TN Open - Highlights

	The tension was high as round 2 of the finals ebbed and flowed through 8 grueling matches. None more so tense that the final match that pitted Defending Champ Mike Shady against 5-time Champion Ron Palombi, Jr. with Shady leading by just 19 pins and the tournament in the balance.
Mike Shady 2003 Champion	Check out the scoresheet from the final match	Ron Palombi, Jr. 2003 Runner Up

Steve Benke Fashioned the high game of the day, a 279 in game 4. He slipped from 4th to 5th.	Steve Warren Made the biggest move of the day, from 6th to 3rd with a 2nd high actual of 1,645 for the day.	Fuzzy Graham Also moved up 3 spots, from 7th to 4th. He was one of only 4 to average over 200 for the day.

Lee Eighmy, Jr. The 2-time champ had high hopes at the outset but the lanes won the battle today.	Tom Lytle With low scores the norm, Tom made good use of those valuable bonus pins.	Bruce Baur Bounced back from a disappointing finish to day one to rise 3 spots to 8th.
TOURNAMENT NOTES -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The players new that conditions would be tough and the premium would be on shot making in the final 8 games so it was no surprise that the aggregate average for the final day was the lowest in 10 years (since 1992 - Perry Plaza). -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This was the 4th consecutive year that the Qualifying Champion has gone on to claim the title. (Eighmy 2000, Benke 2001, Shady 2002, 2003) This is quite a switch from the Tournaments start when the Qualifying Champion failed to capture the title in the first 19 Times-News Opens (1964 thru 1983). -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The field averaged just a shade over 168 on lanes 17&18 with only one 200 game on the day, a 211 posted by Gregory Utegg in the final game. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The "qualifying jinx" was broken by Ron Palombi, Jr. back in 1983 and the feat has been accomplished several times since but Mike Shady is the first to perform the feat in back-to-back years and is just the 4th back-to-back Champion. (Sheridan 71-72, Young 74-75, Palombi, Jr. 94-95, Shady 02-03) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was great to see the Tournament come down to the final frame. A 2nd strike in the tenth by Palombi would have forced a double by Shady. He came in light and finished with 188. As he finished his game and as Shady stepped to the approach all other matches were complete and the crowd was deadly silent. Shady was up to the task making a perfect shot resulting in a strike and the 2003 title. . . . -------------------------------------------------------------------------- THANK YOU's to, Joe Mattis, Matt Martin, Laura Maas, Steve Benke, Chuck Schommer and everyone else at the Times for providing us with some great publicity this year. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- THANK YOU's to all of the proprietors and their staffs for helping us put on a good show. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- THANK YOU to all of the members of the Times-News Open Tournament Committee Tim Nick, Dale Uplinger, Bob Montgomery, Paul Burger, and Joe Mattis ... they all make it look so easy and run so smoothly. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- THANK YOU to Ralph Toland, Jr., R.J., Elaine and those other individuals who provided their help and support to make the event a success. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hope to see you for the 41st Annual Times-News Open The tournament is tentatively scheduled as follows: QUALIFIER January 3rd at Lake City Lanes and January 4th at Greengarden Lanes FINALS January 10th at Westway Lanes and January 11th at Eastway Lanes

The crowds always seem to pack in as the Tournament closes on the final day.	Mr. Palombi and others look on as the pressure mounts in Game 16.	The sizeable crowd was treated to quite a finish by the two former PBA pros.

2003 - ROUND 2 HIGHLIGHTS