The PBA Regional Tour begin on Feb. 10 in Las Vegas, where those belonging to the South Region will test their mettle against one another in the PBA Regional Doubles Championship.
Various tournaments for each region will occur in the coming weeks throughout the United States, and end with a Southwest Region tournament, which will begin on April 6 in Houston, Texas.
According to the PBA official site, the following individuals are in the lead for their respective regions:
M. Brantley leads the Central Region with 154,739 points; R. Graham leads the East Region with 168,233 points; B. Smith leads the Northwest Region with 194,929 points; J. Wojnar leads the Midwest Region with 180,597 points; S. Newell leads the South Region with 189,311 points; C. Hibbitts II leads the Southwest Region with 238,066 points; and B. Laughlin leads the West Region with 179,156 points.
It is never safe to make assumptions when dealing with a tournament full of so many variables and unknowns, but as of right now, my feeling is that C. Hibbitts II is clearly the dominant figure entering the Southwest tournament. His recent performance has been awe-inspiring to me and his points lead leaves little doubt that he is ready for the new season.
The regional tournaments are entertaining to watch in part because they bring together so many professional bowlers who use these events as preparation for the upcoming PBA Tour. However, for me, the most rewarding aspect is that those who do not bowl professionally can enter these tournaments and pit themselves against full-time professionals. In essence, they get to live their dream for that period of time, and those of us at home get to watch them do it.
Another benefit afforded those non-professional bowlers who choose to take part in a regional tournament is that they directly participate in a process by which the remainder of the year is laid out for PBA competitors. According to pba.com, the individuals who win the Regional Championship East and Regional Championship West are provided a spot at the Tour of Champions. It would no doubt feel amazing to count myself among those who challenged a professional and witnessed first hand his or her launch into the 2012 season.
Christopher Brown is an avid bowler who closely follows PBA events but has never competed on a serious level. Above all, he appreciates the mutual respect and friendliness that is found within the bowling community. Bowling has proven to be a rewarding pastime for Chris and his two sons who share an equally strong attraction to the sport.