Few things are harder than knocking down the infamous 7-10 split in bowling. But, in the semifinal match of the 2021 U.S. Open, pro bowler Anthony Neuer did it, live on television.
The 18-year-old known as “The Ginger Assassin” — at least by Fox Sports play-by-play announcer Rob Stone — was forced to face the challenging spare in the seventh frame of his third match in the tournament. According to Stone and his cohost, the 7-10 split happened as a result of the ball “breaking loose early” on Neuer’s first shot.
For those unfamiliar with bowling, the infamous 7-10 split is when the only two pins left standing in the lane are the two corners of the back row. With two pins typically in between them, the 7 and 10 pins are just far enough apart that most bowlers can hit one or the other, but not necessarily both. And so, pulling off the infamous spare not only gave Neuer the “Spare of the Game” highlight, but also made him just the fourth bowler to ever pull off the shot on television.
Naturally, Stone went wild on the call after Neuer made the shot. “You bet, kid! You bet!” Stone shouted. “Oh man. Give me some oxygen and water!”
Unfortunately, even with the incredible spare, Neuer ended up losing the match to 26-year-old Jakob Butturff, 257-203. You can watch the full moment from the insane shot above.
