onefrombills
01-15-2009, 01:11 PM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mike Jakubowski | PR/Media Relations
Professional Bowlers Association | 719 Second Avenue, Suite 701 | Seattle, WA 98104
Tel: 414.651.6965 | Fax: 206.332.9722 | mike.jakubowski@pba.com
PBA H&R Block Tournament of Champions Week Will Be One for the Ages
PBA Hall of Fame Ceremony and 50th Anniversary Gala Highlight Second Major of the Season
SEATTLE, Wash. (January 14, 2009) - With some of the world’s finest bowling centers, a huge bowling population and a renowned history in professional bowling, Las Vegas can certainly lay claim to being a bowling showcase.
The city that never sleeps will add to this bowling legacy Jan. 20-25 when it hosts one of the sport’s most prestigious events - the PBA H&R Block Tournament of Champions - at Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas.
The 2009 Tournament of Champions, the second major and 12th stop on the 2008-09 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour, will be a focal point of PBA’s 50th anniversary celebration. The elite tournament field will feature 60 marquee PBA champions including defending champion Michael Haugen Jr. and newly-elected PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke who will be trying to win an unprecedented fourth consecutive PBA “major” title. The event will be contested on a special new “Tournament of Champions” lane condition developed especially for this tournament.
“I have thought of nothing else for the last month,” Duke said of his quest to continue his “major” title winning streak. “Even when I’m bowling a regular event right now, I’m in practice mode for the Tournament of Champions. I’m trying to find possible deficiencies in my game right now so I won’t have to worry about them later. I’m not trying to sacrifice what I’m doing in the other events, but no one has ever had this chance before.”
“I have had this opportunity,” he added. “I had it when I was going for No. 3. I knew in advance that no one had ever won three in a row. I knew what was at stake. I don’t want it to end. But to do so, I have to be very good and very lucky. The stars have to align. You have to believe all things are possible if you put your mind to it.”
PBA Tour stops in Las Vegas have been a tradition since the Tour’s second season in 1960 when Tom Hennessey won the inaugural Showboat Invitational. The Tournament of Champions came into being five years later as the Firestone Tournament of Champions conducted at Riviera Lanes in Fairlawn, Ohio, near the PBA’s original headquarters in Akron. Since its inception, when it offered the first $100,000 prize fund in PBA history, it has been an exclusive event open to PBA tournament champions only.
What will make this Tournament of Champions unique will be PBA’s 50th Anniversary Gala, presented by the Bowling Foundation, which will take place Jan. 24 from 7-11 p.m. at the Red Rock Resort, Casino and Spa.
During the Gala, the PBA will honor the 50 greatest players in PBA history and welcome three players into the PBA Hall of Fame. During the 29th PBA Hall of Fame ceremony Duke, Del Ballard Jr. and John Handegard will be inducted.
PBA fans will have the opportunity to purchase a beautiful book published by Luby Publishing that commemorates the 50 Greatest Players in the 50-year history of the PBA Tour. With stories, stats and photos on all of the 50 players written by many of the nation’s top bowling writers, it will be a “can’t miss” addition to any fan’s library. To order individual copies, go to www.pba.com.
Additionally, fans will have opportunities during the second half of the 2008-09 season to own special memorabilia honoring the 50 Greatest players including ontheballbowling.com’s limited-edition bowling balls with 50 Greatest player images, and a 50 Greatest PBA Players trading card set.
The live ESPN telecast of the H&R Block Tournament of Champions will take place at Red Rock Lanes on Sunday, Jan. 25, at 1:30 p.m. (Eastern Time; 9:30 a.m. Pacific). First prize is $50,000.
PBA H&R BLOCK TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS SCHEDULE
At Red Rock Lanes, Las Vegas, Nev.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 20
11 a.m. – 1 p.m. - Practice Session
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21
10 a.m. – 2 p.m. - Qualifying Round 1 (8 Games)
5 – 10 p.m. - Qualifying Round 2 (8 Games)
THURSDAY, JANUARY 22
10 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Qualifying Round 3 (8 Games)
Cut to top 24
5 – 8 p.m. - Match Play Round 1 (8 Games)
FRIDAY, JANUARY 23
11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Match Play Round 2 (8 Games)
5 - 8:30 p.m. - Match Play Round 3 (8 games, top 4 advance to ESPN finals)
SATURDAY, JANUARY 24
Pro-Am Events and PBA Fan Day
9 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m.- Pro-am squads
2 – 3 p.m. - Ultimate Autograph Session featuring the PBA's Top 50 bowlers of all time
7-11 p.m. - PBA’s 50th Anniversary Gala/Hall of Fame Ceremony
SUNDAY, JANUARY 25, 2009
9:30 a.m. (Pacific; 12:30 p.m. Eastern) - ESPN television finals
About the PBA
The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) features the best bowlers in the world competing in National, Regional and Senior Tour events and will award over $4.3 million in prize money during the 2008-09 Lumber Liquidators PBA National Tour. The organization has more than 4,000 members spanning 13 countries, and nearly one million viewers tune-in to watch the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour every Sunday on ESPN throughout the season. PBA sponsors include Bayer, Brunswick, CLR, Denny's, Etonic, Flomax, GEICO, Go RVing, H&R Block, Lumber Liquidators, Motel 6, Pepsi-Cola and the USBC, among others. For more information on the PBA, log on to www.pba.com.
Mike Jakubowski | PR/Media Relations
Professional Bowlers Association | 719 Second Avenue, Suite 701 | Seattle, WA 98104
Tel: 414.651.6965 | Fax: 206.332.9722 | mike.jakubowski@pba.com
PBA H&R Block Tournament of Champions Week Will Be One for the Ages
PBA Hall of Fame Ceremony and 50th Anniversary Gala Highlight Second Major of the Season
SEATTLE, Wash. (January 14, 2009) - With some of the world’s finest bowling centers, a huge bowling population and a renowned history in professional bowling, Las Vegas can certainly lay claim to being a bowling showcase.
The city that never sleeps will add to this bowling legacy Jan. 20-25 when it hosts one of the sport’s most prestigious events - the PBA H&R Block Tournament of Champions - at Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas.
The 2009 Tournament of Champions, the second major and 12th stop on the 2008-09 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour, will be a focal point of PBA’s 50th anniversary celebration. The elite tournament field will feature 60 marquee PBA champions including defending champion Michael Haugen Jr. and newly-elected PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke who will be trying to win an unprecedented fourth consecutive PBA “major” title. The event will be contested on a special new “Tournament of Champions” lane condition developed especially for this tournament.
“I have thought of nothing else for the last month,” Duke said of his quest to continue his “major” title winning streak. “Even when I’m bowling a regular event right now, I’m in practice mode for the Tournament of Champions. I’m trying to find possible deficiencies in my game right now so I won’t have to worry about them later. I’m not trying to sacrifice what I’m doing in the other events, but no one has ever had this chance before.”
“I have had this opportunity,” he added. “I had it when I was going for No. 3. I knew in advance that no one had ever won three in a row. I knew what was at stake. I don’t want it to end. But to do so, I have to be very good and very lucky. The stars have to align. You have to believe all things are possible if you put your mind to it.”
PBA Tour stops in Las Vegas have been a tradition since the Tour’s second season in 1960 when Tom Hennessey won the inaugural Showboat Invitational. The Tournament of Champions came into being five years later as the Firestone Tournament of Champions conducted at Riviera Lanes in Fairlawn, Ohio, near the PBA’s original headquarters in Akron. Since its inception, when it offered the first $100,000 prize fund in PBA history, it has been an exclusive event open to PBA tournament champions only.
What will make this Tournament of Champions unique will be PBA’s 50th Anniversary Gala, presented by the Bowling Foundation, which will take place Jan. 24 from 7-11 p.m. at the Red Rock Resort, Casino and Spa.
During the Gala, the PBA will honor the 50 greatest players in PBA history and welcome three players into the PBA Hall of Fame. During the 29th PBA Hall of Fame ceremony Duke, Del Ballard Jr. and John Handegard will be inducted.
PBA fans will have the opportunity to purchase a beautiful book published by Luby Publishing that commemorates the 50 Greatest Players in the 50-year history of the PBA Tour. With stories, stats and photos on all of the 50 players written by many of the nation’s top bowling writers, it will be a “can’t miss” addition to any fan’s library. To order individual copies, go to www.pba.com.
Additionally, fans will have opportunities during the second half of the 2008-09 season to own special memorabilia honoring the 50 Greatest players including ontheballbowling.com’s limited-edition bowling balls with 50 Greatest player images, and a 50 Greatest PBA Players trading card set.
The live ESPN telecast of the H&R Block Tournament of Champions will take place at Red Rock Lanes on Sunday, Jan. 25, at 1:30 p.m. (Eastern Time; 9:30 a.m. Pacific). First prize is $50,000.
PBA H&R BLOCK TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS SCHEDULE
At Red Rock Lanes, Las Vegas, Nev.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 20
11 a.m. – 1 p.m. - Practice Session
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21
10 a.m. – 2 p.m. - Qualifying Round 1 (8 Games)
5 – 10 p.m. - Qualifying Round 2 (8 Games)
THURSDAY, JANUARY 22
10 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Qualifying Round 3 (8 Games)
Cut to top 24
5 – 8 p.m. - Match Play Round 1 (8 Games)
FRIDAY, JANUARY 23
11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Match Play Round 2 (8 Games)
5 - 8:30 p.m. - Match Play Round 3 (8 games, top 4 advance to ESPN finals)
SATURDAY, JANUARY 24
Pro-Am Events and PBA Fan Day
9 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m.- Pro-am squads
2 – 3 p.m. - Ultimate Autograph Session featuring the PBA's Top 50 bowlers of all time
7-11 p.m. - PBA’s 50th Anniversary Gala/Hall of Fame Ceremony
SUNDAY, JANUARY 25, 2009
9:30 a.m. (Pacific; 12:30 p.m. Eastern) - ESPN television finals
About the PBA
The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) features the best bowlers in the world competing in National, Regional and Senior Tour events and will award over $4.3 million in prize money during the 2008-09 Lumber Liquidators PBA National Tour. The organization has more than 4,000 members spanning 13 countries, and nearly one million viewers tune-in to watch the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour every Sunday on ESPN throughout the season. PBA sponsors include Bayer, Brunswick, CLR, Denny's, Etonic, Flomax, GEICO, Go RVing, H&R Block, Lumber Liquidators, Motel 6, Pepsi-Cola and the USBC, among others. For more information on the PBA, log on to www.pba.com.