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CLOUDY Temp: 45 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Wednesday, February 19, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend January 10, 2003 Low-key Bedolla strives for high finish PBA Notes By TIM TROWER Mail Tribune You can’t talk very long with a youngster on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour without the words "learning curve" popping up. Same with Blaise Bedolla, the strong-armed 23-year-old from Roseburg who has been on the national tour just over a year. In that span, two lessons stand out. One for everyone else. One for him. The first occurred at this time last year, when, in his second tournament, he came oh-so close to making the TV finals of the Medford Open, advancing to the Round of Eight before being ousted but serving notice he would be a force with which to be reckoned. That lesson was for the others, particularly tour veterans. "When I first came out, I didn’t think anyone would even talk to me," said Bedolla, who got off to another successful start in Thursday qualifying at Lava Lanes. "I thought they’d play mental games with me, that they’d eat me for lunch if they got the chance." But his reception has been far warmer, in part, he thinks, because of his non-threatening demeanor — you can’t tell if Bedolla is coming off an open or is working on eight strikes in a row — and his businesslike approach. "I don’t yell and scream or showboat," says Bedolla, who averaged 230.33 in his nine-game morning block Thursday, the seventh-best mark in the 71-man squad. "I think the guys saw that and said, well, maybe we won’t mess too much with him." Bedolla finished the day 11th overall following the Thursday night session. The second lesson came less than two months later in Erie, Pa., when Bedolla, at the suggestion of Bryon Smith, also from Roseburg, hooked up with a Brunswick representative, who drilled him a half-dozen balls on the spot. So as not to confuse himself, Bedolla selected two and took to the lanes. "It was unbelievable the reaction he created with those balls," said Bedolla. "Nothing I had was even close." That lesson was for him. Bedolla subsequently mowed through the competition, becoming only the third player to take an undefeated match-play record into the finals. He finished third, losing in the semifinals to eventual champion Mike Wilson, 278-247. He had a newfound appreciation for his equipment, and Brunswick had just the kind of new client it sought, a high-rev power player who also is a young up-and-comer. Bedolla signed a one-year equipment deal with the company that will be renegotiated in the spring. Those are just a couple of educational experiences that stick out one year into Bedolla’s career. Throw in the different oil patterns, the different ways each pattern works on the variety of surfaces the tour bowls on, the many other ways equipment plays a role and the mental side of the game, and you’ve got enough lesson plans to make a professor’s head spin. "Every aspect of this game needs attention," said Bedolla. "You can’t say that if you know everything about equipment, you’ll be OK. You can’t say that if you know everything about the patterns, you’ll be OK. It’s trial and error and attack your guesses. It just takes time. There are so many things I haven’t learned yet." And so many things he has. Bedolla said he’s learned more about his game and the game itself in the past year than he had in the five previous years. "It’s an unbelievable feeling. I have so much more confidence," he said. Bedolla entered the Medford Open with season earnings of $17,685, dating to last fall. He’s cashed in six of nine tournaments and has made it to match play three times. Another such performance in today’s nine games, from which the 32 match-play competitors will emerge, would bode well. Bedolla got off to a strong start, rolling games of 268, 248 and 245 that allowed him to relax. They were his three best games of the day. "I didn’t have trouble staying close to the (200 benchmark) number," he said, "but I had trouble shooting the really big numbers." After a 199 in the fourth game, he had four straight scores in the 220s before finishing with a 211. Afterward, he reflected on his first year on tour. "Before I came out, I knew this was what I wanted to do," said Bedolla, "and this last year has really etched that in stone. The questions I might have had about handling the lifestyle or the travel have been answered. Now I can say this is what I really want to do." Just another part of the learning curve. Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search M Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy web master feedback A D V E R T I S E R S