“Not two weeks in a row. No!”
Michelle Feldman was defiant as her final shot curved into the pocket, knocking all 10 pins into the pit. That delivery gave Feldman a 199-173 triumph over Jodi Woessner to win the Chameleon Championship in Taylor, Mich.
Indeed, not this time. Feldman had fallen short in the inaugural Women's Series tournament two weeks ago, losing by a couple of marks to Stefanie Nation in a televised final match.
“I was good through the entire week, then I threw my second ball tonight and my thumb ripped open,” Feldman told The Associated Press. “My goal was to not finish twice in two weeks.”
After her win Sunday, Feldman strutted around the lanes, got misty-eyed, hoisted the trophy and stared into the camera.
“Not two weeks in a row,” she said again.
A microphone Feldman was wearing picked up all of her comments during play on ESPN. The Auburn woman displayed the humor and fire that made her a dominant, charismatic player for a dozen years on the Professional Women's Bowling Tour, which folded in 2003.
Things, however, looked disastrous as the final match began. After Feldman split her right thumb open, she went on to miss the 10-pin, but then reeled off four consecutive strikes. Woessner never found a line to the pocket, continually coming up light. She trailed by 41 pins in the sixth frame.
Feldman missed her second 10-pin in the seventh. But after picking up the 4-7 a frame later, she raised her fist in a mock gesture.
“Yeah,” she said, smiling broadly after earning her first spare.
It wasn't vintage Feldman because of the bad thumb. Finesse replaced the usual power, but she remained clutch. A 1-2-8-10 conversion in the ninth frame spurred her title bid.
When Feldman left the 3-6 in the 10th, her rapport with a national audience - and herself - continued.
“I've got to pick a spare to win, huh?” she said.
It was no problem. And Feldman had secured the second of seven Women's Series events, along with the $10,000 top prize. The telecast will re-air at 1 p.m. today on ESPN Classic (Time Warner channel 109).
Indeed, not this time. Feldman had fallen short in the inaugural Women's Series tournament two weeks ago, losing by a couple of marks to Stefanie Nation in a televised final match.
“I was good through the entire week, then I threw my second ball tonight and my thumb ripped open,” Feldman told The Associated Press. “My goal was to not finish twice in two weeks.”
After her win Sunday, Feldman strutted around the lanes, got misty-eyed, hoisted the trophy and stared into the camera.
“Not two weeks in a row,” she said again.
A microphone Feldman was wearing picked up all of her comments during play on ESPN. The Auburn woman displayed the humor and fire that made her a dominant, charismatic player for a dozen years on the Professional Women's Bowling Tour, which folded in 2003.
Things, however, looked disastrous as the final match began. After Feldman split her right thumb open, she went on to miss the 10-pin, but then reeled off four consecutive strikes. Woessner never found a line to the pocket, continually coming up light. She trailed by 41 pins in the sixth frame.
Feldman missed her second 10-pin in the seventh. But after picking up the 4-7 a frame later, she raised her fist in a mock gesture.
“Yeah,” she said, smiling broadly after earning her first spare.
It wasn't vintage Feldman because of the bad thumb. Finesse replaced the usual power, but she remained clutch. A 1-2-8-10 conversion in the ninth frame spurred her title bid.
When Feldman left the 3-6 in the 10th, her rapport with a national audience - and herself - continued.
“I've got to pick a spare to win, huh?” she said.
It was no problem. And Feldman had secured the second of seven Women's Series events, along with the $10,000 top prize. The telecast will re-air at 1 p.m. today on ESPN Classic (Time Warner channel 109).
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