What has become a showcase of topflight international professional bowling competition, the 2009 Dydo Japan Cup will be conducted April 23-26 in Tokyo.

Featuring Professional Bowlers Association Tour, Japan Professional Bowlers Association Tour and amateur stars, qualifying and match play will once again take place at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel while the championship round takes place at the Tokyo Metro Gymnasium.

The field will consist of 144 players that will include 20 PBA professionals (including the top 16 on the PBA Tour points list from 2007-08), 90 Japan Professional Bowlers Association players and 34 amateurs. The JPBA entrants will include 49 seeded players and the rest will be determined through a pre-tournament qualifier. The amateur field will include nine seeded players and the rest determined through a qualifier in Japan on April 4.

In September 2007, Mika Koivuniemi (pictured) of Hartland, Mich., won the most recent Dydo Japan Cup for his eighth PBA Tour title and a tournament championship in 11 different countries. Koivuniemi, a native of Finland, defeated Mike Wolfe of New Albany, Ind., 200-178, in the title match.

The 2007 event had an international flavor as five Japanese bowlers, one Korean, one American and one Finnish bowler made up the final eight. This year the home crowd will hope to see a Japanese bowler win the Dydo Japan Cup for the first time since 1988.

The field will bowl 12 games of qualifying on April 24 with the top 64 bowlers advancing to match play. The Rounds of 48, 32 and 16 feature best-of-five-games match play – all taking place April 25 – with the final eight advancing to the final round on April 26.

Sunday’s competition begins with four single-game Round of 8 matches, followed by two semifinal matches and the championship match, with the winner taking home $50,000.

The 20 PBA representatives competing in the Dydo Japan Cup are as follows:

Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla.
Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas
Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas
Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich.
Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas
Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla.
Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C.
Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio
Rhino Page, Topeka, Kan.
Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan.
Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo.
Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J.
Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y.
Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y.
Danny Wiseman, Baltimore
Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla.
Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind.
Bill O’Neill, Levittown, Pa.
Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill.
Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind.

 

2009 Dydo Japan Cup Schedule

All times Tokyo time

Thursday, April 23, 2009
3:30 p.m. - Official Practice Session

Friday, April 24, 2009
9:30 a.m. - Qualifying Round 1* (6 Games)
1:45 p.m. - Qualifying Round 2* (6 Games)
*All 144 entrants will compete in both qualifying rounds.
The top 64 bowlers advance to single elimination match play. Bowlers qualifying 1-16 earn one bye.

Saturday, April 25, 2009
9:45 a.m. - Round of 48 (17-48) (best 3 of 5)
11:45 a.m. - Round of 32 (winners join 1-16) (best 3 of 5)
3:10 p.m. - Round of 16 (best 3 of 5)
Remaining eight players advance to arena finals.

Sunday, April 26, 2009
12:30 p.m. - Opening Ceremony
1:16 p.m. - Round of 8 (Match 1, one game)
1:42 p.m. - Round of 8 (Match 2, one game)
2:08 p.m. - Round of 8 (Match 3, one game)
2:34 p.m. - Round of 8 (Match 4, one game)
3:16 p.m. - Semifinal #1 (one game)
3:42 p.m. - Semifinal #2 (one game)
4:08 p.m. - Championship Match (one game)

 

Past Japan Cup Champions

1985 - Ken Taniguchi
1986 - Pete Weber
1987 - Amleto Monacelli
1988 - Takeo Sakai
1989 - Randy Pedersen
1990 - Chris Warren
1991 - Walter Ray Williams Jr.
1992 - Parker Bohn III
1993 - Pete Weber
1994 - Brian Voss
1995 - Amleto Monacelli
1996 - Steve Wilson
1997 - Doug Kent
1998 - Parker Bohn III
1999 - Parker Bohn III
2000 - Parker Bohn III
2001-02 - Bob Learn Jr.
2002-03 - Robert Smith
2003-04 - Chris Barnes
2004-05 - Tommy Jones
2005-06 - Tommy Jones
2006-07 - Walter Ray Williams Jr.
2007-08 - Mika Koivuniemi