World Bowling Tour
Membership | PBA members and other bowlers who qualify according to WBT rules. |
|---|---|
| Website | http://www.worldtenpinbowling.com/activitiesandevents/worldtour.php |
The World Bowling Tour is the major professional tour that unite bowlers, both men and women, from selected major professional and amateur organizations through a series of events. It is organized by the World Bowling.[1]
The WBT Tour's marque event is the WTBA World Championships. Other events under the WBT include all the PBA Tour major tournaments, as well as other WTBA-sponsored tournaments held worldwide. The season-ending World Bowling Tour Finals feature the top three men, and top three women in the World Bowling Tour points rankings.[2]
Tour qualifications
To participate in the WBT, the bowler must already be a member of one of the member federations of the WTBA, as long as the bowler is in good standing with his parent organization. The member federations of the WTBA include:
- Professional Bowlers Association, which include the PBA Tour and PBA International;
- Thai Tenpin Bowling Association;
- Korea Professional Bowlers Association;
- Japan Professional Bowling Association;
- Ladies Bowling Organization.
The winner of a WBT tournament can also earn credit for a PBA Tour title, as long as the bowler registered for the tournament beforehand as a professional.[3]
International bowlers (in this context, bowlers who do not reside in the United States) who are in good standing with the WTBA can also join the PBA under its PBA International program. If a PBA International member wins a WBT tournament, he must upgrade to full membership of the PBA.[4]
Major tournaments
In order for a tournament to be qualified as a major, it must offer a minimum prize fund of US$200,000.[5] The tournaments that are considered majors by the WTBA, and are therefore recognized as majors by the WBT:
- International Bowling Championship supported by DHC (JBC)
- USBC Masters (USBC)
- United States Open (USBC)
- PBA World Championship (PBA Tour)
- PBA Tournament of Champions (PBA Tour)
- United States Women's Open (USBC)
- WTBA World Championships (WTBA)
Note that the USBC Queens is not recognized as a major by the WTBA.
WBT tournaments
Entry fee for a WBT tournament is US$5,000. Winners of WBT tournaments also qualify for the PBA Tournament of Champions.[6]
2013 Schedule
Tournaments in boldface type are considered majors by the WBT.
- PBA World Championship (November 7–12, 2012)
- Qatar Open (December 8–15, 2012)
- Brunswick Ballmaster Open (January 4–13, 2013)
- International Bowling Championship 2013 supported by DHC (January 15–19, 2013)
- USBC Masters (February 18–24, 2013)
- Kuwait Open (March 13–17, 2013)
- Brunswick Euro Challenge (March 19–24, 2013)
- United States Open (July 21–27, 2013)
- United States Women's Open (July 21–27, 2013)
- Both men's and women's U.S. Open events are being held together at the same venue.[7]
- WTBA World Championships (August 17–31, 2013)
- USBC Queens (August 31-September 4, 2013)
- 11th Indonesia International Open (September 16–22, 2013)
- 11th Columbia 300 Vienna Open (October 1–6, 2013)
- World Bowling Tour Thailand (October 13–20, 2013)
- Australian Masters (date TBD)
- World Bowling Tour Finals (place and date TBD)