World Team Challenge at ‘Boat

Friday, Jan. 17, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

Hall of Fame bowler Earl Anthony is scheduled to compete this weekend in the Brunswick World Team Challenge at the Showboat Bowling Center.

Anthony, 58, has won a record 46 PBA titles, but only recently returned to competitive bowling after a five-year layoff. The left-hander will bowl for Andy's Band Shop out of Tacoma, Wash.

Anthony ended his sabbatical last June in a BWTC event, but also bowled in a handful of PBA senior events. He won the Naples (Fla.) Classic last September. He is a six-time Bowler of the Year on the regular PBA Tour.

The Las Vegas stop on the BWTC tour is the ninth on a 22-city open division tour. This also is the third of six Women's International Bowling Congress-sponsored events for the 1996-97 season.

The men's field consists of 70, five-player teams. Thirty-six women's teams are here. Sunday's finals are set for 4:45 p.m. for the women, 7:15 for the men. Admission is free.

Six-game qualifying for both events begins at 9 a.m. Saturday using traditional team formats. The top 10 teams advance to Baker match play at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. The Baker format requires one member of each team to roll two frames in each game, to combine for one score.

The team winners advance to the $200,000 Silver Legacy Grand Championships at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno in August. The winners in the open and women's division are the sport's world match-play team champions.