Kuhlkin keeping busy fall schedule
Rotterdam’s Liz Kuhlkin on U.S. team for tournament in Dominican Republic.
Liz Kuhlkin, Rotterdam’s gift to the Professional Women’s Bowling Association, has been on the go recently.
Kuhlkin, who turned 25 earlier this month, just finished competing in the PWBA Tour Championship in Richmond, Va., where she fell one match short of making the semifinals on TV.
She stayed in Richmond to serve as grand marshal of the NASCAR Xfinity circuit’s Gobowling 250 before leaving Sunday for Santo Domingo. Kuhlkin and five other Team USA members will represent their country in the Pan American Bowling Confederation Women’s Championships, which begin Tuesday in the Dominican Republic.
Thanks to her U.S. Women’s Open victory in June, Kuhlkin finished the PWBA season fifth on the points list and fourth in earnings ($38,350). She won her first two matched in Richmond before losing to Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J., 3-1 in the quarterfinals.
At the races, she got the opportunity to announce “Drivers, start your engines” and presented Kevin Harvick with the Busch Pole Award.
For the Pan Am event, which runs until Saturday, medals will be awarded in singles, doubles, trios, team, allevents and Masters match play.
Kuhlkin represented the country in 2014 as a Junior Team USA member.
“It has been a goal of mine to just make the adult team,” she said, “and given the level of talent, including some veterans who have been on the team almost as long as I’ve been alive, I never could’ve expected the call.”
National news
The format for the PWBA’S Tour Championship should be examined more closely. The top 16 players made the field — that’s a good thing — but the top two in the point standings automatically qualified for the TV show. That’s the equivalent of three byes. Perhaps it was justice that both of those bowlers—no.1 Shannon O’keefe andno.2 Danielle Mcewan — lost their opening TV matches . ... The top 12 PBA50 Tour points leaders and Hall of Famers Johnny Petraglia and Brian Voss will compete this weekend in the Storm Invitational in Shallote, N.C. The winner won’t be credited with an official PBA50 title, but he will win $10,000.
Local scene
Joe Bifaro Jr.’s house record 862 series at Cohoes Arena held up for seven days. In the same Cohoes Businessmen League in which Bifaro broke Rob Daigneault’s 14-year record, left-hander Justin Carhart posted an 865 triple on games of 299, 278 and 288 . ... Qualifying leaders Jeff Voght of Canajoharie and Don Herrington of Ballston Lake lost in the final of the PBA/PBA50 Millsboro (Del.) Lanes Doubles tournament to Ray Edwards of Middle Island and Greg Ostrander of Freehold, N.J., 388-460, 421-384, 431-406. Voght and Herrington divided $2,000 in the East Region event.
In an all-central New York final, Josh Mcclusky of Syracuse defeated Ryan Graywacz of Canastota to win the $1,000 top prize in the Uncle Sam Lanes Match Play Tournament. R.J. Martinez of Ballston Spa and Jeff Young of Delmar made the semifinals.
Pete Dougherty’s column is published Tuesdays during the bowling season. Items to be considered for publication can be submitted by fax (518-454-5819) or pdougherty@timesunion.com.