'Fear the 'Fro': Kyle Troup looks for more PBA success at Bowlero Jupiter
WEST PALM BEACH — The Professional Bowlers Association’s 2022 Kia PBA Playoffs return to Bowlero Jupiter this year, and 30-year-old Kyle Troup will get the opportunity to defend his title on the national tour for the first time in his career.
Troup won his one and only major last year at this very event in Jupiter, proverbial icing on the cake of his Player of the Year recognition.
But while 2021 saw the meteoric rise of the North Carolina native, Sunday’s semifinals matchup follows a year in which Troup was unable to maintain such high-flying success on the lanes.
Not to his standards, at least.
“It’s very easy to get caught in the downside of bowling,” Troup said. “But I know deep down, I can still compete. I can execute the shots. It just comes down to doing it when it matters.”
For the bowler who wears his emotions on his sleeve — through success or struggle — Sunday’s matchup against Kris Prather, who has also won the event, is set to be a hotbed for entertainment on Fox’s 1 p.m. national broadcast.
Especially since this time, Troup’s dad will be there.
Guppy Troup, a renowned bowler in his own right, was unable to be in attendance for Kyle’s triumph in Jupiter last year.
“My father was [my] biggest inspiration,” Troup said. “I grew up as a kid, a bowling alley rat, looking up to my father being the entertainer of the sport. The fan favorite. That was the biggest thing I learned from him — how to enjoy the sport.”
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Fans who have followed Troup’s career certainly know the bowler enjoys the spotlight — and the spotlight seems to enjoy him, too.
Under the umbrella of Fox’s platform, bowlers’ personalities have flourished. The platform has worked to foster genuine relatable connections between fans and the bowlers they support.
For “Fear the ‘Fro” Troup, who has created a fun persona surrounding his hairdo and flamboyance on tour, the change has been a welcome one.
“The brand kind of built itself a little bit, and now I feel like the PBA may kick me off tour if I cut my hair,” he joked.
One of the people who interacts with Troup on tour more than most, Fox’s PBA reporter Kimberly Pressler enjoys seeing the honesty in the bowler’s attitude.
“He’s got his own style, his own flair, and he rocks it,” she said. “And I genuinely appreciate that about him. It’s very him. It’s not something he puts on. That is who he is to his core, and I love that he’s able to be himself.”
It’s not the only thing Troup learned from his father, with whom he’s currently tied for titles. Each has eight, from different times within the sport.
The chance to break that tie in front of his biggest inspiration is an opportunity the younger Troup yearns for.
“The playoff this year is definitely an important one because I’m the man of the house when it comes to bowling, but he still believes he’s hanging onto those eight titles from 1980,” Troup said. “I’m going to catch him really soon, and I think it’s coming Sunday.”
Viewers can tune in for the PBA playoff final on May 15 at 1 p.m. on Fox. Tickets for the semifinal at Bowlero Jupiter are $20 and can be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2022-kia-pba-playoffs-semifinals-tickets-317726978947?aff=ebdsoporgprofile.
Sunday's semifinal
What: 2022 Kia PBA Playoffs
When: 1 p.m.
Where: Bowlero Jupiter, 350 Maplewood Drive
TV: Fox
Matchups: Kyle Troup v. Kris Prather; Tommy Jones v. AJ Johnson
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This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: 2022 Kia PBA Playoffs: Kyle Troup looks for more success in Jupiter
