It appears this year's Proprietor's Cup was a success, and it may have cemented a growing tradition for scratch competitive bowling. (I've yet to bowl in it but this year an arthritic hip has severely limited what I can do until an early fall operation.)
Here's why I'm posting.
This year's Proprietor's Cup prize fund was over $150k, paying $27,500 to the winner. There were about 250 entries. There's few PBA tournaments that can rival it outside of majors like the Masters, U.S. Open, and the Tournament of Champions. (I was apprised elsewhere the Oklahoma Open had a similar prize fund of $150k).
The Proprietor's Cup had me thinking back to nearly 30 years ago when a $150k prize fund was almost the norm for a PBA national tour event. At least for me it really spoke of the state of bowling in 2017.