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Pete Weber is a Hall of Fame bowler who is a household name.
Brittni Hamilton is a 17-year-old high school senior from Webster, N.Y.
If both bowlers are on top of their game tonight at Municipal Auditorium, they could meet in the championship of bowling’s Clash of the Champions for the winner’s purse of $50,000.
Or if they slip up on their first ball of the night, they could be finished without another opportunity to advance in the unique tournament put on by the United States Bowling Congress.
“It would be a lot of fun to face Pete Weber,” Hamilton said. “How many chances do you get to bowl against Pete Weber when you are only 17? I’m sure there would be some people who are jealous.
“It would be a little intimidating. It’s Pete Weber.”
The tournament is a gathering of champions ranging from full-time professionals like Weber to amateurs like Hamilton.
“This is something different that the USBC is trying to do to get everybody from the junior bowlers to the senior bowlers a chance to show what they got,” said Weber, who qualified by winning the 2007 U.S. Open. “And to have a shot at $50,000, that’s nothing to sneeze at.
“I think it’s neat. I just hope I win something next year to get me back next year, or maybe I will win this and they will invite me back.”
Eight men and eight women will begin competition at 6:45 tonight. Admission is $10, and tickets are available at the door. The men will compete against each other until the championship round. The same is true for the women.
The different aspect is in the first three rounds. The bowlers will be in groups of four. They each will throw one ball. The lowest score is eliminated. The second and third rounds are the same way.
“There is a lot more pressure on us to throw a good shot,” Weber said. “I guess it’s going to be how much pressure you put on yourself.”
Once they get to the final, the final two men and final two women will bowl a game to determine which man will bowl against the women’s finalist.
“You only have one shot,” said Hamilton, who earned her spot by winning the 2007 USBC Youth Open Championship. “There is no room for a mistake.”
The tournament will be taped and shown on CBS on Saturday and Sunday.
The tournament is in conjunction with the USBC convention at the Westin Crown Center.
“We hope the format will engage non-bowlers and get them involved in bowling,” said Lucas Wiseman, USBC communications director.
“It’s also a chance for a 17-year-old high school bowler to take on the game’s best. It’s something you don’t see in other sports.”
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