The 2018 JBT Desert Open Marathon

champs Hunter Mayes & AJ Imperial with Harley Sweigart, Yael Salama, Brianna Salazar

        Hunter Mayes and AJ Imperial wrapped up the 22nd season of JBT action with exciting wins at the Desert Open, hosted by Glenfair Lanes in Glendale.

        After fifteen games of qualifying on three very challenging patterns, bowlers advanced to best 3-of-f matchplay until single-game semifinals and finals.  In the scratch division, 'chalk' held until those matches, and then chalk went right out the window, as #4 Harley Sweigart upset top seed Cortez Schenck 246-177, and #3 Hunter Mayes took out newly minted Team USA member #2 Adel Wahner 258-184 to set up the title match.

        Sweigart became JBT's all-time winningest lefty during his excellent season, while fellow portsider Mayes was making his first career top-5 JBT finish, let alone a trip to the title game.  Despite those stacked odds, Mayes bowled with the poise with a veteran, while Harley tried every trick he had but just couldn't get the right look on the title pair.   Hunter won the finale 224-178 for his first career title, $500 in earnings, the incredible glass cactus, not to mention free brackets and raffle tickets all next season- wow!

        The top two seeds in the handicap division also did well in matchplay, as newcomer and #1 Brianna Salazar and recently crowned TPC champ #2 Yael Salama each reached the semifinals.  Their fates diverged there though, as #5 Imperial upset Salazar 237-216, while Salama stopped William Robbins 208-191 to set up the finale.

        Yael's chances at a second straight major looked fleeting until a spare-spare 8th and 9th forced AJ to continue to mark to stay ahead.  He was up to the task, throwing a clutch tenth frame double that forced Salama to do the same.  Yael didn't get the first strike, and a relieved Imperial claimed his first career JBT title, the cactus, and all the goodies that come with it.

        Big thanks to Glenfair for hosting our event, and everyone for coming out and challenging themselves at one of our toughest events of the year.   Season 23 gets underway in just a few weeks- keep spreading the word to all ages and averages!

Qualifying scores:

to be held

Saturday & Sunday August 11-12, 2018

at

Glenfair Lanes 6110 N. 59^th Ave, Glendale AZ, (623) 937-9225

All bowlers roll 15 games each on 3 different lane conditions!

Top 16 advance to single elimination matchplay!**

Per block and overall prizes- bonuses for the champs can translate into THOUSANDS:

FORMAT:  (TWO divisions, scratch and handicap)

Friday August 10:

-           Noon-9 PM:      tournament patterns available for practice (call for specific times & mention Desert Open for discounted rate)

Saturday August 11:

-          10 AM:              5 games, pattern 1

-          2 PM:               5 games, pattern 2  

Sunday August 12:

-          9 AM:               5 games, pattern 3

the top 16  fifteen-game totals advance to matchplay**

-          1 PM:               round of 16, best 3-of-5 matchplay,   highest scratch seed chooses pattern!

-          3:30 PM:           round of 8, best 3-of-5 matchplay    (starting times approx. following round completion)

-          5 PM:               rounds of 4 & 2, single game matches

**23+ entries cuts to 16; 16-22 entries cuts to 12; less than 16 entries cuts to 8

ENTRY FEE:  $100 (includes all scholarships except brackets, available on-site.)       $500 first place guaranteed (plus below)!

PRIZE FUNDS: (based 36 entries- 1:6 earn awards)

Every 5-game block:                                         final standings:                                    CHAMP ALSO RECEIVES:

1^st-      $50                                                        1^st-          $500                                       - exemption in day 2 of 2019 TPC

                                                                        2^nd-         $250                                       - the famous glass cactus trophy!

                                                                        3^rd-4^th-    $150                                        - 5 brackets AND 25 raffle tix

                                                                        5^th-6th     $100                                       at EVERY 18-19 JBT event!

- High overall female (if no other prize won): $100                                                                             

This is AWESOME!!!  To enter, visit www.bowljbt.com, or contact us at director@bowljbt.com.

  Don’t miss this!