QubicaAMF Worldwide has announced that it will present the QubicaAMF “Some Strings Attached” Invitational, the world’s first combination string and free-fall tournament, which will take place at HeadPinz Entertainment Center in Naples, Fla., on July 25.
The tournament will be bowled across 16 lanes, including eight equipped with EDGE String Pinspotters and eight equipped with free-fall machines. Entrants will bowl an equal number of qualifying games utilizing both types of machines, while the semifinals and stepladder finals will take place on the EDGE String lanes.
The event will be open to 48 bowlers by invitation only, with a $300 entry fee per bowler. Qualifying will consist of eight games, and the top 12 bowlers will advance to the next round of three games. A top-five stepladder finals on EDGE String pinspotters will determine the winner.
The first-place prize is a guaranteed $5,000, with an estimated prize fund of more than $15,000. QubicaAMF will offer an additional $5,000 to a bowler who shoots 300 in the semifinals or stepladder finals. Multiple 300 shooters will split the perfect-game bonus.
The event will be live-streamed and include coverage of all rounds of the competition.
The following day (Sunday, July 26), the “Some Strings Attached” Open will take place, utilizing the same format as Saturday’s event. This tournament will be open to all on a first-come, first-served basis with a maximum field of 48 bowlers and a $100 entry fee per bowler. The first-place prize is $1,500, with a total prize fund of more than $5,000.
“I am extremely excited to host the world’s first combination string and free-fall tournament,” said Pat Ciniello, owner of the Bowland and HeadPinz Entertainment Center chain in southwest Florida and Chairman of the Board of QubicaAMF. “This is shaping up to be a fantastic event, and should prove to offer some outstanding competitive play. We are expecting a lot of big names on Saturday, including some of the men, women and senior pros.
“We have EDGE String pinspotters installed in several centers here in southwest Florida,” Ciniello added. “I am looking forward to seeing this caliber of bowlers compete in this first-of-its-kind format.”
In light of the global pandemic, health and safety measures following state and federal guidelines will be in place during the tournaments. The number of spectators will be limited, on-site streaming will be in place so spectators can spread out and watch the event from various areas within the facility, and bowlers will be limited to three per lane to ensure social distancing during play.
The EDGE String pinspotter complies with all dimensional specifications controlled by the USBC for automatic pinspotting machines. In addition, its dark pit area hides the strings and highlights the pins and lively pin action.
