The PWBA Tour Championship is one of the four major events on the PWBA (Professional Women's Bowling Association) Tour. The tournament has been the final event of the PWBA Tour season since the Tour's rebirth in 2015. It has been held in Arlington, Texas (2015), Midlothian, Virginia (2016) and Richmond, Virginia (2017 through 2019).[1] Since 2021, the PWBA Tour Championship has been the final event of a three-tournament "classic series" stop and has been held in Reno, Nevada (2021), Dallas, Texas (2022) and Waterloo, Iowa (2023).

Background

The original PWBA Tour (1960–2003) had three major events: The U.S. Women's Open (since inception), USBC Queens (since 1961), and the PWBA Players Championship (began as the PWBA Championships in 1960, and has been held on and off under similar names since). When the Tour was restarted in 2015, the PWBA Tour Championship was added to serve as a season-ending playoffs.

Prior to 2021, the PWBA Tour Championship was an invitational event with a starting field of 16 players. Any full-fledged PWBA member who won one of the prior events in the current season automatically made the field of 16, regardless of her season point total. The remaining spots in the field were filled with the women holding the highest point totals among non-winners. (Because a given player could win more than one tournament during the season, the number of at-large invitations could vary.) Invited players are then re-seeded 1 through 16 based on season point totals.

From 2015 through 2019, the tournament was set up in four bracketed elimination rounds. The #5 through #16 seeds bowled in the first round, consisting of head-to-head, best three-of-five matches. The six winners joined the #3 and #4 seeds (who earned first-round byes) in the second round, which consisted of four head-to-head, best three-of-five matches. The four winners of those matches bowled head-to-head, best three-of-five matches in the third round to determine the two bowlers who join the #1 and #2 seeds in the televised finals. The televised final round featured two head-to-head, single-elimination semifinal matches, with the #1 and #2 seeds each facing one of the survivors from the third round. The two winners of those matches then squared off in a single-game final match to determine the champion.[1] Despite being automatically placed into the televised finals, no #1 or #2 seed had ever won the tournament in this format until 2019.[2]

In 2021, the PWBA incorporated a "classic series" format for three tour stops. In this format, the top 24 qualifiers from two stand-alone tournaments form the starting field for a third tournament in the same location. For the 2021 Fall Classic Series, the PWBA Tour Championship was scheduled as the final of the three tournaments for the October 24–31 series, and featured a five-player stepladder final round.[3] By 2023, the 24-player field had returned to a season-long qualifying, with all tournament winners from the current season (if a PWBA member in good standing) gaining automatic entry, and the remaining field being filled by the top season point earners among non-winners.[4]

Champions

2023 Event

The 2023 PWBA Tour Championship was held August 13-15 at Cadillac XBC in Waterloo, Iowa, with the 24-player starting field comprising all eight tournament winners from the 2023 season (PWBA members only) plus the 16 top points earners among non-winners. Total prize fund was $183,300, with a $50,000 top prize.[5] The tournament used a five-player stepladder finals format. Top seed Maria José Rodriguez of Colombia won her third PWBA title (and third major) with a 234–200 triumph over Dasha Kovalova.[4] Rodriguez also became the second two-time winner of this tournament, following Shannon O'Keefe.

Match #1Match #2Match #3Championship Match
1Maria José Rodriguez234
2Dasha Kovalova2113Dasha Kovalova200
3Jordan Richard2174Erin McCarthy173
4Erin McCarthy268 (10-6)4Erin McCarthy228
5Verity Crawley268
  • Prize Pool:
1. Maria José Rodriguez (Colombia) – $50,000
2. Dasha Kovalova (Muskegon, Michigan) – $25,000
3. Erin McCarthy (Elkhorn, Nebraska) – $15,000
4. Jordan Richard (Tipton, Michigan) – $12,000
5. Verity Crawley (Bournemouth, England) – $9,000

Past winners

SeasonWinnerRunner-upChampionship match score
2015Danielle McEwanStefanie Johnson233–205[6]
2016New Hui FenCherie Tan258–235[7]
2017Shannon O'KeefeKelly Kulick222–203[8]
2018Maria José RodríguezKelly Kulick236–228[2]
2019Shannon O'KeefeDasha Kovalova268–179
2020------Not held–COVID-19
2021Shannon PluhowskyBryanna Coté244–178
2022Stephanie ZavalaShannon Pluhowsky252–181
2023Maria José RodríguezDasha Kovalova234–200

References

  1. 1 2 "A Look at the History and Facts of the PWBA Tour Championship". PWBA.com. September 11, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Maria Jose Rodríguez Wins 2018 PWBA Tour Championship". pwba.com. September 19, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  3. ↑ "PWBA Fall Classic Series tournament information". pwba.com. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  4. 1 2 "RODRIGUEZ WINS 2023 PWBA TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP FOR THIRD CAREER MAJOR TITLE". pwba.com. August 15, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  5. ↑ "2023 PWBA Tour Championship Prize Fund" (PDF). pwba.com. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  6. ↑ "McEwan wins Smithfield PWBA Tour Championship". bowl.com. September 13, 2015. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  7. ↑ "New Hui Fen wins 2016 Smithfield PWBA Tour Championship". pwba.com. September 4, 2016. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Shannon O'Keefe wins 2017 Smithfield PWBA Tour Championship". pwba.com. September 6, 2017. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
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