Keplinger, Purches Nominated for 2024 PBA Rookie of the Year
Alec Keplinger of Angola, Ind. and Nate Purches of Fond du Lac, Wis. are this year’s nominees for the Harry Golden PBA Rookie of the Year award, which recognizes the best first-year player during the 2024 PBA Tour season.
The award honors legendary PBA Tour tournament director Harry “Goose” Golden, who was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1983.
To qualify for the ballot, which can be viewed here, a player must have bowled at least three events and finished in the top five among rookies in points and earnings.
All PBA members are invited to vote for the 2024 PBA Player of the Year and Rookie of Year awards here.
A breakdown of the nominees for the 2024 Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year can be found here.
Winners for all 2024 PBA player awards, including the Tony Reyes Community Service and Steve Nagy Sportsmanship awards, will be announced during the week of Dec. 9.
Stat | Alec Keplinger | Nate Purches |
Points | 2,665 | 4,075 |
Earnings | $16,795 | $21,550 |
Average | 216.82 | 222.07 |
Games | 138 | 124 |
Events | 10 | 7 |
Cashes | 4 | 5 |
Best finish | 4th (Cheetah) | 7th (Cheetah) |
Best major finish | 28th (World) | 12th (World) |
Alec Keplinger
Keplinger, 23, is the latest decorated Wichita State product to join the PBA Tour. It took the one-handed righty a few events to adjust to the professional ranks, but he came on strong in the PBA World Series of Bowling (WSOB) XV.
He parlayed a clutch qualifying finish to make match play, then won two matches — including a Round of 8 victory over Purches — to reach his first career championship round in the PBA Cheetah Championship. His fourth-place finish in that event was the highest of any rookie this season.
Keplinger closed his season on a strong note, finishing 12th in the Storm PBA/PWBA Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles and 22nd in the PBA/PBA50/PWBA Jonesboro Trios.
Nate Purches
Though in his first year on the PBA Tour, Purches is no stranger to success on the PBA circuit. The inaugural PBA Junior Boys National Championship runner-up competed in the PBA Midwest Region last year, earning Rookie and Player of the Year honors.
This year on the PBA Tour, the two-handed Purches led all qualifying rookies in points, earnings and average.
Purches, who turned 21 this season, also got off to a slow start before staking his ROY claim with a spectacular WSOB. He made three of four cuts to match play, earning a season-high finish of seventh in the PBA Cheetah Championship and a season-high major finish of 12th in the PBA World Championship.
Before falling to Keplinger in the Round of 8, Purches completed an 0-2 comeback against Jason Belmonte in the PBA Cheetah Championship.
Voting is now open to PBA members here. The 2024 Harry Golden PBA Rookie of the Year award winner will be announced during the week of Dec. 9.
Past Harry Golden PBA Rookie of the Year Winners
Cortez Schenck, 2023
Santtu Tahvanainen, 2022
Matt Russo, 2021
not awarded in 2020 due to the pandemic-interrupted season (2020 rookies retained eligibility through 2021)
Mykel Holliman, 2019
Kamron Doyle, 2018
Matt Sanders, 2017
François Lavoie, 2016
Jesper Svensson, 2015
Marshall Kent, 2014