Competitors welcome Sport Bowling conditions at USBC Masters
WAUWATOSA, Wis. - This week's United States Bowling Congress Masters at AMF Bowlero Lanes in suburban Milwaukee is challenging competitors with a unique lane condition that is a product of the USBC Sport Bowling program.
The Masters is the fourth event of the Professional Bowlers Association season and follows three events that each featured one of the PBA's five standard lane conditions.
Masters participants may find there will be less room for error because Sport Bowling requires them to focus more on accuracy, consistency and spare shooting, while testing their shot-making ability. Oil is applied more evenly across the lane than a typical league condition, which results in a more challenging scoring environment.
For players like Brad Angelo, the 2003 PBA Rookie of the Year, the Sport Bowling pattern at the Masters is a welcomed challenge.
"I just prefer that whatever pattern it is there be more of a premium on shot making rather than everybody gets to the pocket and it becomes a carry contest," said Angelo, who finished 11th in the 2004-05 PBA World Point Rankings. "I don't think that's fun for anybody at our level. I've always preferred more of the patterns that put a premium on shot making and a premium on spare shooting. I've always been able to qualify well in these types of tournaments."
So far this season, scores on the PBA Tour have been higher than expected, making the conditions a topic of discussion among players and fans.
At the season-opening event in Tulsa, Okla., the field averaged 216.29 on the Cheetah pattern, followed by 212.50 on the Shark pattern the following week in Denver.
Last week's Greater Omaha Classic in Council Bluffs, Iowa, featured the Chameleon pattern, a 39-foot pattern described by the PBA as the most difficult and lowest-scoring condition. The results can vary from low to high based on the condition of the surface, though, which was the case in Council Bluffs, where the field averaged a season-high 225.01.
There also have been 21 perfect games through three events this season, up from 15 during the same time frame last season.
"The conditions on the tour have been very, very high scoring, and it's difficult to bowl any tournament when the lanes are as high scoring as they have been," Angelo said. "When the scoring pace is so high, you shoot 250 and you are only picking up 10 or 15 pins. It's a whole different mindset. I think the PBA is working on it and they will be able to get the scoring pace under control."
At the Masters in October of 2004, more than 500 bowlers competed on a USBC Sport condition. It took a score of 2,013, a 201.3 average for 10 games to make the initial cut to the top 25 percent of the field.
Although the scores at the 2005 event have been a bit higher with 1,053 being the cut number after five games of qualifying, bowlers are still pleased with the fairness and the challenge of the lane conditions.
"This is just something different than we're used to, and the Sport patterns definitely teach you to be a better bowler," said Tommy Jones, who won a tour-best four titles last year and opened this season with wins at the Dydo Japan Cup and the PBA Tulsa Championship. "I think they're pretty fair out there this week and if you make good shots you'll get rewarded."
To purchase tickets to the finals of the USBC Masters at the U.S. Cellular Arena, visit ticketmaster.com or call (414) 276-4545.
The Masters is the fourth event of the Professional Bowlers Association season and follows three events that each featured one of the PBA's five standard lane conditions.
Masters participants may find there will be less room for error because Sport Bowling requires them to focus more on accuracy, consistency and spare shooting, while testing their shot-making ability. Oil is applied more evenly across the lane than a typical league condition, which results in a more challenging scoring environment.
For players like Brad Angelo, the 2003 PBA Rookie of the Year, the Sport Bowling pattern at the Masters is a welcomed challenge.
"I just prefer that whatever pattern it is there be more of a premium on shot making rather than everybody gets to the pocket and it becomes a carry contest," said Angelo, who finished 11th in the 2004-05 PBA World Point Rankings. "I don't think that's fun for anybody at our level. I've always preferred more of the patterns that put a premium on shot making and a premium on spare shooting. I've always been able to qualify well in these types of tournaments."
So far this season, scores on the PBA Tour have been higher than expected, making the conditions a topic of discussion among players and fans.
At the season-opening event in Tulsa, Okla., the field averaged 216.29 on the Cheetah pattern, followed by 212.50 on the Shark pattern the following week in Denver.
Last week's Greater Omaha Classic in Council Bluffs, Iowa, featured the Chameleon pattern, a 39-foot pattern described by the PBA as the most difficult and lowest-scoring condition. The results can vary from low to high based on the condition of the surface, though, which was the case in Council Bluffs, where the field averaged a season-high 225.01.
There also have been 21 perfect games through three events this season, up from 15 during the same time frame last season.
"The conditions on the tour have been very, very high scoring, and it's difficult to bowl any tournament when the lanes are as high scoring as they have been," Angelo said. "When the scoring pace is so high, you shoot 250 and you are only picking up 10 or 15 pins. It's a whole different mindset. I think the PBA is working on it and they will be able to get the scoring pace under control."
At the Masters in October of 2004, more than 500 bowlers competed on a USBC Sport condition. It took a score of 2,013, a 201.3 average for 10 games to make the initial cut to the top 25 percent of the field.
Although the scores at the 2005 event have been a bit higher with 1,053 being the cut number after five games of qualifying, bowlers are still pleased with the fairness and the challenge of the lane conditions.
"This is just something different than we're used to, and the Sport patterns definitely teach you to be a better bowler," said Tommy Jones, who won a tour-best four titles last year and opened this season with wins at the Dydo Japan Cup and the PBA Tulsa Championship. "I think they're pretty fair out there this week and if you make good shots you'll get rewarded."
To purchase tickets to the finals of the USBC Masters at the U.S. Cellular Arena, visit ticketmaster.com or call (414) 276-4545.