The 4th CB Masters: Tradition, Legacy, and the Road Ahead

There are tournaments… and then there are moments.

When the very first CB Masters was held, it was more than a competition. It was a beginning. Clay Rees stepped forward that year, etching his name into the record books as the inaugural champion. In doing so, he lit a flame that became the CB TOUR. What started as one tournament has grown into something far greater, a stage where the game’s best gather, where tradition is forged, and where legacies are defined.

Now, the Masters returns for its fourth chapter. The lone major of the season, it stands apart, a crown jewel, a proving ground, a place where the weight of history presses down on every shot. This is where the names atop the standings are no longer just bowlers, but champions remembered long after the pins fall.

From Clay Rees’ spark that lit the flame, to the champions and challengers who’ve carried it forward, the Masters has always been about more than strikes and spares. It’s about legacy. It’s about stepping into an arena where history whispers, pressure mounts, and every frame carries weight.

And now, as we turn to the present, the question looms: who will write the next chapter? The road to the 4th CB Masters runs through Sparetime Lanes, and the field is as deep and dangerous as ever.

Here are the Top 12 contenders to watch, the names who’ve proven their mettle and positioned themselves for glory:

12. Daria Pajak

Daria Pajak brings international pedigree and plenty of experience to the CB TOUR. A PWBA champion with multiple deep runs in majors, she has shown flashes of brilliance on this circuit as well, including a strong performance at the CB Masters in 2023 where she pushed into the later qualifying rounds. While she hasn’t broken through for a CB TOUR title yet, her versatility on challenging patterns makes her one of the most dangerous players to overlook.

Coming into this year’s Masters at No. 12, Pajak is once again in position to disrupt the bracket. Her ability to stay composed in high-pressure situations, paired with a fearless strike ball, gives her the kind of upside that can shift the tone of a match in a single game. She may not be among the statistical favorites, but with her experience and proven ability to beat the best, Pajak remains a sleeper threat to run the table.

11. Morgan Robinson

The reigning Season 2 Points Champion continues to prove that consistency is his calling card. Robinson finished 3rd in last year’s Masters, showing he can contend deep into a major. While his start to Season 3 has been shakier, including a miss of the bracket at the Trillion Mortgage Open, his steady game and ability to grind through qualifying make him a reliable threat.

Robinson doesn’t rely on flash, but his track record suggests he’ll be in the mix once the pressure ramps up. If he finds rhythm early in Sparetime’s lanes, expect him to quietly climb the standings and become a tough out once bracket play begins.

10. Clay Rees

The first Masters champion, Rees will always have a special place in the history of this event. He knows what this tournament means and brings that experience with him every time he competes.

At the Trillion Mortgage Open, he made the bracket and battled hard before falling to Lizzy in one of the better matches of the weekend. That result shows he’s still right there with the best. If he gets lined up early, Rees has the tools and the history to put together another deep run at the Masters.

9. Chase Nadeau

Nadeau has proven he can make deep runs when the lights are on. At last year’s Masters, he went toe-to-toe with Chad McLean in one of the tighter matches of the weekend. He followed that up at the CKSO with a push to the Elite 8, showing the kind of grit needed to survive late in brackets.

Now he returns to the TOUR after some time away, stepping into an environment where the lane philosophy has evolved since he last competed. If he finds a quick adjustment, he has the track record to push deep again and put himself right back in the conversation.

8. Steve Kloempken

Few moments in CB TOUR history captured the drama of the Masters quite like Steve Kloempken’s showdown with Ryan Barnes a year ago. Locked in a roll-off, Steve delivered a great shot only to be denied by a stubborn 8-pin. Seconds later, Barnes sent a messenger across the deck to end the match and Steve’s run. It was a brutal reminder of how small the margins are at this level, and how even the best can find themselves on the wrong side of fate.

That loss, however, doesn’t diminish what Kloempken brings to the table. A veteran voice with unmatched knowledge of ball motion and lane play, his ability to adjust on the fly remains one of his greatest strengths. He has quietly put together steady results across the CB TOUR, proving that experience and patience still hold weight in a field full of young talent. If he finds rhythm early this week, don’t be surprised to see Steve turn that heartbreak into motivation and make another deep run at the Masters.

7. Kyle Morrison

Few bowlers can build momentum like Kyle Morrison. When he gets locked in, his blend of power and control makes him one of the toughest players to stop. The only thing missing from his résumé is that elusive breakthrough win. He’s been close, and the Masters has often brought out some of his best bowling, but Sparetime Lanes has also been unkind to him.

It was here that Kyle left the first pocket 7–10 split to ever decide a CB TOUR roll-off — a wild moment that instantly became part of Tour lore. Since then, he’s continued to run into cruel bounces on this stage, with more pocket 7–10s denying him deep bracket runs. Yet, each time he’s responded with poise and determination. For Morrison, the Masters represents both unfinished business and a chance to finally flip the script. If he can catch a break this year, he has all the tools to make a serious run at the title.

6. Cameron Henning

Henning’s steady rise has been one of the TOUR’s best stories. At nearly every stop, he’s proven he can compete with the very best, stacking strong finishes even if that first CB TOUR title still eludes him. His poise under pressure and ability to make quality shots late in blocks has made him a consistent presence near the top of leaderboards.

Sparetime Lanes has already given him a taste of victory — Henning captured the Utah Open here — and now he returns looking to add a major to his résumé. With the way he’s bowled across multiple events, a breakthrough feels more like a matter of “when” than “if.” If he can put everything together this weekend, Henning has the tools and experience to turn that consistency into a signature win on one of the TOUR’s biggest stages.

5. Braydn Linke

Linke has quickly gone from a name hovering around the cut line to a legitimate contender on the CB TOUR. For much of last season, he was known for grinding his way into brackets and picking off solid finishes, but never quite putting it all together. That changed at the Trillion Mortgage Open, where he surged to a runner-up finish and announced himself as a player capable of running deep in majors.

Momentum is on his side now. Fresh off a win at Sparetime, Linke returns to the Masters with confidence and form that could push him over the top. He has shown the ability to string together big games and turn qualifying blocks into bracket momentum. If there was ever a moment for him to capture his first CB TOUR title — and to do it on the sport’s biggest stage — this might be it.

4. Alex Hoskins

Hoskins stands alone as the only three-time champion on the CB TOUR, a mark that underscores just how dangerous he can be when he’s locked in. He’s already hoisted the Masters trophy once, proving he can handle the weight of the tour’s biggest stage. Few players match his blend of precision, versatility, and ability to manage pressure in major moments — and that’s why he’s always a threat when the lights are brightest.

That said, the Trillion Mortgage Open was a rare stumble. Hoskins missed his first-ever cut, a reminder that even the best can hit turbulence. If anything, that setback may serve as the fuel he needs. With a chance to become the tour’s first four-time winner and a two-time Masters champion, Hoskins enters this weekend with both history and redemption on the line. Count him out at your own risk.

3. Andy Kinney

Kinney’s consistency has been one of the defining storylines of Season 2 into Season 3. He’s shown up at nearly every stop ready to compete, rarely missing a chance to put himself in the mix. At the Trillion Mortgage Open, he held his own through qualifying and picked up a win in the first round of the bracket before bowing out in the second. It was another reminder that he has the tools to beat anyone in the field — now it’s about sustaining that momentum all the way through.

Sparetime has been kind to Kinney in the past, and the Masters could be the place where it all comes together. With higher stakes, bigger points, and a title that carries unmatched weight on the CB TOUR, this is the stage where a breakthrough would mean the most. If Kinney can put together the same steadiness he’s shown all season with a little extra firepower in match play, his first CB TOUR title could come in grand fashion — at the Masters.

2. Dallas Leong

Leong has proven himself time and again as one of the most dependable players on the CB TOUR. His game isn’t built on raw power but on precision and patience — qualities that have carried him deep into countless brackets. Sparetime has been a strong venue for him, and just last year he fell just short at the RIGC, dropping a hard-fought match to Felicia Wong. That near-miss was one of several times his consistency has carried him right to the edge of a title.

The story for Leong has been about finishing the job. His fitness and discipline keep him sharp under pressure, and the Masters stage provides the perfect chance to turn all those close calls into a breakthrough. With the points race heating up and a title that defines careers on the line, Leong enters Roy primed for the kind of win that’s been just out of reach — and it feels like it’s only a matter of time.

1. Giorgio Clinaz

Clinaz has left no doubt about his place among the TOUR’s elite. A two-time champion already, he comes into the Masters fresh off a statement win at the Trillion Mortgage Open. Add to that his victory at the RIGC right here at Sparetime, and the case is clear — Clinaz has shown he can thrive on this stage. He’s been the picture of confidence under pressure, making the big shots when it matters most and seizing the spotlight when the stakes are highest.

This weekend, the road to the title runs through Clinaz. A win would make him just the second three-time champion in CB TOUR history, joining Alex Hoskins, and it would add the TOUR’s lone major to his resume. He enters Roy as the undeniable favorite, but with the Masters’ unique format and deep field, Clinaz will have to bring his best to turn that momentum into another milestone moment.

There are tournaments. And then there is the Masters.

Born from a single idea and a single champion in Clay Rees, the Masters has become more than a competition — it is a tradition. Each year, the road to Roy leads the CB TOUR’s finest into Sparetime Lanes, where the lights shine a little brighter, the pressure cuts a little deeper, and every frame carries the weight of legacy.

The Masters is the lone major, the crown jewel of the season. It is where the game’s greatest players measure themselves not only against one another, but against the history of those who came before. Here, legends are written. Here, heartbreak and triumph live side by side.

As we open the book to the 4th chapter, the questions echo louder than ever. Will Giorgio Clinaz continue his march into history? Will Alex Hoskins add yet another banner to his name? Will a first-time champion rise from the shadows to seize the moment?

The Masters does not give away its glory easily. It demands precision, poise, and heart. And when the final pin falls, one bowler will stand taller than the rest — their name etched alongside those who dared and prevailed before them.

This is the Masters. This is where legacies are made.

September 12–14, 2025 – Sparetime Lanes, Roy, Utah

Schedule

Qualifying – Friday, September 12

• 5:30 PM – 5 games across 5 pairs

Qualifying – Saturday, September 13

• 9:00 AM – 5 games across 5 pairs

• 1:00 PM – 5 games across 5 pairs

• 5:30 PM – 5 games across 5 pairs

• Desperado Squad (after last qualifying) – 1 game, 1 spot awarded

Bracket Finals – Sunday, September 14

• Top 30 advance directly into bracket play

  • Division split based on percentage of field (approx. 70% Open / 30% Under, plus High Woman and Desperado advancing)

• Best-of-2, double-elimination bracket

  • Top 4 seeds earn a 3-round bye

  • Seeds 5–8 earn a 1-round bye