Marshall Kent to defend PBA Xtra Frame Lubbock Sports Open title

07 June, 2018

PBA National Tour

1600

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Former PBA Rookie of the Year Marshall Kent of Yakima, Wash., will lead a powerful field of established and rising PBA stars that will invade South Plains Lanes Saturday and Sunday to defend his PBA Xtra Frame Lubbock Sports Open title against a potent field of PBA Tour champions, international players and future stars of professional bowling.

Kent (featured photo), the 2014 PBA Rookie of the Year, won his first PBA singles title in the U.S. in 2017 Lubbock Sports Open, defeating EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., 233-194, in the title match.

Lubbock also was the site of another milestone win in 2016 when Jakob Butturff (left) of Chandler, Ariz., defeated two-hander Shawn Maldonado of Houston, 207-205, to win his first PBA Tour title.

The 2018 PBA Xtra Frame Tour produced another first time champion when Puerto Rico’s Cristian Azcona (right) won the PBA Xtra Frame Wilmington Open on May 20 in North Carolina, and last Sunday, 23-year-old Andrew Anderson of Holly, Mich., won his second title of the 2018 Go Bowling! PBA Tour season in the PBA Xtra Frame Greater Jonesboro Open in Arkansas. Anderson won his first title in the 2018 United States Bowling Congress Masters in April.

Lubbock could easily see another first-time winner emerge from a field of highly-regarded young players who are trying to build Rookie of the Year resumes. But standing their way will be an equally talented group of established PBA Tour title winners, including Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C.; Anderson; DJ Archer, Friendswood, Texas; Azcona; Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas; Butturff; Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla.; Francois Lavoie, Canada; Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas; Jake Peters, Henderson, Nev.; Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill.; Jason Sterner, Rockledge, Fla., and Tackett.

To add even more spice to the event, several Team Malaysia national team members, including Asia’s top ranked player, 21-year-old left-hander Rafiq Ismail, are entered.

For a complete roster of players entered in the Lubbock tournament, click here.

The tournament gets underway at 8:30 a.m. Saturday with the first of two eight-game qualifying squads. The other half of the field will bowl its qualifying round at 3:30 p.m., with the top one-third of the field advancing to a six-game cashers round Sunday at 8:30 a.m. The top 16 players after 14 games will bowl an eight-game match play round at 12:15 p.m., and the top four after 22 games will compete in the stepladder finals Sunday at 4:15 p.m. All times are Central.

All of Saturday’s and Sunday’s action will be streamed live on PBA’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel. For subscription and schedule information click here.

In addition to the PBA competition, Lubbock area grassroots bowlers will have an opportunity to bowl with the PBA stars in a pro-am on Friday at 7 p.m. For pro-am information, call South Plaines Lanes at (806) 794-4844.

PBA Xtra Frame Lubbock Sports Open

South Plains Lanes in Lubbock, Texas, USA (June 8-10, 2018)

(all times CDT)

Friday, June 8, 2018
3 p.m. – Practice session
7 p.m. – Pro-Am squads

Saturday, June 9, 2018
8:30 a.m. – A Squad, 8 qualifying games
3:30 p.m. – B Squad, 8 qualifying games
Top one-third of field after 8 games advance to cashers round

Sunday, June 10, 2018
8:30 a.m. – Top one-third of field, six games
Top 16 after 14 games advance to match play
12:15 p.m. – Top 16, eight games modified round robin match play
Top four after 22 games advance to stepladder finals
4:15 p.m. – Top four based on 22-game composite pinfall advance to a stepladder finals

Herbert Bickel