Anthony Neuer (aka “The Ginger Assassin”) is the first person to convert the 7–10 split in a televised match in 30 years.
The Ginger Assassin did something nobody had in 30 years
Professional bowler Anthony Neuer did something on Sunday that was last accomplished long before he was born. In the seventh frame of his U.S. Open semifinal match against Jakob Butturff, the 18-year-old Neuer picked up a spare by converting a 7–10 split.
Neuer is just the fourth person in history to convert the notoriously difficult split in a televised match, and the first since 1991. It was an unbelievable achievement, which Fox Sports announcer Rob Stone made abundantly clear with his call.
“He did it! He did it!” Stone yelled. “He got the 7–10, Randy. He did it! My goodness, the Ginger Assassin just dropped a 7–10. You bet, kid. You bet.”
Televised 7–10 spares are far more rare even than televised 300 games. In the history of televised bowling, there have been 32 perfect games on TV.
Neuer, the son of PBA Tour winner Andy Neuer, ended up losing the match, but his split conversion will be a moment that goes down in history. Before Sunday, the only bowlers to convert the 7–10 split on TV were Mark Roth (at the 1980 Alameda Open), John Mazza (at the 1990 Bud Light Classic) and Jess Stayrook (at the 1991 Tuscon Open).
“It was pretty cool, honestly. I mean, I’m not gonna say it was bad,” Neuer said during the United States Bowling Congress’s postgame show. “I wasn’t expecting it. I mean, I was walking away and I looked back and I seen it come across, and I was just shocked.”
It was a great weekend for Neuer. He’s brand new to the PBA Tour and just finished third in a major championship, taking home $12,000. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday.
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