“This means a lot,” said Zeke Bayt. “To win in Coldwater, and because the people here treat all of the bowlers so well.” (Press Pros Feature Photos)
After 124 PBA events, Westerville’s Zeke Bayt finally claimed his first PBA title in the Bowlerstore.com Classic at Plamor Lanes.
Coldwater, OH – Westerville, Ohio’s Zeke Bayt had had enough.
Enough of close, but no cigar.
Enough of people asking him when he was ever going to win a PBA event.
Editor and publisher Sonny Fulks writes OHSAA and Ohio State sports for Press Pros Magazine.
He cleared it all Sunday afternoon by winning the Bowlerstore.com Classic at Plamor Lanes, in Coldwater, beating A.J. Johnson in the title match, 189 to 176.
In one of the acknowledged toughest houses on the PBA tour, it was Bayt’s mental toughness that eventually won out…slugging his way through a grueling qualifying round on Saturday. Then, Sunday’s round of championship qualifying that saw him climb to the #1 seed, landing one of the four step ladder final spots.
#2 seed was Kenosha, Wisconsin’s A.J. Johnson.
#3 seed was Baily Mavrick, from Whitestown, Indiana.
#4 seed…the top bowler on the PBA tour, 23-time national winner, E.J. Tackett.
In the round of four Tackett took down Mavrick, 208 to 199.
Bowlerstore.com, of Versailles, congratulates Zeke Bayt for winning the 2024 Bowlerstore.com tournament title.
But facing the #2 seed, Johnson, Tackett was stung by the irregularity of the Plamor lanes, failing to throw the same strikes that put him in position to win. Johnson started with four consecutive strikes, then rode a 20-pin advantage to an eventual 235 to 204 win.
Then came Bayt’s turn as the #1 seed to face Johnson for the title, and neither bowled particularly well.
A.J. Johnson struggled to throw a strike in the title game, lowing to Zeke Bayt, 189 to 176. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
Johnson couldn’t throw a strike, and Bayt suddenly lost some of the consistency he’d shown throughout the day.
But a critical open in the ninth frame by Johnson gave Bayt all the window he needed, and he closed out the game for his first PBA title, of any kind, beating Johnson 189 to 176.
“This means a lot to me, to get my first title in this building,” said Bayt. “It’s tough, it’s a challenge, and I’m going to remember this day because of that.
“And the people in Coldwater treat us so well. That makes winning here even more special.”
A relative unknown to PBA bowling fans, Bayt’s mental toughness to endure Saturday’s qualifying, then another grueling round on Sunday, was his biggest asset.
“The mental toughness thing…I’ve been working on that a lot,” said Bayt after accepting the tournament trophy and a $10,000 winner’s check from tournament hosts, the Hartings family…and tournament sponsors, the Davidson family, from Bowlerstore.com.
Speedway Lanes, in New Bremen, is proud to support bowling on Press Pros Magazine.com.
“This is such a good test, and really I just focused on my spots. Everything else is irrelevant. All your feelings, all your emotions…it’s all just excess. The more you can clear all that out, the more you can focus. That’s the mental strategy I’ve tried to employ.”
The smile on his face said it all. After 124 previous PBA events some of that toughness and a lot of frustration from easier tournaments than Coldwater had finally paid off.
“There’s probably not too many that know about me, because I haven’t won. But that’s fine. You have to win to be known. But I’m not in this game to have people know me. I just love the sport…very much.
“Hopefully, this is just one on a long road of many.”
He’s 31 years old, and he headed back to Westerville Sunday with something he’ll always remember.
First title…first winner’s check…outlasting E.J. Tackett and A.J. Johnson…and the satisfaction of knowing that it came in Coldwater.
No more close, just the cigar.
A lot of bowlers, more known than Zeke Bayt, would love to say the same.
The Hartings family (left), and tournament sponsors, the Davidson family (right), present Bowlerstore.com tournament winner Zeke Bayt with the trophy and the winner’s check of $10,000. It marked his first PBA tour win.
Pla-Mor lanes proudly sponsors coverage of bowling on Press Pros Magazine.com.