Chris Collins (pictured) of Savannah, Ga., averaged 235.43 to lead a field of 10 players who advanced out of the Professional Bowlers Association Tour Qualifying Round Wednesday completing the field of 64 for the Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championship which gets underway with the first round Thursday at AMF Thruway Lanes.

Collins, a former exempt player who won the 2006 Pepsi Championship for his lone PBA Tour title, completed the seven-game qualifying round with a 1,648 pinfall total with games of 179, 237, 257, 259, 191, 246, and 279 finishing 77 pins ahead of Mitch Beasley (right) of Puyallup, Wash., in second with 1,571. All 49 players in the qualifier were required to use PBA-approved plastic balls.

"The key today was to play straight with a little speed—kind of like I would on a broke down Cheetah pattern," Collins said. "I got off to a slow start with a lot splits but I made a slight adjustment with my feet and increased the speed. These are examples of the types of adjustments we're all going to have to make because we're not going to have our usual (bowling) equipment to go to."

Also advancing were Johnny Petraglia Jr., Jackson, N.J., 1,535; Scott Newell (left), Deland, Fla., 1,522; Mike Rose Jr., West Henrietta, N.Y., 1,518; Matt O'Grady, South Amboy, N.J., 1,515; Tommy Gollick, Oberlin, Pa., 1,512; Jesse Buss (right), Wichita, Kan., 1,496; Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, 1,480, and Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 1,473.

Beginning with Thursday's first Round of 64, all players will be required to use identical Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championship competition plastic balls manufactured by OntheBallBowling.com. Each player will be given two balls and these will be the only balls they will be able to use throughout the tournament.

With all players having to rely on 1970s-era technology, the playing field is equalized as there is less reliance on today's high-powered equipment.

After Thursday's second Round of 64, the field will be cut to 32 players who will advance to a match play round Friday morning which cuts the field to the top 16. Friday evening's match play round will determine the top four who will advance to Sunday's finals to be telecast live on ESPN at 1 p.m. Eastern.

 

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Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championship Tour Qualifying Round

Players with position, hometown and 7-game total. The top 10 advance to Round of 64

1, Christopher Collins, Savannah, Ga., 1,648
2, Mitch Beasley, Puyallup, Wash., 1,571
3, Johnny Petraglia Jr., Jackson, N.J., 1,535
4, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 1,522
5, Mike Rose Jr, West Henrietta, N.Y., 1,518
6, Matthew O'Grady, South Amboy, N.J., 1,515
7, Tommy Gollick, Oberlin, Pa., 1,512
8, Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 1,496
9, Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, 1,480
10, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 1,473

11, Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., 1,462, $800
12, John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 1,458, $500
13, Gregory Thompson Jr., Dublin, Calif., 1,449
14, PJ Haggerty, Roseville, Calif., 1,448
15, Eddie VanDaniker Jr., Essex, Md., 1,444
16, Michael Markis, Hawley, Pa, 1,443
17, Peter Maduri, Tonawanda, N.Y., 1,436
18, Jonathan Kroll, Lackawana, N.Y., 1,430
19, Dan MacLelland, Saginaw, Mich., 1,428
20, Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 1,420
21, Mike Zarcone, Tonawanda, N.Y., 1,411
22, Tim Bell, Garden City, Mich., 1,409
23, Alex Aguiar, Dartmouth, Mass., 1,407
24, Frank Bellavia Jr., Niagara Falls, N.Y., 1,400
25, Kevin Donovan, Painted Post, N.Y., 1,370
26, Matthew Zasowski, Buffalo, N.Y., 1,368
27, (tie) William Stoddard, Rochester, N.Y., and Joseph Hostetler, Minerva, Ohio, 1,367
29, Matt Freiberg, Simpsonville, S.C., 1,361
30, Andrew Mortensen, Tulsa, Okla., 1,352
31, Jimmy Plessinger, York, Pa., 1,350
32, (tie) Joe Stillman, Staten Island, N.Y., and Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., 1,342
34, Christopher Racey, Ontario, Canada, 1,325
35, Nick Kokenos, St. Clair Shores, Mich., 1,317
36, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 1,303
37, Chris Biamonte Jr., Niagara Falls, Ont., Canada, 1,288
38, Ron Evans, Atlanta, 1,284
39, Robert Pretty, Canada, 1,283
40, Michael Houtz, Myerstown, Pa., 1,273
41, Larry Klick, Erie, Pa., 1,261
42, Ben Curry, Depew, N.Y., 1,257
43, Sam Capizzi Jr, Rochester, N.Y., 1,234
44, Howard Ridgeway, Cleveland, 1,210
45, Jack Perry, Canada, 1,209
46, Curtis Foss, Medina, N.Y., 1,202
47, Andrew Cramer, Getzville, N.Y., 1,195
48, Scott Heubusch, Buffalo, N.Y., 1,136
49, David Aichinger, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 1,130