By Lucas Wiseman
USBC Communications
EULESS, Texas – Defending champion Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J., went 6-2 in the opening round of match play Tuesday night as she maintained her lead at the 2011 Bowling’s U.S. Women’s Open.
Kulick has a 40-game total of 9,812, including 30 bonus pins for each victory, to lead the final 16 bowlers in the field at AMF Euless Lanes. The top five players for Thursday’s championship round will be determined in the final eight games of match play starting Wednesday morning.
“I didn’t score as well as well on the fresh today as I did yesterday,” Kulick said. “I’m trying to pull away from the field, but everyone is bowling well behind me. I think if I focus on repeating shots, I’ll be in position to make the show tomorrow.”
The Team USA member, who won the 2003 and 2010 U.S. Women’s Open, turned it on down the stretch, closing with games of 249, 257, 228 and 232 to lead by 247 pins. Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., is second with 9,565.
Leanne Hulsenberg of Roseville, Calif., who was one of two bowlers to shoot 300 Tuesday night, is in third place with 9,551. Lynda Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, is fourth with 9,487, while Rachel Perez of Maumelle, Ark., is fifth with 9,440.
The finals of the U.S. Women’s Open will take place at Cowboys Stadium and be broadcast on Saturday, July 2 at 6 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2. If a bowler throws a 300 game in the championship match, she will win $1 million. The champion will earn $50,000.
The 2011 U.S. Women’s Open has already broken one record with 286 participants, which tops the previous record of 267 set in 2003. A total of 17 countries are represented in the field.
For more information Bowling’s U.S. Women’s Open, visit bowlingsuswomensopen.com. For complete coverage of the event, including stories and videos, visit BOWL.com.
About International Bowling Campus
The International Bowling Campus (IBC) is the headquarters for the bowling industry and directly serves the more than 71 million bowlers in the United States. The IBC houses the resources of the United States Bowling Congress, the governing body and membership organization for the sport; the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America, representing the business interests of bowling centers; Strike Ten Entertainment, the marketing arm for the industry; the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame; The Bowling Foundation; the International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association; the Bowling Writers Association of America; the Bowling News Network; the Billiard and Bowling Institute of America; and the International Training and Research Center.
http://www.bowl.com/news/xmlburner.jsp?xa=./webapps/ROOT/news/main/data/062811USWO4.xml
