The 30th Annual Times-News Open, conducted at 10 games of qualifying and 16 games of match play with 16 finalists, was held Eastland, Frontier, Rolling Meadows and Greengarden.

1988 Champ Bob Learn, Jr. shot a fine 5-game block of 1,240 in round 1 to lead the qualifiers. Mark Wattle climbed the ladder in round 2 with a 1,241 block but fell just short as Bob Learn, Jr. held on to claim the qualifying title by 5 pins with a total of 2,301.

Scoring records were falling as round 1 of the finals came to a close. 1986 titlist George Warren, Jr. fashioned a record 8-game block of 1,994 with games of 197-300-226-223-247-267-297-237. Learn held down second and had a run of his own with a 237-288-290 stretch for 815 (a record at the time) and trailed Warren by 72 pins. Perennial contender Pat Malone was third 139 pins back.

Round 2 at Greengarden was much different. Where the finalists averaged 219 on day 1, they would manage just 199 on day 2.

Warren’s lead was lost to Malone with 3 games to go while lefty Tim Laughlin grabbed the lead briefly after game 14 before relinquishing it back to Malone leading into the position round.

The position round had Malone in front of Laughlin by 27, and Warren by 39. Unfortunately for Malone that position match was on lanes 11&12, a pair that bowlers struggled on all day. Malone, who managed just 185 in game 15 on that pair could only muster 172 in losing to Laughlin’s 178. Warren, however, found lanes 13&14 to his liking starting the game with 10 consecutive strikes enroute to a 286 game and an eventual 96 pin victory over Laughlin.