SPOILER ALERT: The following story contains information about the stepladder finals of PWBA events that will air on CBS Sports Network in August.
The Professional Women's Bowling Association conducted the stepladder finals for three events at Stardust Bowl in Addison, Illinois, on Sunday, and the finals will air on CBS Sports Network this month. The PWBA Lexington Open, PWBA Rochester Open, and PWBA St. Petersburg-Clearwater Open finals are part of the CBS Sports Network television package with the United States Bowling Congress. CBS Sports Network is televising 23 bowling events, including 13 PWBA Tour events, this year.
SPOILER ALERT: The following story contains information about the stepladder finals of PWBA events that will air on CBS Sports Network in August.
The Professional Women's Bowling Association Tour, which was re-launched in 2015 after nearly a dozen years, has released the PWBA Tour schedule for 2016, featuring 10 regular-season events, four "majors" and stops from coast to coast. The 2016 PWBA schedule kicked off April 28 with the PWBA Las Vegas Open at Texas Station and will conclude with back-to-back "majors", the U.S. Women's Open and The Smithfield PWBA Tour Championship.
For the third consecutive time, and fifth overall, USBC Hall of Famer Liz Johnson will be taking home the U.S. Women's Open trophy, and she will savor every moment. Johnson (pictured), of Cheektowaga, New York, won four consecutive matches Sunday at Stardust Bowl, including a 208-143 victory over Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio, in the title match, to capture her fifth U.S. Women's Open title. Her first one came 20 years ago, and she also won in 2007, 2013, and 2015.
Shannon Pluhowsky (l.) finished her 32nd and final qualifying game at the 2016 U.S. Women's Open with three strikes for a 172 total and then had to wait to see if she would be among the top 24 to advance to match play. She made it, and as the No. 24 qualifier, Pluhowsky, of Dayton, Ohio, then made a remarkable run at Stardust Bowl in Addison, Illinois, to earn the top seed for Sunday's stepladder finals. CBS Sports Network will have live coverage of the finals starting at noon Eastern.
Shayna Ng (pictured) of Singapore maintained her lead at U.S. Women's Open after the first eight-game round of match play Friday at The Stardust Bowl in Addison, Illinois. She leads the remaining 24 players with an 8,523 pinfall total through 40 games, including 210 bonus pins. Ng started the day with a 25-pin lead, was in fifth place and 173 pins back after the final eight games of qualifying and went 7-1 in match play to build an 85-pin lead over Colombia native Rocio Restrepo.
Shayna Ng (SIN), Tannya Roumimper (INA), Rocio Restrepo (COL) and New Hui Fen (SIN) sit atop the leaderboard as field is cut to top 47 players
Second round leader Tannya Roumimper of Indonesia held a slim lead in the third round of qualifying at the U.S. Women's Open over Singapore's Shayna Ng most of the day but saw it slip away after a 164 effort in the final game. Ng (pictured) finished qualifying atop the leaderboard with a 5,013 pinfall total, an average of 208.87 for the 24 games, as the 142-player field was cut to the top 37 players. Ng was followed by Roumimper at 4,988, Colombia native Rocio Restrepo at 4,977 and Singapore's New Hui Fen at 4,972.
Indonesia's Tannya Roumimper and Singapore's Shayna Ng lead a field of 142 players at the U.S. Women's Open after the second round of qualifying Wednesday at The Stardust Bowl in Addison, Illinois. Roumimper (left) has a two-day pinfall total of 3,422, an average of 213,87 for 16 games, and Ng (right) is 60 pins behind in second place with 3,362. The U.S. Women's Open continues Thursday with the third and final eight-game qualifying block.
Bowling on the second of the two squads on Tuesday, Amanda Greene of Romney, West Virginia, averaged 227 for a 1,818 pinfall total and holds a 32-pin lead over Kelly Kulick of Union, New Jersey, after the opening round of the U.S. Women's Open at Stardust Bowl in Addison, Illinois. Seven of the top eight bowlers came from the second squad, which bowled on the burn as the lanes were not oiled between squads. The U.S. Women's Open continues Wednesday with eight more qualifying games.
Shannon O'Keefe of O'Fallon, Illinois, and Bill O'Neill of Langhorne, Pennsyalvania, withstood a challenge from Jason Belmonte of Australia and Diandra Asbaty of Chicago, in the position round match to successfully defend their Storm PBA/PWBA Xtra Frame Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles title Sunday at Bowl on Bellaire. O'Keefe, a 12-time Team USA member, earned her fourth PWBA Tour title while O'Neill earned his eighth PBA Tour title and first of the season.
38 doubles teams advance to Sunday's cashers' round at Storm PBA/PWBA Xtra Frame Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles
Three-time defending PBA Player of the Year Jason Belmonte of Australia and Diandra Asbaty of Chicago, combined to average 221.6 to lead 152 doubles teams after qualifying Saturday in the Storm PBA/PWBA Xtra Frame Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles at Bowl on Bellaire in Houston, Texas. The duo had a 3,547 16-game pinfall total to top 38 teams that advanced to Sunday morning's cashers' round that will determine the top eight teams for the final match play round Sunday afternoon.
Shannon O'Keefe of O'Fallon, Illinois, endured a heart-breaking loss in the 2015 U.S. Women's Open title match, falling 190-189 to Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, New York. The loss continued a string of close finishes at the prestigious major, which includes finishing third in 2012, fifth in 2011 and another runner-up finish in 2007. But with two PWBA titles this season, and having qualified for at least two other TV shows, O'Keefe will head into the 2016 U.S. Women's Open more confident than ever.
PBA, PWBA Tour stars headline 17th annual fund-raiser in Houston
The largest field in the 17-year history of Donna Conners' tribute to her late friend, Luci Bonneau, will arrive in Houston this weekend to compete for titles in the PBA-PWBA Xtra Frame Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles, sponsored by Storm. After raising nearly $750,000 to help fund breast cancer research and assist those who may not be able to afford proper care, Conners continues to enhance the tournament to accommodate an increasing number of PBA and PWBA competitors who want to participate.
Rocio Restrepo admits her emotions can sometimes get the better of her when she's on the lanes, but she allowed those strong emotions to drive her to the title of the PWBA Greater Detroit Open. Restrepo (l.) jumped to an early lead against Malaysia's Sin Li Jane (r.), striking in four of her first six frames, on her way to a 217-185 victory at The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley in Green Bay, Wis. Restrepo claimed her first PWBA title with the victory.
Setting goals provides a player in any sport a special focus during a long season. For Lindsay Boomershine, the goal for the 2016 PWBA Tour season was simple – to not be 17th. Boomershine, of Perry, Utah, went 5-1 in match play at the PWBA St. Petersburg-Clearwater Open on Saturday to earn the top seed for the televised stepladder finals. She will be joined on the TV show by Colombia's Rocio Restrepo along with Stefanie Johnson and Kelly Kulick.
Making the cut at the end of the first day of competition means making a paycheck on the PWBA Tour. Colombian native Maria Jose Rodriguez of Austin, Texas, not only is on her way to cashing another PWBA check, she also has put herself in a better position than what she has seen lately as the leader after 12 games of qualifying at the PWBA St. Petersburg-Clearwater Open, taking place at Seminole Lanes. The tournament continues Saturday with six more games to determine the 12 players for match play.
The last time the Professional Women's Bowling Association visited Florida, Ashly Galante just had entered her teen years and still was a few years away from hitting her stride as one of the nation's top junior bowlers. Currently, the 27-year-old Palm Harbor resident is a role model for the young bowlers at nearby Countryside Lanes in Clearwater, Florida, and she's hoping to have her own breakthrough PWBA performance in front of her friends and family this week at the 2016 PWBA St. Petersburg-Clearwater Open.
Shannon O'Keefe of O'Fallon, Illinois, wasted no time in the title match, defeating Colombia native Clara Guerrero of Pflugerville, Texas, 252-203, to win the Pepsi Professional Women's Bowling Association Lincoln Open, her third career PWBA title and second of the 2016 season. For O'Keefe, her success in 2016 might not be possible without her previous television experiences. Through repetition, the 37-year-old right-hander has learned how to control her emotions when competing on television.
Shannon O'Keefe of O'Fallon, Illinois, is bowling with confidence this season, and that again was on display Friday at the 2016 Professional Women's Bowling Association Rochester Open.
O'Keefe (pictured above) averaged 235 over 12 qualifying games for a 2,820 pinfall total at AMF Gates Lanes in Rochester, N.Y., edging Clara Juliana Guerrero (right) of Pflugerville, Texas (2,794), for the lead. O'Keefe, who also led after the first six-game block Friday, averaged
242.5 during the evening block to stay ahead of the charging Guerrero.
Five-time Team USA member Brittni Hamilton of Nashville, Tennessee, was noticeably absent from the PWBA Tour this season until last week, when the made her 2016 debut at the PWBA Lexington Open. Hamilton has had a busy schedule off the lanes this year, starting a full-time job in admissions at DeVry University. Along with other commitments, she was able to fit in only a couple of Tour stops this season including this week's PWBA Rochester Open that will take place in her hometown.
Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. Fortunately, for Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, New York, not only was she good, she also had a certain lucky charm in attendance to help her to victory at the 2016 PWBA Wichita Open. McEwan, the No. 1 seed, struck in five of the first seven frames en route to defeating Colombian native Maria Jose Rodriguez of Austin, Texas, 210-171, at The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley in Green Bay, Wis., for her second career PWBA title.
The Professional Women's Bowling Association conducted the stepladder finals for three events at Stardust Bowl in Addison, Illinois, on Sunday, and the finals will air on CBS Sports Network this month. The PWBA Lexington Open, PWBA Rochester Open, and PWBA St. Petersburg-Clearwater Open finals are part of the CBS Sports Network television package with the United States Bowling Congress. CBS Sports Network is televising 23 bowling events, including 13 PWBA Tour events, this year.
For the third consecutive time, and fifth overall, USBC Hall of Famer Liz Johnson will be taking home the U.S. Women's Open trophy, and she will savor every moment. Johnson (pictured), of Cheektowaga, New York, won four consecutive matches Sunday at Stardust Bowl, including a 208-143 victory over Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio, in the title match, to capture her fifth U.S. Women's Open title. Her first one came 20 years ago, and she also won in 2007, 2013, and 2015.
Shannon Pluhowsky (l.) finished her 32nd and final qualifying game at the 2016 U.S. Women's Open with three strikes for a 172 total and then had to wait to see if she would be among the top 24 to advance to match play. She made it, and as the No. 24 qualifier, Pluhowsky, of Dayton, Ohio, then made a remarkable run at Stardust Bowl in Addison, Illinois, to earn the top seed for Sunday's stepladder finals. CBS Sports Network will have live coverage of the finals starting at noon Eastern.
Shayna Ng (pictured) of Singapore maintained her lead at U.S. Women's Open after the first eight-game round of match play Friday at The Stardust Bowl in Addison, Illinois. She leads the remaining 24 players with an 8,523 pinfall total through 40 games, including 210 bonus pins. Ng started the day with a 25-pin lead, was in fifth place and 173 pins back after the final eight games of qualifying and went 7-1 in match play to build an 85-pin lead over Colombia native Rocio Restrepo.
Second round leader Tannya Roumimper of Indonesia held a slim lead in the third round of qualifying at the U.S. Women's Open over Singapore's Shayna Ng most of the day but saw it slip away after a 164 effort in the final game. Ng (pictured) finished qualifying atop the leaderboard with a 5,013 pinfall total, an average of 208.87 for the 24 games, as the 142-player field was cut to the top 37 players. Ng was followed by Roumimper at 4,988, Colombia native Rocio Restrepo at 4,977 and Singapore's New Hui Fen at 4,972.
Bowling on the second of the two squads on Tuesday, Amanda Greene of Romney, West Virginia, averaged 227 for a 1,818 pinfall total and holds a 32-pin lead over Kelly Kulick of Union, New Jersey, after the opening round of the U.S. Women's Open at Stardust Bowl in Addison, Illinois. Seven of the top eight bowlers came from the second squad, which bowled on the burn as the lanes were not oiled between squads. The U.S. Women's Open continues Wednesday with eight more qualifying games. 
Shannon O'Keefe of O'Fallon, Illinois, and Bill O'Neill of Langhorne, Pennsyalvania, withstood a challenge from Jason Belmonte of Australia and Diandra Asbaty of Chicago, in the position round match to successfully defend their Storm PBA/PWBA Xtra Frame Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles title Sunday at Bowl on Bellaire. O'Keefe, a 12-time Team USA member, earned her fourth PWBA Tour title while O'Neill earned his eighth PBA Tour title and first of the season.
Three-time defending PBA Player of the Year Jason Belmonte of Australia and Diandra Asbaty of Chicago, combined to average 221.6 to lead 152 doubles teams after qualifying Saturday in the Storm PBA/PWBA Xtra Frame Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles at Bowl on Bellaire in Houston, Texas. The duo had a 3,547 16-game pinfall total to top 38 teams that advanced to Sunday morning's cashers' round that will determine the top eight teams for the final match play round Sunday afternoon.
Shannon O'Keefe of O'Fallon, Illinois, endured a heart-breaking loss in the 2015 U.S. Women's Open title match, falling 190-189 to Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, New York. The loss continued a string of close finishes at the prestigious major, which includes finishing third in 2012, fifth in 2011 and another runner-up finish in 2007. But with two PWBA titles this season, and having qualified for at least two other TV shows, O'Keefe will head into the 2016 U.S. Women's Open more confident than ever.
The largest field in the 17-year history of Donna Conners' tribute to her late friend, Luci Bonneau, will arrive in Houston this weekend to compete for titles in the PBA-PWBA Xtra Frame Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles, sponsored by Storm. After raising nearly $750,000 to help fund breast cancer research and assist those who may not be able to afford proper care, Conners continues to enhance the tournament to accommodate an increasing number of PBA and PWBA competitors who want to participate.
Rocio Restrepo admits her emotions can sometimes get the better of her when she's on the lanes, but she allowed those strong emotions to drive her to the title of the PWBA Greater Detroit Open. Restrepo (l.) jumped to an early lead against Malaysia's Sin Li Jane (r.), striking in four of her first six frames, on her way to a 217-185 victory at The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley in Green Bay, Wis. Restrepo claimed her first PWBA title with the victory. 
Setting goals provides a player in any sport a special focus during a long season. For Lindsay Boomershine, the goal for the 2016 PWBA Tour season was simple – to not be 17th. Boomershine, of Perry, Utah, went 5-1 in match play at the PWBA St. Petersburg-Clearwater Open on Saturday to earn the top seed for the televised stepladder finals. She will be joined on the TV show by Colombia's Rocio Restrepo along with Stefanie Johnson and Kelly Kulick.
Making the cut at the end of the first day of competition means making a paycheck on the PWBA Tour. Colombian native Maria Jose Rodriguez of Austin, Texas, not only is on her way to cashing another PWBA check, she also has put herself in a better position than what she has seen lately as the leader after 12 games of qualifying at the PWBA St. Petersburg-Clearwater Open, taking place at Seminole Lanes. The tournament continues Saturday with six more games to determine the 12 players for match play. 
The last time the Professional Women's Bowling Association visited Florida, Ashly Galante just had entered her teen years and still was a few years away from hitting her stride as one of the nation's top junior bowlers. Currently, the 27-year-old Palm Harbor resident is a role model for the young bowlers at nearby Countryside Lanes in Clearwater, Florida, and she's hoping to have her own breakthrough PWBA performance in front of her friends and family this week at the 2016 PWBA St. Petersburg-Clearwater Open.
Shannon O'Keefe of O'Fallon, Illinois, wasted no time in the title match, defeating Colombia native Clara Guerrero of Pflugerville, Texas, 252-203, to win the Pepsi Professional Women's Bowling Association Lincoln Open, her third career PWBA title and second of the 2016 season. For O'Keefe, her success in 2016 might not be possible without her previous television experiences. Through repetition, the 37-year-old right-hander has learned how to control her emotions when competing on television.
Shannon O'Keefe of O'Fallon, Illinois, is bowling with confidence this season, and that again was on display Friday at the 2016 Professional Women's Bowling Association Rochester Open.
O'Keefe (pictured above) averaged 235 over 12 qualifying games for a 2,820 pinfall total at AMF Gates Lanes in Rochester, N.Y., edging Clara Juliana Guerrero (right) of Pflugerville, Texas (2,794), for the lead. O'Keefe, who also led after the first six-game block Friday, averaged
242.5 during the evening block to stay ahead of the charging Guerrero.
Five-time Team USA member Brittni Hamilton of Nashville, Tennessee, was noticeably absent from the PWBA Tour this season until last week, when the made her 2016 debut at the PWBA Lexington Open. Hamilton has had a busy schedule off the lanes this year, starting a full-time job in admissions at DeVry University. Along with other commitments, she was able to fit in only a couple of Tour stops this season including this week's PWBA Rochester Open that will take place in her hometown.
Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. Fortunately, for Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, New York, not only was she good, she also had a certain lucky charm in attendance to help her to victory at the 2016 PWBA Wichita Open. McEwan, the No. 1 seed, struck in five of the first seven frames en route to defeating Colombian native Maria Jose Rodriguez of Austin, Texas, 210-171, at The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley in Green Bay, Wis., for her second career PWBA title.