Arizona native savors win at Pla-Mor Lanes
COLDWATER — If Jakob Butturff was looking for a challenge, he was in the right place – Pla-Mor Lanes in Coldwater.
“You feel like you’ve conquered something if you win here,” said PBA Central Region manager Bobby Jakel. “It’s one of those things, where moving from pair to pair, they play differently. It’s more than getting the ball to the pocket: it’s a matter of knocking down 10 pins. You can shoot 230 on one pair and 150 on the next. That’s the nature of the center.”
The 24-year-old left-hander from Tempe, Arizona, was right at home in the 16-lane center in rural Ohio, defeating Tom Daugherty 217-182 to win the PBA Xtra Frame Kenn-Feld Group Classic on Aug. 26. With the win, Butturff joins Jason Belmonte, EJ Tackett and Andrew Anderson as Go Bowling! PBA Tour’s two-time titlists in 2018.
“I actually prefer it when it’s more difficult because it forces you to make better shots,” Butturff said. “This is one of the most difficult places I’ve bowled all season, but it makes the win a little better.”
As the top qualifier for the stepladder finals, Butturff had a break while the other three qualifiers battled it out. Brad Angelo edged out 2017 champion Rhino Page 228-225 in the first match. Daugherty topped Angelo 226-188 in the next round, setting up the championship match against Butturff.
The championship match wasn’t smooth sailing for the eventual champion as Butturff was open in the seventh frame, unable to convert the 1-3-7-9. But the challenging lane conditions also took their toll on Daugherty as the Florida bowler failed to convert the 2-4-5-8 in the eighth and missed a 5-pin in the ninth — posting back-toback open frames.
From the sellout field of 96 bowlers — including tour champions and PBA Hall of Famers — to the standing-room-only concourse of spectators and the tractors parked on lanes 6 and 13, the PBA Xtra Frame KennFeld Group Classic has a feel all its own. And it all transpires in a community of about 4,000 residents in a town without a hotel.
“And the bowlers love it here,” Pla-Mor proprietor Rick Hartings said. “And we love having them here. When the roster comes out, I get so excited.”
Page, Tackett and Parker Bohn III are among those who have earned championship titles in Coldwater since the event began as a regional tournament in 2008. It became a national stop last year and has garnered tremendous community support with 85 sponsors this year.
“I never would have imagined this tournament would be this huge and that we’d have so many big names here,” Hartings said.
The bowlers may not all love the lanes but, if the waiting list is any indication, they do seem to enjoy the Coldwater hospitality.