The 42nd Annual Times-News Open, conducted at 10 games of qualifying and 16 games of match play with 16 finalists, was held North East, Eastland, Rolling Meadows and Classic.

On Saturday January 8th at North East Lanes with Bruce Baur emerging with the lead on the strength of games of 244 – 266 – 244 – 228 – 224 – 1206. 3-time qualifying champ Chuck Schommer, Jr., was second with 1,187 with Lee Eighmy, Jr., a two-time titlist (1998, 2000), and 3-time champion Pat Malone positioned nicely with 1,156, and 1,139, respectively. Shelly Ferretti made a little bit of TN history shooting a 300 in the 4th game enroute to a round of 1,106. It was just the 10th perfect game in qualifier history and Shelly (11th) is in good position to be the first female to qualify for the finals.

The final round of the qualifier was contested at Eastland Bowl and the scoring was good and most of the leaders held their position. Eighmy, Jr. fashioned the second high round of the day 1,186 which was good enough for a 10-game total of 2,342 and a 61-pin qualifying victory over first round leader Baur (1,075-2,281). Greg Utegg made the biggest jump of the day using the high 5-game block of the round (1,199) to move from 33rd to 5th. Tom Lytle (1,172) climbed from 32nd to 7th with his find round while Kyle Kelly, 3rd after round one could only manage 910 and dropped out of the top 16. The history that was begun in round one was completed in round two as Shelly Ferretti compiled 1,064 to go with her first round 1,106, good for a spot in the finals at 13th.

Mike Shady, the three-time defending champion battled the effects of the flu all weekend finally ending up 34th. The cut fell at +149 and the cash line at +110.

Round one of the finals kicked off with 8 games at Rolling Meadow Lanes. Lytle got off to a hot start with games of 279-255-228-246 and 3 wins to lead Chris Moffett by 67 pins. Eighmy, Jr. reeled of 4 wins starting with game 4 (268-257-234-258) before settling with a tie in the days final game (235). Malone was steady all day in recording a 6-2 record and an 8 game total of 2,040, just 76 pins off Eighmy, Jr’s lead at 2,116. Lytle held down the third spot with 1,995. Utegg had the round’s high game in a 290-225 victory over Ferretti in game 7.

Eighmy, Jr. began the final round at Classic Lanes slowly with just 189-243-201 and one win. 3-time champion Malone made up ground quickly, taking over the top spot after a 279-203 victory over Baur in game 10. He followed that up with a couple of 267 games, both victories, and his lead balooned to 158 pins. With victories in games 13 and 14 his lead held steady at 131, over Lytle, however, not Eighmy, Jr. Malone’s loss in game 15 coupled with Lytle’s victory left Lytle with an outside shot as Malone’s lead was just 63 heading into the final game.

Malone started fast with strikes in 4 of his first 5 shots. A missed a 7 pin in the 5th put Lytle 21 pins behind and in dire straights. Malone, however, returned the favor by missing a 7 pin in the 6th. Lytle began a string of strikes in the 6th that would not end until a 9 count on his final shot. Malone, at one time well in control, now watched his lead dwindle after following a double with a solid 8 pin in the 9th. This really put the match in jeopardy. Malone would need to fill 19 pins in the final frame and did just that in leaving 2 ten pins and had just enough to clip Lytle by a single pin.