Today, there are over 100 million bowlers in more than 90 countries around the world, but one young man is standing tall above the rest. Rylan Breese, an 8 year old from Wilmington, North Carolina, beat out the competition at the South Region Pro-Am bowling tournament in the beginning of August at Waccamaw Lanes in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
The tournament’s format was No-Tap Doubles, with no-tap meaning a nine on a first roll would count as a strike. There was an amateur and a professional in each pair. On hand for the event were notable PBA Bowling standouts Bill O’Neill, Chris Barnes, Dick Allen, and Tommy Jones.
Breese had a stunning performance using a two-handed technique, which is becoming more commonplace amongst athletes. The 8 year old posted one no-tap strike after another for a total of 11 in a row during his first game, scoring 297. He scored 265 in his second game, and finished strong with 179 in his third. With his handicap factored in, Rylan’s series score came to 821, putting him in first place.
Rylan earned two trophies — one for a high series and one for his high game.
Of course, Rylan is not the only young competitor to keep an eye on, either. Last year, Wesley Low broke a 34-year-old record, becoming the youngest bowler ever to win a PBA Regional title at age 15. There’s also Kamron Doyle of Brentwood, Tennessee, who at 12 years old was able to finish 30th in the Professional Bowlers Association Open Regional tournament four years ago, becoming the youngest bowler ever to cash in on a PBA event.
What makes Rylan’s performance stand out before these two other youths, though, is the fact that the young man started bowling just one year ago. Having become so talented in just under 12 months, it’s easy to see why bowling fans will have to keep their eyes on this young man.
