COLUMBUS — When bowling promoter Jody Boyd was first approached about starting another summer event to replace the former Proprietors’ Cup in Dayton, he wasn’t interested.
“Truthfully, I don’t care much for summer events because I run so many during the season,” the 45-year-old Lexington resident said. “I used to enjoy the Cup just to get away and have fun.”
But HP Lanes entered the discussions and Boyd was hooked.
“They gave me everything I asked for, and they weren’t going to charge a lot,” Boyd said. “They gave me certain things that you couldn’t do at other houses,”
So 2020 was the debut of the MEGA events, which now have become the $12,000 Nance Construction/HP Lanes MEGA Singles, Doubles and Team events. They concluded Sunday with 49 players making the cut in the original 246-player field.
The MEGA has expanded to four days of events, including separate doubles and team events preceding the singles qualifying day Saturday.
“The Proprietors’ Cup, you were talking people paying $700 to bowl for $25,000. But we wanted to get something close to that. The first year, we added the doubles to give people another day to bowl, the people who were coming from out of state,” Boyd said. “It has worked out, and we’ve been sold out each year.”
The event made it through COVID in 2020 and had a loaded field, including several big name Professional Bowlers Association Tour champions, in 2021.
“This year, it wasn’t hard to get to the number, but it was hard to keep people in the number,” said Boyd, adding he replaced 40 players in a 13-day period. “But I know how it works. We were looking at 240, but I hate to turn bowlers away, so we expanded to 250. But a couple of things happened to get down to 248 (there were two withdrawals).”
Boyd wanted to pay 50 spots, but had to adjust with the lower number. However, he made a concession for the 50th-place finisher, Noah Hayes.
“I felt bad about the situation with the no-shows, so I sent him a message and said I would give him a free entry into next year’s event,” Boyd said. “Thank God it wasn’t a tie.”
Dawn Altimore served as tournament director, along with her staff, including MeKenna Boyd, Kim Hogue and Bob Eckenrode. The same crew will be on hand when Boyd promotes the $4,000 Akron Open, set for Aug. 27-28 at Stonehenge Family Fun Center, with a Friday doubles kicking off the event.
“I didn’t want to do that one either, but Ron Bell called and I get along great with Fred Borden and his staff,” said Boyd, who has a new baby along with wife, McKenna. “We also have a $4,000 sponsor that really helps; you pay $120 to make $4,000.”
TOURNEY RETURNING: The MEGA events will return to HP Lanes on June 8-11, 2023, with the same rotation. Boyd admits the action matches that follow the Thursday and Friday events are highlights. “I knew I wanted that,” Boyd said. “That’s the fun side of the
events. Same as the other events, it’s a way to get people from out of state more to bowl.”
ABOUT THE SHOT: Boyd said there may be an oil pattern adjustment next season. “We’re going to look at that. It’s been the same for three years,” Boyd said. “HPL’s hook so I’ve heard the lefty talk, but you can’t make them all happy. I don’t get upset by criticism. If I did, I wouldn’t do this.”
CASHERS FIELD: The final field of 49 for the cashers’ round Sunday included 29 left-handers, 10 of them two-handed, with 20 righties, including seven two-handers.
OTHER EVENT CHAMPS: The MEGA Doubles champions George Gohagan III and Jean Perez made the cut to the top 49 along with three of the four members of the MEGA Team champion — Graham Fach, Matt Sanders and Zach Wilkins. Only Brett Shepherd, who finished 81st and 65 pins out of the cut, failed to advance.
THE FINAL CUT: The cut to the top 10 for the modified stepladder finals was 3,272 total pinfall, with Killian Kilpatrick gaining the final spot by just four pins over Perez. Mykel Holliman was qualifying leader with 3,437, 42 pins ahead of Northfield’s Ryan Liederbach. ,,, The top right-hander was Kyle Cook, who finished 13th with 3,247.
BIG GAMES: There were three 300 games during the cashers’ round by Scotty Kramer III, Corey Umbrello and Tim Pfeifer. … Fach had the high six-game block of 1,495, four pins ahead of Holliman.
