![Jason Belmonte says his rivals bowled well in yesterday's PBA Players Championship. Jason Belmonte says his rivals bowled well in yesterday's PBA Players Championship.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/storypad-3BXSPrZN8JPQDSArgPjMNmR/c5ca6cd7-6b5b-4296-95d0-bf195945c487.jpg/r0_110_2068_1274_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
THE PBA Players Championship is still well within Jason Belmonte’s reach after the opening round of match play.
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Competing at Wisconsin’s AMF Bowlero Lanes, the final four qualifying games were bowled early yesterday (AEDT) where Belmonte finished on top of the ladder.
After a further eight matchplay games Belmonte slipped to third, only 68 pins behind leader D.J Archer.
Belmonte added a four-game 1008 total to his opening eight-game total of 1964 he bowled on Wednesday (AEDT) for 2972 in qualifying.
Texan Archer was next best on 2952, with fellow American Tom Smallwood third on 2915.
Belmonte started the four games in strong fashion with a 290, before also rolling 249, 245 and 224 to be in top spot.
After the final four games, the field was cut to the top 24 who then rolled the first eight matchplay games.
Belmonte won three of the eight games and recorded a 268-all tie with Ronnie Russell in the second match.
“+997 after the first eight games of round robin and sitting in third,” Belmonte posted on Facebook.
“Didn’t win so many games tonight, my competitors bowled great against me. No matter the pattern, you give these guys an inch they take a mile.”
Belmonte had his first win in the fourth game where he bowled a 299, only missing his second perfect game by one pin on his last delivery.
The two-handed bowler easily accounted for Chris Barnes 299-206 before backing it up with a 238-224 win over Scott Norton.
Belmonte also finished the match play round with a 256-238 win over Walter Ray Williams Jr.
Archer enjoyed six wins from his eight games, while second-placed Robbie Russell had five wins and a tie.
Early this morning (AEDT) the top 24 rolled another 16 match play games with only the top five moving into the stepladder finals scheduled for February 14.
There was more good news for Belmonte who qualified for the Mark Roth/Marshall Holman PBA Doubles Championship match play rounds with American Bill O’Neill.
Each bowler’s 12-game qualifying score from the Players Championship was combined with their partner’s for the doubles event.
Williams (2845) and Smallwood (2915) lead the doubles field on 5760, with Belmonte (2972) and O’Neill (2716) next best on 5688.
The doubles involves two six-game match play rounds tomorrow morning (AEDT) after which the top five will move into the final on February 15.