Exempt bowlers are automatically given a spot in the round of 64 for every standard event (not the majors and not the Dick Weber Open).  They do not have to bowl in the pre-tournament qualifier (PTQ, rabbit squad), so they will finish no lower than 64th.  Everyone in the round of 64 receives $1800 (down from $2K last year), those that move on receive more.  It's a bit like job security for a year.

There was a page on the PBA website that explained it but it looks like that page has been taken down temporarily.  There are several ways to earn an exemption:  Winning a title gives a 1-year exemption (for the next season), major titles give 2-4 year exemptions.  After all of the title exemptions, they take people from the points list, up to 40.  Then they take the points leader from each of the seven regional tours, and eleven spots from the Tour Trials over the summer (9 games a day over five days on each of the standard oil patterns).  

That's 58 who are exempt for the next season.  The other six are taken from the PTQ each week, four or five PBA members and the high amateur (four or five because the commissioner can choose someone to give an exemption to, usually a former tour star local to the area).  If an exempt bowler withdraws from a tournament, they take additional bowlers from the PTQ to fill up 64 spots.  If you have an injury that forces you to sit out for a large part of the season (Robert Smith, Ritchie Allen, and Mark Scroggins this year, Tommy Delutz a few years ago), you can ask to defer your exemption for a year.  In that case, they take people either from the tour trials (if they defer before the season starts like Ritchie Allen and Tommy Delutz did) or the previous year's points list (Smith, Scroggins).

SH

Edited on 12/21/2006 11:01 AM

The same applies to non-PBA tournaments that count as titles and provide exemptions like the US Open and USBC Masters.  The Masters gives a two-year exemption and the US Open gives three (I think), both are major titles, but unless you're a PBA member when you bowl, you don't get the title (meaning you can join the PBA later, but you won't have 1 title already) or the exemption.

SH