2014 is the 55th season of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour and the sixth straight season in which all of the North American fall events are condensed into the PBA World Series of Bowling (WSOB). The 2014 season consisted of 20 individual title events plus a "PBA League" team title event. The 2014 season is the first season since 2000 to follow a calendar year schedule. Tournament schedule and recaps For the sixth year in a row, the PBA held the fall North American events in one location at the PBA World Series of Bowling VI (WSOB VI). Preliminary rounds and match play took place October 24 through October 31, with taping of the final televised rounds on November 2. The four standard "animal pattern" tournaments in WSOB VI served as the initial qualifying rounds for the PBA World Championship. After 28 qualifying games (7 per pattern tournament), the top 24 bowlers (in total pinfall) bowled an additional 24 games of match play (three rounds of eight games) to determine the top five players for the TV finals. The World Championship returned to a split format, as in 2009-10. After the match play rounds at WSOB VI, the stepladder finals were held live on January 11, 2015. Following the WSOB, the Round1 Japan Cup invitational tournament took place in Japan, with a final televised round on November 15. Several international tour stops, which are part of the World Bowling Tour (WBT), were again part of the PBA Tour schedule. As in 2012–13, a PBA title is awarded if any of these stops are won by a PBA member. Notably absent from the PBA schedule in 2014 is the U.S. Open. The event was not hosted in 2014, as the BPAA (the tournament's primary sponsor) was unable to find additional sponsorship. Season highlights Jason Belmonte won the first two majors of the season, at the Barbasol Tournament of Champions and the USBC Masters, giving him three majors among his ten total titles. This was Jason's second consecutive victory in the USBC Masters, making him the first person to successfully defend a Masters title since Billy Welu in 1965. The "PBA League" team tournament was held for the second straight season. The 2014 team title went to the Silver Lake Atom Splitters, coached by former pro Mark Baker and featuring Chris Barnes, Bryon Smith, Tommy Jones, Wes Malott, and Dom Barrett