After an impressive showing at the Don Johnson Eliminator last week Brian Kretzer once again makes the finals of the Go Rving Match play championship. This time to show the world he is not the one dimensional player that people have come to call him. Brian has always been known for throwing the big hook that he used to create a very strong amateur resume’. For the past 4 years Brian has been working on a straighter game. This is not an easy task, for his slower ball speed and higher axis rotation makes it hard for someone like himself to accomplish this.
Brian come out last week showing that he could use the “straight” game by walking the ladder to get to the title match only to lose his ball reaction and lose in the finals to Mike Scroggins. This proved to be a huge confidence builder however as he headed into the Match Play Championship. After beating Mitch Beasley, a couple of two handed bowlers in Jason Belmonte and Cassidy Schaub, Steve Harmen and 2006/2007 player of the year Doug Kent he moved into the final 3 game match against 13 time titlist Patrick Allen.
Since the bowlers were bowling on two different patterns, the 35 foot cheetah pattern on one lane, and the 45 four Shark Pattern on the other, this made the players show their versatility by having to play each lane completely different. Brain was playing around the first arrow on the cheetah pattern and around 5 arrow on the Shark Pattern. What was interesting is he was absolutely lined up on the cheetah pattern, which is the lane he had to go straight on, and the Shark pattern were he was able to use his “A” game he seemed to struggle on. After being up 7 after game 1, Brian really locked himself in to shoot 241 to Allen’s 167 to put Brian up by 81. Patrick tried to make a run by throwing a 3-bagger in game 3 but after a solid 7 Brian went on to shoot 192 to Allen’s 185.
This title end a 9 year streak for Brian with out a title. Brian has proved that is a winner and is now a versatile player on the PBA Tour. Congrats Brian I am sure there are more to come for you.