Bowlers Journal International - January 2008 - (Page 16) PROBOWLING YOU NEED A SCORECARD TO TRACK THE FORMATS Getting to, winning on and staying on the Denny's Tour is ever changing. But its elite status is undeniable. WHEN THE PBA UNVEILED ITS FARreaching exempt Tour plan a full year before putting it into practice for the 2004-05 season, many critics claimed the concept was unfair, unsuitable and ultimately unsustainable. Now into season No. 4, the objections, while still voiced periodically, are sounding a little old and tired — or, at least, pretty much futile. One thing about which PBA leadership has remained adamantly consistent is its self-determined imperative to define, identify and promote bowling’s most elite “league.” It was Chris Peters, while spearheading the investment group that bought of sold-out Tour Qualifying Rounds early this season on the Denny’s PBA Tour. Indeed, the CLR Windy City Classic and the Great Lakes Classic turned away potential TQR entrants after reaching a capacity of 100 bowlers. Von Krueger anticipates similar entry demands in other events this season. “In some ways, it’s like a Regional,” says von Krueger of the seven-game Wednesday qualifier. “Along with those who make it and therefore are guaranteed prize money from the tournament itself, we pay one-infour. This year we’ve had some extra It also reinforces the value and status of each player who owns a Tour exemption. Besides, the TQR is an exciting event to watch. Not only are there notable players in the field — including PBA title-holders, women stars and Team USA members — but the slew of local players bidding for a spot in the tournament helps spike the gate as friends and teammates come to root them on. While the PBA has been unwavering about maintaining its core exempt model, it has been challenging to keep up with all the peripheral changes made relating to tournament presentation. Take a look at some of the modifications since the initiation of the 64-player exempt Tour fields: ■ Qualifying Returns: Through the first half of the 2004-05 season, standard tournaments began with a Round of 64 bracket, a la the annual NCAA college basketball tournament. Firstround losers — half the field — were gone after bowling no more than seven games and, in some cases, as few as four. That format lasted only three months until a mid-season correction designated Thursday of each tournament week as a qualifying day, with all 64 starters shooting a pair of seven-game blocks before cutting to the top 32. Now, with the Tournament of Champions being remade this season in the image of its glory days, all tournaments that carry an official PBA title begin with qualifying. ■ Prize Funds Reduced: A 20% prize fund cut prior to the 2006-07 season stung quite a bit, but lower finishers were shielded from the full brunt of the slash. Instead of being guaranteed a minimum of $2,000 for participating, the share for players finishing 33rd-64th went down by 10% to $1,800. Pretty clearly, the reason for softening the blow to lower finishers was to preserve the financial value of owning an exemption. ■ Bringing Back Round Robin: Not “ In some ways, the Tour Qualifying Round is like a Regional tournament. This year we've had some extra spots available when exempt guys don't play due to injuries or other reasons. That encourages more TQR entries. ” — Kirk von Krueger the PBA in 2000, who first used the word “league“ in reference to the PBA Tour, a not-so-subtle tip-off of his vision for the organization. Current Commissioner and CEO Fred Schreyer, often answering questions about the financial viability of the PBA, dismissed the notion of permanently opening up tournament fields to try to generate revenue, saying, “The exempt Tour is the best thing we’ve done.” Recently, Tournament Director Kirk von Krueger said he believes the PBA now has developed the best exemption/qualifying system it ever has had. Backing up that assertion, von Krueger points to a succession 16 bowlers journal international spots available when exempt guys don’t play due to injuries or other reasons. That also encourages more TQR entries.” Even if all 59 exempt players show up in a given week, there are five spots available through the TQR; four for PBA members and one designated for the leading non-member. However, at the Lake County Indiana Classic, a record 12 non-exempt players got into the tournament due mainly to a rash of exempt player injuries. Having big TQR fields is a positive in many ways. It shows winning a starting berth in a Denny’s Tour event is a highly desired accomplishment. JANUARY 2008
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.