Anthony Simonsen to defend PBA Xtra Frame Wilmington Open title

15 May, 2018

PBA National Tour

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Anthony Simonsen, a 21-year-old two-handed competitor from Austin, Texas, will defend his Professional Bowlers Association’s Xtra Frame Wilmington Open title against a sold-out field of established PBA champions, future stars and top-caliber amateur bowlers May 19-20 at Ten Pin Alley Family Fun Center in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Simonsen (featured photo), who captured his third career title with a 224-177 victory over Rhino Page of Orlando, Fla., in the inaugural Wilmington Open a year ago, will try to repeat against a world-class field of bowling talent including 2018 PBA Tournament of Champions winner Matt O’Grady (above right) of Rahway, N.J., and USBC Masters champ Andrew Anderson (left) of Holly, Mich.; PBA Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. (below right) of Oxford, Fla., and PBA Tour title winners including Dick Allen, Ryan Ciminelli, Tom Daugherty, Graham Fach, Tommy Jones, Marshall Kent, Chris Loschetter, Bill O’Neill, Connor Pickford, Matt Sanders and Richie Teece.

The Wilmington Open, like all eight PBA Xtra Frame Tour events in 2018, is part of the Go Bowling! PBA Tour. All Xtra Frame events will be covered live, from first ball to last, by PBA’s live streaming service. PBA created the online Xtra Frame Tour in 2014 to supplement its nationally-televised events. The growing popularity of live streaming events enables more fans around the world to watch the world’s greatest bowlers compete for a PBA Tour title. For subscription and schedule information click here.

Competition begins on Saturday, May 19 with eight-game qualifying squads at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. ET. After eight games, the top one-third of the field will advance to a four-game cashers round Sunday at 9 a.m. After 12 games, the top 16 will bowl another three-game round at 11:30 a.m., and after 15 games, the top eight will bowl two more qualifying games at 1:30 p.m. to determine the four bowlers who will advance to the stepladder finals at 3 p.m. At stake is a $10,000 first prize and a PBA Tour title if the winner is a PBA member.

A practice session is scheduled for 4 p.m. Friday and a pro-am where grassroots amateur bowlers can bowl with the pros will be conducted at 6:30 p.m. For tournament pro-am and admission information contact Ten Pin Alley Family Fun Center at (910) 452-5455.

2018 PBA Tour Schedule & Champions

PBA Xtra Frame Wilmington Open Schedule

Ten Pin Alley Family Fun Center in Wilmington, N.C., USA (May 18-20, 2018); all times Eastern

Friday, May 18, 2018
4 p.m. – Practice Session
5 p.m. – New player orientation meeting
6:30 p.m. – Pro-am

Saturday, May 19, 2018
9 a.m. – A Squad, eight qualifying games
3 p.m. – B Squad, eight qualifying games
Top 1/3 of field advances to cashers round

Sunday, May 20, 2018
9 a.m. – Cashers round, four games (top 16 after 12 games advance)
11:30 a.m. – Round of 16, three games (top 8 after 15 games advance)
1:30 p.m. – Round of 8, two games (top 4 after 17 games advance)
3 p.m. – Top four stepladder finals

Herbert Bickel