Mookie going toe-to-toe with No. 1 bowler in the world

The 2023 PBA U.S. Open championship is currently going on in Indianapolis, and you, dear MLB.com reader, are probably wondering why you should care at all about a bowling competition.

Here’s why: Dodgers star Mookie Betts is one of the 108 entrants in the prestigious tournament, and he is right in the middle of the pack.

At the end of his first eight-game qualifying set on Tuesday, Betts found himself tied on the scoreboard with the No. 1 bowler in the world, Jason Belmonte. The two-time World Series champ was tied for 19th among his 36-member squad -- the bowlers are grouped into one of three squads during the qualifying rounds -- and tied for 61st overall.

Betts’ bond with bowling is well-documented. He is at an alley almost daily during the offseason and has notched a perfect score of 300 at least five times -- most recently on his 30th birthday last year. He won a PBA event in 2019 and brings the same flair he showcases on the diamond to the lanes.

Betts, who received an exemption into the main draw via the U.S. Bowling Congress, will bowl eight more games today and Thursday, with the top 24 players moving on to match play this weekend. Even if Betts doesn’t advance, he’s once again proven what we already know: He is one heck of an athlete.