10 bowl perfect games — but Karen Foreman takes 500 Club

The Pahrump Nugget played host to the 500 Club’s August event this past Saturday afternoon where 70 bowlers participated in the 9-pin tournament.

The no-tap singles whoops event had three divisions: 500 Club, Almost 500 Club and Groupies.

The 500 Club division had 30 bowlers who were topped by Karen Foreman in the tournament.

Foreman ran away with the top spot in the division, finishing with 959 total points. She bowled games of 253, 300 and 280, and had a handicap score of 126 points.

She was one of 10 bowlers who bowled a perfect game.

In second place of the 500 Club division was Peggy Rhoads, who ended her tournament with a total score of 933 points.

Rhoads bowled single-game scores of 266, 258 and 220 to go along with her handicap score of 189 points.

This was the first top-3 finish of the 2023 season for both Foreman and Rhoads.

Judi Clausen rounded out the top three spots in the 500 Club division.

This was her second consecutive third-place finish.

Clausen bowled single-game scores of 187, 256 and 278, in addition to her handicap score of 205 points, for a total score of 926 points.

The rest of the top eight prize-winning positions went to Megan Ivy (908), Sis Fronk (907), Chris Upton (895), Barbara Wilson (893) and Fran Gobbi (885).

Fronk and Foreman were the only bowlers in the 500 Club division to bowl perfect 300 games.

In the Almost 500 Club division, nine bowlers competed for the top three spots for a share of the prize pot.

Debbie Fronk took home the top spot with a tournament-high 1,058 points. She bowled single-game scores of 277, 249 and 233 to go along with her handicap score of 299.

This was Fronk’s second win in a row after winning July’s eight-pin no-tap singles event.

Christine Meoli finished runner-up with 920 points. She bowled single-game scores of 166, 260 and 224. She also had a handicap score of 270 points.

In the final prize-winning spot was Jennifer Mathias.

Mathias ended her day with 897 total points. She had a handicap score of 272 points and bowled scores of 192, 209 and 224.

The point race at the top of the Groupies division was much tighter than the other two divisions in the no-tap singles tournament.

Mike Mundt got his first win of the 2023 season after edging out runner-up Walt Kuver by just three points.

Mundt finished his day with a total score of 1,018 points. He bowled games of 275, 276 and 300 to go along with his handicap score of 167.

Mundt was one of seven bowlers in the Groupies division who bowled perfect games.

Kuver scored 1,015 points to take his second-place finish in the tournament. He bowled games of 280, 300 and 300.

Kuver was the only bowler in the tournament who scored two perfect games.

Michael Gonzales rounded out the top three spots in the Groupies division. He just edged out fourth-place finisher George McQuarrie.

Gonzales bowled games of 226, 223 and 248, to go along with his handicap score of 251, for a total score of 948 points.

The other five bowlers who finished in prize-winning positions were McQuarrie (946), Gordon Sim (937), Douglas Tarver (934), Joe Matassa (925) and Joey Monahan (907).

In addition to Mundt and Kuver, the other Groupie bowlers who scored a perfect game were Sim, Tarver, Matassa, James Tudor and Doug Landers.

Following the tournament the 500 Club gave out prizes for two side pots.

The handicap side pot of $285 was split among the bowlers who finished with the top 15 scores including their handicap.

The top three positions went to Debbie Fronk (1,058), Mike Mundt (1,018) and Walt Kuver (1,015).

The scratch side pot of $120 was split between the bowlers with the top six scores not including their handicap.

Walt Kuver (880) took the top spot, followed by Gordon Sim (856), Mike Mundt (851), Joe Matassa (844), Karen Foreman (833) and George McQuarrie (801).

The next 500 Club tournament will be held on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 1 p.m. The event will be a 3-6-9 singles event with colored pins. The tournament will feature a scratch and handicap side pot.

Katherine Bishop and Debbie Varner will be the directors of the tournament.

Contact sports writer/editor Danny Smyth at dsmyth@pvtimes.com. Follow @_dannysmyth on Twitter.