PBA Regional Players Championship-East

The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA)’s annual Regional Players Championship-East is set for Memorial Day weekend at Columbus Western Bowl in Columbus, Ohio, where the winner will earn an “Elite” berth in the 2013 PBA Tournament of Champions.

The Regional Players Championship-East, which is open to all PBA members except for those who finished among the top 32 in competition points during the 2011-12 PBA Tour season, will also pay a $6,000 first prize based upon a capacity field of 200 players.

Scott Newell of Deland, FL, who went on to win his first PBA Tour title in the Xtra Frame Tour Ricart Ford Open in Columbus during the 2011-12 season, is the defending RPC-East champion.

Following Friday, May 25, practice and pro-am events, the RPC-East gets underway with an eight-game qualifying round Saturday. The top one-third of the field will advance to a four-game cashers’ round Sunday morning, with the top 32 (based on 170 entries) moving on. Additional two-game elimination rounds will follow at 11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m. with the field being trimmed in half after each round.

At 2 p.m., the four surviving players will bowl one more game, with total pinfall for 19 games deciding the champion.

The entry fee will be $295. One in three entries will cash with last-to-cash guaranteed to pay a minimum of $600. For additional entry and prize fund information, visit pba.com and click on the “Regional Players Championship” in the Regional Tours section under the Schedules tab.