Four years in theStates and it won't cost Rhys a bean!

Now instead the 16 year-old from Walton will be making his way across the Atlantic to study interior design at a university in America.

And every day he’ll be allowed time out to concentrate on his main love in life - tenpin bowling.

Bean is a whizz on the alley. He’s one of the country’s top young bowlers and last year made his international debut for England Under 16s. He was a member of the England team that won the Triple Crown Tournament in Dublin.

He regularly plays in tournaments abroad and in February while strutting his stuff on the lanes in an international tournament in Holland, he was spotted by a scout from a university in Georgia, USA.

After several meetings and trans-Atlantic e-mails Rhys was eventually offered a four-year scholarship at SCAD - the Savannah College of Art & Design in Atlanta.

He’ll bowl for his unversity team for four years and hopefully at the end of his scholarship he’ll be invited to play on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour.

“I can’t believe how lucky I am,” said Rhys. “To get all this for free is unbelievable.

“I’ll be bowling every day, fitting my studies around all the expert coaching I’ll be getting, and they’re providing me with all I could ask for - six new bowling balls for a start.

“It’s a dream come true and I can’t wait to get over there.”

Rhys was recently a member of the Wellingborough YBC team that clinched the South of England Championships in Dunstable. He switched from Peterborough to Wellingborough last year to get better competition.

Three times already this year Rhys has bowled the perfect 300 game.