North Dakota’s greatest bowling tradition enters its 34th year this weekend at Midway Lanes in Mandan, ND. The 2020 KFYR TV Bowling Classic will once again feature a sold out field of 120 bowlers, all vying for a spot on the live TV show finals and a shot at the $2000 top prize. Here are some of the story lines going into the seasons 3rd Major.
Lane Pattern Analysis
The 2020 KFYR TV Bowling Classic will feature a custom 41 foot pattern with 26.15 mls. While the ratio comes in at 4.2-1, the pattern is extremely flat from 10 to 10 on each side. Much like the Morris Anderson Memorial Shootout, most of the taper in this pattern is between 5-10. The difference here is the additional 3 feet to the pattern.
I think the track area will be in play early on and players will have a little miss room to the outside parts of the lane. As the day progresses, the moderate volume of oil will force players into different equipment in order to maintain a good look into the pocket. Players who can navigate the middle parts of the lane as the qualifying round progresses will be bowling on Sunday in match play. I expect the cut to be in the Even to +50 range.
History in The Making
History can be made at the 2020 KFYR TV Bowling Classic. Eric Parvey and Matt Smallin both enter the KFYR with 4 career NDBowling.com Major Titles. A win would join them with Michael Schmidt, Dave Schick and Jeff Smith as the only bowlers with 5 or more Majors.
Additionally, a win would give Eric Parvey all 4 Major titles and become the first player ever to win the career grand slam. A win for Smallin would give him 4 KFYR TV Bowling Classic titles, the most in the history of the tournament. Jack Nelson will also be in the field looking for his 4th career KFYR title.
NDBowling.com Player of the Year Race
A missed cut at the CMA from Thomas Wolf, paired with high finishes by Jeremiah Smith, Matt Smallin, Aaron Petrowitz, and Eric Parvey has tightened up the NDBowling.com Player of the Year race. Here are the top 10 heading into the KFYR.
Current Season Top 10:
1 – Jeremiah Smith 93.77
2 – Matt Smallin 88.92
3 – Thomas Wolf 88.84
4 – Aaron Petrowitz 82.35
5 – Eric Parvey 79.14
6 – Mike Larson 72.14
7 – Wade Scott 66.44
8 – Jack Nelson 50.17
9 – Randy Peterson 48.96
10 – Barry Zimmerman 45.60
Bold Predictions
The 2020 KFYR TV Bowling Classic will feature a pattern that will allow many different bowling styles to score. I think success will depend on who can navigate the middle of the lane as the day progresses. Here are my bold predictions for the 34th annual KFYR TV Bowling Classic.
– Justin Schiffler
– Matt Smallin
– Blake Wallstrum
– Brady Stearns
– Aaron Petrowitz