The Chameleon Open, played February 12, 2012, saw Jason Belmonte have an amazingly good game to catapult to the front. While the Chameleon choice of oil patterns isn't my favorite of the animal-inspired PBA styles, it definitely created the atmosphere for some interesting bowling.
According to the PBA website, Jason Belmonte was quoted saying, "This feels a million times better than my first title." Which is understandable, winning one title is a "whew I'm finally here in the winners spot" while you wait for that second title to secure your thinking that you deserve to be there. With Jason Belmonte, not only did he show in this game that he deserved to be there, but that he'll be there again in no time.
How It Settled Up
Round one winners were Osku Palermaa with 213, Sean Rash with 201, and Jason Belmonte with 189. Round two winners were Sean Rash with 226 and Belmonte with 200. There was definitely a step up in game-play from round one to round two with these bowlers. It was exciting to see the intensity of bowling increase just from the first round to the second. The championship match pitted Belmonte and Rash together, with Rash receiving $7,500 for his second place finish. Belmonte bowled a 268 over Rash's 191 to win the $15,000 prize. This was a tremendous upswing in keeping the bowling momentum going, with Jason Belmonte getting better every game he bowled.
What the Win Means
With this title, Belmonte was the third straight international player that won a PBA WSOB, or World Series of Bowling, event title. The other two winners in this international series streak were Palermaa and Williams, who won the PBA World Championship and the Bayer Viper Open respectively. While not the first to do this feat, being part of an elite three-member history spot is a nice perk in the game.
Fan's View
Jason Belmonte really stepped it up in all three rounds, getting better in each one. This was really pivotal and made for a tremendous blow past the second place Rash. There was a string of eight strikes in the final, which made this PBA Chameleon Open really a game to watch. For those who missed it, catch it online or through sporting channels as soon as you can. It is bowling at its most intense.
Source: PBA
Tina Samuels - Tina Samuels specializes in health, animal, and gardening articles. She authored "A Georgia Native Plant Guide".
