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Feldman earns top seed, needs one win for title By DAVID DAUGHERTY GRANTS PASS -- Finishing second is no longer an option in the mind of 24-year-old Michelle Feldman. The Skaneateles, N.Y., native has twice finished second in events on the Professional Women's Bowling Association Tour this season and made the television finals in three of the first four tournaments of the season. On Wednesday at Showtime Lanes, Feldman again found herself in prime position to win her first PWBA tournament in two years, finishing as the top qualifier in match play at the Bowl the Rogue Open. Feldman only needs to win one game in today's televised finals, which starts at 7 p.m. and will be aired next week on ESPN2. "I need to win," said Feldman. "As well as I'm bowling, it's time. Finishing second was fine earlier this year, but not any more." Feldman started Wednesday's action in second position, 12 pins behind Kim Adler of Coco Beach, Fla., but used her power game on tough lane conditions to claim the top spot. "The lanes are conducive to my game," said Feldman. "Not many women bowl the way I do. I can move in anywhere and hook it in the hole." Though the six-year tour veteran only posted a 12-11 match-play record on Wednesday, she knocked down enough pins and showed enough savvy to hold off Australia's Cara Honeychurch by 22 pins. "Del's (PBA bowler Del Ballard Jr.) been helping me with my mental game and equipment," said Feldman. "He's really helped me out a lot." Ballard may have mixed emotions tonight. Along with Feldman, Ballard's wife, Karolyn Dorin-Ballard, will also be in the televised final, finishing in fourth position on Wednesday. Dorin-Ballard made the biggest move of the day, starting in 13th position before going 17-6 in match play. "I always shoot for the show and today I thought I had a shot," said Dorin-Ballard, who has already won twice on tour this year. "I thought if I just won some matches I would have a shot." Dorin-Ballard, who beat Feldman in the finals for both of her wins, wasn't flashy on Wednesday but she was consistent. "I just had to grind it out," said Dorin-Ballard. "Those lanes were very tough. If you made a bad shot you paid for it." Though she had to make a big move to make the televised finals, Dorin-Ballard never felt a sense of urgency to move up the ladder. "I just stuck to the philosophy of grinding it out," said Dorin-Ballard. While Feldman and Honeychurch will sit and wait for their time tonight, Dorin-Ballard, Adler and Henderson, Nevada's Wendy MacPherson of Henderson, Nevada., the fifth qualifier and the 1990's bowler of the decade, will have a one-game roll off to decide who will meet Honeychurch. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA