Last year's champion Kent Wagner will have his hands full as he tries to defend his Bermuda PBA South Classic bowling title next weekend.

The Florida, USA, resident will come up against a full slate of former winners of the same tournament which takes place from March 21-24 at Warwick Lanes.

Bermudians Dean Lightbourn and Antoine Jones are among the all-male competition's past champions who will be trying to dethrone Wagner who has been a professional bowler for 22 years.

Other Bermudians vying for the title this are Stephen Riley, Conrad Lister and Doug Hines.

The tournament which is being held under the auspices of the Seattle-based Professional Bowlers' Association (PBA) - of which the Bermuda Bowling Club (BBC) is a member - has attracted a record number of overseas participants, including several professionals, and BBC President Marjorie Correia has high hopes for the competition.

"This year we have the largest number of foreign competitors we've ever had and we would really like the Bermudian public to come out and give support.

"There's going to be a lot of excitement and a lot of big names in bowling," she said, adding that admission is free except the final night of competition - Sunday March 24 - when there will be a "small" charge.

In addition to the PBA championship, in which only the professionals will compete, spectators will have the chance to see the Junior Pro-Am and the Adult Pro-Am.

In these opening side-shows to the PBA championship, the professional bowlers will move from lane to lane, bowling against amateur junior and adult bowlers.

"These build-up competition are a nice way to introduce the professionals to our locals," said Correia.

She said that prize money totalling more than $20,000 was at stake this year.

Though she could not divulge how much the PBA championship winner would receive, the president noted that last year's winner took home $3,500.