Elite Berth in PBA Tournament
of Champions at Stake
in Regional Players Invitational

Among the Professional Bowlers Association’s nearly 3,500 regional competitors, winning the Sands Regency PBA Regional Players Invitational ranks high on the wish list. But winning the 2010 edition at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., Dec. 14-16 also means an automatic berth in the “Elite” field for the 2011 PBA Tournament of Champions and a shot at a $250,000 prize.

The 42nd annual RPI will feature 84 of the country’s top regional players representing PBA’s East, South, Central, Southwest, Midwest, West and Northwest Regions who qualified for the event by finishing in the top 25 in points of their respective regions. The 2010 RPI also is open – for the first time – to PBA Senior players who finished in the top five in points in senior events within their regions, or who qualified in special senior regional qualifying events.

The PBA Regional Players Invitational – one of two major championships the PBA offers each year to its regional members – will offer a $6,000 first prize plus the “Elite” field berth for the Tournament of Champions at Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas Jan. 15-22.

In addition, all players will have an optional opportunity to compete for seven exemptions to bowl full-time on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour during the 2011-12 season. All results in the RPI will be based on total pinfall for 37 games of qualifying and match play.

Last year, Scott Norton of Costa Mesa, Calif., won the 41st RPI at the National Bowling Stadium, and he converted his opportunity to compete on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour into a berth in the stepladder finals of the Chameleon Championship which airs Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

The RPI will get started with a players’ reception hosted by the Sands Regency Hotel and Casino on Monday, Dec. 13. Following a practice session Tuesday morning, the entire field will bowl three seven-game qualifying rounds Tuesday and Wednesday. After 21 games, the top 16 will advance to bowl two eight-game round robin match play rounds on Thursday to determine the final standings.

Live coverage of the PBA Regional Players Invitational and the Tri-Regional Sands Regency Open leading into the RPI will be available on pba.com’s Xtra Frame video service. Bowling fans will be able to watch RPI and Tri-Regional coverage at no charge by taking advantage of Xtra Frame’s free trial subscription during the month of December.

Xtra Frame coverage of the Tri-Regional will include qualifying and semifinal rounds on Sunday, Dec. 12, at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Pacific, and the match play finals round at 9 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 13. RPI coverage will include qualifying rounds Tuesday, Dec. 14, at 1 p.m., and Wednesday at 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., followed by eight-game match play rounds Thursday at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

To experience the “new” Xtra Frame at no cost during December, go to https://www.xtraframe.tv/pba/secure/registerform and choose the “Friends and Family” option. In the promotion code area, enter PBAFAF. When the complimentary subscription period ends on Dec. 31, fans will automatically convert to subscribers at the $7.99 monthly subscription rate unless they “opt out.”

The inaugural RPI was won by hall of famer Tom Hennessey, a member of the fabled Budweiser’s of St. Louis team, in Cincinnati in 1969 and since has become a launching pad for a number national touring players. Past champions who are currently PBA Tour exempt players include Mike Scroggins of Amarillo, Texas (1999); Ritchie Allen, Columbia, S.C. (2004), and John Nolen, Waterford, Mich. (2008).

In addition to Norton, the other 2009 RPI qualifiers who earned 2010-11 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour exemptions are: Bobby Hall II, Landover, Md.; Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y.; Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis.; Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore.; Dave Beres, Greenfield, Wis., and Jeff Zaffino Warren, Pa.

2010 PBA REGIONAL PLAYERS INVITATIONAL
Presented by the Sands Regency Casino Hotel
National Bowling Stadium, Reno, Nev., Dec. 14-16

Monday, Dec. 13
7 p.m. - Player’s reception, Sands Regency Casino Hotel

Tuesday, Dec. 14
8:30 a.m. – Practice session
1 p.m. – Round 1, 7 qualifying games, all players

Wednesday, Dec. 15
9 a.m. - Round 2, 7 qualifying games, all players
3:30 p.m. - Round 3, 7 qualifying games, all players
Field cut to top 16 bowlers after 21 games

Thursday, Dec. 16
9 a.m. – Round 4, 8 games round robin match play
2 p.m. – Round 5, 8 games round robin match play

2010 PBA Regional Players Invitational Entry List
(As of Dec. 9)
Adam Ahmad, Shoreline, Wash.
Bob Aleksinski, Hillsboro, Ore.
Don Allen, Vancouver, Wash.
David Anthony, Austin, Texas
Chris Arcaro, Wilmington, N.C.
Thomas Ault Jr., Portalnd, Ore.
Stoney Baker, Canton, Ga.
Mitch Beasley, Puyallup, Wash.
Ricky Beck, Rapid City, SD
Steven Black, Phoenix
Darryl Bower, Middletown, Pa.
Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa.
Jay Boyle, Garnet Valley, Pa.
Jon Brandon, Santa Clarita, Calif.
John Brannock, Kettle Falls, Wash.
Mason Brantley, Detroit
Andrew Brown, Windsor, Calif.
Matt Burden, Anderson, S.C.
Carleton Chambers, Detroit
Brett Cooper, Euless, Texas
Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore.
Clint Dacy, Keller, Texas
John Deloney, Troy, Ill.
Rob Edwards, Vancouver, Wash.
Andre Eubanks, Los Angeles
Gary Faulkner, Norfolk, Va.
Kevin Foley, Reno, Nev.
Rick Francis, Linden, Calif.
Jeff Frankos, San Francisco
Wayne Garber, Modesto, Calif.
Kurt Gengelbach, Carrollton, Texas
Paul Gibson, Brunswick, Ohio
Joe Goldstein Jr., San Bruno, Calif.
Joe Goldstein Sr, Hayward, Calif.
Tommy Gollick, Oberlin, Pa.
Henry Gonzalez, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Rick Graham, Lancaster, Pa.
Barry Gurney, West Hills, Calif.
Stephen Haas, Enola, Pa.
P.J. Haggerty, Clovis, Calif.
Mike Hastings, Georgetown, Del.
Sean Heath, Spokane, Wash.
Kevin Henderson, Albany, Ore.
Marc Heninger, Tonganoxie, Kan.
Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa
Chris Hibbitts II, Fort Worth, Texas
Chris Hillman, Pleasanton, Calif.
Corey Husted, Milwaukie, Ore.
J.T. Jackson, Valley Village, Calif.
Tyler Jensen, Fort Worth, Tex.
Tony Johnson, Canton, Ohio
Riga Kalfas, Florence, Ky.
Nick Kokenos, St. Clair Shores, Mich.
Ben Laughlin, Phoenix
Brian LeClair, Athens, N.Y.
Robert McBride, Mesquite, Texas
Andrew Mortensen, Tulsa, Okla.
Scott Newell, Deland, Fla.
Billy Oatman, Chicago
Darryl Okamoto, Honolulu, Hawaii
Kerry Painter, Henderson, Nev.
Andy Patterson, Tyler, Texas
Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif.
James Roberts, Richmond, Va.
Walter Schaub II, Schaumburg, Ill.
John Slavich IV, Schaumburg, Ill.
Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore.
P.J. Sonday, Avoca, Pa.
Tom Sorce, Richmond, Va.
Jason Sterner, Jonesboro, Ga.
Harry Sullins, Chesterfield, Twp., Mich.
Jason Tehee, Fresno, Calif.
Gregory Thompson Jr, Dayton, Ohio
Brian Thompson, Flat Rock, Mich.
Chuck Tillson, Rohnert Park, Calif.
Jim Tomek Jr., Camp Hill, Pa.
David Traber, Hebron, Ill.
Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C.
Noel Vazquez, Sacramento, Calif.
Blaine Weninger, Grapevine, Texas
Dave Wodka, Fontana, Calif.
Jason Wojnar, Chicago
Ivan Yee, San Francisco
Michael Zicha, Streamwood, Ill.