The Professional Bowlers Tour begins its TV schedule with the Cheetah Championship finals. ESPN will carry the finals at 1 p.m. Sunday.

The tournament is the first of seven PBA World Series of Bowling events. The stepladder finals will feature Eugene McCune, Michael Haugen Jr., Norm Duke, Lonnie Waliczek and Ritchie Allen.

Rob Stone and Randy Pedersen return as the commentators.

Trivia questionIn honor of Thanksgiving, this week’s trivia question involves the use of the term turkey in bowling, which is used to describe three strikes in a row.How and when did the term come about? Answer at the end of the column.

Salute to bowlersI would like to congratulate Butler County Bowling Association Hall of Fame inductees Jeff Suchonic, Bill Fay and Joe Caparosa Sr.My good friend Jeff Suchonic has bowled numerous honor scores, not in just one center, but many centers.Suchonic always brings his “A” game, and though his scores rarely show it, a bad night for Jeff can’t be blamed on a lack of effort. He always brings it.Bill deserves to be in the Hall because of his ability on the lanes and service as a league officer numerous times. But Bill hasn’t stopped there. He coaches the Butler High team, an admirable position.Mr. Caparosa, which is how I always have greeted him and always will, was a pioneer in the Butler county bowling scene.Always a proprietor, he also wasn’t bad on the lanes. I have met many bowlers, including my father, who used to set pins by hand for him at one of his centers.He also helped to keep me in line when I managed Family Bowlaway for his sons, Joe and Kevin.Congratulations Jeff, Bill, and Mr. Caparosa.

Upcoming eventMark your calendar for the annual Butler County Bowling Association County Tournament. I know it’s early, but make plans now for the event, which will be held at Sherwood Lanes Feb. 13 and 20.

Tip of the WeekAs with any piece of sports equipment, it’s important to keep your bowling ball in good condition. Pro shops and even some of the big box stores sell ball cleaner approved by the USBC. It’s especially important for the new high-performance balls.Bowling balls pick up lane oil and dirt, and it can affect the traction to the lane surface. It could be the difference in carrying the 10-pin from one week to the next.Clean your ball before league play each week to ensure that consistency in ball-to-lane friction.Top scorers•

City League: Ron Lehman 289 (783), Ron Henry 277 (765), Jeff Blank 275 (715)•

Coins League: Judy Kennedy 209 (555)•

Armco C: Phil Loverick Jr. 269 (718), Wally Allen 248 game Dave Peters 268 (687)•

Troy-Alan League: Jack Elliott 289 (740), Ken Schontz 263 (695), Don Bender 264 (670).

ReminderIf you have some top scores or unique accomplishments, please send them to me at wiseguyrondo@zoominternet.net. The column is published every other week.

Trivia answerDuring the Christmas and Thanksgiving holidays in the late 1800s, bowling proprietors used to award a live turkey to the first bowler on a team who rolled three strikes in a row.Ron Willison is the bowling columnist for the Butler Eagle.