Times-News Open banks on bigger being better as large number of bowlers set to qualify
It's a big tournament at a big house with a big number of bowlers.
In fact, everything will be big this year, including the number of fans and likely the scores, when the prestigious Times-News Open bowling tournament gets underway on Saturday and Sunday at Eastway Lanes.
With the first two rounds of the 61st annual tournament taking place at Eastway, Erie’s largest bowling center, it allows for a format of 13 pair with seven in a pair over 26 lanes, which enables up to 182 bowlers to compete this year rather than the usual 160 at smaller venues. The increase in participants also enables 40 bowlers to reach the semifinals rather than the traditional 32.
“It’s always good to have a big group, which brings a lot of enthusiasm from a lot of people,” said director Dave Hewett, in his 42nd year of coordinating the talent-laden tournament that is designed to determine the best of the area’s bowling best. “We enjoy it when there’s a lot of people, and watch them proceed to the end and see who ends up on top."
As usual, the tournament consists of a grueling 32 games over five days. Action includes this weekend’s 10-game qualifier at Eastway, the 40-bowler, six-game semifinals on Jan. 13 at Greengarden Lanes, and the 16-bowler, 16-game match-play finals on Jan. 20 and 21 at Eastland Bowl and Rolling Meadow Lanes, respectively.
No championship defense
Not participating this year due to other responsibilities are seven-time champion Mike Shady, winner of last year’s tournament, and Lee Eighmy Jr., who has won the tournament a record eight times.
“I have commitments out of town that first weekend, so unfortunately I’m going to have to miss it,” said Shady, who came from behind last year to finish 13 pins ahead of five-time champion Mike Machuga, 4,025-4,012, in one of the most exciting finishes in the tournament’s history.
“It’s unfortunate, I was looking forward to trying to defend, which is extremely hard, but would have been fun trying,” said Shady, a USBC hall of famer and Team USA coach.
Experienced field for tournament
Of the entrants, all but 27 are veterans of past T-N Opens, while nine women will be competing in this year’s tournament. Included among the women are 2023 finalist Heather Lyon, the second woman to ever reach the finals, and 15-year-old two-handed phenom Taylor Kretz, who has achieved extensive success on a national level and is a star on the McDowell bowling team.
“Having reached the finals last year was a great accomplishment for me, but it adds extra pressure this year,” Lyon, 35, said. “I’ve been talking to Mike Shady to get my head into it a little better, so I’ve got to focus hard if I hope to do what I did last year. But regardless, it’s always fun competing and bowling with my friends, and something I look forward to.”
Any of a number of entrants are figured to have a shot at the title, but with Shady and Eighmy not participating this year, Machuga and 21-year-old two-handed power bowler Killian Kilpatrick are expected to be favorites.
“If you’re going to bet, Mike would certainly be a good bet, particularly if the lanes are challenging in the finals,” Shady said. “But Killian (three-time runner-up) has had success in the tournament and would also be a good bet. But there are other good players in Erie who could surprise.”
Top bowlers to watch
Machuga’s run of four consecutive T-N Open championships came to an end when Shady beat him last year. Machuga then went on to team with Eric Burger to win the 9th Annual Times-News Open Doubles tournament on Dec. 3, beating runner-ups Tyler Barnes and Matt Hinterberger.
Kilpatrick, a lefty, said that he hopes his experience in PBA tournaments has left him more strongly positioned to win the TN-Open, something he wants badly.
“I had to miss last year due to bowling in the U.S. Open, but I decided to take time off from the PBA events and give the Times another go, and try to win it,” said Kilpatrick, 21, who finished second to Machuga in 2020, ’21 and ’22, losing by just nine pins, 4,303-4,294, in 2021. “My game has been better than ever lately, and the PBA tournaments have helped me sharpen up my game, and hopefully I’ll fare better in the Times-News this time.”
Other bowlers to watch are 2018 champion T.J. Mitchell, and 2023 top-10 finishers Rodrick Baird (5th), Lou LaFuria (6th), Dave Fetzner (7th) and Tom Lytle (8th).
Other upper tier bowlers not participating this year are Hayden Stippich, Cory Bithell, Tom Petroff, Danny Mackowski Jr., Ryan Lariccia and Josh Dodson.
A tribute to longtime Times-News participant Buddy Malone, who died on Dec. 24 at age 96, will take place on the tournament’s opening day. Malone participated in a record 51 consecutive T-N Opens, and is an inductee in the Pennsylvania USBC Hall of Fame, Erie District Bowling Association Hall of Fame, the Metro Erie Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, and the National Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame.
If you go
What: 61st annual Times-News Open
Qualifier: Saturday and Sunday, Eastway Lanes 9 a.m., 1 p.m. each day. (Saturday: Squad A at 9 a.m., Squad B at 1 p.m.; Sunday: Squad B at 9 a.m., Squad A at 1 p.m.)
Semifinals: Saturday, Jan. 13, Greengarden Lanes, 1 p.m.
Finals: Saturday, Jan. 20, Eastland Bowl, noon; Sunday, Jan. 21, Rolling Meadow Lanes, noon.
Entrants: 182 maximum (13 pair with 7 in a pair, 26 lanes).
Format: qualifying round: 10 games (5 Saturday, 5 Sunday), top 40 advance to semifinals; semifinal round: 6 games, top 16 advance to finals; finals: 16 games total, consisting of 8 head-to-head matches on Jan. 20 and 7 head-to-head matches plus one positional round on Jan. 21. Total of 32 games.
Prize: $1,500 first place, based on 182 entrants; all bowlers reaching semifinal round will cash, with various special prizes according to positioning; prize ratio approximately 1 in 5.
Sanctioned: USBC.
Former champions entered: Mike Machuga (1997, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022); Ross Caruana Jr. (1985); T.J. Mitchell (2018); Ken Berlin Jr. (1987).
2023 champion: Mike Shady (4,025).
2023 qualifying champion: Mike Machuga (3,672).
Tournament staff: director, Dave Hewett (42nd year); assistant director, Tim Nick; treasurer, Dale Uplinger; computer operations, Brett Rearick; committee, Elaine Hewett, Bob Montgomery, Mike Duke, Keith Reed, Jason Rose
2023 Times-News Open Doubles tournament: Dec. 3 at Eastway Lanes — champions, Eric Burger/Mike Machuga; runner-ups, Tyler Barnes/Matt Hinterberger.
Information: tnopen.org, or on Facebook under “Times-News Open”
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: 61st annual Times-News Open: Large number of bowlers ready to roll
