The 39th Manitoba Open was held on Jan. 11 and 12 at Chateau Lanes in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The 10-pin bowling tournament has occurred annually since 1982 and attracts bowlers from across Canada and the Midwest United States.
Day one of the event consisted of a 10-game qualifying round with the top 16 bowlers advancing onto the match play round. Michael Makela, from Thunder Bay, placed 4th in qualifying with 2141, while 6-time Open winner, Michael Schmidt, led the day with 2217. On day two of the event, bowlers played eight games head to head with the winner receiving 20 bonus pins to earn a position in the top five stepladder finals. Makela clinched the coveted top seed in the stepladder finals after having to win his last game in a tight 225 - 222 match against eventual second seed, Liam Naylor. This win meant that as the top seed, Makela had to be beaten twice in the finals to lose. Makela would go on to face the 2017 Manitoba Open champion, Wade Scott, in the finals. Makela got off to a quick start and won the first game against Scott 211 - 161 to claim the 2020 Manitoba Open title.
Makela is the first bowler from Thunder Bay to win this title. He joins notable previous winners of the event: Jack Brace – former Team Canada member and CTF Hall of Fame, Todd Savoy – USBC Hall of Fame, and Michael Schmidt – two-time World Cup champion.
