Lady Lake bowler Rick Pittman found a special way to spend his birthday Saturday – being crowned as the new Senior Shoot Out champion at Fiesta Bowl in The Villages.
Pittman struck out in the 10th frame to take the title away from two strong competitors with a score of 223. Jace Peterson, of Ocala, was the runner-up with a score of 213, taking home $650. He held the lead for nine frames until a wide shot in the 11th opened the door for Pittman.
Player of the Year Rory Peterson, of Jacksonville, had problems on the final round pair and finished third with a score of 190 and a $350 prize.
Pittman took home the winner’s share of $1,000, a champion’s shirt courtesy of Gotta Get Your Name On! Shirts & Embroidery, a championship trophy provided by Fiesta Bowl and a paid entry into the upcoming Tom Nemish Memorial Senior Shoot Out event. He also is automatically eligible for the 2020-21 season championship in August 2021.
The Player of the Year race tightened up with the points being doubled. Rory Peterson’s perfect game during the qualifying round became the difference as he outlasted Pittman by just 10 points, taking home $500, the Player of the Year trophy courtesy of Fiesta Bowl and a personalize tote provided by Generations Pro Shop for his second perfect game in two months.
Pittman placed second in the Player of the Year contest and took home $300 for his efforts. Roger Tramp, of Mount Dora, finished third and took home $200.
All told, 55 of the 64 qualified bowlers competed in the season championship. Nineteen of them were Super Seniors, of which only five made the natural cut of 630. That ended up being a tie, which meant that 29 bowlers advanced to the second round plus the added five Super Seniors.
The next event planned at Fiesta Bowl will be the Tom Nemish Memorial event on Sept 19 at 11 a.m., signaling the start of the 2020-21 season. That event and all monthly contests are open to all bowlers age 55 and older, with special consideration given to bowlers age 70 and older.
The complete results of the Senior Shootout Championship can be viewed at http://www.thevillagesbowling.com.
