Over the past three seasons, the Professional Bowlers Association World Series of Bowling has served as the career launching pad for an increasing number of bowlers from around the world.

As of today, PBA members from the United States and internationally can get a head start on the 2012-13 PBA Tour season by entering World Series of Bowling IV, which returns to South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas Nov. 2-11.

The WSOB got its start in 2009 in suburban Detroit where players including Bill O'Neill (pictured right) of Langhorne, Pa.; Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, Mich., and Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, N.Y., announced their arrivals as emerging PBA stars.

In 2010, the WSOB moved to Las Vegas where Scott Norton (left) of Costa Mesa, Calif.; two-hander Osku Palermaa of Finland, and unsung Gu Yong-Jin of South Korea made their impressions on the PBA Tour.

In 2011, the international influence that has become the hallmark of the World Series made its most profound statement. England's Stuart Williams and Dominic Barrett (right, l-r), Australian two-hander Jason Belmonte, Colombia's Andres Gomez and Palermaa combined to sweep the seven individual championships contested at South Point.

For Ciminelli, the World Series concept has been a yardstick for measuring his career in a number of ways. In Detroit, at age 23, he made a breakthrough with second-place finishes in the Cheetah (a ground-breaking documentary-style event) and Viper Championships, and later in the season made his third ESPN television appearance when he finished third in the USBC Masters.

His second World Series was, in his words, "Terrible." But his humbling experiences in Las Vegas also turned his career around. Immediately following WSOB II, he won the Earl Anthony Memorial for his first PBA Tour title, and he has become a contending factor in almost every PBA Tour event he has bowled since then.

In addition to that title, Ciminelli has another pair of runner-up finishes, including one in the 2012 PBA Tournament of Champions where he lost to eventual PBA Player of the Year Sean Rash, 239-205.

"My experience at South Point that first year really helped," Ciminelli (pictured left) said. "I wasn't prepared for what needed to be done. I found out you don't have time to make mistakes in the short-format events. But it was my own fault. Looking back, I learned tricks with my feet, hand position, ball choices, so the next time around, I put myself into a better position to succeed.

"It's hard out here on Tour. There's a lot of pressure, but the experience you gain from bowling everything you can, and learning to believe in yourself makes it all worthwhile," he added. "And it makes for exciting bowling, that's for sure."

Will international players maintain their dominance? World Series of Bowling IV – the third consecutive multi-event bowling extravaganza hosted by South Point – will provide them with five opportunities.

The 2012 event will feature four PBA "animal pattern" championships along with the 2012-13 season's first major, the PBA World Championship, and more than $600,000 in prize money.

The package of events will include six ESPN television events, including the 2012 WTBA World Bowling Tour Men's and Women's Finals presented by the PBA (WBT finalists will be determined based upon points compiled over a span of two seasons in designated WTBA international tournaments).

The World Series will be open exclusively to "full" PBA members and PBA International members. The PBA International membership program, introduced earlier in 2012, allows international players an opportunity to compete for PBA Tour titles in WTBA-PBA international tournaments as well as domestic events.

Entries are now being accepted online via pba.com, or by calling Membership Services at 206-332-9688. The field for the World Series is limited on a first-come basis to the first 240 players who enter. The entry deadline is Oct. 26 or when the field fills (whichever comes first).

For a $750 entry fee a player is entered into the Cheetah, Viper, Chameleon and Scorpion Championships plus the World Championship. Qualifying totals from the four animal pattern events will determine the players advancing to the PBA World Championship final rounds.

In addition to the PBA Tour events, the World Series will include the All-Region South Point Open, PBA West Region Member/Non-Member Doubles and a special winner-take-all Xtra Frame "All-In Showdown." The special events, which are open to non-members as well as PBA Regional members, require additional entry fees.

All participants will be eligible for discounted room rates of $48 weekdays and $88 weekends at South Point Hotel through Nov. 12. To lock in the special rates, rooms must be reserved by Oct. 12. To make reservations visit www.southpointcasino.com or call 866-791-7626 and use entry code "PBA World Series of Bowling" for special rates.

The World Series of Bowling, which last year attracted more than 200 players from a record 15 different countries, will get underway with an open practice session on Friday, Nov. 2.

Over the next four days, competitors will bowl qualifying sessions in the Cheetah, Viper, Chameleon and Scorpion Championships, respectively. At the conclusion of each daily qualifying round, the top 16 players will advance to an additional eight-game qualifying session to determine the four players who will advance to the ESPN stepladder finals.

ESPN finals will be recorded for delayed broadcast. Dates and times for telecasts will be announced later. PBA's Xtra Frame online bowling channel also will provide more than 100 hours of live coverage during the event.

 

2012 PBA World Series of Bowling Schedule

South Point Bowling Center, Las Vegas, Nov. 2-11, 2012

Friday, Nov. 2, 2012
9 a.m. – Squad A practice session
1 p.m. – Squad B practice session
3:30 p.m. – Xtra Frame PBA All-In Showdown

Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012 - Cheetah Championship
7:30 a.m. – 8 qualifying games, Squad A
2 p.m. - 8 qualifying games, Squad B
Top 16 advance to Round of 16
8 p.m. – Top 16, 8 qualifying games
Top 4 after 16 games advance to stepladder finals

Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012 - Viper Championship
7:30 a.m. – 8 qualifying games, Squad B
2 p.m. - 8 qualifying games, Squad A
Top 16 advance to Round of 16
8 p.m. – Top 16, 8 qualifying games
Top 4 after 16 games advance to stepladder finals

Monday, Nov. 5, 2012 - Chameleon Championship
7:30 a.m. – 8 qualifying games, Squad A
2 p.m. - 8 qualifying games, Squad B
Top 16 advance to Round of 16
8 p.m. – Top 16, 8 qualifying games
Top 4 after 16 games advance to stepladder finals

Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012 - Scorpion Championship
7:30 a.m. – 8 qualifying games, Squad B
2 p.m. - 8 qualifying games, Squad A
Top 16 advance to Round of 16
8 p.m. – Top 16, 8 qualifying games
Top 4 after 16 games advance to stepladder finals
Top 24 based on 32 qualifying games in Cheetah, Viper, Chameleon and Scorpion Championships advance to PBA World Championship match play competition

Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012 - PBA World Championship
11 a.m. – 8 games, round-robin match play
6 p.m. – 8 games, round-robin match play

Thursday, Nov. 8, 2012 - PBA World Championship
2 p.m. – 8 games, round-robin match play
Top 4 advance after 56 games qualifying and match play to stepladder finals
3 p.m. – South Point All-Region Open practice session

Friday, Nov. 9, 2012 - PBA All-Region South Point Open
8 a.m. – 7 qualifying games
1:30 p a.m. – 7 qualifying games
Top 16 advance to best-of-five-game single-elimination match play

Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012 - PBA All-Region South Point Open
8 a.m. – Round of 16, best-of-five-game single-elimination match play (winners advance)
10 a.m. – Round of 8, best-of-three-game single-elimination match play (winners advance)
11 a.m. – Semifinal Round (one game)
11:30 a.m. – Championship Match (one game)
2 p.m. - 8 games qualifying, PBA West Region Member/Non-Member Doubles
Top 16 advance to best-of-five-game single-elimination match play

Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012 - PBA West Region Member/Non-Member Doubles
8 a.m. – Round of 16, best-of-five-game single-elimination match play (winners advance)
11 a.m. – Round of 8, best-of-three-game single-elimination match play (winners advance)
1 p.m. – Semifinal Round (one game)
1:45 p.m. – Championship Match (one game)

 

ESPN Television Finals Schedule

South Point Exhibit Hall; times to be announced

Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012
World Bowling Tour presented by PBA men's and women's stepladder finals
PBA Cheetah Championship stepladder finals
PBA Viper Championship stepladder finals

Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012
PBA Chameleon Championship stepladder finals
PBA Scorpion Championship stepladder finals
PBA World Championship stepladder finals