'Average Joe' bowler from Hoffman takes on a PBA pro
In local bowling circles, Kevin Reuer of Hoffman Estates may not be your "average Joe."
An experienced league bowler, he travels nationally to tournaments and bowled in college, competing on the University of Illinois' club team for four years.
Still, the chance to bowl against the professionals on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour, during an ESPN telecast, was something he never dared to dream of - until recently.
Last month, Reuer earned a berth to the first-ever PBA Experience Showdown tournament after being voted in by fans on BOWL.com. As an amateur and sport league bowler with the U.S. Bowling Congress, his name was one of several finalists drawn for the showdown, which then were put to an online vote.
Reuer won a six-game qualifying tournament in April - beating out five other finalists by being the only one to average over 200 - at the International Training and Research Center in Arlington, Texas.
One of the other six finalists was Patti Riddle of Palatine, who bowls in leagues in Vernon Hills and Arlington Heights. Fans voted her in as the only woman to compete at the showdown, but she finished behind Reuer.
"The voting lasted for two weeks, and it pretty much consumed our lives," Riddle said. "It was all very exciting, but once I got there, there were a lot of very good bowlers there."
As the top finalist, Reuer advanced to the televised final against five PBA Tour professionals in a contest called, "Can An Average Joe Beat a PBA Pro?" It aired nationally on ESPN April 11.
"I tried to match them shot for shot," says Reuer, 31, who works as a sales coordinator for a Mount Prospect-based ball bearings manufacturer. "I threw a couple of strikes and even made a spare or two when I had to, but I lost. I wasn't anywhere near being in the same league as them.
"Just their form, the way they throw the ball, and their whole mindset," Reuer adds, "was really impressive to see."
Reuer wound up coming in behind the five professionals, with a score of 173, but says the experience continues to pay big dividends. He's now recognized at local leagues, including at Beverly Lanes in Arlington Heights, Brunswick Zone in Mount Prospect and at AMF Bowling Center in Rolling Meadows.
He knew he had become something of a celebrity when people started recognizing him at national tournaments, like a recent one in Las Vegas.
"It's been weird, but cool," Reuer says. "I'm a quiet guy, so I'm not used to this. But ever since the showdown, I've been shooting better, and my confidence is really up."
Reuer started bowling as a child in leagues at the former Woodfield Lanes in Schaumburg and at Hoffman Lanes in Hoffman Estates.
While at Schaumburg High School, where he graduated in 1997, bowling was offered only as a girls' sport, so he continued to hone his competitive skills in house and travel leagues on weekends. When he got to college and competed for the Illini, his game advanced to a whole new level, he says.
"Our team was good and I got a lot better," Reuer says. "We competed in tournaments nearly every weekend and I got some really good coaching."
One of those coaches was Dave Bolt, who is sanctioned with the U.S. Bowling Congress and the International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors' Association. Bolt said Reuer always had potential.
"Well, for one thing, he's left handed and that's an advantage," Bolt says. "But he's got some natural skills and ability, and I believe he could take it to the next level if he wanted."
Before the PBA showdown, Bolt worked with Reuer on refining his timing and release, as well as his footwork. He hoped that polishing his technique could help his consistency.
Bolt says Reuer is in the prime of his bowling career, and easily could become a regional professional, as some of his college teammates have done. That means his matchup against the pros could be more than a once-in-a-lifetime proposition.