The big bowling news of the summer has been the announcement that the United States Women’s Open of 2011 will be conducted at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

It will be staged at the end of June in conjunction with Bowl Expo. The annual gathering of bowling aficionados is the center of various meetings, elections and award presentations for the sponsoring Bowling Proprietors Association of America.

Annually, Bowl Expo draws up to 10,000 attendees from the bowling industry and nearly 1,000 exhibitors who sell the latest in bowling, from scoring pencils to automatic scorers to multimillion-dollar bowling center installations.

The U.S. Open disclosure was a surprising but welcome development, because the United States Bowling Congress, the previous tournament sponsor, had decided it would not lend its name in 2011. Now, Ebonite International has stepped up to fill the sponsorship gap.

Women’s pro bowling and competitions for the higher average female shooters in the world have been tossed, turned and shoved under the nearest bus on many occasions since the women’s national pro tour was disbanded in 2003 because of financial problems. The women’s tour had been around since 1960, and top-notch women’s tournaments rank with the largest numbers in sports participation.

No details for the 2011 tournament have been revealed, except that it will be open to all youth and female sanctioned bowlers. Assuming no plans have been set, the powers that be have plenty of time to study the history of the tournament and its years of success.

The women’s and men’s U.S. Opens achieved their greatest success when competitive spots in the tournament were earned on the basis of local eliminations conducted by bowling proprietor groups or interested bowling centers that set up the events. Bowlers paid a modest entry fee on the local level and, if they qualified, got to move to the national with all expenses, entry fees, travel, lodging and incidentals paid for by the money generated at the local tournaments.

The Open deserves a lifetime spot on bowling’s national schedule. It can be done with the cooperation of proprietors and the field can be assured as one of the best with invited titlists and successful qualifiers at one of the most prestigious venues in the world.

The tournament should be one of bowling’s priorities, and the work to guarantee success should be well underway.

BRIEFS: Tom Smith, 53, of Wilmington, Del., averaged 242 for his nine games, highlighted by a 238-209 triumph over Rich Pizzutti of Mahwah, to win the Senior Challenge tourney at Lodi Lanes and the $1,000 first prize. Pizzutti, a super senior at 72, earned $550 for second. Next stop for the 50-plus gang is Sunday at Holiday Lanes in Oakland.

The International Bowling Hall of Fame received two big boosts recently. A donated custom motorcycle brought an auction price of $75,000 and the estate of the late John Powell Jr., bowler/proprietor, announced a $100,000 grant.