DESERT OPEN

champs & finalists

         Andrew Lynnes and Jarion Flores outlasted tough fields in a tough format to capture the famous cactus trophies as champs of the JBT Desert Open, hosted by Lucky Strike Gilbert.

          After 12 games of qualifying on three different patterns, Justin Erickson nabbed the top seed and chose to bowl on ‘PBA Bat’, the lowest scoring of the three, for the matchplay rounds.  After a bye, he got past Xaden Todacheenie in round two, but fell to red-hot Cameron Sager in the semifinal.  2 seed Andrew Lynnes was mowing down the other side of the bracket, beating Alex Rosenblum and Gage Baker on the way to the final.

          Cameron had blasted 513 and 505 his last two matches (that’s for two games not three!), but Lynnes stayed with him shot for shot in the single game title match.  His tenth frame strike sealed the deal, giving Lynnes his fourth career title, $600 windfall, a 2027 TPC bye, and free brackets and raffle tickets at every season 31 event!

          Flores had a dominant event, taking over the lead in game 5 and never looking back.  Matchplay is never easy though, and he won tight matches against 2026 TPC champ Charlie Katz, and 9 year-old Connor West, to get to the final.  The other side of the bracket was hectic, but rapidly improving #11 Liam Hesse emerged with a semifinal win over rookie #11 Collin Herrington to advance to the final.   In the championship game, Collin ran out of steam a bit after a long weekend, and Flores stayed steady, earning his first career JBT title with the win over Harrington.

          Katz’s excellent weekend concluded with a  trip to the Girls Scratch title game, but it was defending Bowler of the Year Tiana Thoman-Smith who came up with her best game of the event to defeat Katz and earn that subdivision win.  Talented Nevadans Gavin Fernandez and Louis Cloud went at it for the U17 title, with Cloud coming away with that win.

          The bittersweet highlight of the event was honoring Jakob with photos, stories, and best of all a $6,000 check to establish the Jakob Memorial Scholarship, presented by and thanks to the amazing work of Gilbert GM Jodi Bach, Kyrene GM JJ Newel, Carl Ong, and many many others.

          What a great start to the 31^st season of JBT competition in Arizona.  Want in on all the fun for all ages and all skill levels?  Just check out our schedule and spread the word!

Practice on all 3 patterns available Friday, 3-7 pm, $20 unlimited (pay the center, not us)

***Bring your (or any) purple hammer, we'll do a group photo to honor Jakob before round 2.

Date: Saturday and Sunday August 22-23, 2026  (This is ONE tournament that is two days long, open to anyone age 21 & under as of 8/1/26.)

Start Time: Saturday qualifying squads at 9 AM and approximately 1:30 PM, Sunday qualifying at 9 AM; all bowlers bowl all three qualifying squads.

Re-entries?:  There are no re-entries this event..

Reservations:  Please email director@bowljbt.com to reserve a spot.  You can prepay (not required) at the 'Prepaying' section of this website.  Reservations (paid or unpaid) must check in no later than 15 minutes before start time.  At that time, all bowlers will be taken on a first come, first serve basis until the field is full.

Format: Qualifying round is 12 games.  The top 16 in each division advance to matchplay* (*see below).   

Divisions/ Averages:  Scratch or handicap.  It is the bowlers' choice of division.  Also, everyone age 16 or under as of 8/1/26, with a 160+ JBT average, is automatically entered in the U-17 side event.   Also, every female with a 125+ JBT average is automatically entered in the Girls Scratch side event.   If this is your first JBT event (and choose to bowl handicap), we will be asking for average info.  In most cases, your highest average from any current form of organized competition of at least 15 games is what we need.  If you bowl in multiple leagues / clubs, bring everything and we'll sort it out for you.  If you don't have 15+ games in any organized competition this season, we need your finishing 25-26 average(s), and any 2026 summer averages.  After your first JBT event, your average is re-rated before every JBT event according to JBT rules.  Please see JBT Rule 13 for complete details.

Points:  This event counts for double Arizona and All-Conference points.  Points qualify you for the big money season-ending Invitationals and Touring Players Championship, so get all you can.  Visit the 'statistics' section of the website to check on your points.  At the end of the season, the top 40 in this conference's points advance to their respective Invitationals.

Entry fee: $120, $125 if paid on-site by credit card.  Scholarship brackets are available for $2 each.  Raffle tickets for bowling balls from the brands of Brunswick, and our PowerBowl and '31' jackpots, are available on-site. 

Scholarships: 1:6 in each division earn scholarships, scratch and handicap.  Minimum prizes are $600, $300, $150, $100.  Bowlers who finish in the top 40 in points this season in this conference qualify for the Invitational, which features $1,000 for first place.  Bowlers who finish in the top 20 in a conference's points race after the Invitational, or the top 120 in all-conference points after the last Invitational, qualify for the 2027 Touring Players Championship, featuring $3,100 for first.

Lane conditions: conditions vary from event to event, and are not posted prior to the event (unless otherwise announced).  Some events do not post the pattern until after qualifying, or even at all.  Be ready for anything- it makes you a better bowler!  Check out previous patterns and corresponding cut scores at the 'lane conditions' section of this website to get a good idea of what you might expect.

Dress code:  Anything goes EXCEPT tank tops, gym shorts, clothing promoting alcohol, drugs, or firearms, or excessively ripped or short clothing, subject solely to the director's discretion.  However, bowlers wearing slacks or dress shorts/skirts, and a 'name shirt' or PBA-style 'dye-sub' shirt, or college or high school team shirt, earn an extra 10 points on their season-long points total.  If you're not sure about dress code, check with us.  If you're new to us, the vast majority of the bowlers do dress in the 'bonus' dress code, and those points become very important, so plan accordingly.

RESERVED BOWLERS:

This reservation is an expectation that you will be bowling.  PLEASE do not forget to contact us if you need to cancel or adjust your reservation.  Repeated 'no-shows' may result in you not being able to reserve a spot.  This list may not be updated after the Friday of the event as we travel, etc. 

Practice on all 3 patterns available Friday, 3-7 pm, $20 unlimited (pay the center, not us)

***Bring your purple hammer (or a purple hammer), we'll do a group photo to honor Jakob before round 2.

The 2026 JBT Desert Open Marathon

Practice:  Friday August 21, 3-7 pm ($20, unlimited bowling on all 3 patterns)

Tournament:  Saturday & Sunday August 22-23, 2026

at

Lucky Strike Gilbert, 1160 S. Gilbert Rd., (480) 813-2695

All bowlers roll 12 games on 3 different lane patterns!

Top 16 advance to single elimination matchplay!**

Per block and overall prizes- bonuses for the champs can translate into THOUSANDS:

*This event is part of the 2026-27 JBT season

and counts for DOUBLE Arizona and All-Conference JBT points!*

FORMAT:  (TWO divisions, your choice of scratch or handicap; U17 and Girls Scratch included free)

Friday August 8:

• 3 PM - 7 PM                     practice on all patterns, $20 all you can bowl (pay this to the center when you arrive)

Saturday August 9:

• 9 AM:                               4 games, pattern 1
• approx 1:30 PM:              4 games, pattern 2   (ALL times after starting time approximate pending re-oil)

Sunday August 10:

• 9 AM:                               4 games, pattern 3

              the top 16  twelve-game totals advance to matchplay** top 4 sees earn one round bye**

• approx. 1:15 PM:              round of 16, RACE TO 2 threeway matchplay,   highest scratch seed chooses pattern!
• 3:00 PM:                           rounds of 8 and 4, best 2-of-3 matchplay    (starting times approx. following round completion)
• 5 PM:                                round of 2, single game match

**23+ entries cuts to 16; 16-22 entries cuts to 12; less than 16 entries cuts to 8

ENTRY FEE:  $120, $125 if paid by card on-site .      

PRIZE FUNDS: (based 36 entries- 1:6 earn awards)                             $600 first place guaranteed (plus below)!

Every 5-game block:                                        final standings:                                   CHAMP ALSO RECEIVES:

1^st-      $50                                                        1^st-          $600                                       - exemption in day 2 of 2027 TPC

                                                                        2^nd-         $300                                       - the famous glass cactus trophy!

                                                                        3^rd-4^th-    $150                                       - 5 brackets AND 25 raffle tix

- High overall female (if no other prize won): $100                5^th-8th    $100                                       at EVERY 26-27 JBT event!

This is AWESOME!!!  To enter, email us at director@bowljbt.com.

  Much more info at the www.bowljbt.com.  Don’t miss this!