Michael Haggitt Claims First PBA50 Title At South Shore Classic
Hammond, Indiana – Michael Haggitt had himself a memorable day on Thursday at the PBA50 South Shore Classic. He rolled a perfect game during the advancers round to start off his day. He then added another 300 in his first game of match play, and he ended the day by winning his first PBA50 title.
“There are so many guys out here that have been trying to get there, so to have this within three years is awesome,” the 53-year-old said. “I spent a lot of time in the offseason on my spares because last year I missed a couple of cuts because I wasn’t making a lot of 7-pins, so I had to work on that a lot.”
The tall left-hander came into the day thinking he should throw a new Hammer Vibe, but his ball rep Jeff Johnson recommended going with a Hammer Ocean Vibe instead.
“I am glad I listened to him because it worked out well,” he said. “This was my third time on a show, and I’ve had a lot of people around me give me great advice.”
After earning the top seed for the stepladder finals inside Olympia Lanes, Haggitt used his Ocean Vibe in the championship match against one of the hottest bowlers on tour, USBC Senior Masters champion John Janawicz. The two matched one another through the first three frames. Janawicz gained a two-pin advantage in the fourth frame, and in the fifth frame he converted the 2-4-8-10 to keep his lead. He maintained the small lead through seven frames.
Knowing he would finish on the left lane that he felt was hooking more than the right lane, Haggitt “moved my target away from me and smoothed it out a little bit.” That seemed to be the right decision as he ended the game with five straight strikes, four on the left lane alone, for the 237-219 win. He averaged 257.33 for his 12 games of bowling on Thursday.
“Getting a (champions) banner is everyone’s goal and I can’t really explain this feeling,” the Springfield, Ohio native said.
In the opening match, lefty Jason Couch needed a double in the 10th frame against Ryan Shafer to advance. He got the first strike then left the 7-9 on his second shot to lose by three, 249-246. Shafer, who used the new Teal Rhino Pro on the right lane and Trouble Maker on the left lane, put together four straight strikes in frames seven through the first shot in the tenth to defeat Glenn Smith, who was making his first stepladder finals appearance, 215-207.
In the semifinal match, Janawicz struck on his first six shots, while Shafer didn’t strike until the sixth and seventh frames. Janawicz finished that match off 247-210.
View the full results here: PBA50 South Shore Classic | PBA
2023 PBA50 SOUTH SHORE CLASSIC FINAL STANDINGS:
- Michael Haggitt, $8,000
- John Janawicz. $4,000
- Ryan Shafer, $3,000
- Glenn Smith, $2,500
- Jason Couch, $2,000
MATCH SCORES
Match 1 – Shafer def. Couch 249-246
Match 2 – Shafer def. Smith 215-207
Match 3 – Janawicz def. Shafer 247-210
Championship match – Haggitt def. Janawicz 237-219