This weekend was our very final event of the 2023 season. We had our Match Play Invitational at Bowlero Kyrene. The top 24 bowlers in total season points, except the Player of the Year, 2nd and 3rd place bowlers were invited to bowl this event. We would be bowling on the 2017 PWBA Wichita Open oil pattern which would prove to be a bit difficult. The bowlers were competing to win SFT event exemptions as the winner of this event would win 2 exemptions and 2nd place would receive 1 exemption for the upcoming season. Event exemptions allow the bowler to automatically be placed into the quarterfinals of any regular SFT season event without having to qualify. This means that the bowlers would automatically take home the minimum $100.00 last place and could possibly win up to over $1,000.00 for free depending on the event they used their exemption on.

This weekend we were at Bowlero Kyrene for our last 3-squad tournament of the 2023 season. We would see a good turnout with 99 total entries (79 qualifying and 20 economy parlays) with 28 prize winners and a cash ratio of 1 in 3.53, which paid out over $6,000 in main and side event prize funds. The bowlers played on the 40ft 2022 U.S. Open PTQ oil pattern which was very tricky, deceptive. Many of the bowlers would think that since there was more oil volume that it would play similar to a modified house shot, but with all the oil in the front and outside portion of the lanes being relatively flat, it made it very hard to swing the ball. Because the pattern was not very long or very short, it allowed players to attack it from a variety of angles. The cut scores were kind of low with bowlers only needing to bowl a few pins over their average each game to advance to the quarterfinal round. The main key for the day was to leave a makeable spares and then pick them up.

Our event this weekend was at Bowlero Mesa and with all the events going on through the Valley we would see a nice turnout. We had 84 total entries (64 qualifying and 20 economy parlays) with 23 cashers, a 1 in 3.5 cash ratio and we would pay out over $4,600.00 in main and side event prize funds. The players bowled on the 38ft PBA Wayne Webb oil pattern that played pretty tricky for most of the day as it is a shorter pattern but had a lot of volume in the front of the lane. With this being a 3-squad tournament, usually the pattern gets easier as the day goes on, but with the high volume in the front of the lane it seemed like the lanes got tighter as the day progressed. We would see some lower cut scores as you just had to get to your average to have a chance to advance to the Quarterfinals.

Our event this weekend was at AMF Chandler and this would be the last one of the 2023 Summer Quarterly Circuit (July to September) and we would have several bowlers vying for a place in the top 4 in quarterly points. We would see another good turnout with 105 total entries (79 qualifying and 26 economy parlays), 30 cashers and a 1 in 3.5 cash ratio, paying out over $6,300.00 in main and side event prize funds. The bowlers bowled on the 37ft Kegel Radium oil pattern. For whatever reason, regardless of the oil pattern, this center has always seen high scores at our tournaments. This pattern was considered a short pattern at 37ft but had a lot more volume and with the older lane surfaces at this center once the oil pattern broke down and saw some carry down from the urethane being used, then we would see a lot of big scores this weekend.