The top prize has been increased to $1,500 for the 15th annual King Classic Ritchie Buss Memorial on Sunday, Jan. 5 at 10:30 a.m. at 4 Seasons Bowl, 1100 W Galena Ave. in Freeport, Illinois.

4 Seasons proprietor Jeff Johnson made the announcement in this Facebook post:
“Hey everyone. Just a "heads up" to my Facebook friends on this event.
The 4 Seasons Bowling Center is hosting the Illinois State Open Championships this season (March-May) so we have crammed all of our annual events into a shorter window to "make them fit" with open lanes.
With that being said... I don't want the 15th Annual King Classic Tournament — $1500.00 GUARANTEED! event to get lost in all the promotions that are hitting our socials on that page. So I'm posting it here as well.
Thanks to sponsorship from Brunswick Bowling, this year first place is GUARANTEED $1500.00 and we will be live-streamed for the entire event. We have a good amount entries already... I just don't want you, my friends, to get lost in the shuffle.
SIGN UP NOW (or at least let ME know if you want a spot) and I will get ya on the list.
And yes... we are paying the top senior and female "out of the cut" - bonus money!
Lets fill it up!
#cheers”

Buss, who died in 2010, was a 2-time PBA Regional champion and frequent competitor in Madison Area Scratch Tour and other scratch events. He also was one of the quietest, nicest guys you could ever meet.

The tournament will be contested on the Kegel Beaten Path lane pattern,  a 41-foot pattern with a 36-foot drop brush featuring 26.05 mL of oil — 17.55 mL forward and 8.5 mL reverse — left-side ratios of 5.71-1 middle-outside track, 2.18-1 middle-middle track and 1-1 middle-inside track and right-side ratios of 5.71-1 middle-outside track, 1.74-1 middle-middle track and 1-1 middle-inside track. The PDF of the pattern is attached to the bottom of this story.

The format is eight games of qualifying followed by a 5-person stepladder finals.

The entry fee is $80 ($90 if paid after Dec. 29), first prize is guaranteed at $1,500, the cash ratio is 1-in-5, and the top female and senior out of the money also cash. Pots and brackets also are offered.

The high senior qualifier gets the "Woodfork Award" in honor of Jerome Woodfork, and the last place player gets the Ritchie Buss gourd.

Sponsors include 4 Seasons Bowling Center, the Freeport Bowling Association, Brunswick, and Miller-Coors/Hayes Distributing.

The tournament’s Facebook page is here, and the entry flyer is attached to the bottom of this story as a PDF.

For details and to reserve a spot, call 4 Seasons at 815-235-6145.

Past winners are Rick Kidd, myself, Eric Fritton, Brandon Scal Biondo, Fidel Marchena, Ryan Keith, Elliot James Smith, Trent Mitchell, Jerry Marrs, who won three months after suffering a heart attack and undergoing quadruple bypass surgery, Jayson Miner, Josh Powell, Ron Nelson, Marrs again, and Brandon Mooney.