PBA Tour Finals Returns in 2019 With CBS Sports Network

Live Coverage July 20-21 From Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas
2019 will be first of four-year agreement with CBS Sports Network

 

CHICAGO (Dec. 26, 2018) - Professional Bowlers Association CEO and Commissioner Tom Clark has announced a new four-year agreement with the CBS Sports Network to air the PBA Tour Finals beginning in 2019.

In another Go Bowling! PBA Tour first, the CBS Sports Network will provide an unprecedented 10 hours of live coverage of the showcase event from the Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa in Las Vegas July 20-21, 2019.

The 2019 edition of the PBA Tour Finals will feature the top eight players in points from the 2018 and 2019 season through the USBC Masters in April. 

 

In the previous two PBA Tour Finals, won by EJ Tackett in 2017 in Orlando and Jason Belmonte in 2018 in Detroit, the top eight money earners were awarded with a PBA Tour Finals berth, however, that eligibility requirement will switch to the top eight in points beginning with 2019.

 

The 2019 PBA Tour Finals will incorporate the same format as 2018 with the eight-player field divided into two four-player groups. The field will bowl four games of qualifying in their respective groups on a different oil pattern each game. The four game scratch totals for each player will be used to determine the seeding for a separate stepladder finals in each group. The final match of each group’s stepladder will be a best of three-game match with ties broken by a 9th and 10th frame roll off. The two group winners will then meet in another best-of-three game championship match that will also use a 9th and 10th frame roll-off should there be a tie after two games.

 

The PBA Tour Finals is also a unique opportunity for bowling fans to make a trip to Red Rock to witness eight of PBA’s elite players do battle at one of Las Vegas’ premier resorts.

 

A detailed tournament schedule with ticket information and lane conditions will be announced at a later date.

 

CURRENT 2018 GO BOWLING! PBA TOUR POINT LIST      

(Top 25 as of Dec. 26, 2018)     

1. Andrew Anderson, 24,195     

2. Anthony Simonsen, 20,909    

3. EJ Tackett, 19,842    

4. Kristopher Prather, 18,546     

5. Stuart Williams, 18,026         

6. Jason Belmonte, 17,469        

7. Marshall Kent, 16,867

8. Bill O'Neill, 15,737     

9. Jakob Butturff, 15,607           

10. Dom Barrett, 14,075

11. Tom Smallwood, 12,853      

12. Kyle Troup, 12,613

13. Sean Rash, 11,946  

14. Tom Daugherty, 10,617       

15. Matt O’Grady, 10,185          

16. Richie Teece, 9,831 

17. Wes Malott, 9,646

18. Darren Tang, 9,140 

19. Tommy Jones, 9,009           

20. Matt Sanders, 8,945

21. Francois Lavoie, 8,898         

22. Jason Sterner, 8,577           

23. Ronnie Russell, 8,570

24. Chris Barnes, 8,565

25. Ryan Ciminelli, 8,236

 

About PBA

Entering its 61st season in 2019, the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) is an organization of more than 3,000 of the best bowlers from 27 countries who compete in Go Bowling! PBA Tour, PBA International Tour, PBA50 Tour, and PBA, PBA50 and PBA-PWBA Women’s Regional events. In 2018, the PBA celebrated its 59th consecutive year of nationally-televised competition, reaching bowling fans around the world who follow PBA activities through the PBA Network which includes Xtra Frame on FloBowling, the PBA’s exclusive online bowling channel, FOX Sports, FS1 and CBS Sports Network, and the PBA on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. PBA sponsors include Barbasol, Brunswick, Ebonite International, FloBowling.com, GoBowling.com, MOTIV, 900 Global, PBA Bowling Challenge Mobile Game, Storm Products and the United States Bowling Congress, among others. Learn more at www.pba.com.