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The BTM Tournament – 2016

The BTM Tournament is back for its 14th consecutive year! This year’s event is being held at Coconut Bowl in Sparks, located just a few miles east of downtown Reno. Get your game tuned-up for the 2016 USBC Open Championships by competing in the always challenging conditions of The BTM Tournament!

For final unofficial standings, please click here (updated on 7/21/2016).

Multiple singles and doubles divisions

With a total estimated prize fund of $135,000*, The BTM Tournament has something for everyone. The 2016 event offers seven divisions of singles and doubles play (estimated first prizes shown):

  • Open Singles ($5,000*)
  • Open Doubles ($4,000*)
  • Senior Singles ($3,000*)
  • Senior Doubles ($1,500*)
  • Super Senior Singles ($1,000*)
  • Ladies Singles (new for 2016!)
  • 199 and Under Singles (new for 2016!)

*NOTE: Prize estimates are based on entries.

Battle of the Brands!

The “Battle of the Brands” is a new feature of The BTM this year as a fun side event to reward participants for their loyalty to a specific ball brand.

This event’s 10 participating bowling ball brands are 900 Global, AMF, Brunswick, Columbia 300, DV8, Ebonite, Hammer, Roto Grip, Storm, and Track (note that additional brands may be added prior to the start of the tournament on March 4). Each brand is contributing $300 to the prize fund. Any bowler participating in The BTM this year is eligible to compete for this jackpot by paying a $10 entry fee. The total money collected will be paid back to entering bowlers based on their highest three game series. Prize money will be awarded according to the following scale:

1st:  40% of prize fund
2nd:  25% of prize fund
3rd:  15% of prize fund
4th:  10% of prize fund
5th:  10% of prize fund

Bowlers will be allowed to practice with any ball in their arsenal, but must declare their brand before throwing their first ball in competition. They must then use that brand throughout the entire three games. Bowlers will be allowed to use any spare ball of their choosing with no restrictions.

Complete official rules will be available on-site.

$300 prize for high game on each pair!

New for this year’s tournament, $300 will be awarded to the bowler having the high game on each pair of lanes. A bowler will only be allowed to win one high game award, so we will have at least four winners!

Special thanks to BowlerX, Buddies Pro Shop, Eileen’s Bowling Buddy, and McCorvey’s Bowling World for their sponsorship of these high score prizes.

How to bowl

The BTM runs daily from March 4 through July 10. Squads start at 9:15 AM and the final squad of each day starts at 4:00 PM, based on lane availability. Advanced registration is not required…just walk in and bowl!

Contact The BTM Tournament

Tournament director Rick Ramsey can be reached by telephone at (817) 975-1836 or by email at [email protected].

This year’s oil pattern

As usual, The BTM Tournament will put a premium on shotmaking. This year’s oil pattern is 40 feet in length and uses 25.83 mL of Kegel Ice conditioner per lane.

Click here to see this year’s tournament pattern.

Note: Coconut Bowl has AMF HPL synthetic lanes.

Hosted by Coconut Bowl at Wild Island

This year’s host center, Coconut Bowl, is conveniently located just a few miles east of downtown Reno, just off I-80.

Special thanks to The BTM Tournament’s 2016 sponsors

The BTM Tournament is made possible through the support of many great sponsors and partners. We hope you’ll support the following supporters of competitive tournament bowling:

The BTM Tournament’s 2016 rules

1. ELIGIBILITY: Open to all adult bowlers. The tournament director reserves the right to refuse any entry.

2. SINGLES: 3 games across 6 lanes. You may enter singles a maximum of 6 times in each division you are eligible to enter. Bowlers will be allowed to cash twice in the main prize list but only once in the top 20 in Open Singles and once in the top 15 in Senior Singles or Super Senior Singles. Tournament starts March 4, 2016 at 9:15 AM and the last squad will be July 10, 2016 at 4:00 PM. Squads start daily at 9:15 AM with continuous squads until the final squad of the day, which starts at 4:00 PM, based on lane availability. Additional squads may be added. Call Rick Ramsey at 817-975-1836 for additional information.

3. DOUBLES: Bowlers may bowl doubles only without bowling singles. Crossover doubles with up to 6 different partners may bowl at the same time. Any bowler eligible to bowl the tournament may bowl doubles together with the exception of no two bowlers who finished in the top 20 money leaders at the end of the 2015 PBA Tour season. 2 PBA members can bowl doubles together. 3 games across 6 lanes.

4. DIVISIONS: All divisions are scratch. Open Singles is open to any bowler eligible to participate. Senior division will be limited to bowlers age 50 or over at time of bowling. Super Senior division is open to any bowler age 65 or over at time of bowling. 199 and under division is open to any bowler with a verifiable average for the past 3 bowling seasons that does not exceed 199. Tournament director has the right to re-rate or reject any entrant in this division and sandbaggers will be disqualified. Challenge division is open to all bowlers who are not eligible to participate and win prize money.

5. ENTRY FEES: First entry into any singles division will be $75 ($55 to prize fund and $20 for lineage and expenses). Re-entries will be $70 ($55 to prize fund and $15 to lineage and expenses). Doubles will be $40 per bowler ($40 to prize fund and $40 for lineage and expenses). Crossover doubles will be $25 per entry for each partner ($20 to prize fund and $5 for expenses). You may cross over with up to 6 different partners at the same time. Each partner must be bowling at the same time.

6. PRIZE DISTRIBUTION: Prize money will be distributed at a ratio of at least one for every five (5) paid entries in all divisions. A bowler may cash twice in each singles division but only once in the top 20 positions in the Open division and top 15 in the other singles divisions. Doubles can cash only once with the same partner.

7. PLAYING RULES: For rules not covered here, USBC rules will be used and the tournament director’s decision is final.

8. PAYMENT: Cash or credit card.

9. OFFICIAL SCORE: Automatic scoring will be the official scorer. Bowlers will verify the correctness of their scores at the completion of each game and record it on the official score sheet. This will be the bowler’s only opportunity to question the accuracy of a score. Obvious adjustments or errors will be corrected when the score sheet is audited by tournament staff. Each bowler must sign his score sheet to verify correctness and for the score to count.

10. LANE ASSIGNMENTS AND OPEN BOWLING: Tournament director will make lane assignments prior to start of each squad and bowlers will be given 7 minutes practice on their starting pair. No practice will be allowed on the tournament lanes at any time during tournament hours.

11. CLOSE OF ENTRIES: Entries will close 20 minutes prior to the last scheduled squad of the day.

12. USBC rules 319D and 319E are waived. Rule 319A is in effect.

Legal / disclaimer

The BTM Tournament in 2016 is owned and operated by Rick Ramsey. “The BTM” is a trademark of BTM Digital Media, LLC and is used with permission. While all efforts have been made to provide accurate information on The BTM Tournament, BTM Digital Media, LLC does not warrant the accuracy of the information provided. Please direct all tournament questions and inquiries to Rick Ramsey.