R-Jeneration: Bowlers look to strike it rich by competing for scholarship money

Ever step into a bowling alley and throw a ball down a lane and think, "This is just for fun"?

Well to these kids, bowling isn't just for fun. It's a matter of scholarship money and coming in first place.

The 15th annual Junior Bowlers Tour Las Vegas Open is slated to return to The Orleans Bowling Center on July 5-8.

JBT features some of the best bowlers in the Midwest, such as Zack Hattori, Jakob Butturff and Riley Dempsey. The tour started in 1997 and was founded by Jeff Hammer.

JBT is a 22 and younger tour, and each event is done with different set-ups and bowling patterns.

Each tournament is $40 to enter and gives out about $5,000 of scholarship money almost every weekend.

"We are proud to have awarded over $2.1 million in scholarships so far," Hammer says.

Average really doesn't matter to enter a tournament. Hammer recommends, though, if you want to enter the scratch division, you should have an average of at least 180.

A word to the wise, there is a dress code. You need to wear a collar shirt or bowling related shirt (like a league T-shirt). You can wear shorts or long pants, but if you wear shorts, they can't be denim or basketball-type shorts. No hats or tank tops either. If you're not sure, don't wear it. If you're in violation, you can't bowl the semifinal round.

Every event they run awards points based on performance. In a standard event, 10 points are awarded for showing up (and not being disqualified), and 100 additional points for winning, 80 for second, 70 for third, etc. Some events are announced as double point events, and the Invitationals and TPC are triple point events.

Wearing a "name shirt" and slacks earns you an extra 10 points.

The top five point scorers in each division receive a bye into the finals of the Invitationals, which is a huge bonus and a guaranteed scholarship.

The season-ending Touring Players' Championship is the most prestigious and elite event. Watch for details on the 2011 TPC as the season develops.

"I love it. It gets some of the best West Coast bowlers together to compete against one another," says Dallas Leong, a bowler who is in the top 20 of the Mojave points list. "Jeff coordinates everything very well and it's a great way to accumulate scholarship money."