It was the 50-year-old ESPN color analyst’s PBA50 debut. And while the PBA Hall of Famer is a 13-time tour champion, two knee surgeries in the past three years had generated some self-doubt.
Those doubts were put to rest Thursday at Capri Lanes as Pedersen edged fellow hall-of-famer and top seed Amleto Monacelli, 232-226, to earn his first PBA50 title.
While he makes his living chatting it up for the cameras, it was his smile that spoke volumes as he clinched his first professional title since 2002.
“I haven’t had fun bowling in a long time,” he said.
The tournament did take its toll on Pedersen, who rolled 35 games since Tuesday.
“I bowled more games this week than I’ve bowled in the past year,” Pedersen said.
And it showed, as his left knee had swollen to twice its size by the end of the match. But Pedersen wasn’t complaining.
The win is more than a confidence booster and a paycheck; it means credibility for the bowler turned broadcaster who has spent more time in the booth than on the lanes over the past decade.
“You go to the booth when you can’t play anymore, you feel like a loser, you feel worthless,” he said. “This will help me bring some credibility to the booth — ‘he must know what he’s doing, he just won a senior title.’ ”
While there was some arm-twisting to get Pedersen to compete in Dayton, he has already committed to compete in both the PBA Senior U.S. Open and the United States Bowling Congress Senior Masters in Las Vegas in June.
Road to the final: Pedersen got off to a strong start, rattling off five strikes to open the match against fourth-seeded Mike Edwards. An open fourth frame put Edwards in a hole as Pedersen moved on, 244-191.
Pedersen continued to find the pocket in the semifinals, opening with seven strikes while Bob Learn Jr. struggled early. Pedersen advanced to the championship match with a 268-223 win over Learn.
Spare shots: Local bowlers Ron Profitt and Les Ash finished 22nd and 30th, respectively. … The only perfect game Thursday belonged to Learn, whose 300 came during the first block of round robin match play.
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