Pro bowling brings golf-style scoring to lanes
LAS VEGAS (AP) – Never mind adding up all those strikes and spares. Pro bowlers are bringing Ryder Cup-style scoring to the alleys.
At the World Bowling Tour finals next month in Las Vegas, players will ditch traditional scoring in favor of a match play format, more commonly seen on the links than the lanes.
The one-on-one matches will go a maximum of 12 frames. Players start at all square, and can go 1 up, 2 up, 1 down and so on until one person is ahead by more frames than are left.
A final score will look like one in match play – for instance, “3 and 2,” or “1 up.”
Strikes beat spares and spares beat everything else. If matches are tied after 12 frames, players keep playing until someone wins.
Other bowling tours, including the PBA, are considering the new format for the future.