Just a quick update...

Rhino Page and Patrick Allen wound up winning the gold in the doubles event. The Korean trio of Choi Bok-Eum, Choi Ki-Bong, and Kim Tae-Young won the gold medal in the trios event, but both American trios took home bronze medals in the event. Alejandro Cruz of Mexico is the All-Events leader after trios, but Rhino Page is right on his heels in second. Patrick Allen and Tommy Jones are also in the top 16 after trios, the significance of that being that the top 16 in All-Events qualify for the Masters event at the end of the competition.

What you didn't say is that in the All Events, Tommy Jones is 16th, Bill Hofman is 42nd, Chris Barnes is 43rd and Walter Ray Williams is 50th.

Actually, the americans have a really hard time here. They are where they are only because of their spare game, but other than that, they're hardly getting strikes. Except for some games, when the string a 6 or 7 strikes together.

What I found interesting was that they were playing the long pattern up 5th board - all of them, even Tommy Jones. Everybody else was playing an inside-out line out to 8 or 9th board.

They were completely lost... they were laughing because they just couldn't understand what was happening...

On the short pattern, they are all playing with urethane balls, Walter was playing with his spare ball on the first day, but then went to something else yesterday. He told me he had two games without a single double on the first day.

Which should show you how important the spare game is, even at the Elite level.

Actually, the places have changed. They're now (after Doubles (6 games on short oil), Trios (3 games on short oil and 3 games on long oil),and 3 games on long oil in the team event):-

Patrick Allen is in 4th place,
Rhino Page is in 7th,
Tommy Jones in 18th,
Bill Hoffman in 30th,
Walter Ray Williams in 46th and
Chris Barnes in 53rd

Rumour has it that Rhino has picked up a back injury. We should hope not for him for the coming season but, in the immediate, he's supposed to bowl in the Team USA tomorrow for 3 games on the short oil pattern.

That rumor would actually make sense, Jock, as Page was left off of the American team and placed on a "make up" team with Mahamid Abed Ellatif (ISR), Tuchchakorn Senabodee (THA), Mark Buffa (CAN), and Hareb Sultan al Mansoori (UAE) for the team event so that he would still have a score in that event for All-Events.

OK, according to this article on the PBA's site, Rhino Page will bowl with the rest of Team USA in tomorrow's second block of the team event, while Walter Ray Williams Jr. will pace for his All-Events score (like Rhino did today).

The Americans had a great second block on the short pattern (didn't see many games under 220) and qualified second in the team event. They won their semifinal match against Norway and will face the top-seeded Korean team later for the gold medal.

Updating the All-Events, Choi Bok-Eum of Korea is the leader after the team event (only qualifying scores count in All-Events), with Rhino Page only 5 pins behind him in second place. Patrick Allen is 4th, Tommy Jones is 17th (2 pins out of the top 16), Bill Hoffman is 25th, Chris Barnes is 42nd, and Walter Ray Williams Jr. is 52nd.

The best second block was in fact the championship record for a five man team series (bowled by Korea) of 3561 (237.4 ave).

There was also the championship record for a five man team game (bowled by France) of 1245 (249 Ave). Shame about the other games, France!

Team USA managed a 3409 (which is still a 227 Ave) with a 760 series from Rhino Page (256, 247, 257).

Hey, Richie, if only qualifying scores count for the all events, why did they bother to bowl make up teams?

I thought these make up teams were there in order that everyone had the same number of games for the all events.