Tommy Jones to defend PBA Xtra Frame Greater Jonesboro Open title

31 May, 2017

PBA National Tour

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Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, S.C., whose victory in the 2016 PBA Xtra Frame Greater Jonesboro Open was key to winning last year’s Xtra Frame points championship, will return to Jonesboro Bowling Center Saturday and Sunday to defend his title against a potent field of PBA Tour champions, international players and future stars of professional bowling.

Jones (pictured above), who defeated top qualifier Kyle Troup of Taylorsville, N.C., 237-228, to win in Jonesboro in 2016, is one of 29 PBA Tour title winners who will compete for the $12,500 first prize and a PBA Tour title this weekend.

PBA Tour champions among the early entries include Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C.; DJ Archer, Friendswood, Texas; Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas; Dom Barrett, England; Josh Blanchard, Mesa, Ariz.; Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn.; Jacob Butturff, Tempe, Ariz.; Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y.; Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla.; Graham Fach, Canada; Gary Faulkner Jr., Memphis, Tenn.; Andres Gomez, Colombia; Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa; Jones; Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash.; Francois Lavoie, Canada; Robert Lawrence, Austin, Texas; Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio; Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas; Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, Pa.; Jake Peters, Henderson, Nev.; Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill.; Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind.; Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas; Jason Sterner, Rockledge, Fla.; EJ Tackett, Huntington, Ind.; Troup; Stuart Williams, England, and Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind.

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

Challenging the 29 players who have already won PBA Tour titles will be a talented group of young players who are looking to make a name for themselves among the roster of PBA champions, including a handful of players who are involved in what is expected to be a tightly-contested PBA Rookie of the Year race, not to mention the PBA Player of the Year competition.

To add a bit more spice to the event, players are entered from Argentina, England, Australia, Canada, Japan, Colombia and Malaysia in addition to the U.S.

Another special aspect of the Greater Jonesboro Open is that all PBA members will be competing for Xtra Frame Storm Cup points, awarded to players who finish among the top 20. Jonesboro is the third of seven Storm Cup events that will reward the top five players at the end of the series with shares of $50,000 in bonus prize money.

The tournament gets underway at 8 a.m. Saturday with the first of two eight-game qualifying squads. The other half of the field will bowl its qualifying round at 2:30 p.m., with the top one-third of the field advancing to a five-game cashers round Sunday at 8:30 a.m.

The top 16 players after 13 games will bowl an eight-game match play round at noon, and the top four after 21 games will compete in the stepladder finals Sunday at 3:45 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, Jonesboro area grassroots bowlers will have an opportunity to bowl with the PBA stars in a pro-am on Friday at 6 and 8:30 p.m. For pro-am information, call Jonesboro Bowling Center at (870) 972-5270.

PBA Xtra Frame Jonesboro Open

Jonesboro Bowling Center in Jonesboro, Ark., United States (June 2-4, 2017)

(all times CDT)

Friday, June 2, 2017
1 p.m. – Practice session
6, 8:30 p.m. – Pro-Am squads

Saturday, June 3, 2017
8 a.m. – A Squad, 8 qualifying games
2:30 p.m. – B Squad, 8 qualifying games
Top one-third of field after 8 games advance to cashers round

Sunday, June 4, 2017
8:30 a.m. – Top one-third of field, five games
Top 16 after 13 games advance to match play
Noon – Top 16, eight games modified round robin match play
Top four after 21 games advance to stepladder finals
3:45 p.m. – Top four based on 21-game composite pinfall advance to a stepladder finals

Herbert Bickel