The 2024 South Point Senior Shootout and Super Senior Shootout already are sold out, but odds are anyone putting their names on the waiting list will get into the tournaments.

That is based on history that has shown numerous players who sign up for the popular tournaments at South Point Bowling Plaza in Las Vegas end up withdrawing.

Here is what Ron Mohr said in the June 10 Shootout Sentinel sent via email to his tournament mailing list:
“As of this Sentinel, the South Point Senior Shootout which is limited to 180 players age 50 and over, is full with one player on the Standby list. The
Super Senior Shootout for players age 60 and over is also full with seven players on Standby. Using history as a precedent, we will experience up to 40 withdrawals between the two events. If you’re interested in competing this year, please don’t hesitate to sign up. The Senior Shootout is scheduled for Monday thru Friday November 11-15 and the Super Senior Shootout will immediately follow on Saturday thru Tuesday, November 16-19. It is expected a PBA50 and a “kids” regional will be conducted at South Point November 8-10.
Shootout competitors get a break this November as the normally conflicting Bingo Extravaganza at South Point is scheduled to end November 10 and Formula 1 race activities on The Strip do not begin until November 19. The Shootouts fit nicely in the window between these well-attended events. A Senior Shootout room block (with additional rooms over previous years) has been established for November 10-20 (room code SPS1124). The link is also available on our web site www.SeniorShootout.Vegas. Reservations must be made by October 18, and early room reservations are encouraged.”

I bowled the SPSSS last year and the impact of the Formula 1 race was minimal on South Point, but massive on the Strip, where the preparations made getting around a nightmare.  

The SPSSS was the last serious competitive singles event I bowl, but after last year I retired from it as well — my wrist simply isn’t up to it, and all the measures I take to try to minimize the strain on my wrist make me so rusty that I am non-competitive in high-level events.

Susie and I do have flights booked to come out for the concluding day of the SPSS through the penultimate day of the SPSSS, which will give us a chance to see great friends, spend some sportsbook time, and do some gambling.

For those unfamiliar with the tournaments, they are similar to the World Series, with daily tournaments that lead to final, bigger event. All of the details are at the Shootout website. 

For the SPSS, players must be 50 or older and have less than three PBA Tour and/or PBA50 Tour titles combined. Players 63 and older have no title restrictions.

The SPSS feature daily tournaments on patterns that are 39, 35 and 43 feet, with the South Point Senior Shootout I Am Bowling Championship on the 35 and 43. The patterns, which are unchanged from 2023, are attached to this story as PDFs. 

For the SPSSS, players must be 60 or older and have less than three PBA Tour and/or PBA50 Tour titles combined. Players 65 and older have no title restrictions.

The SPSSS feature daily tournaments on patterns that are 36 and 44 feet, with the BowlTV Super Senior Championship on the 36 and 44.

BowlTV again will webcast the competition. BowlTV subscriber information is here.

The tournaments are presented by I AM Bowling (powered by Logo Infusion) and South Point, with additional sponsors that include Turbo 2-N-1 Grips, Roto Grip, and Haynes Bowling Supply return as event sponsors, and Steve Cook’s Bowling Supply, Storm, and Genesis Products return as sweeper sponsors.

The six Storm Products bowling balls not allowed in USBC national tournaments are allowed in the SPSS and SPSSS. The six balls are the ALTERED REALITY, ELECTRIFY SOLID, PHAZE 4, TREND 2, UFO ALERT, and WOLVERINE. The Storm SPECTRE and PURPLE HAMMERs from 2016 and 2017 had their approvals revoked by USBC and can’t be used in the SPSS and SPSSS.

In addition, balls must have public release dates before the tournaments in order to be used.

Players shipping balls for the tournament are asked to address packages to South Point Pro Shop, 9777 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89183, ATTN: SPSS.

You can find all of my coverage from past years by going to 11thFrame.com and searching "senior shootout" or super senior shootout or SPSS or SPSSS.