Bowling in his 801st PBA event last week, Ernie Schlegel went over $1 million in career earnings.

Schlegel, who has been a member of the PBA since 1968, finished 15th in the 2001 U.S. Open, Fountain Valley, Calif., earning $4,200 – enough to bring his official career earnings to $1,002,529. The PBA and ABC Hall of Famer, who owns six PBA titles, has been competing on the Tour since 1967. He is the 22nd person in PBA history to break the $1 million earnings and did so in 34 years, which is the third longest to Dave Soutar’s 38 years and Johnny Petraglia’s 35 years.

The 58-year-old averaged $1,086 in earnings per National Tour event and has earned $870,565 on the National Tour, $51,216 on the Senior Tour and $80,748 in the PBA regional program. His best year in earning on the National Tour was in 1996 when he earned $75,745.

International Flavor –

With his victory this past week, Mika Koivuniemi, of Finland, became the first foreign-born player to win bowling’s U.S. Open. In addition, Koivuniemi is also the only international player to win the American Bowling Congress (ABC) Masters, which he did last year in Albuquerque, N.M.

Although originally from Finland, Koivuniemi recently moved to Ann Arbor, Mich., with his wife and two daughters so that he could be closer to his family while on Tour. Koivuniemi was not the only foreign representation in this year’s U.S. Open. There were 14 entrants, including this year’s champion, from eight different foreign countries.

The countries represented were:

Venezuela – Amleto Monacelli, Javier Pardi and Gonzalo Gonzales

Mexico – Patrick Healey Jr., Luis Iserte, Mario Quintero and Roberto Silva

Finland – Mika Koivuniemi

Australia – Andrew Frawley

Sweden – Tomas Leandersson

Germany – Frank Heine, Manfred Zabel

Norway – Tore Torgersen

Japan – Takahiro Yoshida

Halfway Through the Season Player and Rookie of the Year Race Begins to Heat Up –

The U.S. Open marked the end of the first half of the 2001-2002 PBA season that began in Peoria, Ill., this past September. Beginning the first week of January, the PBA will contest 10 more regular season events to close out the first official season of the new PBA.

Due to the transitioning from a yearly Tour to a seasonal, September through March Tour, the first 10 events of 2001, from the National Bowling Stadium National/Senior Doubles through the Japan Cup, will be added to the 20 events that make up the 2001-2002 season.

Therefore, so far this season there have been 20 events and the likely candidates for PBA Player and Rookie of the Year honors are mounting. For PBA Player of the Year, there are three professionals that have won multiple titles – Parker Bohn III, Walter Ray Williams Jr. and Pete Weber. Bohn won the National Bowling Stadium National Senior Doubles, Reno, Nev., with Rohn Morton, Latham, N.Y. and the ABC Masters, Reno, Nev. (his first career major). Williams also won a PBA major, the PBA National Championship, Toledo, Ohio, and his most recent win in Erlanger, Ky. Weber won titles No. 26 and 27 in Grand Rapids, Mich., and Louisville, Ky., respectively.

Other possible contenders include Jason Couch, Chris Barnes and Mika Koivuniemi.

For PBA Rookie of the Year, several candidates exist. Brian Kretzer and Mike Machuga are the only two rookies to make a championship round appearance. Other rookies performing well on Tour include Tommy Jones and Mike Wolfe.

Professional Bowlers Association PBA Y-T-D Stat Leaders as of 12/10/01

2001 Point Rankings

1, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 274,585.

2, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 254,820.

3, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 231,760.

4, Ryan Shafer, Elmira, N.Y., 215,310.

5, Chris Barnes, Dallas, 214,335.

6, Tommy Delutz Jr., Flushing, N.Y., 206,790.

7, Patrick Healey Jr., Mexico, 202,415.

8, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 201,410.

9, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 199,010.

10, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 195,115.

2001 Money Leaders

1, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., $144,500.

2, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., $143,000.

3, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, $137,150.

4, Chris Barnes, Dallas, $121,215.

5, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., $110,175.

6, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., $107,275.

7, Ryan Shafer, Elmira, N.Y., $93,100.

8, Patrick Healey Jr., Mexico, $91,375.

9, Tommy Delutz Jr., Flushing, N.Y., $85,650.

10, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, $79,187.

2001 Average Leaders

1, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 221.49.

2, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 220.72.

3, Chris Barnes, Dallas, 218.25.

4, Patrick Healey Jr., Mexico, 218.25.

5, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 216.76.

6, Ryan Shafer, Elmira, N.Y., 216.63.

7, Mike Aulby, Indianapolis, 215.43.

8, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 215.42.

9, Tommy Delutz Jr., Flushing, N.Y., 215.10.

10, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 214.95.