ORANGE’S Jason Belmonte said he had to “knuckle down” to win back-to-back NSW Open titles on the weekend.
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Bowling at Lidcombe’s Tenpin City, Belmonte led at every cut to finish 403 pins ahead of his nearest rival, Glen Loader.
“I bowled really well,” Belmonte said.
“The lane conditions were actually pretty difficult. It was easy to throw a couple of bad games.
“I knew if I could keep my bad games around 190 to 200 and pop a big game that’s where I’d get my pins. Others were bowling 160 and 170, so I knuckled down and tried to save par because I felt like these games were where I could gain pins on the field.”
Belmonte only bowled three games under 200 and averaged 226.3 for 26 games.
After the first ten qualifying games, the field was cut to 32 with Belmonte holding a slight three-pin lead.
He was on top again when the field was cut to 16 and then the last eight bowlers.
The final stage of eight match play games was where Belmonte shone, being beaten in just one clash.
Young Sydney bowler Ross Brown downed Belmonte 202-193 in the seventh match play game.
“I got lucky to get my score and he got unlucky to get the score he did. I had the opportunity to beat him in the last frame and I didn’t execute” Belmonte said about Brown.
Going into the tournament as favourite, Belmonte said he felt some pressure to win.
“There’s an expectation from fans and other bowlers and an expectation from myself. When you’re the favourite, when you don’t perform to the expectations, you feel like you’ve let people down,” Belmonte explained.
A regular on the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) tour, the two-handed bowler said he was happy to claim another title.
“It’s always good to win. I don’t get to play in Aus (Australia) very often. It’s nice to be able to drive to the tournament “ Belmonte laughed.
Fellow Orange bowler Jason Osborne finished 22nd and missed the cut to the top 16.
Belmonte has a busy schedule for the next few months. He goes to Japan later this month for an expo before heading to Las Vegas in October for the World Series of Bowling.
He will get a few days at home before he lines up in the Japan Cup and will finish the year representing Australia at the World Tenpin Bowling Association World Men’s Championships in Abu Dhabi.