Battling cancer, Bruff excels on the lanes

Because of his health, Greg Bruff isn't sure how long he can keep bowling. So he wants to make the most of his time on the lanes.

The 40-year-old Manchester resident did that in mid-December when he finished first in scratch singles and scratch all-events at the 84th York-Adams Open Championship at Edgewood Bowl in Gettysburg.

Bruff, one of the area's elite bowlers, competed in the tournament one week after receiving chemotherapy for Stage 4 colorectal cancer with lung metastasis. Although he felt weak after receiving chemotherapy, he said he was feeling good and decided to bowl. He rolled singles and doubles on Saturday and the team event on Sunday.

It's been a challenging couple years health-wise for Bruff. In June 2022, he was diagnosed with Stage 2 colorectal cancer. He underwent chemotherapy and radiation and the cancer went into remission. But in July 2023, his blood work showed elevated markers for cancer. After a CT scan, MRI and PET scan, it was determined the cancer had spread to his lungs.

Bruff's battle with cancer is perplexing. Before the cancer diagnoses, he biked 1,500 miles a year, ran a 6-minute mile and could bench press his weight. He doesn't smoke or drink.

The southpaw, a two-time BowlerMaxx York County Match Play champ, shares a position on a team at Suburban Bowlerama with a couple bowlers, so he only has to bowl once every two or three weeks. He also substitutes in a league at Colony Park North and competes in tournaments when he feels good.

Understandably, he was pleased with his performance in the York-Adams tournament. He tallied 668 in scratch singles and 1,861 in scratch all-events. 

"I'm still competitive and I want to give it my all when I'm on the lanes," he said.

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At Edgewood Bowl, he overcame the challenge of bowling on wood lanes. He brought a mix of equipment, relied on his past experience on wood lanes and made timely adjustments.

"It wasn't difficult to get to the pocket, but the carry rate was low," he said. "It was difficult to put together three or four strikes in a row and the pairs of lanes could be quite different."

Bruff, however, isn't focused on his bowling scores these days. His mission is to get the word out about the importance of early detection of cancer.

"I encourage all my friends and fellow bowlers to get a colonoscopy," he said. "A recent New York Times article focused on the mysterious rise of colorectal cancer cases in people under the age of 45."

Bruff plans to undergo genetic testing to determine if he has any genes that predispose him to cancer.

"Some days and weeks are better than others," he said. "I try to take things day-by-day. I enjoy bowling, and I want to do it as long as I can."

York-Adams Open results: Bruff and his Last Minute team of Denny Runkle, Andrew Miller and Chris Green placed second in the scratch team division with a score of 2,335. Team Mong, consisting of Justin, Steven, Joseph and Deric Mong, captured first with a score of  2,285. In scratch doubles, Bruff teamed with Nick Ryncewicz to tie for third place with 1,156 pins.

In other results, the D-L-P-W team from Capitol Heights, Md., finished first in the handicap team category. The doubles team of Joshua Spencer and Deric McGowan of Glen Burnie, Md., took top honors in both the handicap and scratch divisions. Handicap singles went to Marquita Phillips of Baltimore, who also won handicap all-events.