Big Voss man

Victoria Sun

Friday, Jan. 25, 2002 | 9:28 a.m.

As each year passed, Brian Voss wondered if he'd ever win another PBA Tour title.

Voss had grown accustomed to taking home trophies, collecting 20 victories in 19 years on tour with a streak of at least one per year for 12 consecutive seasons (1987-98).

So after he beat Ricky Ward 194-185 in the finals of the Las Vegas Open at the Orleans Bowling Center to end a 3 1/2-year drought Thursday night, he was overwhelmed with joy and relief.

"It is just so huge," the right-hander said before taking a moment to regain his composure. "It's like such a burden has been lifted. When you go so long without winning, it's so hard. It has taken me this long to regain my confidence and establish myself."

Voss earned $40,000 to increase his career earnings to $1,848,153 while Ward collected $20,000.

Voss, the 1988 PBA player of the year and member of the PBA Hall of Fame, broke his bowling hand in a bicycle accident in 1998. The accident left him sidelined for six months, which he said seemed like an eternity.

In the years following his injury, the 43-year-old Voss said each time a victory slipped away, his self-confidence waned.

The Atlanta resident was philosophical when discussing what winning in Las Vegas means to his career.

"There are people who bowl out here for years and never win," Voss said. "I was spoiled with 20 wins. I've had better wins than this one, I've had worse wins. It doesn't really matter. I've got to keep winning. I've got to build on this."

Ward, of North Fort Myers, Fla., missed a spare in the ninth frame to give Voss the lead, but he wasn't mathematically eliminated at that point. Ward needed three strikes in the 10th frame to beat Voss by a pin, but he finished with a strike and a spare.

"Even after I missed (the seventh pin) in the seventh frame (for a spare), I felt like I was still going to win," Voss said. "I felt the way things were going all week, I was going to win the tournament. I bowled very good all week."