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Author Topic: RPI changes  (Read 956 times)

shelley

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RPI changes
« on: November 27, 2007, 06:47:56 AM »
There's a new article up on the PBA website that describes changes for the '08 Regional Players' Invitational.  They mention that there will be exemptions given for the national tour for players who pay an extra fee and bowl the RPI and qualify (probably a lot like how the Women's Series Tour Trials worked with the US Open).  Does that mean the end of the regional points race for the national exemption?  Are those spots instead going to be available at the RPI or will there also be changes to the Tour Trials?

SH
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shelley

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Re: RPI changes
« Reply #1 on: November 28, 2007, 08:02:42 AM »
I'm not sure if that's good or bad.  You might have a guy who's chased the tour around all year like Dino, EVD, Rhino Page, and Andrew Cain but isn't the top non-exempt or inside the points list.  He doesn't bowl enough regionals to be high in any of the regional point lists.  He can't get in because there's no more Tour Trials and he's not eligible for the RPI.

On the other hand, the top people in the regional points lists are, as Jeff Carter mentioned a while back, the guys who are out there week-in, week-out, supporting the PBA and the regional program.  They interact a lot with the local bowling communities and are what really makes the regional program worthwhile.  They deserve more than one spot out of each region, especially when the points are really close.  Using the RPI to award additional exemptions means the people who are working hard have a better chance of being rewarded with a national exemption.

The downside to TT is the unknowns who don't bowl many regional or national tournaments but still have a shot at a national exemption.  They don't support the PBA like the RPI-invited players do but they have a shot at being exempt.  You could argue that they're unlikely to do well at TT anyway but why reward them for a one-time got-lucky performance when there are guys working their tails off all the time.

SH
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shelley

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Re: RPI changes
« Reply #2 on: November 28, 2007, 08:47:22 AM »
Didn't say.  Just that there would be so many exemptions available for those who paid the extra fees at the RPI.  If they intend to keep tour trials, the top regional spots, and the top 40/titles, there won't be much room for the PTQ entrants.

Really, there's no reason you'd have to stick with 64 spots.  If you ran up 64 exemptions, you could still have the rabbit squad every week and have 70+ in the main tournament.  You can still cut to 32 for the match play rounds.  The only real reason for the number 64 is that it lets you do match play from beginning to end (and we saw how well that worked out; WRW kept getting smacked by the amateur).

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shelley

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Re: RPI changes
« Reply #3 on: November 28, 2007, 11:32:38 AM »
I think part of why they don't take more into the first round is cost.  Right now, they plan on paying out 64 spots, even those who don't move into the round of 32 get a check.  That was the whole point of the exempt tour in the first place.  Taking 70+ would mean a smaller check for the 32+ who didn't make the cut.  Might be offset by entry fees but not entirely.

SH
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