Tenpins rolling for 20th New Mexico Open

The sharp crack of exploding bowling pins and the tangy scent of wood polish will fill the Rio Rancho air Aug. 16-18 as Tenpins & More (1416 Deborah Road SE, Rio Rancho) is set to host the 20th annual New Mexico Open bowling tournament, and the iconic local bowling alley says entries are heating up.

“They always do after July 4th,” Tenpins said in a news release.

This year’s open will be worth a record $76,000 as bowlers come from across the nation to compete for the coveted championship title. First prize is listed at $13,500 with more than 200 bowlers expected to attend, according to Tenpins & More. The three-day tournament will include a bracket, a pro-am, consolation and main events with the top 32 bowlers gaining automatic entry to the final bracket.

It’ll be a struggle for the challengers though, as defending champion, Wichita, Kansas, bowler Francois Lavoie, eagerly entered the 20th New Mexico Open with the tournament’s very first entry .If Lavoie can pull off the victory, he will become only the second bowler to win in successive years at the New Mexico Open (John Young, 2004-05).

Lavoie also garnered second-place finishes in recent years, losing to Jakob Butturff and Dylan Taylor (both hailing from Arizona.) Last year, Lavoie finally secured the victory with a 202-194win on a high-pressure strike against local bowler JD Nance.

According to Tenpins & More, other top bowlers are expected to attend, including Steven Novak from Louisville, Kentucky, national Hall-of-Famer Andrew Cain, rookie PBA member David McKay of Artesia, and Rio Rancho’s own DeeRonn Booker, who won the U.S. Masters in Las Vegas over Easter.

Registration is still open. For more information, visit the Tenpins & More website.