July 21, 2020 spopp

Jupiter, Fla. – Bowling royalty hit the lanes for an exciting night at Bowlero Jupiter in Florida where PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke captured the King of the Lanes crown on night one of the the six-part series airing on FS1. Duke defeated defending King Wes Malott and was able to hold off contender Anthony Simonsen and retain the throne.

40-time title winner and PBA Hall of Famer, Norm Duke started the night off strong in a battle of the greatest bowlers of all time, defeating 47-time title winner and PBA Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. 266-211 in the first Contenders Match. As the winner, Duke went on to bowl 10-time title winner Wes Malott for the crown and won the King Match, 248-219.

With Duke residing on the throne, two of the PBA Tour’s youngest stars contended for the crown – 13-time title winner EJ Tackett and seven-time title winner Anthony Simonsen. Both players struggled to get comfortable on the lanes, with Simonsen emerging victorious, 217-193, by favoring his unique backup-ball style for most of the Contenders Match. Then in the first defense of his crown, Duke displayed his versatility and spare-making talent, converting a washout in the 8th frame to down Simonsen, 198-185.

The PBA King of the Lanes series’ Golden Strike promotion, sponsored by Go Bowling!, got off to a great start, with multiple Golden Strikes thrown by Williams Jr. (two), Duke (two), and Simonsen. With four Golden Strikes thrown (a strike when the head pin is gold) fans can now get four free games of bowing at participating centers, redeemable at GoBowling.com/FreeAmerica.

Duke lives to see another night as the King, but will he hold onto the crown? He’ll face competition from the winner of the first Contenders Match between two Go Bowing! PBA Tour stars – 12-time title winner Bill O’Neill and 15-time title winner Sean Rash.

Viewers can live stream the King of the Lanes series on the FOX Sports and FOX NOW apps or at FOXSports.com. Select highlights will be available on @FOXSports social handles across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. International fans can watch live on FloBowling.com.

FS1 will telecast the rest of the series live in prime time.

  • Tuesday, July 21 – 7-8 PM ET
    • Contenders Match: Bill O’Neill vs. Sean Rash
    • King Match 3: Winner from King 2 vs. Contenders Winner
  • Tuesday, July 21 – 8-9 PM ET
    • Contenders Match: Jakob Butturff vs. Clara Guerrero
    • King Match 4: Winner from King 3 vs. Contenders Winner
  • Wednesday, July 22 – 8-9 PM ET
    • Contenders Match: Kris Prather vs. Gazmine Mason
    • King Match 5: Winner from King 4 vs. Contenders Winner
  • Wednesday, July 22 – 9-10 PM ET
    • Contenders Match: Kyle Troup vs. Pete Weber
    • King Match 6: Winner from King 5 vs. Contenders Winner

Results Night 1

Contenders Match 1
Norm Duke def. Walter Ray Williams Jr., 266-211

King Match 1
Duke def. Wes Malott, 248-219. Duke is the new King.

Contenders Match 2
Anthony Simonsen def. EJ Tackett, 217-193

King Match 2
Simonsen vs. Duke, 198-185. Duke remains King.

With health and safety top of mind, the PBA is following local and federal guidelines on COVID-19. The PBA is significantly modifying event procedures as well as taking all necessary precautions to reduce health risks for players and staff during competition. For a complete list of standards, please visit pba.com.

About the PBA
The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) is the world’s preeminent organization dedicated to the sport of bowling and its professional competition, with thousands of members and millions of fans throughout the world. The PBA plays host to bowling’s biggest tournaments from the Go Bowling! PBA Tour, PBA Regional Tour, and PBA50 Tour. In 2019, the PBA was acquired by Bowlero Corporation, the world’s largest owner and operator of bowling entertainment centers with more than 300 locations throughout North America. For more information, please visit PBA.com.

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