Field set for Yosemite Tournament of Champions

The field is set for the Yosemite Scratch 6-Gamer Tournament of Champions after the last qualifying match finished up Sunday.

Chris Pitts, bowling out of Fresno, won the final champion’s spot after he finished first in the December tournament. Tracy’s Joe Petrovich led the qualifying with a 1,379 total, followed by Pitts with a 1,338 set.

Three locals, Freddy Irvin, Don Erickson and Rob Tillery rounded out the five-person stepladder finals. It came down to a final face-off between Petrovich and Pitts with Pitts coming out ahead in a 236-200 final match.

Pitts earned $304 for the win and a berth in the championship set for noon Jan. 3. He will be joined by the past champions and top money winners to make the 24-bowler field.

The tournament will roll on six different oil patterns on six pairs of lanes. More than $1,100 has been added to the tournament purse and half of the field will cash.

Making this year’s cut are: Scott Boyle, Noel Vasquez, Marty Deh, Rick Francis, Wayne Garber, Chris Pitts, Kevin Harlin, Freddy Irvin, Greg Thompson Jr., Don Mathey, D.J. Edenstrom, Nick Kelley, Joe Petrovich, David Street, Rich Custer, Mike Mayo, Jim Gordin, Chris Kraft, Myles Duty, Will Garber, Dennis Horan Jr., Mike Keough, Carlie Medina and Rob Tillery.

Bowlers must notify Wayne Garber at 209-524-9161 if they are planning to compete. Winding up this year’s stats shows four bowlers eclipsing the $1,000 mark in prize winnings – Will Garber, $1,570; Freddy Irvin, $1,507, Wayne Garber, $1,410, and Rich Custer, $1,010.

Wayne Garber made a great showing in the Geico World Series of Bowling-Cheetah Championships held at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno. After making the cut to the top eight in a field of nearly 250 of the world’s top bowlers, he was paired against Parker Bohn III in the opening match. Bohn was on fire and shot a 763 set with games of 246-259-258. Garber lost the three games to finish eighth and take home $2,000. Bohn ultimately took the championship.

For a fun family Christmas outing, both bowling centers will be open for the holidays. McHenry will be open on Christmas Eve from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Christmas Day from noon to midnight. Yosemite will be open 6 a.m. to 3 a.m. on both days. Bowling Outfitters Pro Shop at McHenry Bowl will be open on Christmas Eve until 1 p.m. The Yosemite Pro Shop is open through Wednesday. Gift certificates for bowling are also available at the bowling centers’ desks in any amounts.

New Year’s Eve events start with the New Year’s in Paris Senior Tournament and Party set for 11:30 a.m. at McHenry. Bowling with money shots, music, food, party favors and a champagne glass are all included. Call Terry Waring or Theresa Medeiros at 209-571-2695.

Both Yosemite and McHenry will be open all evening New Year’s Eve with celebrations at midnight. Party favors, music and prize drawings are on tap for the festivities. Make your reservations for Yosemite at 209-524-9161 or McHenry at 209-571-2695.

On New Year’s Day, the Junior-Adult Double Elimination Scholarship Tournament will be competing at Yosemite. Check-in is 9 a.m., with competition at 10 a.m. Teams consist of one youth and one adult bowler with a team maximum of 450. Bowlers will start with a qualifying round of three games, and the top eight teams will advance to the double elimination finals. Entry fee is $40 per team.

Youth leagues are starting in early January at both bowling centers, with sign-ups now being taken. The short league programs begin the week of Jan. 4 for after-school and weekend spots. Leagues are open to youths of all ages and are usually divided by age groups. Bumper leagues are offered for preschoolers. Adult/junior packages are also available.

For more information contact Dallas Kadry at 209-571-2695 or mchbowl@aol.com.

This story was originally published December 22, 2015 at 5:14 PM with the headline "Field set for Yosemite Tournament of Champions."