Williams' pain is Bohn's gain

      Parker Bohn III captured the $200,000 Showboat Invitational on Saturday for his second straight Professional Bowlers Association tournament championship.
      Bohn defeated defending champion Walter Ray Williams Jr. 206-204 in the championship game.
      The fourth-seeded Bohn capitalized on what he called a "bad break" for Williams, a PBA Hall of Famer and the tour's all-time money-winner at $1.9 million. Williams needed to win only one game Saturday to claim the tournament.
      Williams opened the 10th frame with a strike. He needed nine pins and a spare with his next shot to win the tournament.
      But his next shot left the 2-4-5-8 pins, allowing Bohn to win the $35,000 first prize.
      Williams, a three-time PBA Player of the Year, couldn't believe he knocked down only six pins.
      "I thought I threw it halfway decent,'' he said. ''I guess I threw it too hard. I don't know. I was very surprised."
      Bohn relished his second straight victory. He won the ACDelco Classic last week in Lakewood, Calif.
      "I couldn't believe today, really," he said. "Yes, it is bigger than last week. I created a milestone in my career; winning back-to-back titles.
      "True champions win back to back. I've got to believe a lot of guys who win back-to-back titles become Hall of Famers."
      Williams' collapse surprised Bohn.
      "I did not even dream Walter Ray would get a six on the 11th frame," Bohn said.
      Before Williams' 11th-frame shot, Bohn said he thought to himself, The game is over, theoretically.
      The victory gave Bohn $119,350 in earnings this year, tops of the tour. He won $83,000 the past two weeks.
      "I feel without a doubt I am the luckiest person on the tour," Bohn said.
      Bohn just missed a perfect game in the semifinals, in which he defeated No. 2 seed Steve Jaros, 299-245.
      Bohn left the 6-pin in the 12th frame to miss the $10,000 bonus for a 300 game during the nationally-televised stepladder finals.
      "Shooting (a certain score) was the furthest thing from my mind,'' he said. ''I just wanted to win."
      It was Bohn's 13th career victory. He joined the PBA tour in 1984.
      He defeated No. 5 seed Pete Weber 235-202 in the opening game, then beat No. 3 seed Mike Miller, 245-189.
      Jaros finished third and received $11,000. Miller was fourth ($8,000) and Weber, who has 22 career victories, was fifth ($6,000).
      Williams the 1996 PBA Player of the Year, was second and earned $18,000. He led the six-day tournament from the second day of qualifying through the end of the 56-game qualifying Friday night, averaging 236.86.
      He was going for his third Showboat title in four years, but was left thinking of the 11th frame.
      "I would throw it the same way," he said. "I am still puzzled why it didn't get more pins. I didn't get quite the rotation. It just didn't hook up."