Strong PTQ field to kick off Nationwide PWBA Columbus Open

16 August, 2018

PWBA Tour

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The Professional Women’s Bowling Association heads to Ohio this week and the Nationwide PWBA Columbus Open at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl is creating quite a bit of interest.

A pre-tournament qualifier (PTQ) is set for Thursday with competition rounds on Friday and Saturday. CBS Sports Network will have live coverage of Saturday’s stepladder finals at 5 p.m. (Eastern) and BowlTV will live stream all rounds leading up to the televised finals.

The eight-game PTQ will send nine bowlers into the 32-player field for the Nationwide PWBA Columbus Open, the third and final elite-field event on the PWBA Tour this season.

More than 70 players are scheduled to compete in the PTQ, including PWBA member Jodi Woessner (right) of Toledo, Ohio. She will be one of 30 players in the PTQ who have ties to Ohio.

Woessner was 30th on the PWBA points list after the U.S. Women’s Open, the last event that set the top 24 for the elite-field events. But Woessner has advanced from the PTQ in each of the previous two elite-field events, and this week she’ll make the short two-and-a-half-hour drive to Columbus, where she faces familiar competition.

“Ohio is such a huge bowling area in general,” Woessner said. “Between Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania and others, it doesn’t surprise me there’s that many entries, so it’s going to be a tough one.

“There’s a lot of good bowlers in that area, even if they don’t come out each week and bowl on the tour. I looked over the roster and recognized a lot of the names. I’ve bowled against many of them, so it’s going to be a grind to get through this week.”

Another familiar face with Ohio ties is Rocio Restrepo (left), who has called Louisville, Ohio, home for the last five and-a-half years. Originally from Colombia, Restrepo captured the BowlerX.com PWBA Twin Cities Open last week for her fourth career PWBA title and will be part of the 32-player elite-field.

She looks forward to seeing some familiar faces, and having some extra support in the crowd, this week.

“Being closer to home is a chance for some of my friends to try and make it to the pro-am or watch qualifying,” Restrepo said. “If I’m able to make the show, some people will be able to come down and watch me. Obviously, I don’t want to get ahead of myself, because this is a completely different event and we don’t know the pattern, but it will be nice to see some familiar faces in the crowd.”

The last time a women’s bowling event was held at Columbus Bowl was in 2013, when United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer Liz Johnson of Palatine, Illinois, began a string of four consecutive U.S. Women’s Open victories. The PWBA hadn’t visited the Buckeye State since 2001, when the Columbia 300 Open was held in Lancaster, Ohio.

After Thursday’s PTQ, the 32-player field will bowl 16 qualifying games on Friday before a cut is made to the top 12 advancers. The top 12 will bowl six additional games on Saturday morning, with the top five in total pinfall after 22 games advancing to the stepladder finals.

BowlTV, the YouTube channel of USBC, will live stream all rounds leading up to the live televised finals on Saturday at 5 p.m. (Eastern) on CBS Sports Network.

Click here for more information, including the complete schedule, player biographies, and more, and follow the PWBA Tour on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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2018 PWBA Tour Schedule & Champions

Nationwide PWBA Columbus Open

Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl in Columbus, Ohio, USA (August 16-18, 2018)

(All times local)

Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018
9 a.m.: Pre-tournament qualifier (eight games)
Top nine players advance to main field
4 p.m.: 90-minute practice session
7 p.m.: Bowl With The Pros

Friday, Aug. 17, 2018
10 a.m.: Eight-game qualifying round
5 p.m.: Eight-game qualifying round
Cut to top 12 players

Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018
10 a.m.: Round of 12 (six games)
Cut to top five players for stepladder finals
2 p.m. – 4 p.m.: Fan Appreciation Fest and Demo Day
5 p.m.: CBS Sports Network live stepladder finals

Herbert Bickel