GARLAND, Texas - The Bowlmor AMF U.S. Open is one of the most demanding tournaments in the sport of bowling, but JL Morse of Terrell, Texas, isn't intimidated by the lane conditions or the competition.

The 70-year-old right-hander is making his U.S. Open debut this week at AMF Garland Lanes and has enjoyed every aspect of his tournament experience. He had some initial reservations about entering the event at his home center, but he could not be happier about his decision to lace up against the top players in the world.

"I kept putting it off," Morse said. "I know I can't compete with those guys, but I know I can have just as much fun as they can, maybe more. I'm so proud that I signed up. Everybody in my family is tickled to death that I did it. I just love bowling."

The 24 games of qualifying over three days was not a concern for Morse, who can be found at AMF Garland Lanes or a nearby center nearly every day, either working on his game or bowling in league. Some of his preparation leading into the tournament included participating in the U.S. Open pro-am and sharpening his skills at the U.S. Open's official practice session.

Morse also has taken advantage of watching some of his favorite bowlers work their magic on the challenging 43-foot oil pattern used this week.

"Eight games a day is a breeze," Morse said. "I even bowled league after qualifying Tuesday. I've been watching and trying to learn. A lot of people don't realize how hard this pattern is."

As Morse has watched some of his idols and picked up some new tricks of the trade, his fellow competitors also have taken notice of his positive approach and attitude, including Professional Women's Bowling Association standout T'Nia Falbo of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, who crossed with Morse during qualifying.

"It's been fun to bowl and cross with him this week," Falbo said. "He has been in great spirits and really having fun. I think it's definitely been a great experience for him. He's been loving every minute of it."

Morse finished his 2015 U.S. Open with a 24-game total of 3,954, and although he did not advance to the next round, he gladly would do it again.

"You see all of these people and idolize the way they bowl, and to be right there next to them and get to bowl is great," Morse said. "The people who have been running the tournament have been super supportive, and I couldn't ask for a better experience. I could've asked to bowl better, but I've been tickled with everything else."

Ladies first - There are seven women in the field at the U.S. Open this week, and five are members of the PWBA, which just completed its first season since 2003.

The return of the PWBA gave recent Nebraska graduate Liz Kuhlkin of Schenectady, New York, a career option she never expected. The two-time NCAA women's national champion claimed her first PWBA title at the 2015 PWBA Topeka Open in August, and she is using events like the U.S. Open and upcoming GEICO Professional Bowlers Association World Series of Bowling VII Presented by Silver Legacy in Reno, Nevada, to learn, improve and get sharper for the 2016 PWBA season.

"This all is an amazing opportunity, and I take my job as a professional bowler very seriously," said Kuhlkin, a former member of Junior Team USA. "I bowled well in Vegas (at The South Point Bowling Plaza PBA Fall Classic), and I knew if I didn't bowl this week, I'd regret it. I already had a plane ticket and planned to come watch Ryan (Shafer), so I decided to bowl, too. The U.S. Open is such a valuable experience, and I knew I'd learn from the challenge."

The other women in the field are USBC Hall of Famer Lynda Barnes of Double Oak, Texas; 2015 Smithfield PWBA Tour Championship promoted by GoBowling.com champion Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, New York; PWBA standouts T'Nia Falbo of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and Erin McCarthy of Omaha, Nebraska; Crystal Hall of St. Pauls, North Carolina, and Japan's Rina Asada.

From far and wide - The 275-player field at the 2015 U.S. Open features bowlers from 12 countries, and the list of 21 international players includes young two-hander Jesper Svensson of Sweden, who is turning a whirlwind week in Garland, Texas, into a priceless learning experience.

The 20-year-old, who is one year into his career as a globe-trotting professional bowler, made the 5,000-mile trip following some league matches and tournaments in Europe. He arrived in Texas just two days before the official practice day at the U.S. Open.

Two days into his first U.S. Open, Svensson may not be where he'd like to be in the standings (164th overall), but he knows the experience will help him at the upcoming PBA International-World Bowling Tour Qatar Open and PBA World Series of Bowling.

"I knew the U.S. Open was going to be challenging, which is one of the reasons I wanted to come," said Svensson, who won his first PBA national title this year at the Bahrain International Open and already has locked up the 2015 European Bowling Tour points race. "I will do my best until the end, and I know I have to realize my mistakes, so I can come back stronger next time."

Swedish standout Martin Larsen also is competing in the U.S. Open this week. Other countries represented at AMF Garland Lanes include: Australia, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, England, Finland, Japan, Mexico, Thailand, Venezuela and the United States.

Fresh, burn and double-burn: The 2015 U.S. Open has three squads for qualifying, with only the first squad each day bowling on a fresh oil. During the three days of qualifying, all competitors will have the chance to experience the three phases of lane transition - fresh, burn and double-burn.

Through two days, bowlers on the fresh 43-foot lane condition are averaging 187.98, followed by 196.54 on the burn and 194.11 on the double-burn.

All competitors will bowl 24 qualifying games over three days, before the field is cut to the top 92 for eight additional games. The 32-game pinfall totals will determine the 24 players for round-robin match play.