PBA exempt bowlers get to pick and choose which events to enter without having to go through the Tour Qualifying Round (TQR), making a PBA Tour exemption extremely valuable to the sustainability (and income) of a professional bowler's career. Without an exemption, a bowler must go through the TQR each week, with no guarantee of making it into the actual tournament. Expenses pile up quickly for all pro bowlers, but especially those who aren't guaranteed spots in the tournament.

What's the TQR?

The Tour Qualifying Round, putting it simply, is a tournament in itself in which non-exempt bowlers compete prior to a PBA Tour event. If there are any leftover spots, as there usually are, in a tournament not yet occupied by exempt bowlers, the top finishers in the TQR will earn those spots. Sound complicated? It's more complicated having to do it. That's why bowlers fight every year to earn exemptions. Many bowlers have made it from the TQR to exempt status, but it's not easy. To do that, a bowler has to make it through the TQR and then either win an event or place high enough on a consistent basis to earn enough points for exempt status the following year.

What is an exemption?

Any bowler with an exemption on the PBA Tour may participate in any and all PBA Tour events without having to qualify. Essentially, an exemption means a bowler is qualified for every event over the course of a season. Exempt bowlers get first choice as to which events to bowl, with TQR bowlers filling out any vacant spots after exempt bowlers have entered.

The longest available exemption is three years, awarded to the bowler who wins the U.S. Open, and each of the other three major championships are worth two-year exemptions. Every other PBA Tour exemption is worth one year. Because of that, every bowler, whether a rookie or a long-time veteran, has to earn his spot every season to make sure he can stay on the PBA Tour and continue earning money.

Earning an Exemption

There are a number of ways to earn an exemption on the PBA Tour:

• Win a major championship and receive a multi-year exemption (U.S. Open (three years), Tournament of Champions (two years), USBC Masters (two years), PBA World Championship (two years)).
• Win a PBA Tour standard title and receive a one-year exemption.
• Place in the previous season’s World Point Ranking list, minus those who already earned an exemption, up to a maximum of 42 bowlers, and receive a one-year exemption.
• Lead non-exempt members (among bowlers who regularly bowl in the Tour Qualifying Round) on the World Point Ranking list and receive a one-year exemption.
• Finish in the top seven of the previous season’s PBA Regional Players Invitational and receive a one-year exemption.
• Resume a previous exemption after a medical or hardship deferment, the length of which is determined by the specific exemption you're resuming.
• Receive a Golden Parachute exemption from the PBA, awarded to one non-exempt player by PBA leadership each year, worth a one-year exemption.

PBA Tour Exemption Length

Exemption Type	Exemption Length (Years)
U.S. Open Winner	3
Tournament of Champions Winner	2
USBC Masters Winner	2
PBA World Championship Winner	2
Win a PBA Standard Title	1
Place on the World Point Ranking List	1
Top Non-Exempt Bowler on the World Point Ranking List	1
Top Seven at PBA Regional Players' Invitational	1
Resume Previous Exemption	Varies
Golden Parachute Exemption	1