It begins with the fast-paced Shanghai singles competition at 6pm tomorrow, the final set down as a forerunner to the Scottish Open singles on Saturday morning.
Play in the Scottish Open will progress to the semifinal stage on Sunday morning, when players will reassemble for the the UK Open singles. This, too, will progress to the semifinal stage, expected to be reached on Monday afternoon.
Further qualifying events include the world indoor singles and pairs (July 21-23) and ranking events (August 4-6). All regional finals are set down for August 21.
All winners then progress to national finals in Wellington in September, and the winners qualify for the world finals in each event later in the year.
Returning to the Dunedin regional qualifying stage is national singles champion Sheldon Bagrie-Howley.
Bagrie-Howley is ranked No 1 in both national outdoor and PBA bowls, and despite a hectic business and Blackjack schedule, he has committed to the full PBA programme this year.
He will pair up with Kerry Heffer, the top female bowler from Invercargill, in an attempt to secure passage into the world pairs later this year.
"This has been a strong focus by our team to strengthen female participation in the PBA, both locally and nationally", Dunedin co-ordinator Niel Louw said.
"I believe we can get a better balance and attract some of the top female bowlers not only from Dunedin but outside of the region."
There is a real depth of emerging talent in the Dunedin region, and reaching local finals will not be made easy for Bagrie-Howley.
He will be a marked man, with the likes of local champions Oliver Mason, Nick Buttar and Murray Wilson all ranked inside New Zealand’s top 10, making the Dunedin branch the strongest in the country.
Competition is expected to be intense from the first delivery on Friday evening with PBA debutants such as Otago under-26 representatives Mitchell Scott and Cameron McKean, and Otago development bowlers Anna Louw, Bruce McDowell, Mitch Cook, Andrew Smaill, Grant Simpson and Niel Louw, all relishing the opportunity to take the scalps of the likes of Bagrie-Howley, Mason, Buttar and Wilson.
Southland senior representative Bryan Harvey and Central Otago representative Carl Street will also be expected to contend at the weekend.
