Hello everyone!
Wow, what an awesome week of bowling we just experienced at the JBT Touring Players' Championship!!! Congrats to Kevin Saunders and Jenny Phandanouvong for capturing the scratch and handicap titles, respectively, raking in a $2,000 scholarship each. A great time was had by all, I hope, at the banquet as well. In total, a TPC-record-smashing $18,130 was awarded to the talented field. If you were eligible to bowl and missed it- man, you missed a lot. If you weren't eligible, get eligible in 2008! Complete results are being posted on our website, www.bowljbt.com, so please check it out!
Also, a special thanks to everyone for the very generous gifts, as well as the gift of applause at the banquet. Every single one of us works their butts off all day, whether it's at work, at school, or whatever else you do, and it's all too rare to even get recognized for your work, let alone applauded for it-- that's a very special feeling far beyond material possessions that I will always cherish, so my deep thanks. Again, I share that applause with Rachel, my right-hand-woman in Arizona, and all the JBT staff, and dozens of 'regular' volunteers and helpers that make JBT what it is; I share it with all the parents logging so many miles to get their kids to their tournaments; and I share it with every bowler who believes in our events enough to bowl in them.
The TPC is designed to be the 'ultimate JBT', and I think we're well on the way to that goal. Unlike, say, Main Event, we don't want it to be the biggest tournament in the world- we want it to be the payoff for our the most dedicated members of our JBT family. What a thrill it was for me to watch bowlers from eight states compete in such an intense but friendly manner. Bowlers from Oregon, Texas, Arizona, Washington, California, and New Mexico made the top 5, so it had a great national vibe to it. We had a 196 average boy from Oregon play a 101 average girl from California in the title match, so we were pleased that the format allowed all average bowlers a chance at the big bucks. When the new season starts, remember how important every point is on the way to the 2008 TPC!!!
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Now, take a deep breath, because we get right back into it this weekend with the Desert Open!!
The Desert Open, hosted by AMF Deer Valley in Phoenix, will offer scratch and handicap divisions, with a $1,000 guaranteed first place scholarship up for grabs. Scratch bowlers will bowl the exact PBA National format, which could result in as many as 37 games in two days, while the handicap bowlers will have a slightly truncated format. Deer Valley will lay out both patterns we'll be using all day Friday. Scratch competition begins 9 AM Saturday, while handicap starts at 1 PM Saturday. And remember, we guarantee at least four girls into the scratch division semifinals, so, ladies, be there!!!! Do not miss this awesome event!
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The week after, many JBT bowlers qualified for the Teen Masters Finals in Las Vegas, so we wish all of them good luck!!
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Right after Teen Masters, it's time for the east coast JBT's Las Vegas Open, at The Orleans in Las Vegas. First place has been over $2,000 in both scratch and handicap each of the last five years, so it's yet another big money event and a great time. You can pick up an entry blank through our website if you don't have one.
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The last two events of the 06-07 JBT season follow that. On Saturday August 11, we'll have our first ever Girls Invitational, at AMF Christown. Our top female bowlers will compete for a $600 first place prize. Eligible girls should have long ago received an entry, so if not let me know.
Then, on Sunday, it's our always-fun Tournament of All-Time Champions, at BRC Kyreen in Chandler, AZ. Anyone who has EVER won a JBT event may compete, so it's a reunion as well as a relaxed event of all winners! Don't miss it if you're eligible, and be sure to remind our adult alumni of this event!
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If you STILL need more bowling, there's an adult event August 17-19 at Tenpins & More in Rio Rancho called the New Mexico Open that I think is the best amatuer event in the entire Southwest. They've taken advantage of the bizarre new USBC rules and opened the event to juniors (it's scratch only), so by all means come and test your skills in a PBA Regional-type environment.
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AND THEN....SEASON TWELVE BEGINS!!! We kick off the new season with a doubleheader August 25-26 at Yorba Linda Bowl in Yorba Linda, CA. Everyone has been sent a new pack of schedules... if you haven't received it, please let me know. We had over 100 envelopes returned with bad addresses, so that may be the case if you didn't get it yet. Be sure to look through all the fantastic events we have planned (they're all on the website as well), and we'll see you soon!
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Congrats to all the JBT bowlers who had a successful event at the Junior Gold Finals in Buffalo. Geoffrey Young, a NM-TX regular, and Dean Richards, a Pac NW star, finished tied fior 3rd, qualifying them for Junior Team USA-- wow! Matt O'Grady (5th), Brandon Allred (17th), Josh Blanchard (37th), Kevin Saunders (44th), Devin Bidwell (44th) all had top-50 boys finishes, and Bryanna Caldwell (24th), Mandy Pezzano (25th), and Alyse McGinness (28th) made the cut in the girls division. Great job, folks!!!
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PHEW!!! As always, a ton of stuff going on in JBT. Be sure to take advantage of everything we have to offer, things that simply aren't available anywhere else. We'll see you this weekend at Desert Open, or other JBT events in the very near future!