PBA Tour to return to Columbus in 2008 after 18-year hiatus
Sequoia Pro Bowl will host its first-ever Denny's Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour event when the 2008 Don Johnson Buckeye State Classic comes to town Feb. 26-March 2, 2008.
The event is named after the late Don Johnson, who was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1977, finishing his career with 26 Denny's PBA Tour titles. The former Columbus resident was the PBA Player of the Year in 1971 and '72, but is best known for his 299 game in the 1970 PBA Tournament of Champions finals.
The Don Johnson Buckeye State Classic marks the first Denny's PBA Tour event in Columbus since the 1990 Columbus Professional Bowling Classic, and just the eighth time a Denny's PBA Tour event has taken place in Columbus in the Tour's 49-year history.
As a special gesture on behalf of the Johnson family - particularly PBA member Jimmy Johnson, son of the late Don Johnson - Sequoia Pro Bowl will donate $5 from every Pro-Am entry to Nationwide Children's Hospital to fight against pediatric diabetes. The center will also host a celebrity kick-off fundraiser Monday, Feb. 25, which will also benefit this charity.
Last season, the PBA's season-ending special event - the Motel 6 Roll to Riches - was held at Sequoia Pro Bowl where Doug Kent captured the winner-take-all $150,000 top prize. Soon after, Sequoia Pro Bowl was chosen to host a Denny's PBA Tour event during the 2007-08 season based on the success of the Roll to Riches.
The 2008 Don Johnson Buckeye State Classic begins Tuesday, Feb. 26 with the Denny's PBA Tour Qualifying Round from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. EST where PBA members and amateurs will attempt to earn a spot in the tournament. The top four PBA members and top amateur will advance to Thursday's Round of 64. Following the Qualifying Round, three official PBA Pro-Ams will take place at 2:30 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday features the official PBA exempt player practice session from 9-10:30 a.m. where fans can collect autographs and take photos with their favorite PBA players. Three additional Pro-Ams will take place following the practice session where fans can bowl alongside Denny's PBA Tour stars.
Thursday's Round of 64 features two seven-game qualifying blocks from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-10 p.m. with the top 32 advancing to Friday's Round of 32. Match play features best-of-seven games match play, with the first session of the Round of 32 getting underway at 9 a.m. and the second session taking place at 2 p.m. The Round of 16 gets underway at 7 p.m.
Friday's Round of 8 takes place from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. with the final four advancing to Sunday's live ESPN televised finals. A special fan day and two Pro-Ams take place following the Round of 8 at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. The final four will bowl for the $25,000 top prize Sunday, March 2 at 12:30 p.m.
Scheduled to compete in the event are six-time PBA Player of the Year and all-time Denny's PBA Tour titles leader Walter Ray Williams Jr., PBA Hall of Famer and 34-time titlist Pete Weber, 2006-07 PBA Player of the Year Doug Kent and 2005-06 PBA Player of the Year Tommy Jones.
Several Ohio residents will also be competing in the event including Avon's Chris Loschetter, Cincinnati native and four-time Denny's PBA Tour titlist Brian Himmler, Dayton resident Brian Kretzer and Toledo's Troy Wollenbecker, who is in his first season as an exempt bowler on the Denny's PBA Tour.
In This Issue
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- A Message From The Director
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