Well, sometimes the plans for this column change. Major news late last week has postponed what was going to be the main subject for another day.
The Sue Braud BR Singles tournament has been the subject of much speculation since the closing of Circle Bowl at the first of April. This tournament is one of the longest running tournaments in the South. The event began in 1973 when Circle Bowl manager John Snee and his friend, Bob Chatelain, who owned a Baskin Robbins franchise came up with the format for the tournament.
The Baskin Robbins Singles tournament would eventually become the BR Singles and now has the name of the longtime tournament manager, the late Sue Braud. The last time it was held out of Baton Rouge was 1989 and after a 10-year run of events at both Circle and Metro Bowl, the tourney had been exclusively at Circle since 2006.
In the last 30 years some $1.6 million in prize money has been award. But would the tournament continue to exist? Speculation about traveling sites, other Malco houses came up but, in the end, the perfect solution was found — the tournament will remain at All-Star Lanes.
So, on Aug. 14-15 the event will make its regularly scheduled return and I think a lot of people couldn’t be happier. Ever since Circle Bowl closed, the management at All-Star has worked with the bowlers at Circle to find places for them to finish the season and also plan for next year.
The two staffs have been working on this for several weeks and there were a lot of happy people when the tournament staff posted on Facebook, “When one door closes, you open another. The Sue Braud Singles Handicap tournament is back but at a different venue. Thank you, All-Star Lanes, for opening your door to us to keep this tournament going in Baton Rouge.”
Mike LaCroix of All-Star certainly wants this to be more than a one-off event. He would like for All-Star to be the new permanent home of the BR.
Also showing people reaching out and combining resources, the event will not only be sponsored by John Amedee and The Bowlers Pro Shop, but also Steve Cross and All-Star’s The Pro Shop.
Marc Pater has informed me that the basic format will not change. Only 32 lanes will be used to keep the numbers the same as in the past, 96 bowlers per shift maximum. Several Hammer balls will be given away and the online entry procedure will be the same at www.bowlthebr.com.
This is really great news. One center could have turned their backs on many aspects of this and proclaimed that they were the last ones standing and its bowl here or else, which it kind of is. But the hands that have been extended and accepted has been great to see.