We mentioned this on the chat.  It's a different center this year.  The last few years have been at Mohegan Sun on specially-constructed, barely used (i.e., brand new) synthetics.  This year they're at a real bowling alley on a different surface and with different oil.  The lanes are well-used and they're a different kind of synthetics (I'm pretty sure).

Add all those things up and there's no telling how it's gonna play.

SH

Nails has a very good point.  Length of an oil pattern isn't everything.  Does anybody know what the transfer rates/flow rates of the Authority 22 for this Tour stop?

Bowling on 50' of light oil and a 50' flood is like night and day.  If it was a 50' flood, the balls would probably rooster tail when it hit the lane.
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Just another house bowler hack...

Actually, I heard they used the masters pattern.

I forgot to mention the practice time the bowlers are allowed before the match.  The X-number of minutes(30?) the bowlers are allowed is plenty of time for them to create a track area, especially when most of them use dull particle balls.  That practice time can make event the hardest patterns seem easy.

The other things, as mentioned already, to think about the way patterns play on tv are: lane surface, tv lights, oil used.  Pro Anvilane will be alot different than HPL, as Pro Anvil is the hardest, slickest surface used currently.
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Just another house bowler hack...