This is where they came to realize their dreams. Make it through the qualifying round, get into match play, make the show and make a career.
Professional bowling aspirants have a path to follow. It's long. It's arduous. It's unique for someone to reach the end.
At the Earl Anthony Medford Classic this week at Lava Lanes, the path got a little crowded at the outset and stayed that way for some time. By the time the 64-man field was cut in half for match play, five of the seven qualifiers were still alive, tying the record for that round. Then four made it to the final 16, breaking that record.
If ever there was a place to settle into starting blocks and chase opportunity, this appeared to be it.
Interestingly, three of the remaining four qualifiers were in the same quadrant of the bracket. Only one exempt player shared their space and could prevent one of them from advancing to today's TV finals.
Advertisement | |
"If I would have lost," says Rash, "a TQR (Tour Qualifying Round) guy would have made the show. Then I'm really happy for them. I know how great of a feeling it is."
Unfortunately for them, Rash did not play crossing guard and usher them merrily on their way. Rather, he elbowed past them Friday, first knocking aside Dino Castillo in the round of 16, then bumping Ronnie Russell to the ditch in the round of eight.
Rash, 24, has one finals appearance this season and one title. He's trying to make it 2-for-2 today when he opens in the semifinals against Patrick Healey Jr.
Rash, whose nickname is "Diaper," isn't remorseful about quashing a couple of dreams. As it turns out, he enjoys having the distinction of being the only qualifier to win.
"It's a special feeling," he said. "I know how hard it is to go through qualifying and match play and winning. It's not an easy thing to do. I want to keep those guys off the show and keep the record for a while. It'll happen again, but who knows when? The guys who are qualifying are good people and good players. They definitely can play."
If the exempt field were to ever increase, even minutely, these are the players who would step in. That's how fine the line is between their respective talents.
Rash appreciates the challenge they face as much as anyone.
"At the same time," he says, "I want to put a stop to it. That's the bad thing about our sport. It's an individual sport, not a team sport. When you're bowling, you're bowling for yourself and you don't care how anyone else does. We have friends out here, of course, and want to see them be successful. But when it comes right down to it, we don't care that much about how others do."
He did, however, want to see Jeff Carter make it through the round of eight and to his first TV finals. Carter is Rash's roommate on tour, and the two would have met in the first semifinal today. But Healey won that match, 4-2.
As much as he wanted Carter to advance, he congratulated Healey and the other finalists on their fine bowling, and they reciprocated.
Rash also praised Russell for a strong showing and encouraged him to keep fighting.
That's what Rash, a Wichita, Kan., native who had a sterling junior and collegiate career, did in finding his way to the tour.
After going through the tour trials two summers ago and failing to earn one of 10 exempt spots, Rash followed the tour and entered all the qualifiers. He didn't advance out of qualifying in his first 10 attempts, thrice missing by one spot.
"I came so close so many times before I ever made the cut," says Rash. "It was really tough last year until a three-week stretch where I was bowling unbelievably well and things were going my way."
In his 14th of 19 events, he enjoyed a magical run in West Virginia.
He was fourth in qualifying, then fourth in the round of 64. After sweeping Tim Criss and Michael Fagan in match play, all that stood between him and his first TV show was Walter Ray Williams Jr., who now has more titles than anyone in history.
In the first game, Rash opened with eight straight strikes, but Williams went spare, spare, then struck out for a 270. Rash had a chance to win with a double in the 10th but didn't get it.
"That was definitely a bad burn at the time," says Rash, "because I had the front eight. I was telling myself, 'You bowled good enough, just let it come to you.'"
He fell behind 2-0, then battled back to defeat Williams, 4-3. He then knocked off Mike Scroggins in the semifinals and Mike DeVaney for the championship. Against DeVaney, he needed to pick up three difficult splits for a 194-178 win.
"I don't think it was a fluke," says Rash, who considers his self-assuredness to be one of his strongest assets. "I think I can compete out here. You don't shoe up unless you think you can win the event."
The triumph last year gained him exemption this season.
He followed up with his second career win last month in the Beltway Classic in Baltimore, giving him a spot on next season's tour.
A victory today would further his stock in the player-of-the-year chase.
Norm Duke is the only player with two victories. Another of today's finalists, Wes Malott, is the points leader and would take over the front-runner position with a win. He already has one win this year.
"Those are dreams and goals that I have," says Rash. "I was talking to Patrick Allen about it last night. When you win rookie of the year or player of the year, those are voted on by the players. It shows they think you're worthy. If I win, that would put me in the mix. If I don't, I have an opportunity again next week. But I wouldn't mind winning this week and getting my name in the conversation."
It would give those following his path something else to which they can aspire.
Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail ttrower@mailtribune.com
