No changes atop the leaderboard in WTBA International Open after Squad 12

    02/03/12

    2012 World Bowling Tour #3

    Mike Fagan continues to lead with 1503; cut for 44th place is now 1322 (220.33)

    2012LVInternationalOpenLogo.jpg201112PBA10MikeFagan4.jpgJust nine players took the lanes at Sunset Station's Strike Zone Bowling Center in Las Vegas to compete in the 12th of 198 qualifying squads in the WTBA International Open. There were no changes atop the leaderboard though three players made it into the top 44 or climbed the ladder after improving their previous high scores.

    Mike Fagan of Grapevine, Texas, who won the USBC Masters last Sunday here at Strike Zone (pictured right with the trophy) continued to lead with 1503 total and an average of 250.50.

    Bob Belmont of Clearwater, Fla., started the day with a 279 game and added five games between 206 and 244 on the WTBA Atlanta pattern to lead the Squad 12 with 1393 six-game total and an average of 232.17. Belmont moved into 17th place in the overall qualifying standings.

    201112PBAMikeScroggins.jpg201112PBAScottNorton.jpgEight-time PBA champion Mike Scroggins (left) of Amarillo, Texas, used four games between 237 and 245 and low games of 204 and 209 to finish second this morning and 23rd overall with 1377 (229.50).

    One-time PBA champion Scott Norton (right) of Costa Mesa, Calif., finished his series with a huge 289 game tying fellow pro bowler Josh Blanchard for the high game of the tournament to jump into 25th place with 1365.

    2011 USBC Masters champion Tom Hess of Urbandale, Iowa, and PBA Hall of Famer Amleto Monacelli of Venezuela are tied for 43rd place with 1322 or an average of 220.33.

    Qualifying continues on Thursday, Feb. 2, with Squad 13 and 14 scheduled for 1.30 and 6 p.m. Pacific.

    2012LVInternationalOpenLogo2_small.jpg The WTBA International Open, the first World Tenpin Bowling Association owned and operated event, is the third stop of the 2012 World Bowling Tour and runs concurrently with The International Mini from Jan. 28 through Feb. 5.

    BowlingdigitalBanner.gif Bowlingdigital will cover the WTBA International Open and The International Mini live from Sunset Station's Strike Zone Bowling Center in Las Vegas all the way through to the finals on Feb. 5, 2012.

    The third event, the USBC Masters, concluded on Sunday morning. Jan. 29. All three events, which offer a total combined prize fund of approximately $500,000, have 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 19 qualifying squads and bowlers may compete on any squad to try to post their best six-game total. The 20th and last squad to qualify for the finals is the ultimate one-game Desperado Squad on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 4. Women receive six pins handicap per game.

    Remaining Squad Times
    Thursday, February 2 at 1:30 p.m. and 6 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)
    New: Sunday, February 5 - Finals starting at Noon.

    After the conclusion of the qualifying, total 48 players will qualify for the finals - the top 44 qualifiers including the squad leaders from all Monday and Tuesday squads (two each; earn automatic berths into 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 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.

    For more information on the WTBA 2012 International Open please 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 29, 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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    Standings after Qualifying Squad 12/19

    300 Games (1) - Johnathan Bower

    * indicates leaders of squads 5-8, who earn automatic berths into the finals.

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