The best bowlers in the PBA Southwest Region will face off in the fifth annual PBA Grand Casino Hotel and Resort Southwest Invitational this weekend.

The 32-player field will battle for the title Saturday and Sunday in an event that will be broadcast live on FloBowling.

Although DJ Archer is the only player in the field with a national PBA title (he has two), the field is full of a mix of young rising stars and veterans – all of whom have had success on the regional level.

Here’s what to look for at the PBA Grand Casino Hotel and Resort Southwest Invitational:

Low-scoring Earl Anthony pattern is back

The players will take on what has been a relatively low-scoring pattern in the PBA Earl Anthony. Coming in at 42 feet with a pattern ratio of 2.15 to 1, we have not seen big scores on this pattern in recent events.

The Earl Anthony was used recently at the PBA Xtra Frame Gene Carter’s Pro Shop Classic where only 40 players out of 150 averaged 210 or better. That event was won by two-hander Anthony Simonsen, who switched to a back-up ball to secure the title.

The only player in the Southwest Invitational field who traveled to Delaware to compete in the event had pretty good success. Houston’s Shawn Maldonado finished eighth, averaging 216.87 for the tournament.

Having some games on the pattern in a competitive environment may prove to be an advantage for Maldonado this weekend.

An invitation-only event

The Southwest Invitational features a limited field of 32 players who either had to bowl their way into the event or get invited.

According to the PBA, the top 28 players from a special points list dating back about 12 months have been invited, assuming they bowled a minimum of three PBA Southwest Regional events.

Two more players who bowled half of the PBA Southwest Regional events but fell below the top 28 were also invited. Finally, two participants were chosen by the sponsor, Grand Casino Hotel and Resort.

Last year’s champ set to defend

Dylan Burns of Garden City, Kansas, will return to the field after winning the event last year. The former University of Kansas bowler defeated Trey Ford III of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, 205-167, to win the event.

The win was Burns’ first career PBA Regional title as a PBA member but it wasn’t an easy path to victory. Burns finished 11^th in qualifying last year and failed to earn any match-play byes.

In match play, he went the distance, defeating Brett Cooper, 2-1, in the opening round and then taking down Anthony Lavery-Spahr, 2-1. In the third round, he knocked out Sean Lavery-Spahr, 2-1, before toppling Mike Bailey, 221-216, to advance to the championship match.

What the schedule looks like

The PBA Grand Casino Hotel and Resort Southwest Invitational will take place over two days starting Saturday and concluding Sunday (all times Central):

Saturday, Sept. 8

9 a.m. – Round 1 qualifying (six games)

1:30 p.m. – Round 2 qualifying (six games; cut to top 16)

Sunday, Sept. 9

9:30 a.m. – Match Play Round 1 (best two of three; qualifiers 9-16)

Immediately following – Match Play Round 2 (best two of three; winners vs. qualifiers 5-8)

Immediately following – Match Play Round 3 (best two of three; winners vs. qualifiers 1-4)

Immediately following – Match Play Round 4 (one game)

Immediately following – Championship Match (one game)