In addition to winning back-to-back PBA titles in the Xtra Frame PBA Las Vegas Open at South Point Bowling Plaza in Las Vegas on Oct. 22 and the Bowlmor AMF U.S. Open at AMF Garland Lanes in Texas on Sunday, Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, N.Y., led the combined pinfall totals for 40 qualifying games between those two events to earn an automatic invitation to compete in the DHC PBA Japan Invitational at Tokyo Bowl in Tokyo Jan. 12-17.

Also earning invitations for the DHC event, which will be covered live, exclusively by PBA’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel, are Aaron Lorincz, Saginaw, Mich.; John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y.; Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla.; Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind.; Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla.; Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, Pa.; Dom Barrett, England, and Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill.

Australia’s Jason Belmonte also earned an automatic berth, but has declined his invitation to remain home to await the arrival of his third child. His spot will be assumed by the next player in line, Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, N.Y.

Earning an invitation as the leading women’s points qualifier is Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, N.Y., and players who have been invited by DHC as the event sponsor are 2015 PWBA Player of the Year and Bowlmor AMF Women’s U.S. Open winner Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y. (who finished fourth in the 2015 DHC PBA Japan Invitational); defending champion Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas; Amleto Monacelli of Venezuela, and Parker Bohn III of Jackson, N.J.

The DHC PBA Japan Invitational will feature a field of 16 international players along with an elite field of 16 Japanese players competing for shares of a $152,000 prize fund and a PBA Tour title. The tournament will involve 32 games of round-robin match play – covered live, exclusively on Xtra Frame – leading up to a five-player stepladder final that will air on ESPN2 on Sunday, Jan. 31, at 1 p.m. ET.

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