Jason Belmonte
Encyclopedia
Jason Belmonte is one of Australia
's and the world's leading ten-pin bowlers
. He is known for using the rare two handed "shovel" style to deliver his shot.
He started competing at the age of three, winning his first event at the age of four. At the age of five, he had a league average of 117 and a high game of 179.
title, the Brunswick Euro Challenge, held in Greece
. He also won the World Tenpin Masters
championship in 2007, and owns one PBA Tour
title (2009). In September 2010, he defeated American Sean Rash
in the finals to earn the 2010 Korea
Cup title.
, Belmonte became the first Junior Australian to bowl a 300
game overseas and, in the same year, took five Gold medals at the Junior National Championships. He was also selected for the Youth Australia
team, and also held a place in this team in 2002 and 2004.
Championships in Scotland
and a silver medal at the WTBA World Youth Championships in Thailand
. Later in the year, he was selected in the Australian Open men's team, where he remains to the present time.
and followed this up in the World Youth FIQ titles in Guam
with a gold in the singles and a gold in all events.
Belmonte also competed in the AMF World Cup
in Singapore
where he was lead qualifier and never lost the lead in five days of qualifying events, finishing in 5th place after being knocked out in the quarter final. He won the prestigious 2004 'Bowler of the Year' award, voted by the Board of Directors of the World Bowlers Writers Association.
in England
where he was a beaten semi-finalist. In this event, he made history by bowling the first-ever 300
game in the event, which was filmed by Matchroom Sport
.
in the World Youth Championships in Berlin
. He was part of the team to take the gold medal in the Team Event and went on to make the Masters after finishing in sixth place in the All Events. He was defeated in the second step of the Masters by the eventual winner, Mads Sandbaekken from Norway
.
, held at the Barnsley Metrodome
. After topping defending champion Chris Barnes of the U.S.A. in the semi-finals, he went on to defeat England
's Paul Moor
in the finals. In the finals, he rolled the event's second-ever 300 game
. Belmonte rolled 23 out of a possible 24 strikes to win the event with a 566 score for two games, against Moor's 524.
Belmonte participated in the 2007 World Ranking Masters
http://www.bowlingdigital.com/bowling/node/15703/1?PHPSESSID=134f5cb9b15f810d77e3bd0cc83eecbd and after qualifying in second position, was defeated in the quarter finals by eventual runner-up Peter Ljung
from Sweden
, 2-0 (190-258, 158-279), finishing in sixth place.
event in his PBA TV finals debut. As the number 2 seed, he defeated Bill O'Neill, and went on to defeat number 1 seed Michael Fagan
215-201 for his first PBA title. The title earned Belmonte "exempt" status for the 2009-10 PBA Tour.
Belmonte was also named the 2008-09 PBA Rookie of the Year.
Mark Roth
Plastic Ball Championship on 28 March 2010. Finishing as the top qualifier by a wide margin, he faced Brian Ziesig in the finals. Ziesig was a non-exempt amateur who had to qualify via the TQR round. The two were tied at the end of the regulation game, 247-247, which sent the championship to a sudden-death, one-ball rolloff. Belmonte appeared to throw a perfect shot on his first attempt, but left the 7-pin standing for a count of 9. Ziesig then threw a strike to dash Belmonte's hopes and take the title.
In the 2010-11 season, Jason cashed in 10 of 12 PBA events, making match-play 9 times and appearing on TV 4 times. Without a victory, he had earnings of $62,950 while averaging 218.82 pins per game. After three years on tour, Belmonte has cashed in 33 of 37 tournaments, making match-play a total of 25 times, with 8 television appearances. He has amassed earnings of $187,420.
Open.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's and the world's leading ten-pin bowlers
Ten-pin bowling
Ten-pin bowling is a competitive sport in which a player rolls a bowling ball down a wooden or synthetic lane with the objective of scoring points by knocking down as many pins as possible.-Summary:The lane is bordered along its length by semicylindrical channels Ten-pin bowling (commonly just...
. He is known for using the rare two handed "shovel" style to deliver his shot.
Early life
Jason's father Aldo opened the Orange Ten Pin Bowl when Jason was a toddler. As a result, he started rolling a ball at 18 months. "The only problem for me though was as an 18-month-old baby boy lifting a nine- to 10-pound (4-4.5kg) bowling ball ... it was a little hard, so like all babies I pushed the ball with two hands." In doing so he developed a two-handed style which he uses today, placing only two fingers and no thumb in the ball to produce more revolutions. Jason was describe by friends as motivated and compassionate,he also participated in many local charity events in his youthHe started competing at the age of three, winning his first event at the age of four. At the age of five, he had a league average of 117 and a high game of 179.
Personal
Jason is married (Kimberly) and the couple welcomed their first child, Aria, in January 2010 and is now expecting their 2nd child.Titles
Belmonte has won one European Bowling TourEuropean Bowling Tour
The European Bowling Tour is one of three tenpin bowling tours that form part of the ranking system of the World Tenpin Bowling Association ....
title, the Brunswick Euro Challenge, held in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. He also won the World Tenpin Masters
World Tenpin Masters
The World Tenpin Masters is an annual Ten-pin bowling tournament. It consists of a single lane surrounded by banked seating on both sides to give the event the kind of high-pressure atmosphere that makes the Masters the world’s leading televised bowling tournament.The event is televised by...
championship in 2007, and owns one PBA Tour
PBA Tour
The Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour is the major professional tour for ten-pin bowling, operated by the Professional Bowlers Association. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the PBA Tour consists of "exempt" bowlers who are a part of the almost 4,300 members worldwide...
title (2009). In September 2010, he defeated American Sean Rash
Sean Rash
Sean Rash is a right-handed ten-pin bowler from Anchorage, AK, and is considered one of the brightest young players on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour. He now resides in Montgomery, Illinois.Rash joined the PBA in 2005...
in the finals to earn the 2010 Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
Cup title.
2000
During his final year at Kinross Wolaroi SchoolKinross Wolaroi School
Kinross Wolaroi School is an independent, Uniting church, co-educational, day and boarding school, located in Orange, a provincial city west of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
, Belmonte became the first Junior Australian to bowl a 300
300-point game
A perfect game is the highest score possible in a game of bowling, achieved by rolling a strike during every frame. In bowling games that use 10 pins, such as Ten-pin bowling, Candlepin bowling, and Duckpin bowling, the highest possible score is 300, achieved by bowling 12 strikes in a row in a...
game overseas and, in the same year, took five Gold medals at the Junior National Championships. He was also selected for the Youth Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
team, and also held a place in this team in 2002 and 2004.
2001
Belmonte was the Australia Day 'Orange Junior Sportsperson of the Year' and won the Senior Award in 2002 along with the 'Orange Sportsperson of the Year' award, which he repeated in 2003.2002
Belmonte won one gold, one silver and two bronze medals at the CommonwealthCommonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
Championships in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and a silver medal at the WTBA World Youth Championships in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. Later in the year, he was selected in the Australian Open men's team, where he remains to the present time.
2004
Jason took three gold, one silver and one bronze in the Asian Youth FIQ in Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and followed this up in the World Youth FIQ titles in Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
with a gold in the singles and a gold in all events.
Belmonte also competed in the AMF World Cup
AMF World Cup
The AMF World Cup, now a joint partnership between Qubica and AMF , is an annual Ten-pin bowling championship, and one of the largest in terms of number of participating nations...
in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
where he was lead qualifier and never lost the lead in five days of qualifying events, finishing in 5th place after being knocked out in the quarter final. He won the prestigious 2004 'Bowler of the Year' award, voted by the Board of Directors of the World Bowlers Writers Association.
2005
Belmonte was invited to participate in the World Tenpin MastersWorld Tenpin Masters
The World Tenpin Masters is an annual Ten-pin bowling tournament. It consists of a single lane surrounded by banked seating on both sides to give the event the kind of high-pressure atmosphere that makes the Masters the world’s leading televised bowling tournament.The event is televised by...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
where he was a beaten semi-finalist. In this event, he made history by bowling the first-ever 300
300-point game
A perfect game is the highest score possible in a game of bowling, achieved by rolling a strike during every frame. In bowling games that use 10 pins, such as Ten-pin bowling, Candlepin bowling, and Duckpin bowling, the highest possible score is 300, achieved by bowling 12 strikes in a row in a...
game in the event, which was filmed by Matchroom Sport
Matchroom Sport
Matchroom Sport is a sport event promotions company founded by the English entrepreneur Barry Hearn. It first came to attention in the sports of snooker and boxing and is also involved in pool, bowling, golf , fishing, darts and poker...
.
2006
Belmonte represented AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in the World Youth Championships in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. He was part of the team to take the gold medal in the Team Event and went on to make the Masters after finishing in sixth place in the All Events. He was defeated in the second step of the Masters by the eventual winner, Mads Sandbaekken from Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
.
2007
Belmonte was once again invited to take part in the World Tenpin MastersWorld Tenpin Masters
The World Tenpin Masters is an annual Ten-pin bowling tournament. It consists of a single lane surrounded by banked seating on both sides to give the event the kind of high-pressure atmosphere that makes the Masters the world’s leading televised bowling tournament.The event is televised by...
, held at the Barnsley Metrodome
Barnsley Metrodome
The Barnsley Metrodome is one of the UK's premier sports facilities. It is located along Queens Road, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, in England...
. After topping defending champion Chris Barnes of the U.S.A. in the semi-finals, he went on to defeat England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
's Paul Moor
Paul Moor
Paul Moor, in Beverley, Hull, England, is one of the world's leading Ten-pin Bowlers. He is left-handed and is a full-time bowler.-Early years:...
in the finals. In the finals, he rolled the event's second-ever 300 game
300-point game
A perfect game is the highest score possible in a game of bowling, achieved by rolling a strike during every frame. In bowling games that use 10 pins, such as Ten-pin bowling, Candlepin bowling, and Duckpin bowling, the highest possible score is 300, achieved by bowling 12 strikes in a row in a...
. Belmonte rolled 23 out of a possible 24 strikes to win the event with a 566 score for two games, against Moor's 524.
Belmonte participated in the 2007 World Ranking Masters
World Ranking Masters
The World Ranking Masters is Ten-pin bowling's international ranking system, as with professional Tennis. It is governed by the World Tenpin Bowling Association ....
http://www.bowlingdigital.com/bowling/node/15703/1?PHPSESSID=134f5cb9b15f810d77e3bd0cc83eecbd and after qualifying in second position, was defeated in the quarter finals by eventual runner-up Peter Ljung
Peter Ljung (bowling player)
Peter Ljung is a Swedish ten-pin bowler. He won the AMF World Cup in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1986 when he was 19 years old.Ljung participated in the 2007 World Ranking Masters and qualified in 7th position after the 24 game qualifier...
from Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, 2-0 (190-258, 158-279), finishing in sixth place.
2009
Belmonte won the Bowling Foundation Long Island Classic PBAProfessional Bowlers Association
The Professional Bowlers Association is the major sanctioning body for the sport of professional ten-pin bowling in the United States. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the PBA membership consists of almost 4,300 members worldwide...
event in his PBA TV finals debut. As the number 2 seed, he defeated Bill O'Neill, and went on to defeat number 1 seed Michael Fagan
Michael Fagan (American bowler)
Michael Fagan is an American professional bowler and an exempt bowler on the PBA Tour. Known for his high backswing, he is sometimes known as the "King of Swing". He has a high RPM rate, but also has a smooth release, so his style can be classified as either a cranker or a power stroker.Fagan owns...
215-201 for his first PBA title. The title earned Belmonte "exempt" status for the 2009-10 PBA Tour.
Belmonte was also named the 2008-09 PBA Rookie of the Year.
2010
In his first season as an exempt PBA bowler, Belmonte qualified for the TV finals in three events, but did not win a tournament. He came close at the GEICOGEICO
The Government Employees Insurance Company is an auto insurance company. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway that as of 2007 provided coverage for more than 10 million motor vehicles owned by more than 9 million policy holders. GEICO writes private passenger automobile insurance...
Mark Roth
Mark Roth
Mark Roth is a former professional bowler. He was born in Brooklyn, New York City, New York. As a youth he resided in Meiers Corners, Staten Island, New York City, New York.-Bowling career:...
Plastic Ball Championship on 28 March 2010. Finishing as the top qualifier by a wide margin, he faced Brian Ziesig in the finals. Ziesig was a non-exempt amateur who had to qualify via the TQR round. The two were tied at the end of the regulation game, 247-247, which sent the championship to a sudden-death, one-ball rolloff. Belmonte appeared to throw a perfect shot on his first attempt, but left the 7-pin standing for a count of 9. Ziesig then threw a strike to dash Belmonte's hopes and take the title.
In the 2010-11 season, Jason cashed in 10 of 12 PBA events, making match-play 9 times and appearing on TV 4 times. Without a victory, he had earnings of $62,950 while averaging 218.82 pins per game. After three years on tour, Belmonte has cashed in 33 of 37 tournaments, making match-play a total of 25 times, with 8 television appearances. He has amassed earnings of $187,420.
2011
On the World Bowling Tour (WBT), Jason defeated good friend and fellow PBA Player Michael Fagan, 300-205, to win the 2011 ThailandThailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
Open.
External links
- Official website
- Industry profile of Jason Belmonte
- Exempt Player bios at www.pba.com http://www.pba.com/Bowlers/Bowler/36058