PBA Tour returns to Tulsa area for FloBowling PBA Fall Swing Oct. 15-20

09 October, 2018

PBA National Tour

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The Go Bowling! PBA Tour will return to the Tulsa area for the first time in 13 years when The Lanes at Coffee Creek in Owasso, Okla., hosts the 2018 revival of the FloBowling PBA Fall Swing Oct. 15-20.

The multi-event tournament package, which will be conducted on two different PBA lane conditions, will be covered live exclusively on PBA’s online streaming service Xtra Frame on FloBowling.

The Fall Swing will feature three PBA Tour events – Wolf Open, Bear Open and Tulsa Open – each awarding a PBA Tour title. The Fall Swing will precede the U.S. Open – the final major championship of the season – which takes place Oct. 24-31 at Northrock Lanes in Wichita, Kan.

The Wolf Open will be conducted on PBA’s Wolf 33-foot pattern, the Bear Open on the Bear 39-foot pattern. The 18 players who advance to the Tulsa Open match play rounds will have the added challenge of competing on a mixed condition that uses the Bear condition on the left lane and Wolf condition on the right lane. The mixed Bear/Wolf oiling system also will be used for the Tulsa Open stepladder finals on Saturday, Oct. 20.

As the 2018 season heads down the homestretch, the Fall Swing will play a pivotal role in determining the PBA Player and Rookie of the Year award winners.

Leading contenders for Player of the Year heading into the Fall Swing are four two-time PBA Tour winners this season including four-time and reigning Player of the Year Jason Belmonte of Australia; 2016 Player of the Year EJ Tackett of Bluffton, Ind.;, 2018 USBC Masters champion Andrew Anderson of Holly, Mich., and Jakob Butturff of Chandler, Ariz.

The defending champions from the last Fall Swing held in 2016 at Thunderbowl Lanes in suburban Detroit are Tackett (Bear Open), Tom Daugherty of Riverview, Fla. (Wolf Open) and Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill. (Detroit Open).

The last time the PBA Tour visited the Tulsa area was in October 2005 when 18-time PBA Tour winner Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, S.C., won the Tulsa Championship at The Lanes at Coffee Creek, defeating Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, 289-248, in the title match. Both players are also entered in the Fall Swing which will feature a field of approximately 120 players representing 10 countries.

Of local interest will be Oklahoma players including 18-year-old two-hander Trey Ford III of Bartlesville and former touring player Mike Edwards of Tulsa. Ford made PBA history earlier this year by becoming the youngest player to win a PBA regional tournament at the age of 17. He has competed in several other PBA national events with a best finish of 11th in the PBA Grand Hotel & Resort Open in July of 2017. Edwards owns one PBA Tour title which came in the IOF Foresters Bowling For Miracles Open in 1994.

Following an official practice day on Oct. 14, the FloBowling PBA Fall Swing will get underway with two Wolf Open six-game qualifying rounds on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 15-16. After 12 games, the top five will advance to the Wolf Open stepladder finals Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. CT.

Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 17-18, all players will bowl two more six-game qualifying rounds in the Bear Open with the top five bowling for the Bear Open title Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

Based on the combined 24-game qualifying totals from the Wolf and Bear events, the top 18 players will advance to Tulsa Open match play, which will consist of two six-game round robin match play rounds on Friday, Oct. 19 and the final six-game round on Saturday, Oct. 20. Based on combined total pinfall for 42 games, including match play bonus pins, the top five scorers will compete for the Tulsa Open title Saturday at 12:30 p.m.

Spectator admission is $10 each day including the stepladder finals on Oct. 20. Grassroots bowlers can bowl with the pros during a special practice session on Oct. 14 at 6 p.m. which will provide the opportunity to get instruction from some of the best bowlers in the world. For additional admission and Practice with the Pros entry information contact The Lanes at Coffee Creek by calling (918) 274-0400.

2018 PBA Tour Schedule & Champions

FloBowling PBA Fall Swing Schedule

The Lanes at Coffee Creek in Owasso, Okla., USA (Oct. 15-20, 2018)

All times are Central. All rounds covered live on Xtra Frame on FloBowling

Sunday, Oct. 14, 2018
10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. – Official practice sessions
6 p.m. – Practice With the Pros

Monday, Oct. 15, 2018
9 a.m. – A Squad, Wolf Open, 6 qualifying games
3 p.m. – B Squad, Wolf Open, 6 qualifying games

Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2018
9 a.m. – B Squad, Wolf Open, 6 qualifying games
3 p.m. – A Squad, Wolf Open, 6 qualifying games
Top five advance to stepladders finals
7:30 p.m. – Stepladder finals, live on Xtra Frame on FloBowling

Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018
9 a.m. – A Squad, Bear Open, 6 qualifying games
3 p.m. – B Squad, Bear Open, 6 qualifying games

Thursday, Oct. 18, 2018
9 a.m. – B Squad, Bear Open, 6 qualifying games
3 p.m. – A Squad, Bear Open, 6 qualifying games
Top five advance to stepladders finals; top 18 after 24 combined qualifying games advance to Tulsa Open finals
7:30 p.m. – Stepladder finals, live on Xtra Frame on FloBowling

Friday, Oct. 19, 2018
9 a.m. – Top 18, 6 games, round robin match play
3 p.m. – Top 18, 6 games, round robin match play
Bear 39 lane condition will be used on left lane and Wolf 33 used on right lane

Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018
9 a.m. – Top 18, 6 games, round robin match play
Top five after 42 games advance to stepladder finals
12:30 p.m. – Stepladder finals live on Xtra Frame on FloBowling
Bear 39 lane condition will be used on left lane and Wolf 33 used on right lane for final match play round and stepladder finals.

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