Amateur Bowler Beats Top PBA Pro to Win More Than a Quarter Million Dollars

Bowlero Corp league bowler, Luis Gonzalez, of Chicago, Ill., won the inaugural Bowlero Elite Series event, a historic night for bowling featuring 16 of the world’s top professional and amateur bowlers competing for over half a million dollars in total prizes at Bowlero Romeoville.

“I’ve bowled hundreds of thousands of games and one single frame changed my family’s life forever,” said Luis Gonzalez of his win. “I have no words. To win $270,000…I can buy a house, pay for my schooling, and put my son through school…this exceeds my wildest dreams.”

The 32-year-old amateur bowler defeated 3-time PBA Tour Champion, Kyle Troup of Taylorsville, North Carolina, 237-226, in the championship match of the event that all came down to a compelling final frame. To put the payday in context, had Troup prevailed, it would have matched his total career earnings over the past nine years.

“While I was devastated that I did not win, making it to the finals of the Bowlero Elite Series was incredible,” said Kyle Troup. “I still took home $80,000 which is the single biggest payday of my career, and is amazing for my family and I. I look forward to competing again in future BES events, and to taking care of unfinished business.”

“For the first time ever, we saw amateur league bowlers go head-to-head with the world’s top professionals on a national stage. We had no idea what to expect, and to see a Bowlero Corp league bowler come out on top exceeded all of our expectations,” said Colie Edison, Chief Customer Officer of Bowlero Corp and President of the Bowlero Elite Series. “It was a privilege to reward his efforts with this life changing check.”

The Bowlero Elite Series returns to NBCSN on Wednesday, September 11, at 7 p.m. ET. The final tournament will be broadcast on Saturday, December 28 at 3 p.m. ET on NBC. More than $1 million in prize money will be awarded across all three Bowlero Elite Series events this year.


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