Just a year ago, Joe Ciccone (pictured left) of Buffalo, N.Y., had lost his exemption to bowl on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour, and with his exemption gone, his dream of one day winning a PBA Tour title was severely limited.

Winning the 2009 PBA Regional Players Championship at Thunderbowl Lanes in suburban Detroit, however, became a life-changing experience. Along with the RPC title, Ciccone earned his first trip to the PBA Tournament of Champions, an $8,000 prize and a boost in confidence that helped him also regain his Tour exemption the following week in the PBA Tour Trials.

The PBA Regional Players Championship returns to Thunderbowl May 28-31 at Thunderbowl as a stand-alone event. There won’t be a PBA Tour Trials as a companion event this time around, but the ultimate prize at the end of the RPC rainbow is brighter than ever.

The RPC, a tournament open exclusively to non-exempt PBA members, is one of two PBA Regional majors, rewarding the winner a projected $8,000 prize, but even more valuable will be a paid entry into the $1 million PBA Tournament of Champions – the richest tournament in bowling history.

For a $295 entry fee, the RPC winner will get a shot at a record $250,000 first prize. A long shot for a bowler dreaming of one day becoming a PBA star? Certainly – but you can ask Tom Smallwood or Kelly Kulick about having big dreams.

Smallwood (left), an out-of-work auto industry employee, won the 2009 PBA World Championship for his first title. Kulick (right), the first woman ever to get a chance to bowl in the Tournament of Champions, converted her opportunity into a historic victory for women bowlers in the 2010 Tournament of Champions.

The 2010 RPC will be a contest among the nation’s top non-exempt PBA players. For some, it will be a yardstick to measure their skills against the field, and figure out what they need to do to elevate their games to a higher plateau. For some, it’s just great competition. For others, it’s the first step in pursuit of a dream.

For bowlers who are not yet members of the PBA, but would like to become eligible for the RPC, click here. For RPC entry information click here. For Xtra Frame subscribers, the final day of RPC competition on Monday, May 31, will be covered live on the PBA’s exclusive online video streaming service. If you are not a subscriber, click here.

 

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PBA Regional Players Championship Schedule

Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Mich., May 28-31

Friday, May 28, 2010
8 a.m. – Squad A practice
11:30 a.m. – Squad B practice
3 p.m. - Sweeper
7 p.m. - Pro-Am squad

Saturday, May 29, 2010
8 a.m. – Squad A, 8 qualifying games
3:30 p.m. – Squad B, 8 qualifying games

Sunday, May 30, 2010
8 a.m. – Squad B, 8 qualifying games
3:30 p.m. – Squad A 8 qualifying games
Top 64 advance to RPC Match Play Finals

Monday, May 31, 2010
8 a.m. - Round of 64 (best of 5 games)
Noon - Round of 32 (best of 5 games)
2 p.m. - Round of 16 (best of 3 games)
Immediately following - Round of 8 (best of 3 games)
Immediately following - Round of 4 (one game)
Immediately following – Championship (one game)