Hogsharley

There is a very, very good bowler from my county that has been a PBA exempt is the past. He won his exemption through the regional program, he took a leave of absence from a good job and went out on he tour for 7-8 months.

This player does have a PBA title from the early '90's and knows what being on tour is all about but on the exempt tour, he didn't do well at all and lost his exempt status for the following year.

So he goes back to the regionals and guess what. He wins another exemption but this time he turns it down. He does very well at the regional level and has 18 regional PBA titles.

Like I said, this guy is really good but he's not an elite player like WRW, PDW, Duke, Barnes or Malott. These guys make match play an awful lot and they rule the tour. My question is if you're a very, very good player like this guy, is it worth the risk of losing your job and being away from your family for a shot at the PBA or just play it safe and before a league or tourney bowler and keep your cushy job.

The cost of being on tour can add up too. Each stop is a $500 entry fee. You have to also add in the cost of equipment, lodging, travel and food. Some PBA exempts have stated that expensives can be over $1500 some weeks.

Well I just looked at the standings and he's on top of the his region's point list again. It looks like he'll be turning down another chance at an exemption.