The 2023 NDBowlTV Masters was held this past weekend at North Hill Bowl in Minot. The weather tried to crash the party when over a foot of snow fell in the Magic City a couple days before qualifying. Despite the lingering road conditions, 39 bowlers still made the trip to North Hill Bowl to compete for a $1000 top prize and a coveted spot in the 2024 USBC Masters.
The tournament was held on the 2023 USBC Masters pattern that featured 46 feet of oil and a 1.77 to 1 ratio. This tournament has historically produced low scores and the 2023 version of the NDBowlTV Masters continued that trend. Following the 8 game qualifying block, the top 16 would advance. Leading the way in qualifying was Team Canada member, Austyn Ducharme, with a 1658 total (207.25 ave). Ducharme was fresh off winning the team and all events gold medals at the World Championships in Kuwait earlier this month and kept the hot streak going in his NDBowlTV Masters debut. Rounding out the top 16 was Jamey Kragh with a 1481 total (185.13 ave).
On Sunday, the top 16 returned to North Hill Bowl for the bracket portion of the tournament. Players would be seeded into the bracket based on qualifying total (1 vs 16, 2 vs 15 ect). All matches would be 3-game total pins. The 4 bowlers who remained undefeated after two rounds would advance to the stepladder finals and be seeded accordingly based on their 6-game total on Sunday. Whoever held the highest 6-game total of the 4 bowlers who lost in the second round would be awarded the 5th and final spot in the stepladder.
Jamey Kragh defeated top qualifier Austyn Ducharme in the first round with an impressive 695 set. Kragh would then overcome a 50+ pin deficit in the final game to defeat Joe Franchewski in the second round to claim the top overall seed in the stepladder finals. Tayler Wallstrum, Jon Breckel, Rodney Holm and Thomas Wolf would go on to join Kragh on NDBowlTV.
Finals on NDBowlTV:
Holm def. Wolf, 186-164
Holm def. Breckel, 193-190
Wallstrum def. Holm, 185-159
Wallstrum def. Kragh, 217-187
You can watch the show HERE.
Tayler Wallstrum put together an impressive performance in the finals which included a clean 217 on an extremely demanding oil pattern. Wallstrum used a combination of the Storm Super Nova and 900 Global Zen Master en route to the title. This marks the second consecutive year that the Zen Master was used in the finals by the eventual champion. The win gives Wallstrum his first Masters title. Wallstrum received the $1000 top prize and a spot in the 2024 USBC Masters in Las Vegas at the end of March. Great bowling, Tayler!
A Masters title will have to wait another year for Jamey Kragh. In the 5 year history of the Masters, Kragh has finished as the runner-up in 2019 & 2023, 3rd in 2022 and 5th in 2020.
NDBowlTV Masters Winners:
2019 – Matt Smallin
2020 – Thomas Wolf
2021 – Mike Morris
2022 – Jeremiah Smith
2023 – Tayler Wallstrum
Next event: NDBPA State Scratch Doubles | November 11-12 @ Paragon Bowl in Dickinson, ND
Stay connected to NDBowling.com:
YouTube
Facebook
Merchandise Shop
Storm is the official bowling ball sponsor of the High Plains Bowling Network.