National Championships, had an impressive fourth place finish at the event recently in Richmond, Virginia.

A total of 15 finalists from across the United States, Canada and Bermuda took part in the weekend event which was won by Rick Baysdell of Hamtramch, Michigan, with a score of 1084.

Baysdell took home $2,500 for the win after a strike in the final frame gave him an eight-pin victory over Gayle Hunsinger of Des Plaines, Illinois, the highest female finisher ever in the national championships' four-year history.

McCallum was no doubt pleased with his performance, which came on the heels of a first place finish in the Huntsville, Alabama tournament in June when he pocketed $6,000.

That win also qualified him for the national championships. His score of 1034 earned him a cheque for $560, having already had his expenses for the Virginia trip met by the tournament organisers.

The Forty Frame Game is known worldwide for its unique format -- one game 40 frames long, offering bowlers an opportunity to increase or decrease their score through various bonus and or pitfall frames.

A perfect score in the tournament is 1305.

Participants can qualify to bowl in the championships at one of the three Froty Frame Game tournament sites. In 1997 over 13,000 bowlers, including a team from Bermuda, all 50 States and four other foreign countries bowled in the tournament and won more than $396,000 in prize money.

MIKE McCALLUM -- fourth among 15 finalists at the US Forty Frame national bowling championships.