ARLINGTON, Texas – The Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour will re-launch in 2015 featuring seven regular-season events, three nationally televised majors and stops from coast to coast.
The PWBA Tour schedule will kick off with the United States Bowling Congress Queens from May 13-19 and conclude with the PWBA Tour Championship from Sept. 10-13.
“The dream now is a reality and professional women’s bowling is back for a new generation to experience,” said Kelly Kulick, a six-time major champion who serves as PWBA spokeswoman. “The tour schedule visits all types of cities across the country with a format that is fun for fans and allows women to be pro bowlers without sacrificing their career path or family time.”
PWBA regular-season events have a Friday through Sunday format to allow PWBA members to bowl tour stops and have flexibility for work or family obligations during the week. Regular-season events will have $60,000 in guaranteed prize money per event with a $10,000 first-place prize.
The PWBA Tour schedule for 2015:
- May 13-19: USBC Queens*, Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley, Green Bay, Wisconsin
- July 9-12: PWBA Storm Sacramento Open, Steve Cook’s Fireside Lanes, Sacramento, California
- July 16-19: PWBA Lubbock Sports Open, South Plains Lanes, Lubbock, Texas
- July 23-26: PWBA Wichita Open, Northrock Lanes, Wichita, Kansas
- Aug. 6-9: PWBA Topeka Open, West Ridge Lanes, Topeka, Kansas
- Aug. 13-16: PWBA Lincoln Open, Sun Valley Lanes, Lincoln, Nebraska
- Aug. 20-23: PWBA Minnesota Open, Island Xtreme Bowl, Welch, Minnesota
- Aug. 27-30: PWBA Detroit Open, Super Bowl, Canton, Michigan
- Aug 31- Sept. 6: Bowlmor AMF U.S. Women’s Open*, Brunswick Zone Carolier, North Brunswick, New Jersey
- Sept. 10-13: PWBA Tour Championship*, location TBD
*Major PWBA Tour event
The PWBA Tour is made possible thanks to a three-year funding commitment from the USBC and Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America.
The PWBA regular season will be live streamed online via USBC’s YouTube channel, BowlTV, while the USBC Queens finals will be televised live on ESPN2.
The Bowlmor AMF U.S. Women’s Open and PWBA Tour Championship finals will be televised on a national cable sports network. Details of the television partnership will be announced soon.
“Hosting a PWBA event will be fantastic for centers involved and we are thrilled to see such strong support from outstanding BPAA member centers,” BPAA Executive Director Frank DeSocio said. “We thank Bowlmor AMF and all of our partners stepping up their support of bowling.”
The format for regular-season PWBA Tour events will have all competitors bowl 12 qualifying games. The top 12 players will advance to round-robin match play the following day for an additional 12 games. The top five will then advance to the stepladder finals. The top 32 players at each regular-season event are guaranteed a prize check with $1,200 for the last spot to cash.
Players will only be allowed to use PWBA registered equipment during PWBA Tour regular-season events, the PWBA Tour Championship and all PWBA Tour cable television finals. Registered ball brands include 900 Global, Brunswick, Columbia 300, Ebonite, Hammer, Motiv, Roto Grip, Storm and Track. Registered accessory brands include Turbo Bowling Accessories and Vise Grips.
Kegel will support the PWBA Tour as the official lane maintenance provider. The team from Kegel will be on-site at each tour stop to provide consistent lane conditions.
“The PWBA Tour project shows that together we can unite the industry to do what is best for bowling,” USBC Executive Director Chad Murphy said. “We want to thank all of these great bowling brands for supporting PWBA and joining us in creating a future for the sport of women’s bowling.”
PWBA membership is now available for $300 per season. Members will be given a $100 entry fee discount on all regular-season events.
More information about the PWBA can be found on the tour’s new website PWBA.com. Bowlers can purchase membership, register for events and learn more about the points system to qualify for the PWBA Tour Championship. Fans also can find details about players, history and pro-am events at tour stops.
