Traber remains in groove
Dale Traber started thinking his West Coast hot streak was over midway through the U.S. Bowling Congress Senior Masters this week at the South Point.
After coming within one game of failing to qualify for double-elimination match play, the 52-year-old Traber rallied to defeat Ross Packard twice in three-game matches Friday to win $17,000 and the prestigious title.
Over Easter weekend, Traber helped his Linds Limited team to the Regular Division lead in the USBC Open Championships at Cashman Center -- a lead it still holds. Three weeks ago, he won the PBA Senior Tour event at Brentwood, Calif., and the next week, he placed sixth in the PBA Senior Open at the Suncoast.
Traber thought his roll had ended like a 7-10 split on a pocket hit Wednesday after the 14th of 15 games of three-game, double-elimination qualifying rounds. But the right-hander made a big adjustment to his arm swing and produced a 260 game to advance to the 64-player match-play field.
"If I hadn't made that change, I wouldn't have made the cut," said Traber, who lives in Cedarburg, Wis., a suburb of Milwaukee. "It's called digging deep."
Traber lost to Packard 705-658 Friday in the finals of the winners' bracket. But Traber won the losers' bracket to set up a rematch with Packard, a 61-year-old left-hander from San Jose, Calif.
Traber had to beat Packard twice in three-game matches to earn his first major national title.
After winning the first set 720-691, Traber gained a big lead when he opened with 247 to Packard's 201. Traber padded his lead by 19 pins in the next game and held a 65-pin lead heading to the final game.
Although Packard beat Traber in the last game 226-212, Traber clinched the title when he struck in the ninth frame and on the first ball of the 10th.
Contact reporter Jeff Wolf at jwolf@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0247.
