What better person to sound off on bowling’s “Oilgate” than Eric Forkel?
Forkel took part in last weekend’s USBC Masters tournament at Sunset Station’s Strike Zone Bowling Center in Henderson, Nev. Right-handers dominated the event, creating a suspicion that the oil distribution on the lanes hindered left-handers.
This is why Forkel is a perfect person to confer with on the matter:
-- Forkel is a left-hander.
-- Forkel is a talented bowler who has amassed more than $1.2 million in earnings.
-- Forkel has won five national bowling titles, including one major title.
-- Forkel failed to make the final at Henderson.
So was it the lanes that caused Forkel to be sidetracked? Forkel averaged 206.2 to advance to the second round of qualifying; he averaged 210 to reach the third round; he averaged 207.6 in the third round, failing to qualify for the finals.
“I’m just a part-time bowler now. I don’t bowl for a living any more,” said Forkel, a longtime San Fernando Valley resident who runs a pro shop at a Nevada casino. “I’m not blaming the conditions as to why I didn’t make the finals. I just wasn’t sharp enough that day.
“If you look at it any differently, it’s just ridiculous.”
Left-handers were overmatched in the tournament and just a handful made it to the finals. Mike Fagan eventually finished first, Chris Barnes second, Bryon Smith third and Dan MacLelland fourth. All are right-handers.
Forkel, 51, added that the lanes may well have affected the lefties negatively in the tournament; he just preferred not to use it as an excuse.
“I bowled well at Henderson,” Forkel said, “and I just had one bad game (a 167) and that shot me down. I didn’t bowl as well as I could have.”
Forkel conceded that it was apparent the left side was not going to play as well as the right at Henderson. Still, he refused to point fingers at the United States Bowling Congress, which was responsible for the condition of the lanes.
“Oil patterns change everything,” Forkel said. “That’s the sad part of the game. And that’s why I have a tough time calling it a sport. That’s why I call it a game. Because in bowling, it can change dramatically at any one time.”
Earlier this week, top left-handed senior bowler Barry Gurney complained that lefties were at a distinct disadvantage at Henderson. Gurney, of West Hills, cited the heavy use of oil on the lanes’ left side that saturated the bowling balls used by the lefties – causing the ball to slide rather than roll.
In an email on Friday, the USBC said “oiling is not a perfect science and we make educated estimates. Strike Zone actually has had a history of lefties doing very well. Some may say they were a little tough on the left side this time around and we respect that point of view.”
“The lane conditions will always be part of it,” the straight-shooting Forkel said. “You can always say what’s fair and what’s not fair.
“It’s part of the game. (The controversy) has been around forever. And it won’t change until they have brand-new lanes and an equal number of (right-handed and left-handed) bowlers. Was Strike Zone as fair as it could have been? Probably not, but you have to live with it. It’s not going to matter if they don’t fix the other problems. It’s the last of the worries.”
Interestingly, Forkel and Gurney are long-time strong friends. Forkel once fell off his roof and Gurney came to his aid by summoning assistance.
Still, Forkel summed up his feelings: “I know when the (lane conditions are) not fair. I know when it’s not fair my way, and I know when it’s not fair the other way.
“But pissing and moaning isn’t going to change it. It doesn’t mean I don’t think it, but that’s just the way the game is.”
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