SEATTLE, WA -- The Professional Bowlers Association announced today the addition of a new “major” for their regional program. The 2002 PBA Regional Players Championship will take place June 9 - 13 at Gold Coast Hotel, Casino and Bowling Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The winner of the tournament will receive $15,000 and exemption onto the 2002-2003 PBA National Tour. All participants will receive double point values for their finish.

Formerly known as the Regional Players Classic, the tournament will now exclude PBA members who regularly bowl on the National or Senior Tours to enter. This includes any PBA member who finished in the top 64 on the point list and money list during the 2001 - 2002 season or bowled in more than 50% of National Tour stops between September and March (2001-2002). Senior PBA members that have finished in the top 64 on the point list and money list or who bowled in 50% of the Senior tournaments during the 2001 season will also not be eligible.

“We wanted to give the regional players a true major championship that was exclusive to them,” said Mark Bisbing, PBA Vice President of Tournament Operations. “The National and Senior Tours have their majors and the NRPC is exclusive to the top eight players in each region, so this tournament really gives the players, who don’t have a chance to participate in those others, a marquee event to bowl in.”

The tournament format will be similar to the National Tour with all players bowling 16 games of qualifying over two days before cutting to the top 128. Those 128 will roll another eight games on day three with the top 64 advancing to an elimination bracket for best-of-three matches. The tournament will conclude with the championship round featuring two semi-final matches and the championship match.