CHICAGO – Entries are now open for three premier Professional Bowlers Association tournaments, including the PBA Players Championship and Mark Roth/Marshall Holman PBA Doubles Championship in suburban Milwaukee Jan. 26-30, plus the 50th anniversary Barbasol PBA Tournament of Champions in Indianapolis Feb. 10-15.
All three events are expected to sell out, so PBA members are encouraged to enter quickly.
The four-day visit to AMF Bowlero in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, will include qualifying and match play rounds for a maximum field of 120 players in the PBA Players Championship, Jan. 27-29, followed by 12 games of match play for the top 12 teams in the Roth/Holman Doubles Championship on Friday, Jan. 30 (doubles teams use qualifying scores bowled during the PBA Players Championship). The ESPN-televised finals in both events will be contested as part of the 50th PBA Tournament of Champions celebration on Feb. 14-15 at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis.
The entry fee for the PBA Players Championship is $500 and the entry fee for the Roth/Holman Doubles is also $500 per player. First prize in the Players Championship will be $25,000 (based on a full field of 120 entries) with 30 cashing positions. First prize in the PBA Doubles Championship will be $25,000 for the winning team (based on a maximum field of 48 entries) with 13 teams cashing.
The Milwaukee area events precede the United States Bowling Congress Masters, which will be held Feb. 2-8 at Ashwaubenon Bowl in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Barbasol PBA Tournament of Champions will immediately follow the Masters, Feb. 10-15, at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis.
The TOC will be open to a field of 132 PBA title winners. PBA members who have won a title in PBA Tour, PBA50 Tour, PBA Regional or PBA Women’s Regional competition are eligible. The entry fee is $500; first prize will be $50,000. There will be 33 cashing spots.
Entries will be available to eligible PBA members on a first-come basis. In the event a tournament reaches capacity, players will be placed on a waiting list in order of the time entries were received. To enter, contact Bobby Jakel at bobby.jakel@pba.com or call 815-483-3032.
All of the preliminary rounds of all three events will be covered live on PBA’s online bowling channel, Xtra Frame. For subscription information, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame link.
2015 PBA PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP/MARK ROTH-MARSHALL HOLMAN PBA DOUBLES SCHEDULE
AMF Bowlero Lanes, Wauwatosa, Wis., Jan. 26-30
Monday, Jan. 26
2 p.m. – Official practice session
Tuesday, Jan. 27
8 a.m. – Players Championship/PBA Doubles qualifying, 8 games
Wednesday, Jan. 28
8 a.m. – Players Championship/PBA Doubles qualifying, 4 games
Top 24 individuals advance to Players Championship match play and top 12 teams advance to PBA Doubles match play
1:30 p.m. – Top 24 Players Championship, 8 games round-robin match play
Thursday, Jan. 29
8 a.m. - Top 24 Players Championship, 8 games round-robin match play
1 p.m. - Top 24 Players Championship, 8 games round-robin match play
Top five after 36 games advance to ESPN stepladder finals at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, Feb. 14, at Woodland Bowl, Indianapolis (finals air Sunday, Feb. 22, at 1 p.m. ET)
Friday, Jan. 30
8 a.m. – Top 12 doubles teams, 6 games round-robin match play (Baker format)
1 p.m. - Top 12 doubles teams, 6 games round-robin match play (Baker format)
Top five doubles teams advance to ESPN stepladder finals at 4:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 15, at Woodland Bowl, Indianapolis (finals air Sunday, March 1, at 1 p.m. ET)
BARBASOL PBA TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS SCHEDULE
Woodland Bowl, Indianapolis, Feb. 10-15
(All times Eastern)
Tuesday, Feb. 10
1 p.m. – Official practice session
6 p.m. – PBA Hall of Fame ceremonies and dinner, Indianapolis Marriott North
Wednesday, Feb. 11
10 a.m. – 8 games qualifying, all players
5 p.m. – 8 games qualifying, all players
Thursday, Feb. 12
10 a.m. – 8 games qualifying, all players
Top 24 after 24 games advance to round-robin match play
5 p.m. – Top 24, 8 games round-robin match play
Friday, Feb. 13
10 a.m. – Top 24, 8 games round-robin match play
5 p.m. – Top 24, 8 games round-robin match play
Top five after 48 games advance to stepladder finals
Saturday, Feb. 14
9:30 a.m., noon and 3:30 p.m. – Pro-Am squads
7 p.m. – PBA Players Championship stepladder finals (five players; finals air Sunday, Feb. 22, at 1 p.m. ET)
Sunday, Feb. 15
1 p.m. – Barbasol PBA Tournament of Champions stepladder finals (five players; ESPN, live)
4:30 p.m. – Mark Roth/Marshall Holman PBA Doubles championship stepladder finals (five teams, (finals air Sunday, March 1, at 1 p.m. ET)