The new Tournament of Champions list is out on PBA.com.  Now instead of the previous 28 winners plus 2 senior major winner plus 2 regional major winners, it's the last 37 champions with priority given to current exempt bowlers.  Then past ToC winners and some Hall of Famers.  If they held the tournament today, Jim Stephanich would be eligible due to his win in the 1966 ToC.  1966!  He hasn't won since 1976 and he could be exempt next year.  On the other hand, Mark Roth is not eligible (yet), nor is George Branham, III (is he dead?).

Does anyone else think this is bizarre?  I'm all for showing respect to the guys who came before you, but there are a lot of bowlers who have won in the last, say, 10 years with a much better shot at winning than Jim Stephanich.  Are you really going to want to beat the guy who's 95 years old?

SH

They are because people listened. However to qualify for the TOC even if you won it in the past, you still have to be a PBA member. I would think Marshall Holman, David Ozio, Bryan Goebel, Mark Williams, Del Ballard that I know are still members would think would be invited. I have read that old Billy Hardwick is invited.
Players like George Branham, Dave Ferraro,Wayne Webb, Mike Aulby, Mike Durbin, Mark McDowell I do not know have PBA cards. You can forget about Jim Stefanich, he has no desire to compete anymore. I thought I read he doesn't bowl at all. Too bad too because with his talent he could have won so many more titles and who knows how dominating he could have been on the senior tour.

Really though, change to this tournament has been a long time coming. They need to expand the field and make the tournament worth something again. The gift for winning a tournament should be an invitiation to the Tournament of Champions. The gift for winning the Tournament of Champions should be a lifetime invite as long as you are a member of the PBA.