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Update: Entries lagging for new Las Vegas Classic Feb. 3-7 at South Point Bowling Plaza, but why?

JEFF RICHGELS | Posted: Friday, January 31, 2020 10:00 am
Update: Entries lagging for new Las Vegas Classic Feb. 3-7 at South Point Bowling Plaza, but why?

Note: This story originally posted on Sept. 16, 2019.


Update: Jan. 31, 2020: Las Vegas Classic tournament director Ron Mohr sent out an email stating:
"There’s no hiding the fact we’re somewhat disappointed with the 2020 Las Vegas Classic entries to date. Having said that, the LVC staff and sponsors South Point Hotel and Casino, 900 Global, Logo Infusion, and Steve Cook’s Bowling Supply are committed to the event with over $9,000 added in cash and awards. We understand sometimes it’s necessary to 'take your lumps' to get something great started, and we’re OK with that. Below are proposed prize lists with 25 and 50 entries; we expect the total number of entries to fall somewhere in between."

 

2020 Las Vegas Classic - 25 Entries - $25,650 In Prizes

 
 

35' Challenge

Pays 8 Regular and 1 Senior

 

39' Challenge

Pays 8 Regular and 1 Senior

7 Regular and 1 Senior in Finals

 

43' Challenge

Pays 8 Regular and 1 Senior

7 Regular and 1 Senior in Finals

 

Championship

Pays 8 Regular and 1 Senior

No Seniors Guaranteed Finals

 

Place

Prize

 

Place

Prize

 

Place

Prize

 

Place

Prize

 

1

1,000.00

 

1

1,000.00

 

1

1,000.00

 

1

1,750.00

 

2

850.00

 

2

850.00

 

2

850.00

 

2

1,250.00

 

3

700.00

 

3

675.00

 

3

700.00

 

3

1,000.00

 

4

600.00

 

4

675.00

 

4

600.00

 

4

1,000.00

 

5

550.00

 

5

475.00

 

5

550.00

 

5

825.00

 

6

500.00

 

6

475.00

 

6

500.00

 

6

825.00

 

7

475.00

 

7

475.00

 

7

475.00

 

7

825.00

 

8

450.00

 

8

475.00

 

8

450.00

 

8

825.00

 

9

425.00

 

9

450.00

 

9

425.00

 

9

700.00

 
 

5,550.00

   

5,550.00

   

5,550.00

   

9,000.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
                               

2020 Las Vegas Classic - 50 Entries - $43,295 In Prizes

 
 

35' Challenge

Pays 15 Regular and 2 Seniors

 

39' Challenge

Pays 15 Regular and 2 Seniors

15 Regular and 1 Senior in Finals

 

43' Challenge

Pays 15 Regular and 2 Seniors

15 Regular and 1 Senior in Finals

 

Championship

Pays 15 Regular and 2 Seniors

15 Regular and 1 Senior in Finals

 

Place

Prize

 

Place

Prize

 

Place

Prize

 

Place

 

Prize

 

1

1,500.00

 

1

1,500.00

 

1

1,500.00

 

1

2,000.00

 

2

1,100.00

 

2

1,000.00

 

2

1,100.00

 

2

1,250.00

 

3

850.00

 

3

700.00

 

3

800.00

 

3

1,000.00

 

4

700.00

 

4

700.00

 

4

750.00

 

4

1,000.00

 

5

650.00

 

5

550.00

 

5

700.00

   

800.00

 

6

600.00

 

6

550.00

 

6

600.00

 

6

800.00

 

7

550.00

 

7

550.00

 

7

550.00

 

7

800.00

 

8

500.00

 

8

550.00

 

8

500.00

 

8

800.00

 

9

450.00

 

9

425.00

 

9

450.00

 

9

650.00

 

10

425.00

 

10

425.00

 

10

425.00

 

10

650.00

 

11

400.00

 

11

425.00

 

11

400.00

 

11

650.00

 

12

375.00

 

12

425.00

 

12

375.00

 

12

650.00

 

13

350.00

 

13

425.00

 

13

350.00

 

13

650.00

 

14

325.00

 

14

425.00

 

14

340.00

 

14

650.00

 

15

325.00

 

15

425.00

 

15

330.00

 

15

650.00

 

16

300.00

 

16

425.00

 

16

325.00

 

16

650.00

 

17

300.00

 

Sr1

200.00

 

Sr1

250.00

 

Sr1

500.00

 
 

9,700.00

   

9,700.00

   

9,745.00

   

14,150.00

 
                             

 

 

I have bowled all but one year of the South Point Senior Shootout that the Las Vegas Classic is modeled on — only missing one year when I was covering the PBA World Series of Bowling — and I am astounded that the LVC is drawing so few entries: This World Series-like tournament has more than $9,000 in added money. 

And it's being held during the PBA Tournament of Champions so there's a guarantee that even with no entry restrictions, the very best bowlers in the world will not be competing at the LVC.

If I wasn't a has-been 2 1/2 years from being a super senior, I'd have entered, and now I almost wish I had. (It's too late to get off at work and get reasonable flights and ship balls and so on.)

The first SPSS in 2016 drew 124 players and then filled at 150 and 180 (minus late withdrawls) starting in 2017.

Hopefully the LVC will see big entry growth.

If not, perhaps Mohr should add a second SPSS instead.

Update: It's clear from reading the comments on this thread on my Facebook page off of this story that many in the LVC's logical target audience did not know about the tournament, and that Mohr and his crew needed to do a better job of marketing. For example, the tournament needed a Facebook page ... which it soon got here.


When you have a tournament as successful as the South Point Senior Shootout, it makes sense to consider what you might do with the concept.

For Ron Mohr and his crack crew, the answer is to develop a similar tournament for a different target audience.

Introducing the Las Vegas Classic presented by 900 Global, an SPSS-like event that will be held Monday, Feb. 3 through Friday, Feb. 7 at South Point Bowling Plaza in Las Vegas. (The SPSS, of course, is modeled on the PBA World Series of Bowling, the brilliant innovation of PBA Commissioner Tom Clark that now is a decade old.) 

The key difference is that the SPSS is for senior bowlers with 2 or fewer PBA Tour/PBA Senior Tour titles until age 63 when titles don’t matter, whereas the LVC is open to all USBC certified bowlers with no restrictions.

You might think that would mean a bunch of PBA stars showing up, but Feb. 3-7 is the week of the 2020 PBA Tournament of Champions, guaranteeing that all of the top PBA stars will be in Fairlawn, Ohio.

It’s also immediately following the TAT at the Orleans.

The entry fee of $800 covers three daily tournaments with different formats on patterns of 35 feet, 39 feet and 43 feet with separate prize funds, and the top 32 cumulatively from those tournament qualifying rounds will advance to the Las Vegas Classic 900 Global Championship, which will feature bracket match play and at least a $3,000 top prize. There also will be several sweepers, brackets, side pots and century doubles.

The three lanes patterns — the same ones used in the SPSS — are attached to the bottom of this story as PDFs. 

Each tournament will have a certain number of advancing spots set aside for seniors and/or additional senior checks, which is what the SPSS does for super seniors. There also will be a $500 prize to the senior with the best composite finishes in the four main tournaments.

The field is limited to 150 players, which is five per pair on one squad. (The SPSS increased to 180 using six on a pair for 2019.) Players can request who they cross with.

900 Global is the presenting sponsor supporting week-long live-streaming and other event-related activities, and Logo Infusion also is adding money to the prize fund of each major event. Mohr said.  

BowlstreamTV is webcasting the tournament here.

Full details are in the flyer attached to the bottom of this story as a PDF and the LVS website here.

Entries are open, either online via the website or printing out the form and mailing it in.