The 2020 Manitoba Open will take place January 11-12 at Chateau Lanes in Winnipeg, MB. Mother Nature is expected to usher in the cold weather just in time for this seasons event. Here are the story lines heading into the season’s first Major.
Lane Pattern Analysis
This season, the lane pattern of choice is Kegel’s Tower of Pisa. Coming in at 41 feet and 24.98 mls, the specs are similar to that of Kegel’s Beat’n Path (Pattern in 2014,2016,2018), but contain a unique element in that it is an asymmetric pattern. Shifting more oil to the right side of the lane may help keep traffic out of the middle early on, but the 10 game block will ultimately lead to bigger angles and a tough draw for those on the left later in the day.
I look for bigger scores from the lefties earlier in the block on Saturday while the scores on the right will come later in the breakdown. With a ratio of 3.27-1, the pattern will be fairly playable, and cut should be in that even to plus 50 range.
Lefty Dominance
The Manitoba Open has historically been a haven for those on the left side of the lane. Since 2013, 4 of 7 winners have been lefties including the last 3 (Wade Scott, Matt McNiel, & Eric Parvey). Will another lefty win in 2020? If dominance on the left side is to continue, the key will be the qualifying block on Saturday. Those lefties that can survive the 10 game block will find success on Sunday with less traffic being forced left from the right side.
NDBowling.com Player of the Year Race in Full Swing
The 2020 NDBowling.com Player of the Year race enters January with the 4 Majors and the Sjerven Scratch Tournament in Aberdeen left on the schedule. In years past, success at the Majors has gone a long way in determining the Player of the Year, but it is in Manitoba where players tend to jump start a potential run towards the top of the leader board.
Top 10 going into the Manitoba Open:
1 – Matt Smallin 63.42
2 – Thomas Wolf 50.94
3 – Randy Peterson 48.96
4 – Aaron Petrowitz 46.65
5 – Barry Zimmerman 45.60
6 – Jeremiah Smith 42.87
7 – Mike Larson 36.24
8 – Tayler Wallstrum 33.93
9 – Travis Hersrud 32.82
10 – Wade Scott 30.84
**Reminder that ALL bowlers are eligible for earning NDBowling.com Player of the Year points. You must opt-in to the rankings with Daren Seney at any event prior to earning points. Once on the list, you will remain on the list as long as you have points. For a complete rankings list, click on the ‘Rankings’ tab above. Start earning points this weekend!
Bold Predictions
The 2020 Manitoba Open will once again provide area bowlers with one of the toughest tests all year long. The grueling 10 game qualifying block, along with the unique lane characteristics of Chateau Lanes, make this tournament one of a kind. Here are my bold predictions for the final 5 on NDBowlTV. (In no particular order)
– Thomas Wolf
– Michael Schmidt
– Michael Larson
– Jeremiah Smith
– Joe Franchewski
Tune in to NDBowlTV on Sunday for live coverage of the 2020 Manitoba Open. We will go live at approximately 12:30 CST. You can access the show by clicking HERE