LAVOIE JOINS EXCLUSIVE CLUB AT NEW MEXICO OPEN

Rio Rancho:

Francois Lavoie of Wichita, Kansas, joined John Young of Albuquerque as only the second member of an exclusive club when he won Sunday’s final at the New Mexico Open bowling tournament at Tenpins & More in Rio Rancho.

Both bowlers have now won the event twice and both in consecutive years. (Young won in 2004 and 2005).

Lavoie had to win three matches in the championship round, live-streamed by Emil Williams’ BowlStreamTV.com, beating first Kevin Jenkins of Arizona 201-182. Jenkins needed a tenth frame double and count but went high.

Next up, unbeaten top seed, PBA star Jakob Butturff, coming off down-time, who lost 190-220 to even the two at one loss apiece.

Lavoie, with confidence riding high and throwing a consistent straighter line to the pocket (on a touchy sport pattern created by Mike Miller) never missed the strike zone with four strikes, one 10-pin and two light hit 7-pins in the first seven frames.

He led by 36 after six after Butturff left two unconverted splits, causing him to change balls. This gave the Arizona southpaw new life and a “better look”, resulting in five strikes from his next six deliveries, including a blower 10-pin that would have put Lavoie under pressure.

Lavoie, lofting the ball a little more on each throw, fired his own four-bagger to win a tournament record
$ 13,500 by 39 pins, 238-199 along with a rare place in bowling history, as the win here was his third win in a row, following on from victories in PBA events in Jonesboro, Arkansas and Denver the previous two weekends.
USBC Masters champion, DeeRonn Booker of Albuquerque finished fourth losing a close one to Jenkins 178-192 suffering three open frames midway through the match.

Lavoie, as cool as ice while addressing the pins, credits his early coaching at the University of Wichita for developing a strong mental game, evidenced by his two US Open wins alongside a Tournament of Champions major in addition to his clutch tenth frame double in beating Rio Rancho’s J D Nance 202-194 last year, cementing his first win at the New Mexico Open.

Lavoie also attends “Amplify My Training” in Wichita that has tailored a course of stretching and balance exercises that has helped optimize Lavoie’s performance at the highest levels of the sport.

The 20th New Mexico Open attracted 166 bowlers from eleven states and paid out more than $ 66,000 in prize-money mainly due to sponsorship support from forty different local and national companies.

The 21st tournament dates were announced as August 15-17, 2025.

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FYI – Further background information is available in the tournament’s Official 24-page Program at tenpinsmore.com or email Steve Mackie at [email protected].