Rich PBA events set for South Point, Red Rock

The richest 10-day span in the Professional Bowling Association's 52-year history begins Friday.

This weekend's conclusion of the PBA World Championship at South Point will pay the winner $50,000, and the following week's PBA Tournament of Champions at Red Rock will feature a record $1 million purse, with the winner getting $250,000, another record.

Two weeks of competition in October and November at South Point determined the eight finalists for the World Championship's stepladder finals that will be spread over three days of live ESPN and ESPN2 coverage. It will mark the first time a PBA tournament featured successive days of live TV coverage.

Eighth-seeded Jason Belmonte will bowl Wes Malott in Friday's first match, with the winner advancing to face Michael Haugen Jr. On Saturday, the winner of Friday's second match faces Mika Koivuniemi, with Chris Barnes meeting that winner.

After two days of ESPN2 coverage, the final day switches to ESPN, where Saturday's survivor will play No. 3 qualifier Osku Palermaa, with the winner facing second-seeded Sean Rash. Top qualifier Bill O'Neill will await the winner in the championship match.

A few hours after the World Championship titlist is crowned, the PBA will start its 46th Tournament of Champions, where nearly 200 former PBA tournament winners will begin competing for positions in the four-player stepladder finals that will air live on ABC in a rare Saturday afternoon time slot on a broadcast network.

It will mark the return of the PBA Tour to ABC for the first time since 1997. The network had been a mainstay of televised professional bowling for 36 years.

The PBA has a new three-year contract with ESPN to air its Pro Tour events on either ESPN or ESPN2, with the Tournament of Champions to be televised on ABC.

It has not been determined if the event will continue at Red Rock past this season.

Among the entries are Kelly Kulick, who won the tournament a year ago to become the first woman to win a major title in a series dominated by men.

She was the first woman to compete in the 64-player event a year ago that involved previous PBA Tour winners. The field has been expanded by inviting title winners from the PBA's primary tour, Senior Tour, women's pro series and regional tournaments.

■ WORLD EVENT TO HENDERSON -- Sunset Station's Strike Zone will host the World Tenpin Bowling Association's World Championships, where more than 2,000 of the top men and women bowlers from around the world will compete in August 2013. Henderson beat out Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and Munich for the right to host the event.

■ EVENT MOVING -- The women's World Championship was at Cashman Center in 2009. It will be in Hong Kong in September and moves to Thailand in 2012.

Contact reporter Jeff Wolf at jwolf@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0247. Go to lvrj.com/bowling for more information.