MORGANTOWN — The PBA50 Morgantown Classic bowling tournament ended Thursday in a strike from pro bowler Dan Knowlton, lifting him to win the final championship.
“It feels incredible — this is my fourth season bowling professionally. I never thought I would come close to winning a title but I just won my second one,” Knowlton said Thursday night at Suburban Lanes in Morgantown.
The win marks Knowlton’s second career PBA50 title.
Knowlton started bowling in Dade City, Fla. when he was eight. He bowled throughout his life and when he started getting older he decided he would try to go professional and it worked out for him.
Throughout the tournament this week, Knowlton was very confident and bowling well. In the semifinal match, Knowlton doubted himself, which made him fall short a little, but he came right back.
“I thought about using something different. I have gotten stuck too many times using the ball that I used all week and losing in the stepladder, and I didn’t want to do that,” he admitted. “But this one just looked too good.”
In the championship game, Knowlton was able to keep his confidence and bowled tremendously well to take the win with a perfect game on the line, and pulled his shot left leaving the six-pin standing for 299. However, his opponent, Jason Couch, struggled a bit with three-straight spares before a strike and two spares, he struck on five of his final six shots for 234.
“I feel like now I belong. Getting that first win (2023 PBA50 Ballard Championship) really validated whether I was any good and felt like I could belong out here,” Knowlton said.
This summer, Knowlton worked a lot on adding versatility to his game, which was on display in the championship match. He wanted to be able to increase his axis rotation, so he could play further in creating a bit more angle up front. He admits that was something that really wasn’t in his game before.
Knowlton was recently selected for Senior Team USA and will be competing next month in Reno at the 2024 PANAM Bowling Senior Men’s Championships.
“I have always looked at anything Team USA and felt that has to be an incredible experience,” Kowlton said. “To be such a select few that get the honor to do that and wear our country’s colors gives me goosebumps. If I can somehow manage to get a medal and put that in the trophy case, that would probably be cherished above these titles.”
Knowlton hopes to come back next year for the PBA50 Morgantown Classic.
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