PBA HUBBARD OPEN at a glance

Details

What: Professional bowling tournament, officially titled “PBA Trumbull County Tourism Bureau Central/East Open presented by Radical.”

Where: Bell-Wick Bowl, Hubbard.

When: Today, Saturday, Sunday.

Roster: This is the sixth consecutive year for the regional tour event, which had 110 entries through Thursday afternoon. The field’s maximum is 128. At least a half-dozen national touring pros are entered, including Ryan Ciminelli, Eugene McCune, Ryan Shafer, E.J. Tackett, Greg Ostrander, Dave Wodka and John Szczerbinski. Ciminelli and McCune are past Hubbard Open champions, while the 2015 winner, Kelly Jordon, is also returning. While the tournament’s PBA Regional Tour’s Cheetah pattern is McCune’s favorite, Ciminelli may have the hot hand after winning the PBA Tour’s U.S. Open in Garland, Texas in November. It was Ciminelli’s fourth PBA Tour (standard) title and first major championship. Also in 2015, Ciminelli won the WSOB Viper Championship for his third win of the season and fifth (standard and majors) of his career. In a close vote, Ciminelli was edged out by Jason Belmonte for PBA Player of the Year. The 30-year-old Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, N.Y., won the inaugural Hubbard Open title in 2011. In addition to McCune’s 2014 Hubbard Open crown, he was runnerup to Jordon in 2015.

Co-hosts: Jim Bryant and Bell-Wick proprietor Francis Zitnik.

Entry Fee

Members: $220

Non-Members: $285.

Prize Fund

1st Place is projected to pay $2,500

16th Place is projected to pay $600

Final cash spot is guaranteed to pay a minimum of $400.

Format

Today

Practice Session: 1-3 p.m.

Orientation meeting: 3 p.m. (Mandatory for all first-time participants)

High-School Clinic: 5:30 p.m.

Pro-am: 8 p.m.

Saturday, March 19

A Squad: 9 a.m. – (eight games)

B Squad: 3 p.m. – (eight games)

Top 16 players advance (based on 60 entries or more).

Sunday

Round Robin Match Play: 10 a.m. – (12 games)

Top five players advance to a stepladder roll-off.

Finals format will be adjusted accordingly with less than 60 entries.

—John Bassetti, The Vinicator