortunately, I can say that I was able to accomplish that."

THE BRUNSWICK proS, who joined the Lenahan Ultimate Scratch League for a night of league bowling Tuesday, will practice on a variety of PBA lane conditions today and focus on lane transition Thursday. The Wichita State men's and women's teams will join the pros both days.

OPENINGs REMAIN for Friday's senior, youth and adult pro-am tournaments, which feature amateur players bowling with the pros and competing for prize (or scholarship) money. For more information, call West Ridge Lanes at 273-3333.

LAST WEEK'S CITY leaders are listed in the Scoreboard, Page 5D.

Copyright 2007
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