The world's best bowler lived up to his reputation by winning his 20th career title Tuesday night at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park. Â
The thirty-five year old Australian's twenty titles include 10 majors, which ties him for most all-time major victories in PBA history.
The PBA Chameleon Championship started with all four qualifying bowlers rolling a game to decide their seeding for the match. Â Andres Gomez from Columbia grabbed the first seed, followed by Belmonte, A.J. Champman and Ronnie Russell.
The first game of the step-ladder finals came right down to the end, with the twenty-five year old A.J. Chapman, seeking his first career PBA title, beating tour veteran Ronnie Russel 244-233. Â
So the second game came down to the youngster versus the bowling legend, and the kid gave Belmonte all he could handle. jumping out to a 113 to 96 lead in the fifth frame on the strength of four strikes in the first five frames. Â Right out of the mid-game commercial break, Chapman's open frame after failing to convert the 2-4-8-10 split opened the door for Belmonte to make up some ground. Â The game was now tight, and Belmonte struck in the ninth frame. Â
Chapman was in position to clinch the match, but his pocket hit in the ninth frame left the dreaded 7-10 split, as the stunned crowd gasped. Â Belmonte then threw a strike on his first ball in the tenth frame, and had the opportunity to clinch the match, but then left the 4-10 split on his next ball. Â
Chapman then came up, needing two strikes plus seven pins to win. Â He threw the first strike, then left a 10-pin on the second ball, and Belmonte breathed a huge sigh of relief, knowing that he was advancing to the championship game. Â So what did he do next? Â Tweet his fans about that tough game and the tough lane conditions!
The final game between Belmonte and Gomez was very close through the first seven frames. Â But it could have been a very different game at that point when, after leaving a 10-pin in the third frame, Belmonte's spare shot barely grazed the pin, which barely tipped over to the right. Â
Strike! 🎳
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) March 20, 2019
Jason Belmonte defeats three-time PBA Tour champion Andres Gomez to win his 20th career title at the 2019 @PBATour Chameleon Championship! pic.twitter.com/fNXssebEzS
When I interviewed him after the match, I told him that, just a centimeter to the left, and that pin would still be standing. Â His reply was "a millimeter!" Â But great champions bowl their best in the biggest moments and, Belmonte's four strikes starting in the eighth frame clinched his twentieth title. Â Immediately after receiving the trophy, Belmonte continued his tradition of taking a selfie with the fans to tweet out!
Belmonte now has a chance to win Wednesday night's tournament, and then really make history if he can win Thursday night...that tournament is a major and, he has already clinched the top seed. Â If he wins that one, then history will be made in the world's official bowling capital, again!
I spoke with Belmonte right after his historic win, and he also had some tremendous things to say about Thunderbowl and Detroit's fans: