LIVERPOOL, N.Y. - The six men who will represent Team USA at the upcoming World Bowling World Championships recently were announced, and all six are part of the select field at this week's U.S. Open.

Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, South Carolina, Marshall Kent of Yakima, Washington, Jakob Butturff of Tempe, Arizona, AJ Johnson of Oswego, Illinois and Chris Via of Springfield, Ohio, claimed their spots at Flamingo Bowl this week based on their on-lane performances in 2016, and their continued success earned them selection for the upcoming World Championships.

The group will wear the red, white and blue at the South Point Bowling Plaza in Las Vegas from Nov. 24-Dec. 4, where they will meet top competitors from three dozen countries.

Butturff, Johnson and Via will be making their World Championships debuts, and the selection to the team has provided a boost of confidence for each player as they look to advance through the U.S. Open field and to the live televised final Nov. 1 on CBS Sports Network at 7:30 p.m. Eastern.

The Team USA experience for the three varies, but the importance of being selected for the World Championships is not lost on any of the young competitors.

Johnson is making his third appearance on Team USA, and first since 2014, while Via has spent the last two years on the adult team. Butturff is a first-time Team USA member, a distinction he earned by winning the United States Bowling Congress Team USA Trials in January.

The men's team recently completed its annual training camp at the International Training and Research Center, the home of Team USA, in Arlington, Texas, and each player noted the impact of being able to work with the coaching staff at the state-of-the-art facility.

Johnson, a 25-year-old right-hander, represented the United States at the Tournament of the Americas in 2012 and 2014 and was an alternate at the 2014 Pan American Sports Festival.

Getting the opportunity to compete in the team atmosphere is something Johnson enjoyed as a collegiate standout at McKendree, and he hopes to be able to contribute in the same way he did as a three-time National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association All-American.

"Getting the call to be a part of the team that bowls at the World Championships means everything to me," said Johnson, who was the 2013-2014 NCBCA Most Valuable Player. "Since I finished college, there have not been many opportunities to bowl in team competition, so it's great to be a part of a team again, especially with this group of guys. It's a huge deal to all of us, and I'm going to do whatever I can to help and contribute. Knowing the coaches have the confidence in me gives me all the confidence I need going into the U.S. Open, too."

Via, a 25-year-old two-hander, had his first chance to experience the world stage at the 2012 World Bowling Youth Championships in Bangkok as a member of Junior Team USA. Junior Team USA captured the gold medal in team competition, and Via also earned a silver medal in Masters.

"Being part of the junior team at the World Championships was an experience I'll never forget," Via said. "Making it back as a member of the adult team was something I really wanted coming into the year, and being able to have that chance is a dream come true. The selection really boosted my confidence heading into the U.S. Open, and after making some adjustments to my physical game at camp, I feel like I'm throwing it well and feel good about what I'll be able to do this week."

Butturff's win at Team USA Trials automatically qualified him to represent the United States at the QubicaAMF World Cup, which runs Nov. 5-11 in Hermosillo, Mexico. Despite the busy schedule, the 23-year-old left-hander has appreciated the confidence the Team USA coaching staff has shown in him.

He also was scheduled to compete for Team USA at the World Games in Wroclaw, Poland, in July before fracturing a finger on his left hand.

There hasn't been any sign of the injury so far at Flamingo Bowl, where Butturff leads the field after his second round of qualifying with a 16-game total of 3,626, a 226.6 average.

"It's definitely an overwhelming feeling, especially being a rookie on the team," said Butturff, who rolled the first 300 game of the 2017 U.S. Open on Saturday. "Knowing that the coaching staff has that much faith in me definitely means a lot. Through camp and the great coaches, I ended up learning a couple of things about my game that even I didn't know, and putting it all together makes me feel very confident heading into this week."

After winning the gold medal in team competition at the 2006, 2008 and 2010 World Championships, the men's team was unable to return to the top spot on the podium at the 2013 and 2014 events.

The motivation to reclaim the gold in team, especially as the hosting country, is something driving each competitor heading into the 2017 event.

"No matter what event it may be, having USA on your back and wearing the red, white and blue is an incredible feeling," Via said. "Our goal is to be on the podium wearing the gold medal and hearing our national anthem. We'll be on our home turf, and we're going to work as hard as we can to take it home."

Team USA also will compete for medals in singles, doubles, trios, all-events and Masters.