Dave Alley
SANTA MARIA, Calif. – Professional bowling returns to Rancho Bowl in Santa Maria this weekend.
The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) is back at the longtime Santa Maria business and is all set to hold the PBA Santa Maria Open for the next three days.
The tournament is a PBA West Regional Tour event and will feature more than 120 competitors from around the United States, mostly from California, but also some from neighboring states.
Last year, Rancho Bowl welcomed back the PBA for the first time since 2004. The reaction was so positive, the tournament is back for a second straight year.
“We were able to bring it back and decided that it was such a success that we wanted to have it again,” said tournament organizer Debbie Meneley. “It’s exciting, you know, especially if they bowl like 300. You know, it’s just so exciting to see that and at the level that they’re at, uou know it’s just, top notch, top notch. These guys average, you know, 230, 240. 250, so they really are at a high level level of bowling.”
Players will range in age for both men and women and will include some of the top bowlers in the nation who will compete in three different divisions, Open Division, Women’s Division and Seniors over 50 Division.
The tournament begins Friday night with a Pro-Am competition and then the action heats up on Saturday morning with qualifying rounds and will run for several hours throughout the rest of the day.
On Sunday, qualifying rounds will continue and will culminate with the finals where bowlers will be competing for cash prizes.
“It’s just such a great event,” said Meneley. “It brings people together. Everybody knows each other and it helps promote the sport of bowling and bring it back to what it was years ago.”
Spectators are encouraged to come and attend the tournament, especially on Friday for a chance to meet and interact with the bowlers.
For more information about the PBA Santa Maria Open, click here to visit the official tournament webpage on the PBA website.
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