Take the Master’s this week (or any other tournament when they will use an arena final).

They will be qualifying to the final 5 bowlers in a bowling center.

The TV show will be done on lanes setup in the baseball stadium.

Even though they may layout the same lane pattern with the same conditioner the lane surface will not be the same and the lanes MAY play differently than they did all week.

Is it fair that someone(s) may be made to look inept on TV because it is not the same condition they qualified on?

Or does it simply identify the most versatile of the finalist?  

I think the lanes they use for the arena finals are the most fair of all, as they have hardly any wear on them.  This allows the PBA to lay out a pattern that is completely symmetrical, and favors neither the left nor the right.

If the lanes at the bowling center used for qualifying favored a particular style or side, well, that was qualifying, and this is the show. Git 'er done!
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seadrive
Cogito ergo bowl