WTBA International Open and International Mini kick off in Las Vegas

    01/29/12

    2012 World Bowling Tour #3

    Sunset Station's Strike Zone Bowling Center in Henderson, Nev., USA (Jan. 28 - Feb. 5, 2012)

     

    2011WBT03LasVegasSkyline2XXL.jpg


    2012LVInternationalOpenLogo2.jpg 2012MiniEliminatorLogo_small.jpgThe WTBA International Open, the first World Tenpin Bowling Association owned and operated event, kicked this morning at 9 a.m. at Sunset Station's Strike Zone Bowling Center in Henderson, a suburb of Las Vegas, Nev. The tournament is the third stop of the 2012 World Bowling Tour.

    The International Open is held concurrently with the United States Bowling Congress Masters (stepladder finals to be broadcasted live on ESPN Sunday, Jan. 29 at 12:30 p.m. Eastern), the second stop of the 2012 WBT, and the International Mini megabuck tournament, which will start later today and runs through Feb. 5.

    BowlingdigitalBanner.gif Bowlingdigital will cover the USBC Masters finals, the WTBA International Open and The International Mini live from Las Vegas 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, take place at Strike Zone Bowling Center inside Sunset Station Hotel and Casino with a special additional prize fund of $30,000 available to those who compete in all three events.

    The WTBA International Open features 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 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, total 48 players will qualify for the finals - the top 44 qualifiers including the squad leaders from all Monday and Tuesday squads (earn automatic berths) 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 features 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
    9-16 place - $1,500
    17-48 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.

    WBTLogo.jpg 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.

     


    Related Articles


    Live Coverage of the WTBA International Open and the International Mini
    Online registration for WTBA International Open is now open
    WTBA International Open one of three major events in two-week span
    Las Vegas tournaments to offer special prize fund
    2012 World Bowling Tour Schedule

    Â