PBA Spare Shots: PBA Hall of Famer Del Ballard Jr. Successfully Battling Tonsil Cancer

Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Famer Del Ballard Jr. of Keller, Texas, is undergoing treatment for tonsil cancer with expectations of a full and complete recovery.

Ballard, a 13-time PBA Tour champion and winner of four major titles, is undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments at Texas Oncology, an affiliate of Baylor University. According to Ballard’s wife, PBA Women’s Series champion and USBC Hall of Famer Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, the rare form of cancer affected only the soft tissue at the back of his throat, but not his throat itself. “A big, big difference,” she said.

The 47-year-old Ballard was diagnosed after returning from a trip to Saudi Arabia in May with a sore throat that wouldn’t go away. When antibiotic treatments failed, a biopsy revealed the cancer.

“It’s a non-aggressive form of cancer and it was contained,” Carolyn said. “Del only has two chemotherapy and 10 radiation treatments left, and the cancer has almost completely dissipated. If it isn’t completely gone by the time his treatments are finished, the doctors will do a non-invasive surgery to remove whatever remains. So the prognosis is very good and his doctors are thrilled with the way his body has accepted his treatments.”

PBA REGIONAL ROUNDUP powered by XTRA FRAME

WISEMAN WINS AGAIN; ALLEN VENTURES INTO TEXAS FOR 21ST REGIONAL VICTORY

Danny Wiseman, a 12-time PBA Tour champion, won his second PBA East Regional title in a month Sunday, defeating Terry Miller of York, Pa., 279-225, to win the Mid-County Lanes Open in Middletown, Del. Wiseman earned $2,500, his eighth career PBA regional title, and he prevented Miller from winning back-to-back titles. PBA Exempt player Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, N.Y., and Bobby Hall II of Landover, Md., finished fifth and 10th, respectively.

In the joint Midwest/Central Region Thunderbowl Open in Mokena, Ill., covered live on pba.com’s Xtra Frame, Brian Waliczek of Birch Run, Mich., picked up his sixth career regional victory and $2,500 on Aug. 1. Waliczek defeated Paul Gibson of Brunswick, Ohio, 203-191, in the title match. Reigning PBA Rookie of the Year Anthony LaCaze of Melrose Park, Ill., finished seventh.

Patrick Allen of Wesley Chapel, Fla., ventured into the Southwest Region Sunday where the 13-time PBA Tour title winner toppled Tyler Jensen of Fort Worth, Texas, 254-236, to win $2,500 and his 21st career regional title in the Plano Super Bowl Open in Plano, Texas. Former exempt player Dino Castillo of Carrollton, Texas, finished third while exempt players Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, and Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, finished fifth and seventh, respectively.

In the West/Northwest joint Don Johnson Memorial at Fourth Street Bowl in San Jose, Calif., on Aug. 1, Jeff Frankos of Daly City, Calif., won his 13th career regional title and $2,500 with a 215-162 victory over Kevin Harlin of Milpitas, Calif. PBA Tour titlist Tony Reyes of San Bruno, Calif., finished fourth. Former exempt player P.J. Haggerty of Clovis, Calif., finished fifth and Steven Black of Phoenix, Ariz., the winner of three of the past four West Region events, finished 10th.

On Aug. 8, Xtra Frame rolls into Terre Haute, Ind., where it will provide final day coverage of the PBA Central/Midwest Region Terre Haute Open at Terre Haute Bowling Center. PBA Senior Tour coverage is next on the schedule with final day coverage of the PBA Senior Lake County Indiana Open from Olympia Lanes in Hammond, Ind., on Aug. 12. To sign up for Xtra Frame, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame logo.

All PBA title holders (National, Senior, Regional, Senior Regional, Women's Series champions) who are PBA members in good standing as of Sept. 1 are eligible for the 2011 PBA Tournament of Champions.

PBA STARS HEADED TO MUNICH FOR WTBA MEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS AUG. 12-21

Six of the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour’s top stars are heading to Munich, Germany, where they will represent the United States as members of Team USA in the 2010 World Tenpin Bowling Association Men’s World Championships Aug. 12-21.

Chris Barnes, Wes Malott, Bill O’Neill, Tommy Jones, Rhino Page and Patrick Allen will compete for singles, doubles, trios, five-man team, all-events and Masters medals against competitors from 67 other countries. Barnes, Jones, Page and Allen were members of the 2008 U.S. team that won four gold medals, including doubles (Page and Allen) and team, in Bangkok, Thailand. Walter Ray Williams Jr., who won singles and Masters in 2008, declined an opportunity to bowl again this year. Malott and O’Neill will make their first WTBA World Championships appearances.

WEBB LEADS PBA SENIOR PLAYER OF THE YEAR POINTS RACE INTO FINAL THREE EVENTS

Heading into the PBA Senior Tour’s final three tournament of the 2010 season, Wayne Webb of Columbus, Ohio, is the front-runner in the PBA Senior Tour Player of the Year points race by virtue of victories earlier in the year in the Senior Columbus Open and the USBC Senior Masters.

The PBA Senior Tour is using the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour points system for the first time to determine the Senior Player of the Year. For each of the three remaining events, the winner will earn 16 points, runner-up 8 points, third place 4 points and fourth place 2 points. Points for the top four finishers in the majors conducted earlier in the year were 24, 12, 8 and 4, respectively.

Webb, with 48 points, holds a 16-point advantage over Senior U.S. Open champion Mark Williams of Beaumont, Texas. “Rookie” Walter Ray Williams Jr. is third with 28. Don Sylvia and Steve Ferraro, who each own a 2010 title, are tied for fourth with 16 points.

The Senior Tour’s remaining events are the Senior Lake County Indiana Open at Olympia Lanes in Hammond, Ind., Aug. 9-12; Senior Decatur Open at Spare Times Lanes in Decatur, Ill., Aug. 14-17, and Senior Jackson Open at Airport Lanes in Jackson, Mich., Aug. 21-24.

PBA GEICO TEAM SHOOTOUT SHOWS TO RE-AIR ON ESPN2

ESPN2 will re-broadcast the PBA GEICO Team Shootout shows that originated from Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, N.J., earlier in the summer. ESPN2 has announced a tentative schedule of Sunday telecasts starting with three 30-minute shows airing concurrently on Aug. 15 at 10:30 a.m. Eastern. Additional half hour shows will air as noted below (all times are Eastern).

The PBA GEICO Team Shootout involved four teams of PBA stars representing Brunswick, Ebonite International, 900 Global and Storm Products competing in Baker format team competition in pursuit of the inaugural PBA Manufacturers Cup.

● Sunday, Sept. 12, 4 p.m. (two shows)

● Sunday, Sept. 26, 10:30 a.m.

● Sunday, Oct. 10, 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

● Sunday, Oct. 24, 2:30 p.m. (five shows)

● Sunday, Oct. 31, 10:30 a.m.