USBC Masters Returns to Las Vegas in 2017

The 2017 United States Bowling Congress Masters will take place in Las Vegas for just the fourth time, and the event once again will be in the same host city as the USBC Open Championships.

The 2017 USBC Masters, a major tournament on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour, will take place Feb. 19-26 at The Orleans, a 70-lane center.

The Masters, first held in 1951, has been part of the USBC Open Championships for most of its history. Competitors once again will have the opportunity to compete in the Open Championships as the event also will take place in Las Vegas in 2017, at the South Point Bowling Plaza, from Feb. 19-July 9.

“The Masters and Open Championships have a shared history and it will be great to once again have them in the same city,” USBC Executive Director Chad Murphy said. “And for bowlers, they once again will be able to compete in these two outstanding events in one trip.”

Starting in 2017, all professionals will be allowed to compete in the USBC Open Championships’ top division with specific guidelines for team and doubles competition.

The Masters has sold out the last four years, including a 417-player field at this year’s event currently taking place at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis. Capacity for the 2017 Masters is expected to be 420 entries.

The last time the Masters visited the Las Vegas area was in 2012. Mike Fagan captured his first major title with a 246-213 victory over top seed Chris Barnes in the title match at Sunset Station’s Strike Zone Bowling Center.

The other two times the Masters was held in Las Vegas was when the event took place at the Open Championships sites in 2009 and 1986. John Nolen captured the title in 2009 and Mark Fahy claimed the title in 1986. Those events were held at Cashman Center.

Go to BOWL.com/Tournaments for more information about the Masters and Open Championships.

United States Bowling Congress: The United States Bowling Congress serves as the national governing body of bowling as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). USBC conducts championship events nationwide including the largest participation sporting events in the world – the USBC Open and Women’s Championships – and professional events such as the USBC Masters and USBC Queens.

Founded in 1895, today USBC and its 2,500 state and local associations proudly serve more than a million members. USBC is headquartered in Arlington, Texas, working toward a future for the sport. The online home for USBC is BOWL.com.