Bernice Lim of Singapore became the sixth international player to win the USBC Queens, defeating top seed Sandra Andersson of Sweden, 248-223, at The Orleans Bowling Center on Thursday. Lim started the championship match, live on CBS Sports Network, with six consecutive strikes, before a 10 pin ended her run at perfection. She needed just three pins on the first shot of her final frame to secure the victory. The USBC Queens is the first major of the 2016 PWBA Tour season.
Live TV stepladder final includes five bowlers from Sweden, Singapore, United States, Malaysia and Germany
Sweden's Sandra Andersson went undefeated in match play to earn the top seed for the stepladder finals of the 2016 United States Bowling Congress Queens, which will air live on CBS Sports Network on Thursday at 8 p.m. Eastern. Andersson (pictured left) is looking to become the sixth international player, and first since 2014, to win the USBC Queens. This year's stepladder includes bowlers from five different countries – Sweden, Singapore, United States, Malaysia and Germany.
Six international bowlers and two from the U.S. remain in the winners' bracket
After four days of competition at the 2016 USBC Queens, only 16 players remain in contention for the coveted tiara and $20,000 top prize. Among the undefeated competitors after the opening round of match play Tuesday are top seed Birgit Pöppler (l.) of Germany and Team USA member Stefanie Johnson (r.) of Grand Prairie, Texas, who each have had very different experiences this week at The Orleans Bowling Center in Las Vegas.
29 international bowlers make the cut to the top 64 for double-elimination match play, eight of whom finish qualifying in the top 10; Kelly Kulick is the top-positioned U.S. bowler in fifth place
Birgit Pöppler of Germany continued her scorching pace through the third round of qualifying Monday at the 2016 USBC Queens and earned the top seed for the match-play portion of the event. Pöppler averaged more than 240 over 15 games at The Orleans Bowling Center in Lass Vegas for a 3,601 total, the second-highest in USBC Queens history. She had blocks of 1,238, 1,159 and 1,204. As the top seed, Pöppler will square off against the No. 64 seed, Josie Earnest of Nashville, Tennessee, in the opening round.
Seven international bowlers in the top 10 after 10 of 15 qualifying games
Germany's Birgit Pöppler leads a field of more than 250 bowlers after two rounds of qualifying at the 2016 United States Bowling Congress Queens. Pöppler used games of 236, 245, 267, 186 and 225 for a 1,159 total Sunday at The Orleans bowling center in Las Vegas to bring her 10-game total to 2,397. Two-time USBC Queens champion Kelly Kulick of Union, New Jersey, is in second place with 2,388, and Singapore's Jazreel Tan is third with 2,324.
Team USA's Erin McCarthy of Omaha, Nebraska, continued where she left off at the United States Bowling Congress Queens and led a field of more than 250 players Saturday in the opening round of the 2016 event. McCarthy (pictured) averaged more than 251 for her five-game block at The Orleans Bowling Center in Las Vegas, including games of 268, 257, 259, 232 and 241, for an opening-round total of 1,257. Germany's Birgit Pöppler ended the day in second place with 1,238.
Defending champion Liz Johnson leads more than 250 of the top female competitors to The Orleans Bowling Center in Las Vegas May 20-26
The resurgence of the Professional Women's Bowling Association continues to show as the 2016 United States Bowling Congress Queens will draw its biggest turnout in nearly a decade starting Saturday in Las Vegas. USBC Hall of Famer and reigning PWBA Player of the Year Liz Johnson (pictured) of Cheektowaga, New York, will look to defend her title against more than 250 of the top female competitors in the world. The stepladder finals, which will be televised live Thursday, May 26 at 8 p.m. Eastern on CBS Sports Network.
With as many as six bowlers on the lanes for each PWBA event this season, Singapore has been well-represented, and the group now is guaranteed to bowl for the title at the 2016 PWBA Storm Sacramento Open. Cherie Tan, the lone left-hander of the contingent, averaged more than 225 this weekend to claim the No. 1 seed for the TV finals, which will be taped May 26 at The Orleans Bowling Center in Las Vegas and air Tuesday, June 21 on CBS Sports Network.
Colombia's Anggie Ramirez started and finished her day at the PWBA Storm Sacramento Open with her two best games, closing with a 258 effort to surge to the top of the standings after 12 games. The 25-year-old left-hander (pictured) averaged more than 231 during the second block of qualifying Friday at Steve Cook's Fireside Lanes in Sacramento, Calif., to move up from fifth place after the day's first block. She finished with a 2,713 total, an overall average of 226.08.
For Elysia Current of Ephrata, Pennsylvania, winning the first standard event of the new era of the Professional Women's Bowling Association was blessing, a curse and a dream come true, all rolled into one special and rewarding moment. Current will be the first 2015 tournament winner to defend her title when the PWBA Storm Sacramento Open takes place May 12-14 at Steve Cook's Fireside Lanes in Citrus Heights, California.
Statistically, Kelly Kulick (r.) of Union, New Jersey, had a terrific 2015 season on the Professional Women's Bowling Association Tour, but there was one thing missing - a win. Now, she's in position to get that hurdle out of the way early in 2016 as the top seed for the stepladder finals of the Nationwide PWBA Sonoma County Open, which will be taped May 26 at The Orleans Bowling Center in Las Vegas and air Tuesday, June 14 on CBS Sports Network.
Most players on the PWBA Tour travel with diverse equipment arsenals and a wealth of knowledge and support, but Danielle McEwan (pictured) of Stony Point, New York, found patience to be her most effective tool on the way to the top of the standings Friday at the 2016 Nationwide PWBA Sonoma County Open. McEwan said she didn't initially see what she needed to see in order to successfully navigate the 37-foot oil pattern at Double Decker Lanes in Rohnert Park, Calif., but when it finally clicked, she was able to take advantage.
The 2016 Smithfield PWBA Tour Championship, the final event of the Professional Women's Bowling Association Tour season, will be held Sept. 1-4 at Uptown Alley in Midlothian, Virginia. CBS Sports Network will televise the event's semifinals and championship matches. The Smithfield PWBA Tour Championship brings together the top 16 competitors from the 2016 PWBA Tour season. All 2016 PWBA Tour champions will receive an automatic invitation.
Recent pop culture has taught us that California girls are undeniable, and some of the best bowlers from The Golden State will have the chance to prove it at the upcoming Nationwide Professional Women's Bowling Association Sonoma County Open. The event is the second of the 2016 PWBA Tour season and will run May 5-7 at Double Decker Lanes in Rohnert Park, California, with nearly 80 players representing nine countries, battling for a $10,000 top prize.
Sandra Gongora, Liz Johnson and Rocio Restrepo will join Pluhowsky in the stepladder finals which will be taped May 26 and will air June 7 on CBS Sports Network
Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio, rolled through round-robin match play Sunday to capture the No. 1 seed for the stepladder finals of the Professional Women's Bowling Association Las Vegas Open, the opening event of the 2016 season. Sandra Gongora, Liz Johnson and Rocio Restrepo will join Pluhowsky in the stepladder finals, which will be taped May 26 at The Orleans Bowling Center in Las Vegas and will air Tuesday, June 7 on CBS Sports Network.
Fresh off a Masters gold medal at the PABCON Champion of Champions event, Rocio Restrepo of Louisville, Ohio, put together another strong performance Saturday as she led qualifying at the Professional Women's Bowling Association Las Vegas Open. Restrepo, a member of Team Colombia, averaged more than 226 to lead the opening event of 2016 PWBA season with a 2,718 total for 12 games at Texas Station. The top 32 players in qualifying advanced to Sunday's cashers' round.
A mix of veteran bowlers and rising stars helped the Professional Women's Bowling Association roar back into action last year and the 2016 PWBA Tour will build on that momentum when the season schedule kicks off in Las Vegas. The PWBA Las Vegas Open, starting April 29 at Texas Station, will be the first event of the 2016 PWBA Tour schedule, which will feature four major events, including the return of the PWBA Players Championship, among the tour's 14 stops.
Stepladder finals to be televised live on CBS Sports Network
The 2016 U.S. Women's Open, a major event on the Professional Women's Bowling Association Tour, will take place Aug. 1-7 in suburban Chicago. The stepladder finals will be televised live on Sunday, Aug. 7, at noon Eastern on CBS Sports Network. The third major of the season, the U.S. Women's Open is one of 13 PWBA events that will be televised on CBS Sports Network this year. The Stardust Bowl, an 82-lane center in Addison, Illinois, will be the host center for the tournament.
The Professional Women's Bowling Association (PWBA) today announced a new sponsorship deal making Pepsi the official soft drink of the 2016 PWBA Tour. As part of the agreement, Pepsi will be the title sponsor of the PWBA Tour stop in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Pepsi PWBA Lincoln Open will take place June 9-12 at Sun Valley Lanes and will air on Tuesday, July 12. Pepsi also will be featured during 2016 PWBA Tour telecasts on CBS Sports Network.
Nationwide will be the official insurance sponsor for the 2016 Professional Women's Bowling Association (PWBA) Tour season and, as part of a new sponsorship deal with the PWBA, will be the title sponsor of the Nationwide PWBA Sonoma County Open in Rohnert Park, California, set for May 5-8, 2016. "We see the exciting growth of the PWBA Tour as a way to promote a great family sport and introduce more people to Nationwide," said Ann Ritterspach, AVP Nationwide Affinity Solutions.
Bernice Lim of Singapore became the sixth international player to win the USBC Queens, defeating top seed Sandra Andersson of Sweden, 248-223, at The Orleans Bowling Center on Thursday. Lim started the championship match, live on CBS Sports Network, with six consecutive strikes, before a 10 pin ended her run at perfection. She needed just three pins on the first shot of her final frame to secure the victory. The USBC Queens is the first major of the 2016 PWBA Tour season.
Sweden's Sandra Andersson went undefeated in match play to earn the top seed for the stepladder finals of the 2016 United States Bowling Congress Queens, which will air live on CBS Sports Network on Thursday at 8 p.m. Eastern. Andersson (pictured left) is looking to become the sixth international player, and first since 2014, to win the USBC Queens. This year's stepladder includes bowlers from five different countries – Sweden, Singapore, United States, Malaysia and Germany.
After four days of competition at the 2016 USBC Queens, only 16 players remain in contention for the coveted tiara and $20,000 top prize. Among the undefeated competitors after the opening round of match play Tuesday are top seed Birgit Pöppler (l.) of Germany and Team USA member Stefanie Johnson (r.) of Grand Prairie, Texas, who each have had very different experiences this week at The Orleans Bowling Center in Las Vegas.
Germany's Birgit Pöppler leads a field of more than 250 bowlers after two rounds of qualifying at the 2016 United States Bowling Congress Queens. Pöppler used games of 236, 245, 267, 186 and 225 for a 1,159 total Sunday at The Orleans bowling center in Las Vegas to bring her 10-game total to 2,397. Two-time USBC Queens champion Kelly Kulick of Union, New Jersey, is in second place with 2,388, and Singapore's Jazreel Tan is third with 2,324.
Team USA's Erin McCarthy of Omaha, Nebraska, continued where she left off at the United States Bowling Congress Queens and led a field of more than 250 players Saturday in the opening round of the 2016 event. McCarthy (pictured) averaged more than 251 for her five-game block at The Orleans Bowling Center in Las Vegas, including games of 268, 257, 259, 232 and 241, for an opening-round total of 1,257. Germany's Birgit Pöppler ended the day in second place with 1,238.
The resurgence of the Professional Women's Bowling Association continues to show as the 2016 United States Bowling Congress Queens will draw its biggest turnout in nearly a decade starting Saturday in Las Vegas. USBC Hall of Famer and reigning PWBA Player of the Year Liz Johnson (pictured) of Cheektowaga, New York, will look to defend her title against more than 250 of the top female competitors in the world. The stepladder finals, which will be televised live Thursday, May 26 at 8 p.m. Eastern on CBS Sports Network.
With as many as six bowlers on the lanes for each PWBA event this season, Singapore has been well-represented, and the group now is guaranteed to bowl for the title at the 2016 PWBA Storm Sacramento Open. Cherie Tan, the lone left-hander of the contingent, averaged more than 225 this weekend to claim the No. 1 seed for the TV finals, which will be taped May 26 at The Orleans Bowling Center in Las Vegas and air Tuesday, June 21 on CBS Sports Network.
Colombia's Anggie Ramirez started and finished her day at the PWBA Storm Sacramento Open with her two best games, closing with a 258 effort to surge to the top of the standings after 12 games. The 25-year-old left-hander (pictured) averaged more than 231 during the second block of qualifying Friday at Steve Cook's Fireside Lanes in Sacramento, Calif., to move up from fifth place after the day's first block. She finished with a 2,713 total, an overall average of 226.08.
For Elysia Current of Ephrata, Pennsylvania, winning the first standard event of the new era of the Professional Women's Bowling Association was blessing, a curse and a dream come true, all rolled into one special and rewarding moment. Current will be the first 2015 tournament winner to defend her title when the PWBA Storm Sacramento Open takes place May 12-14 at Steve Cook's Fireside Lanes in Citrus Heights, California.
Statistically, Kelly Kulick (r.) of Union, New Jersey, had a terrific 2015 season on the Professional Women's Bowling Association Tour, but there was one thing missing - a win. Now, she's in position to get that hurdle out of the way early in 2016 as the top seed for the stepladder finals of the Nationwide PWBA Sonoma County Open, which will be taped May 26 at The Orleans Bowling Center in Las Vegas and air Tuesday, June 14 on CBS Sports Network.
Most players on the PWBA Tour travel with diverse equipment arsenals and a wealth of knowledge and support, but Danielle McEwan (pictured) of Stony Point, New York, found patience to be her most effective tool on the way to the top of the standings Friday at the 2016 Nationwide PWBA Sonoma County Open. McEwan said she didn't initially see what she needed to see in order to successfully navigate the 37-foot oil pattern at Double Decker Lanes in Rohnert Park, Calif., but when it finally clicked, she was able to take advantage.
The 2016 Smithfield PWBA Tour Championship, the final event of the Professional Women's Bowling Association Tour season, will be held Sept. 1-4 at Uptown Alley in Midlothian, Virginia. CBS Sports Network will televise the event's semifinals and championship matches. The Smithfield PWBA Tour Championship brings together the top 16 competitors from the 2016 PWBA Tour season. All 2016 PWBA Tour champions will receive an automatic invitation.
Recent pop culture has taught us that California girls are undeniable, and some of the best bowlers from The Golden State will have the chance to prove it at the upcoming Nationwide Professional Women's Bowling Association Sonoma County Open. The event is the second of the 2016 PWBA Tour season and will run May 5-7 at Double Decker Lanes in Rohnert Park, California, with nearly 80 players representing nine countries, battling for a $10,000 top prize.
Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio, rolled through round-robin match play Sunday to capture the No. 1 seed for the stepladder finals of the Professional Women's Bowling Association Las Vegas Open, the opening event of the 2016 season. Sandra Gongora, Liz Johnson and Rocio Restrepo will join Pluhowsky in the stepladder finals, which will be taped May 26 at The Orleans Bowling Center in Las Vegas and will air Tuesday, June 7 on CBS Sports Network.
Fresh off a Masters gold medal at the PABCON Champion of Champions event, Rocio Restrepo of Louisville, Ohio, put together another strong performance Saturday as she led qualifying at the Professional Women's Bowling Association Las Vegas Open. Restrepo, a member of Team Colombia, averaged more than 226 to lead the opening event of 2016 PWBA season with a 2,718 total for 12 games at Texas Station. The top 32 players in qualifying advanced to Sunday's cashers' round.
The 2016 U.S. Women's Open, a major event on the Professional Women's Bowling Association Tour, will take place Aug. 1-7 in suburban Chicago. The stepladder finals will be televised live on Sunday, Aug. 7, at noon Eastern on CBS Sports Network. The third major of the season, the U.S. Women's Open is one of 13 PWBA events that will be televised on CBS Sports Network this year. The Stardust Bowl, an 82-lane center in Addison, Illinois, will be the host center for the tournament.
Nationwide will be the official insurance sponsor for the 2016 Professional Women's Bowling Association (PWBA) Tour season and, as part of a new sponsorship deal with the PWBA, will be the title sponsor of the Nationwide PWBA Sonoma County Open in Rohnert Park, California, set for May 5-8, 2016. "We see the exciting growth of the PWBA Tour as a way to promote a great family sport and introduce more people to Nationwide," said Ann Ritterspach, AVP Nationwide Affinity Solutions.