Professional Bowlers Association Returns
To Action in Earl Anthony Memorial

The Professional Bowlers Association returns to action Jan. 12-17 with the Earl Anthony Memorial at its new home - Earl Anthony’s Dublin Bowl in Dublin, Calif. It will be the first PBA national stop in Dublin since 1992, and it will serve as a special tribute to the player selected as the No. 1 bowler in PBA history during the PBA’s 50th anniversary season earlier in 2009.

The Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour Earl Anthony Memorial, and PBA Women’s Series Earl Anthony Memorial, will bring the best in men’s and women’s bowling to northern California. The finals of both events will air live on ESPN at 1 p.m. Eastern (10 a.m. Pacific) on Sunday, Jan. 17.

“Susie Anthony (Earl’s widow) is thrilled to have the tournament return to the center that bears Earl’s name,” said Ted Hoffman, managing partner of Earl Anthony’s Dublin Bowl. “We’ve hosted a PBA West Regional tournament bearing Earl’s name for years, but it’s really nice to have the national tour coming back. We’re all excited. Our staff is pumped.”

The tournament will include pro-am squads on Saturday, Jan. 16, where are men, women, senior and youth league bowlers will have a chance to bowl with the stars of the PBA Tour.

Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, will seek his third consecutive Earl Anthony Memorial men’s title. He defeated Rhino Page of Dade City, Fla., 255-193, to win the 2008 Anthony title and he won the 2009 title by defeating Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, S.C., 239-201, for the title. Both events where held at Lava Lanes in Medford, Ore. Malott went on to win PBA Player of the Year honors for 2008-09.

Wendy Macpherson of Henderson, Nev. – who launched her Hall of Fame career as a youth bowler growing up in nearby Walnut Creek, Calif. – will defend the Women’s Earl Anthony Memorial title she won last January, rallying in the final frames to upset Stefanie Nation of Arlington, Texas, 199-184. The Anthony Memorial will be the final PBA Women’s Series presented by BOWL.COM singles event of the 2009-10 season.

Competition will get underway on Tuesday, Jan. 12, with men’s and women’s Tour Qualifying Rounds. Non-exempt bowlers will bowl seven games to try to qualify for the 64-player Exempt Tour and 20-woman PBA Women’s Series fields.

Also in the Exempt Tour field will be PBA Hall of Famer Wayne Webb of Sacramento, and former PBA Exempt Tour competitor Tony Reyes of San Bruno, who were granted Commissioner’s Exemptions to bowl in the Anthony Memorial.

Mike Shady of Ripon, Wis., was the winner of the last PBA Tour stop at Dublin Bowl, but he is no longer active on the national tour. Prior to 1992, Dublin Bowl hosted nine other PBA Tour events.


PBA EARL ANTHONY MEMORIAL SCHEDULE

Earl Anthony’s Dublin Bowl, Dublin, Calif., Jan. 12-17 (all times Pacific)

TUESDAY, JAN, 12
8 a.m. – Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour and PBA Women's Series presented by BOWL.COM Tour Qualifying Round (7 games)

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 13
10 a.m. – PBA Tour Round of 64 Round, (7 qualifying games)
5 p.m. – PBA Women’s Series Round of 20 (7 qualifying games)


THURSDAY, JAN. 14
10 a.m. – PBA Women’s Series Round of 20 (7 qualifying games)
5 p.m. – PBA Tour Round of 64 (7 qualifying games)

Cut to top 28 PBA Tour players; top four qualifiers earn byes into the Round of 16

Cut to the top 8 Women’s Series players

FRIDAY, JAN. 15
9 a.m. – PBA Tour Round of 28 (best of seven games)
2 p.m. – PBA Women’s Series Round of 8 (best of seven games)

2 p.m. – PBA Tour Round of 16 (best of seven games)
7 p.m. – PBA Women’s Series Round of 4 (best of seven games; two winners advance to Sunday’s ESPN TV finals)

7 p.m. – PBA Tour Round of 8 (best of seven games; four winners advance to Sunday’s ESPN TV finals)


SATURDAY, JAN. 16
Pro-Am Events and PBA Fan Day
9 a.m. - Youth Pro-am
11:15 a.m. - Senior Pro-am
1:30, 4:30 6:45 and 9 p.m. – Adult Pro-Am squads


SUNDAY, JAN. 17
10 a.m. - Live ESPN television finals