onefrombills
03-03-2009, 09:10 PM
Americans Kelly Kulick, Liz Johnson and Missy Bellinder will take aim at one of the biggest prizes in the history of bowling at the 2009 DHC Cup Girls Bowling Invitational in Tokyo this weekend.
The event promises to pay out 30 million Yen (about $320,000) to any player who shoots a 300 game in the televised stepladder finals. Japanese bowling distributor SUNBRIDGE is sponsoring the bonus.
For Kulick, who finished third at the event last year, it's a potentially golden opportunity.
"Knowing that a record of more than $300,000 is possible is life-changing to me," said Kulick, who earned an automatic invitation to the event by winning the 2008 Pan American Bowling Confederation Women's Championships all-events gold medal. "I think shooting a 300 game in the stepladder finals is pressure enough. It requires skill and a little luck to even bowl a perfect game, yet alone on television.
"Last year, there were many opportunities to score perfection, and I believe it was accomplished only twice," Kulick continued. "My hope and goal for this event is to walk away with the title and the prize check. I've worked very hard the past few months to give myself the opportunity to win, but as we know, anything can happen."
The DHC Cup features an overall prize fund of nearly $130,000, making it the third-richest women's event in the world behind the United States Bowling Congress Queens ($200,000) and the U.S. Women's Open ($150,000).
"In Japan, the women are showcased and have a well-developed professional tour," Kulick said. "My presence and performance are received warmly and enthusiastically there, and I welcome the opportunity to revisit Japan and the event. When I travel there, it makes me miss what we once had as a lady professional here in the United States."
The Japanese Bowling Congress, which is hosting event, has invited more than 10 foreign bowlers to compete in the DHC Cup. In addition to the Americans, other international stars such as Malaysia's Shalin Zulkifli, European Ranking champion Nina Flack of Sweden and World Cup winner Jasmine Yeong-Nathan of Singapore are scheduled to compete.
The DHC Cup will be contested at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel Bowling Center in Tokyo from March 6-8.
The event promises to pay out 30 million Yen (about $320,000) to any player who shoots a 300 game in the televised stepladder finals. Japanese bowling distributor SUNBRIDGE is sponsoring the bonus.
For Kulick, who finished third at the event last year, it's a potentially golden opportunity.
"Knowing that a record of more than $300,000 is possible is life-changing to me," said Kulick, who earned an automatic invitation to the event by winning the 2008 Pan American Bowling Confederation Women's Championships all-events gold medal. "I think shooting a 300 game in the stepladder finals is pressure enough. It requires skill and a little luck to even bowl a perfect game, yet alone on television.
"Last year, there were many opportunities to score perfection, and I believe it was accomplished only twice," Kulick continued. "My hope and goal for this event is to walk away with the title and the prize check. I've worked very hard the past few months to give myself the opportunity to win, but as we know, anything can happen."
The DHC Cup features an overall prize fund of nearly $130,000, making it the third-richest women's event in the world behind the United States Bowling Congress Queens ($200,000) and the U.S. Women's Open ($150,000).
"In Japan, the women are showcased and have a well-developed professional tour," Kulick said. "My presence and performance are received warmly and enthusiastically there, and I welcome the opportunity to revisit Japan and the event. When I travel there, it makes me miss what we once had as a lady professional here in the United States."
The Japanese Bowling Congress, which is hosting event, has invited more than 10 foreign bowlers to compete in the DHC Cup. In addition to the Americans, other international stars such as Malaysia's Shalin Zulkifli, European Ranking champion Nina Flack of Sweden and World Cup winner Jasmine Yeong-Nathan of Singapore are scheduled to compete.
The DHC Cup will be contested at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel Bowling Center in Tokyo from March 6-8.