The WTBA International Open is the first World Tenpin Bowling Association owned and operated event and the third stop on the 2012 World Bowling Tour. The tournament begins Jan. 28 and runs through Feb. 5 at Sunset Station's Strike Zone Bowling Center in Henderson, Nev.

The WTBA Open is held concurrently with the United States Bowling Congress Masters (Jan. 23-29), the second stop of the 2012 WBT, and the International Mini megabuck tournament (Jan. 22-Feb. 5).

Bowlingdigital will cover the USBC Masters (finals only), the WTBA International Open and The International Mini live from Las Vegas commencing Saturday, Jan. 28 all the way through to the finals on Feb. 5, 2012.

All three events, which have a total combined prize fund of approximately $500,000, will be conducted at Sunset Station and Casino, in which the bowling center is located, in suburban Las Vegas with a special additional prize fund of $30,000 available to those who compete in all three events.

The WTBA International Open is open to members of the United States Bowling Congress or any other national bowling member federation of the WTBA. To register for the WTBA International Open please click here.

The tournament will feature a European-style re-entry format. There will be 20 qualifying squads and bowlers may compete on any squad to try to post their best six-game total. Women will receive six pins handicap per game.

Squad Times

• Saturday, January 28 at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
• Sunday, January 29 at 1:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.
• Monday, January 30 at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, January 31 at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, February 1 at 9 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 9 p.m.
• Thursday, February 2 at 9 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 9 p.m.
• Friday, February 3 at 9 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 6 p.m.
• Saturday, February 4 at 9 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. (Desperado Squad)
• Sunday, February 5 - Finals starting at 2 p.m.

After the conclusion of the 20 qualifying squads, the top 44 players including the squad leaders from all Monday and Tuesday squads (earn automatic berths) will qualify for the finals along with four bowlers from the one-game Desperado Squad at the end of qualifying.

Qualifiers in positions 1-8 get two byes, while qualifiers 9-16 will bypass the first round of the finals. All qualifying pinfall will be dropped.

The remaining 32 players (qualifiers 17-48) bowl 6 games scratch across 12 lanes with the top 16 based on total pinfall advancing to Round 2. The top 16 high qualifiers from Round 1 plus qualifiers 9-16 bowl another six-game block. The top 8 meet the top 8 qualifiers in Round 3.

Those 16 bowl a final six-game block to cut to the top 3, who will advance to the stepladder finals to be held in St. Maximin near Paris, France, on March 25, 2012.

The three finalists earn an expenses-paid trip to suburban Paris for the stepladder finals, which will be held in conjunction with the Brunswick Euro Challenge, the seventh stop of the 2012 World Bowling Tour, which takes place at Plaza Saint Maximin from March 16-25. Bowlingdigital will cover the BEC live from Plaza Bowl.

The WTBA International Open will feature a guaranteed prize fund of $100,000 with $20,000 going to the winner and $10,000 and $8,000 to the second and third place finishers, resp.

Prize Fund (minimum guaranteed)

• 1st place - $20,000
• 2nd place - $10,000
• 3rd place - $8,000
• 4th place - $6,000
• 5th place - $4,500
• 6th place - $3,000
• 7th place - $2,500
• 8th place - $2,000
• 9-16th place - $1,500
• 17-48th place - $1,000

For more information on the WTBA 2012 International Open please click here
For more information on The International Mini, please click here
For more information on the USBC Masters click here
For more information on Station Casinos click here.

The 2012 World Bowling Tour consists of 14 tournaments in America, Asia, Europe and Australia - five in the United States and one each in Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Finland, France, Japan, Korea, Kuwait and Thailand.

Players earn ranking points based on how they finish in each event. The current points system is based on a continuous two-year cycle, so points earned in 2011 are added to points earned in 2012 to determine the points list.

World Bowling Tour Rankings - Complete Standings as of January 18, 2012
WBT Women's Ranking
WBT Men's Ranking

The top three men and top three women will be invited to compete in the World Bowling Tour Finals presented by the Professional Bowlers Association at the end of 2012 featuring total prize fund of $70,000.

The World Tenpin Bowling Association, which is made up of 115 bowling federations, governs the sport throughout the world. For more information on WTBA and the World Bowling Tour, visit WorldTenpinBowling.com.

 

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