2009 TOURING PLAYERS' CHAMPIONSHIP

champs Zack Hattori and Nick Wade

       Zack Hattori, Las Vegas NV, defended the most prestigious title the Junior Bowlers Tour offers, while Nick Wade capped off an amazing summer with an unprecedented trifecta, capturing titles in the 2009 JBT Touring Players Championship, hosted by Sunset Station's Strike Zone.

      128 of the JBT's elite from eight states bowled 10 qualifying games on two patterns, followed by a five-game matchplay quarterfinal on a third pattern, before the top ten in each division advanced to eight more matchplay games, on the fourth and toughest pattern.  In the scratch division, every one of those rounds belonged to Devin Bidwell, whose +198 qualifying total, +380 quarterfinal tally, and +535 semifinal total all were leading numbers.  However, close behind after all rounds was Hattori, who at just 15 years old won last season's TPC against bowlers up to age 22. 

    The battle for the third spot in the two-round finals came down to two bowlers, with Patrick Hickok, the '09 Pac NW Invite runner-up, edging out 31-time champ Kyle King for the spot.  In the faceoff between Hattori and Hickok, it was Zack with the hot hand, winning 231-172 to earn the chance to defend his title against Bidwell.  Hickok's third place finish led a charge from the Pac NW scratch bowlers, 5 of whom finished in the top 10, really showcasing the talent up in the northwest.

    Strikes were at a premium in the title match, with big money on the line on a very demanding condition.  A ninth-frame open by Hattori gave Devin the opportunity to mark in the tenth for the win, but on the lane he was more comfortable on, left a 2-8-10, which turned the tables and gave Zack the chance to mark to win.  Hattori came through with the spare, and the 183-179 win was good for his 7th title, a $2,000 scholarship payday, and the honor of defending the championship against the very best the JBT has to offer.

    The handicap division followed a similar pattern, with two bowlers leading the field all event long.  Zane Hays, the Pac NW invite champ, and Nick Wade, the AZ Invite champ (who followed it up with the T of C win), dominated the event all weekend, with Hays managing to stay in the lead.  Lacey Shelton needed a win in game 23 of matchplay to lock up the final spot, and she got it, moving on to the finals to face Wade in the first round.  That match went all Wade's way, as he advanced with a 225-177 win to set up the finale.

    In the title match, Wade maintained the momentum he had built from his double-major win last month, and cruised to a 227-195 win and his third JBT title.  Nick, who has practiced every day since the month before the Invite, has now earned over $3,500 in scholarships in the past month with the JBT- wow!  In all, over $20,000 was awarded at the TPC to bowlers of all ages and averages.  Thanks to Dick Peters, Jim Welch, and the whole crew at Strike Zone for another great job hosting this great event.  Want in on all this fun and excitement?  Come on down to the 14th season of JBT action starting this August, it's as simple as that!

TPC scholarship earnings