Ron Williams Leads Bowlers at Torrance

On top of the bowling world at the moment is Amleto Monacelli.

The Venezuelan reached the pinnacle this week when it was announced that his fellow pros had elected him PBA player of the year for 1989.

But Wednesday he had to come down off the pedestal to get back to the lanes.

And at Gable House Bowl in Torrance, it was Ron Williams of Ft. Worth who had the upper hand over Monacelli and 158 others in the AC/Delco tournament.

Williams, a one-time winner with an unorthodox bent-arm swing, had 2,727 total and was 327 pins over a 200 average. His first-round set was 238, 234, 268, 203, 239 and 235. His night round was 258, 256, 193, 207, 223 and 175.

Monacelli, 28, was back in the pack. His ball was hitting the pocket but not carrying.

“It was just one of those days that come along,” he said.

Monacelli will need a raft of strikes to make the 24-player cut after today’s third round. The survivors will bowl the 24-game match-play semifinals through Friday, with the top five gaining Saturday’s title roll-off.

Last year Monacelli made 10 title roll-offs and earned $213,815, averaging 215.

Bowling has been in the Monacellis family. His father, Rodolfo, is in the clothing business by trade, but he is a bowler.

“Dad was South American bowling champion in the 1970s,” Monacelli said. “He started me on bowling at 8. Three years later, he and my uncles built a 16-lane center on the second floor of their commercial building. ‘Bowling 20’ we call it. It’s still my home lanes.”

Monacelli was averaging 220 in league play when he was invited to come to the United States as an international entry in the 1978 Brunswick World Open at Chicago.

“After that I knew if I ever was to be a real champion, I’d have to join the tour. The PBA tour is the only place to really learn the game.”

Bowling Notes

There were two 300 games in the opening rounds, rolled by Norm Duke of Ft. Worth and Parker Bohn III of Freehold, N.J. Mark Williams of Beaumont, Tex., barely missed a perfect game. A wobbly No. 7 pin failed to fall and he got a 299.