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Five things to watch as the PBA Tournament of Champions comes home to Rivera Lanes

michael leonard, akron beacon journal
·2 min read
Shawn Maldonado makes a throw down the lane during his match against Sean Rash at the 2022 Kia PBA Tournament of Champions at AMF Riviera Lanes in Fairlawn.
Shawn Maldonado makes a throw down the lane during his match against Sean Rash at the 2022 Kia PBA Tournament of Champions at AMF Riviera Lanes in Fairlawn.

The sign above the entrance to AMF Riviera Lanes says it all: "Through these doors pass the world's greatest bowlers."

The world's greatest return to Greater Akron this week as Riviera hosts the PBA Tournament of Champions through Sunday.

Here are some things to know about the bowling in Fairlawn:

Kris Prather makes a roll in the championship match of the 2022 Kia PBA Tournament of Champions.
Kris Prather makes a roll in the championship match of the 2022 Kia PBA Tournament of Champions.

Riviera Lanes hosts a week-long feast of professional bowling

While the tournament's biggest attraction will be the televised finals on Sunday, Riviera will be rolling all week. Individual qualifying starts Tuesday, followed by match play on Wednesday and Thursday leading into the finals.

For ticket information, contact Riviera Lanes at 330-836-7985. Tickets for Sunday's finals begin at $5.

Dom Barrett makes a roll during the championship match against Kris Prather during the 2022 Kia PBA Tournament of Champions.
Dom Barrett makes a roll during the championship match against Kris Prather during the 2022 Kia PBA Tournament of Champions.

Team bowling at PBA events? It's true

For those more familiar with high school bowling and team competitions, the PBA has joined the team-based party.

The PBA Elite League brings together professionals in Baker game-style competition. The league will play its final 2024 regular-season rounds Monday and Saturday, with the latter round televised live on FS1 at 4 p.m.

Saturday's round will feature the Akron Atom Splitters, led by Ohio native Chris Via and 2021 Tournament of Champions winner François Lavoie.

Tommy Jones makes a roll down the lane during the Kia PBA Tournament of Champions at AMF Riviera Lanes on Sunday.
Tommy Jones makes a roll down the lane during the Kia PBA Tournament of Champions at AMF Riviera Lanes on Sunday.

The PBA's home major returns to the place it all started

The Tournament of Champions is one of five PBA major tournaments and the only PBA event that is invitation-only. The field will include 72 top pro bowlers.

The Tournament of Champions was founded in 1965 and took place at Riviera Lanes through 1994, being the closest to the PBA's headquarters in Akron at the time. The event returned to Fairlawn in 2018 and has bowled there since.

Dom Barrett holds up the championship trophy after winning the 2022 Kia PBA Tournament of Champions.
Dom Barrett holds up the championship trophy after winning the 2022 Kia PBA Tournament of Champions.

Returning PBA champions seek more hardware

Who's the favorite? One can't look past defending champion Jason Belmonte.

The Australian won his lone PBA tour event at last year's Tournament of Champions, besting PBA bowler of the year E.J. Tackett 246-179 in the title match. Belmonte seeks his fifth Tournament of Champions title and 16th major title, both of which would be PBA records.

Belmonte is part of a growing international contingent on the PBA. In fact, the last three champions in Fairlawn have been foreign-born with England's Dom Barrett winning in 2022 and Canada's Lavoie winning in 2021.

Sean Rash makes a roll down the lane during his match against Shawn Maldonado in the Kia PBA Tournament of Champions at AMF Riviera Lanes on Sunday.
Sean Rash makes a roll down the lane during his match against Shawn Maldonado in the Kia PBA Tournament of Champions at AMF Riviera Lanes on Sunday.

The bright lights come out for the Sunday finals

The four-match ladder finals will begin at 1 p.m. Sunday and will be televised on Fox with the top five qualifiers bowling.

Seed No. 5 will take on No. 4 to start, with the winner taking on the higher seed until the champion is crowned. Last year, Belmonte won all four ladder matches to take the crown.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Five things to note as PBA Tournament of Champions comes to Fairlawn