PWBA Bowling Tour: 2021 season explained

PWBA Bowling Tour: 2021 season
League:	Professional Women's Bowlers Association
Sport:	Ten-pin bowling
Duration:	January 19 – November 1, 2021
Seasonslistnames:	PWBA Tour
Prevseason Link:	PWBA Bowling Tour: 2020 season
Prevseason Year:	2020
Nextseason Year:	2022

The 2021 Professional Women's Bowling Association (PWBA) Tour season had a total of 20 title events scheduled, the most since the 2001 PWBA season.^[1] Overall, the season had 16 standard singles title events, three major tournaments (USBC Queens, U.S. Women's Open and PWBA Tour Championship), and the Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles tournament (a crossover event with the PBA Tour). All singles events were broadcast on BowlTV, the USBC’s YouTube channel, except for the season-ending PWBA Tour Championship, which was broadcast on CBS Sports Network.

The season kicked off January 19, 2021 in Arlington, Texas with the first of three Classic Series events. Each Classic Series event includes three title tournaments contested in the same location over an eight-day span. The first two tournaments in a Classic Series stop have fully open fields, while the third tournament starts with only the top 24 players in pinfall from the qualifying rounds of the first two tournaments.^[2]

On April 29, the PBA announced it was adding an all-women's competition to its King of the Lanes event, which was broadcast live on FS1 on June 15 and 16. (In the 2020 PBA King of the Lanes, two females – Clara Guerrero and Gazmine Mason – participated against an otherwise all-male field.) The King of the Lanes: Empress Edition is a "last person standing" format, where two challengers face each other for a chance to dethrone the reigning Empress over the course of five rounds. Kelly Kulick was chosen as the initial Empress. Challengers included: Clara Guerrero, Daria Pajak, Danielle McEwan, Maria José Rodriguez, Missy Parkin, Diana Zavjalova, Liz Johnson, Ashly Galante, Stefanie Johnson and Verity Crawley.^[3]

Season highlights and awards

• On August 10, 2021, Jillian Martin made PWBA Tour history as the youngest player (17) ever to win a national PWBA tournament. Martin, a member of Junior Team USA and the reigning PBA Junior Girls champion, defeated England's Verity Crawley in the final match to win the PWBA BowlTV Classic. The previous record holder for youngest PWBA Tour champion was Wendy Macpherson, who won the 1986 U.S. Women's Open at age 18.^[4]
• This season's U.S. Women's Open, held August 24–31, offered a PWBA record $100,000 top prize, won by Josie Barnes.^[5]
• With her win at the PWBA Reno Classic on October 26, Stephanie Zavala became the first PWBA Tour rookie to win three titles since Leanne (Barrette) Hulsenberg in 1987.^[6] Zavala also locked up the 2021 PWBA Rookie of the Year award following this win.

Player awards^[7]

• PWBA Player of the Year: Bryanna Coté
• PWBA Rookie of the Year: Stephanie Zavala

2021 points leaders

1. Bryanna Coté (129,445)
2. Shannon O'Keefe (129,270)
3. Verity Crawley (128,900)

2021 average leaders

1. Shannon O'Keefe (214.73)
2. Shannon Pluhowsky (214.51)
3. Bryanna Coté (213.75)

2021 championship round appearances

T1. Bryanna Coté (6)
T1. Verity Crawley (6)
T1. Dasha Kovalova (6)
T1. Stephanie Zavala (6)

2021 cashes

1. Liz Johnson (18)
T2. Missy Parkin (17)
T2. Maria José Rodriguez (17)

Tournament summary

Below is a list of events that are scheduled for the 2021 PWBA Tour season.^[1] Major tournaments are in bold.

! Event !! Airdate !! City !! Preliminary rounds !! Final round !! Winner !! Notes

PWBA Kickoff Classic Series: Bowlers Journal Classic	Jan 21 BowlTV	Arlington, TX	Jan 19–20	Live	Shannon O'Keefe, USA (14)^[8]	Open event. $10,000 top prize.
PWBA Kickoff Classic Series: ITRC Classic	Jan 23 BowlTV	Arlington, TX	Jan 22	Live	Bryanna Coté, USA (2)^[9]	Open event. $10,000 top prize.
PWBA Kickoff Classic Series: PWBA Hall of Fame Classic	Jan 26 BowlTV	Arlington, TX	Jan 25	Live	Julia Bond, USA (1)^[10]	Top 24 from Bowlers Journal Classic and ITRC Classic qualifying. $10,000 top prize.
PWBA Twin Cities Open	Apr 24 BowlTV	Eagan, MN	Apr 22–23	Live	Dasha Kovalova, Ukraine (3)^[11]	Open event. $10,000 top prize.
PWBA Lincoln Open	May 1 BowlTV	Lincoln, NE	Apr 29–30	Live	Liz Johnson, USA (25)^[12]	Open event. $10,000 top prize.+
PWBA Greater Cleveland Open	May 8 BowlTV	Parma Heights, OH	May 6–7	Live	Stephanie Zavala, USA (1)^[13]	Open event. $10,000 top prize.
USBC Queens	May 18 BowlTV	Reno, NV	May 12–17	Live	Julia Bond, USA (2)^[14]	Open event. PWBA major. $20,000 top prize.
PWBA BVL Open	May 29 BowlTV	Farmingdale, NY	May 27–28	Live	Stephanie Zavala, USA (2)^[15]	Open event. $10,000 top prize.
PWBA Albany Open	Jun 5 BowlTV	Albany, NY	Jun 3–4	Live	Kelly Kulick, USA (7)^[16]	Open event. $10,000 top prize.
PWBA Greater Nashville Open	Jun 12 BowlTV	Smyrna, TN	Jun 10–11	Live	Verity Crawley, England (1)^[17]	Open event. $10,000 top prize.
PBA King of the Lanes: Empress Edition	Jun 15–16 FS1	Portland, ME	Live	Live	Final Empress: Stefanie Johnson, USA Top Casher: Daria Pajak, Poland ($25,000)^[18]	Non-title invitational event. Each round pays $10,000 to the Empress match winner, $5,000 for second, $3,000 for third.
PWBA Louisville Open	Jun 19 BowlTV	Louisville, KY	Jun 17–18	Live	Dasha Kovalova, Ukraine (4)^[19]	Open event. $10,000 top prize.
PBA-PWBA Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles	Aug 1 FloBowling	Houston, TX	Jul 29–31	Live	Danielle McEwan, USA (6) & E. J. Tackett, USA^[20]	Open PBA and PWBA title event. $20,000 top prize.
PWBA Summer Classic Series: GoBowling! Classic	Aug 5 BowlTV	Arlington, TX	Aug 3–4	Live	Birgit Noreiks, Germany (2)^[21]	Open event. $10,000 top prize.
PWBA Summer Classic Series: International Bowling Campus Classic	Aug 7 BowlTV	Arlington, TX	Aug 6–7	Live	Jen Higgins, USA (1)^[22]	Open event. $10,000 top prize.
PWBA Summer Classic Series: BowlTV Classic	Aug 10 BowlTV	Arlington, TX	Aug 9–10	Live	Jillian Martin, USA (a)	Top 24 from GoBowling! Classic and Int’l Bowling Campus Classic qualifying. $10,000 top prize.
PWBA Spokane Open	Aug 21 BowlTV	Spokane, WA	Aug 19–20	Live	Danielle McEwan, USA (7)^[23]	Open event. $10,000 top prize.
U.S. Women's Open	Aug 31 CBS Sports	Rohnert Park, CA	Aug 24–30	Live	Josie Barnes, USA (4)	Open event, PWBA major. $100,000 top prize.
PWBA Fall Classic Series: PWBA Reno Classic	Oct 26 BowlTV	Reno, NV	Oct 25–26	Live	Stephanie Zavala, USA (3)	Open event. $10,000 top prize.
PWBA Fall Classic Series: PWBA Pepsi Classic	Oct 28 BowlTV	Reno, NV	Oct 27–28	Live	Julia Bond, USA (3)^[24]	Open event. $10,000 top prize.
PWBA Fall Classic Series: PWBA Tour Championship	Oct 31 CBS Sports	Reno, NV	Oct 29–30	Live	Shannon Pluhowsky, USA (2)^[25]	Top 24 from Reno Classic and Pepsi Classic qualifying. $50,000 top prize.

+ Liz Johnson also earned a $10,000 bonus for rolling a 300 game in the semifinal match.
(a) Competed as an amateur/non-member; no PWBA title awarded.

References

1. Web site: PWBA Tour Schedule Expands to 20 Events and Introduces Classic Series, All Live on BowlTV . Smith . Aaron . Bowl.com . October 27, 2020 . October 28, 2020.
2. Web site: PWBA Tour Schedule Expands to 20 Events and Introduces Classic Series, All Live on BowlTV . PWBA.com . October 27, 2020. October 28, 2020.
3. Web site: THE PBA RETURNS TO BAYSIDE BOWL WITH TWO SPECIAL EVENT SERIES STARTING JUNE 15 . PBA.com . April 29, 2021. April 30, 2021.
4. Web site: JILLIAN MARTIN MAKES HISTORY WITH WIN AT 2021 PWBA BOWLTV CLASSIC . PWBA.com . August 10, 2021. August 11, 2021.
5. Web site: JOSIE BARNES WINS 2021 U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN AND RECORD $100,000 TOP PRIZE . pwba.com . 31 August 2021 . 1 September 2021.
6. Web site: ZAVALA WINS THIRD TITLE OF 2021 SEASON AT PWBA RENO CLASSIC . Smith . Aaron . pwba.com . 26 October 2021 . 27 October 2021.
7. Web site: 2021 PWBA TOUR STATISTICS . pwba.com . 8 November 2021.
8. Web site: Shannon O’Keefe Wins 14th Career PWBA Tour Title with Bowlers Journal Classic Win . Cannizzaro. Matt. BowlersJournal.com . January 23, 2021. January 23, 2021.
9. Web site: BRYANNA COTÉ WINS 2021 PWBA ITRC CLASSIC . pwba.com . January 23, 2021. January 24, 2021.
10. Web site: BRYANNA COTÉ WINS 2021 PWBA ITRC CLASSJULIA BOND WINS 2021 PWBA HALL OF FAME CLASSIC . pwba.com . January 26, 2021. January 27, 2021.
11. Web site: KOVALOVA WINS 2021 PWBA TWIN CITIES OPEN . pwba.com . April 24, 2021. April 30, 2021.
12. Web site: LIZ JOHNSON WINS 25TH PWBA TOUR TITLE, ROLLS 300 GAME AT 2021 PWBA LINCOLN OPEN . pwba.com . May 1, 2021. May 2, 2021.
13. Web site: ZAVALA WINS FIRST CAREER TITLE AT 2021 PWBA GREATER CLEVELAND OPEN . pwba.com . May 8, 2021. May 10, 2021.
14. Web site: JULIA BOND WINS FIRST MAJOR AT 2021 USBC QUEENS . pwba.com . May 18, 2021. May 19, 2021.
15. Web site: ZAVALA CLAIMS SECOND TITLE OF 2021 SEASON AT PWBA BVL OPEN . pwba.com . May 29, 2021. June 1, 2021.
16. Web site: KELLY KULICK WINS 2021 PWBA ALBANY OPEN . pwba.com . June 5, 2021. June 6, 2021.
17. Web site: VERITY CRAWLEY WINS FIRST TITLE AT 2021 PWBA GREATER NASHVILLE OPEN . pwba.com . June 12, 2021. June 14, 2021.
18. Web site: STEFANIE JOHNSON REIGNS AS EMPRESS OF THE INAUGURAL PBA KING OF THE LANES: EMPRESS EDITION PRESENTED BY PABST BLUE RIBBON . pba.com . June 16, 2021. June 18, 2021.
19. Web site: KOVALOVA SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDS TITLE AT 2021 PWBA LOUISVILLE OPEN . pwba.com . June 19, 2021. June 21, 2021.
20. Web site: TACKETT AND MCEWAN LEAD FROM START TO FINISH TO WIN STRIKING AGAINST BREAST CANCER MIXED DOUBLES . Goodger . Jef . pba.com . 1 August 2021 . 3 August 2021.
21. Web site: GERMANY'S BIRGIT NOREIKS WINS 2021 PWBA GO BOWLING CLASSIC . pwba.com . August 5, 2021. August 7, 2021.
22. Web site: JEN HIGGINS WINS 2021 PWBA INTERNATIONAL BOWLING CAMPUS CLASSIC . pwba.com . August 7, 2021. August 9, 2021.
23. Web site: DANIELLE MCEWAN WINS SECOND TITLE OF SEASON AT 2021 PWBA SPOKANE OPEN . Smith . Aaron . pwba.com . 21 August 2021 . 23 August 2021.
24. Web site: BOND CAPTURES THIRD TITLE OF 2021 IN DRAMATIC FINISH AT PWBA PEPSI CLASSIC . Smith . Aaron . pwba.com . 29 October 2021 . 29 October 2021.
25. Web site: PLUHOWSKY WINS 2021 PWBA TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP FOR SECOND MAJOR TITLE . Smith . Aaron . pwba.com . 31 October 2021 . 1 November 2021.

External links

• PWBA.com, home of the Professional Women' Bowling Association