since the pba has opened the doors to almost anyone who wants to enter the pba world championship( a mistake in my opinion )this brings up a conversation i had with a man who has coached a national team in the middle east several years ago. as someone who had experience watching and coaching great amateur and international players i valued his opinion on this subject. we talked at length about who we thought were the best amateur/megabucks players were....and who wasn't really all they were cracked up to be. this conversation ultimately ended in a realization between both of us that some of these names would flounder/did flounder on the pba tour:
brian kretzer.....great megabucks players, very good international player. thus far on the pba tour has no titles after 115 events. too one dimensional in his style of play.
patrick healey, jr.....great international player, great collegiate player. has 3 pba titles including a tournament of champions win. more versatile than kretzer but still too one dimensional( slow ball speed ).
robert smith.....college all-american, team usa member, us amateur champion, most powerful ball on tour. has 7 pba titles including a us open. lives or dies by the power ball. power game is starting to wear his body down.
mika koivuniemi..... great megabucks player, great international player. great when the lanes are tough. 8 pba titles inclusing an abc masters and a us open. very versatile but excels at ball speed, loft, and straighter angles.
chris barnes.....great college player, great international player. extremely versatile. great spare shooter. 9 pba titles including a us open and a tournament of champions. has been ranked in the top 5 in the pba for years.
tim mack.....great international player, great megabucks player. has received great praise by many all over the world. has had litle success on the pba tour. has had little success in the usbc masters and the us open( until recently the only tourneys really open to amateurs ).
rudy kasimakis.....great megabucks player, great action player. great image and reputation as a great player. struggled on the pba tour and has no titles. lives and dies by the power ball. not very versatile.
tore torgerson.....great international player. struggled on the pba tour. again, not enough versatility.
i wish our conversation could have gone on longer but it was not to be. we agreed that chris barnes that has adjusted the best followed by mika. these two players were the most versatile and thus had the best chance in success on the pba tour.
