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  • U.S. Women's Open Championship  TV ResultsSHOW 1
    (5) Shalin Zulkifli, Malaysia def. (12) Diandra Asbaty, Chicago, 255-206 (4) Tammy Boomershine of North Ogden, Utah, def. Zulkifli, 216-202
    SHOW 2
    (6) Shannon Pluhowsky, Phoenix def. (11) Kim Terrell-Kearney, Grand Prairie, Texas, 269-172 Pluhowsky def. (3) Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J., 236-142
    SHOW 3
    (7) Lynda Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, def. (10) Clara Guerrero, Pflugerville, Texas, 218-164 (2) Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Keller, Texas, def. Barnes, 258-225
    SHOW 4
    (9) Missy Bellinder, Fullerton, Calif., def. (8) Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 212-202 Bellinder def. (1) Shannon O’Keefe, Arlington, Texas, 279-213

    SHOW 5SEMIFINALS
    Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Keller, Texas, def. Shannon Pluhowsky of Phoenix, 268-232 Tammy Boomershine, North Ogden, Utah, def. Missy Bellinder, Fullerton, Calif., 269-206
    FINALS
    Boomershine def. Dorin-Ballard, 269-225
    Read More
  •   Top StoriesU.S. Women’s Open Profiles: Brenda Edwards
    8/3/2009
    By Gianmarc ManzioneThe last time Brenda Edwards saw her father’s hands, they were no longer the rough hands that gripped a drill press in the basement as her mother brought down pitchers of lemonade, the hands that worked a garden hoe as skillfully as they operated a ball spinner, the hands in which she, an 11-year-old girl who already knew so much about ball work that she could have turned a profit as a pro shop assistant, found the safest place she knew.“I looked at his hands, the hands of a man who worked his entire life,” the former Team USA member recalls of her father’s losing battle against pulmonary fibrosis. “He gardened, he bowled, he did pro shop work, and growing up I remember his hands being so strong and rough. They were safe, they were strong and safe. But now his hands were so frail. He had long, skinny fingers now and the skin on them was so smooth. And I was just thinking about how they had changed from the hands of this man who protected me his whole life to being kind of child-like.”By now many people know the Brenda Edwards who shot 300 in the Singles event of the 2009 USBC Open after posting the highest doubles score in the tournament’s 108-year history with boyfriend and USBC Silver coach Stephen Padilla. They know the Brenda Edwards who made the USBC Queens telecast just eight weeks before those glowing scores in Vegas. Maybe they remember the Brenda Edwards who joined Team USA in 2007—the team for which her sister, Jeri Edwards, serves as Head Coach.But what many may not know is that the origin of these triumphs is found in a loss far more brutal than any she could have experienced on the lanes—the loss of a father who, as Edwards freely admits, was her only reason for bowling.“When I bowled on tour it wasn’t because I wanted to, it was because my Dad wanted me to,” Edwards explains of her decision to join the PWBA Tour after winning two national championships with the University of Nebraska. “But looking back on it now, I have come to realize that my Dad and Mom wanted us just to be happy in any pursuit we followed, but as a kid you get it into your brain that this is what is expected of you, and it’s hard to see past that—especially in my family where my brother designs bowling balls for Brunswick, my sister coaches Team USA, and my other sister was Rookie of the Year on the PWBA Tour.”While her father may indeed have been just as happy to see her pursue something other than the family passion as long as it fulfilled her, there is one phone call that Brenda Edwards would not be able to count among her most cherished memories now had she done so—the moment when, having recently returned to the sport after a two-year hiatus in which she “did not bowl at all—not even league—nothing,” Brenda phoned her father to tell that him she had made Team USA.“It was the first time I ever heard him cry,” Edwards recalls of a man whose tough exterior she inherited so thoroughly as to prompt revered bowling psychologist Dr. Dean Hinitz to commonly refer to her as “the warrior.” “He had always been that first call I made after winning a tournament. He was too sick to watch Team Trials in 2007, so when I called him and told him I made the team, he just let out this noise and started crying. I called him the night before I left for camp, and anybody that would have seen me would have thought that I just lost my best friend—I was sobbing, it was so hard for me to tell him how much he meant to me.”Even with an exterior as tough as a “warrior’s,” Brenda Edwards learned in 2008 that life has a way of finding cracks in the most hardened armor. Her father no longer a phone call away to receive reports of his daughter’s latest triumph on the lanes, Edwards struggled to value the sport in which she only participated because, in the Edwards family, bowling is just what you do. After a disappointing Team USA Trials performance last year, Edwards thought she was done with competitive bowling for good—until she sat across a table from boyfriend Stephen Padilla one day and discovered that all she needed to do to get on with the rest of her life was one simple thing—listen.“I just asked her what her Dad would want her to do,” Padilla recalls of the conversation that encouraged Edwards to bowl the 2009 USBC Queens, where she would finish fifth. “She realized he would want her to bowl rather than dwell on him being gone.”There is a lot that Brenda Edwards has come to realize since that day she saw her father’s hands for the last time and was stunned to find a man too frail to resemble that gruff protector who showed her how to sand a bowling ball in the basement—and not all of it has to do with bowling. When Brenda Edwards saw her father’s wiry hands that day, she also saw that nothing—not even the next moment—is guaranteed in life. She saw that each day she gets to spend with the people she loves is a gift, not a given. She saw that however tough her father’s love may have been, it was teaching her something she only could have understood when the time came to learn it on her own.“He was not great with kids,” Brenda recalls of that more virile man she knew. “He started me bowling when I was five, and he never let me throw the ball between my legs. I had to walk up and throw the ball and I could not knock down any pins, and I would cry and not want to do it anymore. And he would say ‘Can you count to four? Then you can do this!’ Oh, that yellow 7-pound ball! I was seven before I shot my first 100 game.”If her father meant to banish the word “can’t” from her vocabulary when she was that 5-year-old girl trying to maneuver a 7-pound ball with one arm, it was a lesson he taught her again in leaving this world—that there is nothing she cannot not do, even if that “something” is putting the pieces of her life back together when he was no longer around to help her summon the courage to believe in herself.After finishing fifth at the USBC Queens in April and posting all-time record scores at the USBC Open just eight weeks later, no one, least of all Brenda, will have any trouble believing in her as she takes the lanes at the Women’s U.S. Open this week. But for a tough-nosed kid who grew to earn the reputation of a “warrior” for her competitive tenacity on the lanes, it is possible that in death, Brenda’s father instilled in her a courage she might not have known she had—the courage to cry.“He was the one who made it OK for me to cry,” Edwards says of boyfriend Stephen Padilla. “Even in the year since my Dad’s passing I have had my moments when I break down and I will lose it, and Stephen is never judgmental with that. He is always very supportive even when I don’t want to talk about it. I can put my head on his shoulder and I feel safe again.”Read More
  •  BowlTVOnce you visit BowlTV for the first time you will quickly find that it becomes a part of your daily routine. There you will find advice on how to play the Cheetah or the Scorpion from the pros who won Lumber Liquidator’s PBA Tour tournaments on those very patterns such as Chris Barnes, Rhino Page or Wes Malott, classic videos of legends such as Marion Ladewig, Dick Weber and Barry Asher in their prime, highlights of Team USA competition from around the world, and much, much more.
  • Chameleon  ChameleonOnce you visit BowlTV for the first time you will quickly find that it becomes a part of your daily routine. There you will find advice on how to play the Cheetah or the Scorpion from the pros who won Lumber Liquidator’s PBA Tour tournaments on those very patterns such as Chris Barnes, Rhino Page or Wes Malott, classic videos of legends such as Marion Ladewig, Dick Weber and Barry Asher in their prime, highlights of Team USA competition from around the world, and much, much more.
  • Chameleon  CheetahLength: 35 feet The cheetah may look harmless, but this speedster has a dangerous side. So does this pattern; with risk-reward decision making near the gutter and a normally high scoring pace, there's no room for error.The Cheetah "sprints" back to its roots as the highest scoring of the five named patterns. Originally designed for use on worn lane surfaces, the Cheetah produced the most memorable moments on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour because of its propensity for rewarding players who "live on the edge". The new design once again places a premium on the ball traveling towards the gutter in order to maximize the best possible angle to carry all ten pins. The scoring pace on Cheetah is normally high with the champion being required to know that success means striking and not just hitting the pocket.
  • Chameleon  ScorpionLength: 41 feet A scorpion is dangerous and unpredictable, like this pattern. If you can't find the right angle on the lanes in a short amount of time, you'll be stung!The Scorpion returns to being one of the more challenging of the five named patterns. While Scorpion is not the longest pattern, because of the large volume of oil on the lane it will for sure play as the "slickest". The pattern shape is very "smooth" and allows for a multiple-angles approach to attacking it based on rev rate, lane surface, ball surface, and ball speed. Since the volume of oil is so large, bowlers will normally see a large difference in how the pattern plays from lane to lane across the house. The pattern is medium scoring based on its ability to confuse bowlers during early portions of the game or series as they move throughout the tournament. In order to avoid being stung, it is imperative that the bowler make quality shots early in the game in case the Scorpion decides to "mutate".
  • Chameleon  SharkLength: 43 feet This pattern forces bowlers to play deep inside the center of the lanes, like sharks that troll the depths of the ocean.The Shark demonstrates the largest change from any of the patterns from last year. Returning to the Shark this season is the key characteristic of the "deep inside line" providing a decisive strategic advantage. The "out of bounds" on the outside portion of the lane has been increased, making errant shots wide of the target in danger of once again falling into the "moat". With less oil being placed in the middle of lane on this season’s Shark, bowlers will see their ball roll earlier on the lane compared to years past. Bowlers who play the wrong angle on the Shark will feel as if the pattern is a "reverse block". The scoring pace for this pattern will be medium with the champion having the ability to get the corner pins out while playing a tough angle.
  • Chameleon  ViperLength: 41 feet A viper strikes with multiple angles of attack. This pattern will challenge players to attack the pins from multiple angles in order to score well.The Viper has also been changed to allow for more ball roll in the middle part of the lane. While the Viper is a multiple angles pattern and normally yields medium to high scores, bowlers this season will need to place a premium on the ball traveling straight through the front part of the lane when the lanes are "fresh". Once Viper breaks down, multiple angles are available for attack. Even with the changes, Viper still remains the most versatile of the five named patterns and can be used on any lane surface. The champion on Viper will be the bowler who can outsmart their opponent playing multiple lines.
  •   Schedule

    2010 Schedule coming soon.

  •   RulesJust as tournaments vary in prize funds, formats, entries and venues, the rules applicable to each tournament may also vary from one event to the next. For a better understanding of rules for a particular tournament, visit the site for that specific event.View Rules
  •   FAQ'sFAQ about PBA Women’s Series
    The PBA Women’s Series, presented by the United States Bowling Congress, will return in 2009-10 for the third consecutive season. Below are some answers to frequently asked questions. All information is subject to change.
    1. What are the specific dates for the events?
    The first five Women’s Series events will take place at the PBA World Series of Bowling at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Mich. (near Detroit). Here’s a more specific breakdown:
    • Viper Championship TQR: Aug. 13, 9 a.m.
    • Chameleon Championship TQR: Aug. 13, 1 p.m.
    • Viper Championship: Aug. 14-16
    • Chameleon Championship: Aug. 18-20.
    • Scorpion Championship TQR: Aug. 22, 9 a.m.
    • Shark Championship TQR: Aug. 22, 3 p.m.
    • Scorpion Championship: Aug. 23-25
    • Shark Championship: Aug. 27-29
    • PBA Women’s World Championship: Aug. 30-Sept. 4
    • Television taping of all events finals: Sept 5-7 (ESPN Week)
    The remaining two Women’s Series events (Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles Championship in Medford, Ore., and Earl Anthony Memorial in Dublin, Calif.) will take place in the second half of the PBA Tour season. Dates will be announced at a later time.There are also nine sweepers and side events scheduled for the World Series of Bowling scheduled on off days and women are encouraged to enter. The prize fund payout ratio for these events is 5:1, with all side action entry fees going directly into the prize fund; no lineage or administrative fees will be deducted. Three side tournaments with $250 entry fees are restricted (no exempt PBA Tour players can enter). Seven side sweepers with $100 and $80 entry fees are not restricted (anyone can enter).Please see the full schedule on pbaworldseriesofbowling.com .2. Why are all the TV shows at the end of the World Series?
    The last week of the World Series is ESPN Week, when all of the television shows that will air during the first half of the 2009-2010 PBA Tour season will be taped. The week will feature many different on-site promotions tied to the production of these shows. Many efficiencies and savings in production costs will result from taping the shows at the end in the same week.
    3. When will the schedule for the second half of the season be announced?
    The full schedule will be released shortly and posted on PBA.com. The remaining PBA Women’s Series events will take place near the beginning of the second half of the season, with the Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles Championship taking place in Medford, Ore., and the last women’s series event taking place at the Earl Anthony Memorial in Dublin, Calif.
    4. What is the format for each event?
    The four PBA World Series of Bowling “animal pattern” championships that include Women’s Series events (Viper, Scorpion, Chameleon and Shark) will use the following format:
    • Day 1: Practice session
    • Day 2: Two seven-game qualifying blocks for all 20 women with a cut to the top eight after 14 games.
    • Day 3: Best-of-seven match play until the field is narrowed to the final two women.
    The PBA Women’s World Championship will be an open field event in which any woman can enter.
    The Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles Championship will have a field of 32 women. After 14 qualifying games the field will be cut to the top 16, with the top man paired with the top woman and down the line. The 16 teams will bowl round robin to decide the top five teams for the stepladder finals.5. How will the prize funds be structured now that there are 20 players instead of 16?
    For the four pattern championships (Viper, Scorpion, Chameleon and Shark), the prize breakdown is as follows:
    • First place: $10,000
    • Second: $6,000
    • Third-fourth: $4,000
    • Fifth-eighth: $2,500
    • Ninth-20th: $1,400
    The PBA Women’s World Championship will be an open field event with prize structure partially decided by number of entries.
    The Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles Championship will have a similar payout to last year’s inaugural event (prize money for women listed below):
    • - First: $25,000
    • - Second: $13,000
    • - Third: $6,500
    • - Fourth: $5,500
    • - Fifth: $5,000
    • - And on down to paying last position 32nd place: $1,500
    6. Why was the decision made to add a TQR?
    As the PBA Women’s Series grows, the decision was made to give every woman bowler a chance to earn their way into individual events. This gives players either unable to bowl the Tour Trials or missing the Tour Trials cut more chances to earn their way into fields.
    7. What is the entry free for the Tour Trials, TQRs and each Women's Series event?
    The entry fee for the Tour Trials is $750. Each entry into TQRs is $300 for PBA members ($325 on site the day of the TQR) and $325 for non-members ($350 on site the day of the TQR). The entry fee for each PBA Women’s Series event is $500 (TQR advancers pay the $200 entry fee difference).
    8. If you are exempt, do you have to bowl every Women's Series event?
    No. An exempt woman does not have to bowl every Women’s Series event. She can bowl as many as she wishes. If an exempt player skips an event, that spot goes to the TQR.
    9. Do you have to become a PBA member to bowl in the Women's Series?
    Players do not have to join the PBA in order to bowl the Tour Trials in conjunction with the U.S. Women’s Open but must join the PBA if they make it through the trials and become exempt in the PBA Women’s Series. Players do not have to join the PBA if they qualify for only the mixed doubles event. Regarding the TQRs, players do not have to join the PBA in order to bowl a TQR, but must join the PBA if they make it through one TQR and then wish to bowl another TQR.
    10. Will the women be given jerseys to wear like the men?
    Exempt women can purchase the Gemini dye-sublimated jerseys at wholesale prices and use them to sell space to sponsors under the same logo guidelines given Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour exempt players.
    11. Will the exempt players be guaranteed a check in the PBA Women's World Championship? What about in the mixed doubles event?
    Yes, exempt players will be guaranteed a check in the PBA Women’s World Championships and Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles Championship. This means if a player becomes exempt, they are guaranteed to cash in seven PBA Women’s Series events.
    12. Are international players eligible to bowl the Women's Series?
    Yes. Shalin Zulkifli of Malaysia and Clara Guerrero of Colombia were exempt on the PBA Women’s Series last season. International players can try out at Tour Trials during the U.S. Women’s Open following the WTBA World Women’s Championships in Las Vegas and may enter TQRs in Detroit. There is no limit to international player participation and the World Series of Bowling site is more encouraging than ever to international players wishing to test their skills in the PBA.
    Read More
  •   HistoryMarion LadewigTake a look back at all the great moments and athletes in U.S. Women’s Open history.Event History
    Marion Ladewig, nine-time U.S. Women's Open titlist The U.S. Women's Open debuted in 1949 as the BPAA Women's All-Stars Tournament and kept that name until the event was rechristened the U.S. Women's Open in 1971. United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer Marion Ladewig took the title the first six years and went on to win again in 1956, 1959 and 1963, racking up a record nine titles.
    Past Champions
    1949
    Marion Ladewig
    1960
    Sylvia Martin
    1971
    Paula Sperber-Carter
    1982
    Shinobu Saitoh
    1993
    Dede Davidson
    1950
    Marion Ladewig
    1961
    Phyllis Notaro
    1972
    Lorrie Koch-Nichols
    1983
    Dana Miller
    1994
    Aleta Sill
    1951
    Marion Ladewig
    1962
    Shirley Garms
    1973
    Millie Ignizio
    1984
    Karen Ellingsworth
    1995
    Cheryl Daniels
    1952
    Marion Ladewig
    1963
    Marion Ladewig
    1974
    Pat Costello
    1985
    Pat Mercatanti
    1996
    Liz Johnson
    1953
    No Event
    1964
    LaVerne Carter
    1975
    Paula Sperber-Carter
    1986
    Wendy Macpherson
    1997
    No event
    1954
    Marion Ladewig
    1965
    Ann Slattery
    1976
    Patty Costello
    1987
    Carol Norman
    1998
    Aleta Sill
    1955 (Jan.)
    Sylvia Martin
    1955 (Dec.)
    Anita Cantaline
    1966
    Joy Abel
    1977
    Betty Morris
    1988
    Lisa Wagner
    1999
    Kim Adler
    1956
    Marion Ladewig
    1967
    Gloria Bouvia
    1978
    Donna Adamek
    1989
    Robin Romeo
    2000
    Tennelle Grijalva
    1957
    No event
    1968
    Dorothy Fothergill
    1979
    Diana Silva
    1990
    Dana Miller-Mackie
    2001
    Kim Terrell
    1958
    Merle Matthews
    1969
    Dorothy Fothergill
    1980
    Pat Costello
    1991
    Anne Marie Duggan
    2002
    No event
    1959
    Marion Ladewig
    1970
    Mary Baker
    1981
    Donna Adamek
    1992
    Tish Johnson
    2003
    Kelly Kulick
    2007
    Liz Johnson
    2008
    Kim Terrell-Kearney
    Read More
  •   TimelineU.S. Women's Open Timeline1971 – After qualifying for the inaugural Women’s U.S. Open as an amateur, southpaw Paula Sperber of Miami turned pro and won her first title in a Kansas City thriller, nipping June Lllewellyn of Pompano Beach, Fla., 5,660-5650, in a total pinfall contest. The 20-year-old Sperber, who later married bowling legend Don Carter, earned $4,000.1972 – By a matter of months, 20-year-old amateur Lorrie Koch of Carpentersville, Ill., became the youngest Open champion when she shocked Mary Baker of Central Islip, N.Y., 5,272-5,189 for the title in Denver. “Koch” is better known today as Lorrie Nichols, a 15-time professional titlist whose initial victory blossomed into induction into the WIBC and Women’s Professional Bowling Halls of Fame.1973 – In a battle of legendary left-handers, Millie Ignizio of Rochester, N.Y., cruised to a 5,553-5,294 victory over Patty Costello of New Carrollton, Md., in Garden City, N.Y.1974 – Irving, Texas, was the site of another battle of legends with San Francisco area roots. Pat Costello of Union City nipped Betty Morris of Stockton 219-216 in the first stepladder final in Women’s U.S. Open history.1975 – Paula Sperber Carter of Miami became the Women’s Open’s first double winner, topping 1972 winner Lorrie Koch-Nichols of Algonquin, Ill. 6,500-6,352 in Toledo, Ohio.1976 – Patty Costello of Scranton, Pa., who was to become the first woman bowler in history to win 25 career titles, earned one of the most important in Tulsa, Okla., edging Betty Morris in a newly-expanded format, 11,341-11,281.1977 – After two runner-up finishes, Betty Morris proved the third time was a charm, defeating Virginia Norton of Southgate, Calif. 10,511-10,358 in Milwaukee.1978 – The amazing “Mighty Mite,” 5-foot-2 Donna Adamek of Monrovia, Calif., began her march to four consecutive Woman Bowler of the Year titles with a 236-202 title match victory over Vesma Grinfelds of San Francisco in Miami.1979 – Long-shot Diana Silva of Albuquerque, N.M., pulled one of the biggest surprises in Women’s Open history, nipping Hall of Famer Bev Ortner of Tucson, Ariz. 11,775-11,718 in Phoenix for her first and only pro title.1980 – Pat Costello of Union City, Calif., joined Paula Sperber Carter as the Open’s second two-time champion, turning back Japanese superstar Shinobu Saitoh, 223-199, in Rockford, Ill.1981 – Donna Adamek became double winner No. 3 with a 201-190 victory over Nikki Gianulias of Vallejo, Calif., in Rockford, Ill.1982 – The top woman bowler in Japanese bowling history, Shinobu Saitoh became the first and only international player to remove the U.S. Open trophy from American soil when she held off the relentless pursuit of Robin Romeo of Beverly Hills, Calif., to win the final total pinfall Open in history 12,184-12,028 in Hendersonville, Tenn.1983 – Dana Miller of Albuquerque, N.M., won a showdown between powerful left-handers, routing Aleta Sill of Dearborn, Mich. 247-200 in St. Louis.1984 – Showing little respect for her “boss” and employer, Karen Ellingsworth of Des Plaines, Ill., upset pro shop owner and 1971 Open champion Lorrie Nichols of Algonquin, Ill. 236-217 in St. Louis. It was Ellingsworth’s first pro triumph.1985 – Veteran contender Pat Mercatanti of Yardley, Pa., the daughter of USBC Hall of Famer Vince Lucci, shook off her “almost” mantle in Topeka, Kan., upsetting Nikki Gianulias of Vallejo, Calif. 214-178 for her first pro title.1986 – Walnut Creek, Calif., high school student Wendy Macpherson pulled off what is arguably the biggest upset in Open history. The youngest Open champion ever (at age 18) and the first amateur winner since Lorrie Koch 14 years earlier, Macpherson defeated Cheryl Daniels, Patty Ann, Pat Costello, and top qualifier Lisa Wagner of Palmetto, Fla, 265-179 for the title in Topeka, Kan.1987 – In the richest Women’s Open in history, Carol Norman of Ardmore, Okla., shocked top qualifier Cindy Coburn of Buffalo, N.Y. 206-179 winning a record $40,000 share of the $200,000 Seagram’s Coolers U.S. Open prize fund in Mentor, Ohio.1988 – Lisa Wagner of Palmetto, Fla., the unanimous Woman Bowler of the 1980’s, landed her most prestigious title and largest paycheck when she defeated Lorries Nichols 226-218 in the second Seagram’s Coolers U.S. Open in Winston-Salem, N.C. Wagner converted her $40,000 first prize into the first $100,000 earnings year in women’s bowling history.1989 – Robin Romeo of Van Nuys, Calif., out-dueled Michelle Mullen of Matteson, Ill., 187-163 in the Seagram’s Coolers U.S. Open in Addison, Ill. Romeo’s $40,000 payday led to a women’s record $113,750 in earnings and Bowler of the Year honors.1990 – Albuquerque’s Dana Miller-Mackie joined the elite ranks of two-time Open champions in Dearborn Heights, Mich., nipping Tish Johnson of Northridge, Calif., in the closest title match in Women’s U.S. Open History, 190-189.1991 – Anne Marie Duggan of Edmond, Okla., earned her “green jacket” with a 196-185 triumph over Leanne Barrette of Oklahoma City in Fountain Valley, Calif.1992 – Tish Johnson avenged her 1990 title match loss, nipping Aleta Sill of Dearborn, Mich. 216-213 in Fountain Valley, Calif.1993 – Dede Davidson of San Jose, Calif., ended Dana Miller-Mackie’s bid to become the first three-time Open Champion in Garland, Texas 213-194.1994 – Twice an Open bridesmaid, Aleta Sill of Dearborn, Mich.., defeated Carolyn Dorin of Richardson, Texas, 279-259; Marianne DiRupo of Succasunna, N.J., and top qualifier Anne Marie Duggan of Edmond, Okla., 290-170, in Wichita, Kan., to win the elusive Open title and complete her quest for the women’s tour’s “Triple Crown.” Sill had won a pair of WIBC Queens and Sam’s Town invitational titles.1995 – Another life-long dream came true when Detroit’s Cheryl Daniels stopped Tish Johnson of Northridge, Calif., 235-180 in Blaine, Minn., to become the Open’s first African-American champion.1996 – Rookie Liz Johnson of Niagara Falls, N.Y., won her first professional title by defeating top qualifier Marianne DiRupo of Succasunna, N.J., 265-236 in the title match of the 1996 U.S. Open. Johnson, a former two-time U.S. Amateur Champion, tied Wendy Macpherson’s 1986 record for highest score in the title match. The Indianapolis event was the first combined Men’s/Women’s U.S. Open in history and the first “arena” final for the women.1998 – All-time women’s money winner Aleta Sill of Dearborn, Mich., made history by becoming the first bowler, male or female, ever to capture the Triple Crown twice in a career by beating Tammy Turner of West Palm Beach, Fla., 276-151 in the finals of the 1998 Open at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn. Her 276 broke the previous record of 265 for highest score in the title match held by Wendy Macpherson (1986) and Liz Johnson (1996). Sill, who also won the Open in 1994 to go along with her two WIBC Queens (1983, 1985) and Sam’s Town Invitational (1984, 1986) championships, defeated Succasunna, N.J., native Marianne DiRupo, 242-208 in the semifinals.1999 – Kim Adler of Las Vegas earned her third major title by defeating Lynda Barnes 235-191. Winning the $35,000 first prize, it was also Adler’s 11th career professional title.2000 – In the expansive atmosphere of the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Tennelle Grijalva of Orange, Calif., defeated Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J. 239-155 to take home the $35,000 first prize.2001 – Kim Terrell of Antioch, Calif. won her first major title and eighth overall professional win by defeating Wendy Macpherson 234-220. The 2001 U.S. Open featured a record $300,000 prize fund with Terrell taking home the record $55,000 first prize.2003 – Kelly Kulick defeated Professional Women’s Bowling Association stars Leanne Barrette, Wendy Macpherson, Michelle Feldman and finally Carolyn Dorin-Ballard 261-195 at Sunnybrooke Lanes in Sterling Heights, Mich., to win her first professional title and the $30,000 first prize.2007 – In the U.S. Women's Open's return for the first time in four years, Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y. defeated Shannon O'Keefe or Rochester, N.Y. 248-215 in the championship match at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., to win the $25,000 first prize. The event was telecast over four weeks by ESPN. In the quarterfinals of the event, O'Keefe rolled a historic 299 game.Read More
  •   ChampionsBPAA All-Star Champions
    (Renamed U.S. Open in 1971)
    1949 – Marion Ladewig
    1950 – Marion Ladewig
    1951 – Marion Ladewig
    1952 – Marion Ladewig
    1953 – Marion Ladewig
    1954 – Marion Ladewig
    1955 – Sylvia Martin
    1956 – Marion Ladewig
    1957 – No event
    1958 – Merle Matthews
    1959 – Marion Ladewig
    1960 – Sylvia Martin
    1961 – Phyllis Notaro
    1962 – Shirley Garms
    1963 – Marion Ladewig
    1964 – LaVerne Carter
    1965 – Ann Slattery
    1966 – Joy Abel
    1967 – Gloria Simon
    1968 – Dorothy Fothergill
    1969 – Dorothy Fothergill
    1970 – Mary Baker
    2007 – Liz Johnson Cheektowaga, N.Y.
    Read More
  •   Prize Fund

    2010 Prize Fund coming soon.

    2009 Prize Fund
    (Unofficial)
    Payout ratio 1:4 (Based on 200 entries)
    Place Amount
    1st Place $25,000
    2nd Place $15,000
    3-4th Place $8,500 each
    5-8th Place $6,000 each
    9-12th Place $5,000 each
    Daily block leaders: 1st Place $750; 2nd Place $500; 3rd Place $250
    Total Prize Fund $150,000
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  •   2008 Results2008 Results
    • Round of 16
      • (Winners advance to quarterfinals, losers finish tied for ninth and earn $4,000)
        (4) Diandra Asbaty, Chicago def. (13) Maxine Nable, Australia, 227-205
        (12) Kim Terrell-Kearney, Dover, Del., def. (5) Brenda Mack, Indianapolis, 212-190
    • Quarterfinals
      • (Winners advance to semifinals, losers finish tied for fifth and earn $6,000)
        (12) Kim Terrell-Kearney def. (4) Diandra Asbaty, 194-191
        (6) Shalin Zulkifli def. (14) Jodi Woessner, 266-194
        (2) Trisha Reid def. (7) Stefanie Nation, 245-217
        (1) Carolyn Dorin-Ballard def. (8) Clara Guerrero, 249-215
    • Semifinals
      • 2008 U.S. Women's Open - Semifinals
      • 7/31/2008
      • (Winners advance to final, losers finish tied for third and earn $8,500)
        (2) Trisha Reid, Columbus, Ohio, def. (6) Shalin Zulkifli, Malaysia, 237-180
        (12) Kim Terrell-Kearney, Dover, Del., def. (1) Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, North Richland Hills, Texas, 216-202
    • Finals
      • (Winner earns $25,000; loser earns $15,000)
        (12) Kim Terrell-Kearney, Dover, Del., def. (2) Trisha Reid, Columbus, Ohio, 216-189
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  •   2007 Results2007 ResultsQuarterfinals
    (Single game, single elimination)
    First Pairing
    Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, North Richland Hills, Calif., def. Tish Johnson, Napa, Calif., 231-223. (Johnson eliminated, ties for ninth place and earns $4,500.)
    Kim Terrell, Antioch, Calif., def. Karen Stroud, Victoria, Texas, 236-223. (Stroud eliminated, ties for ninth place and earns $4,500.)Dorin-Ballard def. Terrell, 246-215. (Dorin-Ballard advances to semifinals. Terrell eliminated, ties for fifth place and earns $6,000.)Second Pairing
    Missy Bellinder, Fullerton, Calif., def. Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 233-196 (Kulick eliminated, ties for ninth place and earns $4,500.)
    Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., def. Shannon Pluhowsky, Phoenix, 226-193 (Pluhowsky eliminated, ties for ninth place and earns $4,500.)Johnson def. Bellinder, 215-194 (Johnson advances to semifinals. Bellinder eliminated, ties for fifth place and earns $6,000.)Third Pairing
    Lynda Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, def. Amanda Burgoyne, Newport, Minn., 205-196 (Burgoyne eliminated, ties for ninth place and earns $4,500.)
    Michelle Feldman, Skaneateles, N.Y., def. Amy Stolz, Castle Rock, Colo., 211-209 (Stolz eliminated, ties for ninth place and earns $4,500.)Barnes def. Feldman, 289-258 (Barnes advances to semifinals. Feldman eliminated, ties for fifth place and earns $6,000.)Fourth Pairing
    Shannon O'Keefe, Rochester, N.Y., def. Olivia Sandham, Wichita, Kan., 247-209 (Sandham eliminated, ties for ninth place and earns $4,500.)
    Stefanie Nation, Orlando, Fla., def. Wendy Macpherson, Henderson, Nev., 184-181 (Macpherson eliminated, ties for ninth place and earns $4,500.)O'Keefe def. Nation, 299-159 (O'Keefe advances to semifinals. Nation eliminated, ties for fifth place and earns $6,000.)Semifinals
    Johnson def. Lynda Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 257-187. (Barnes finishes tied for third and earns $10,000.)
    O'Keefe def. Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, 223-209. (Dorin-Ballard finishes tied for third and earns $10,000.)Finals
    (Single game, single elimination)
    Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., def. Shannon O'Keefe, Rochester, N.Y., 248-215. (Johnson finishes first and earns $25,000; O'Keefe finished second and earns $15,000.)
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FEATURED BOWLERS
  • Liz Johnson  Liz JohnsonStats:
    • 11-Time PWBA Titlist
    • 2009 USBC Queens Champion
    • Only woman ever to appear on a Lumber Liquidator’s PBA Tour telecast
    • 2008 Team USA Trials Champion
    Liz Johnson’s success over the past few years has made her such a transcendent figure in the sport that all Kelly Kulick could say after losing to her in the championship round of the 2009 USBC Queens was that she could not think of anyone better to lose to.“If there is any bowler I want to finish second to, it's Liz,” Kulick said. “She's having a great career. She just keeps fighting and seems to overcome everything." “Liz is unbelievable,” says former Queens champion and two-time Women’s U.S. Open winner Kim Terrell-Kearney. “She can be the best player man or woman when she sees what she likes.”Liz Johnson is seeing what she likes with increasingly frequency these days, following up her historic appearance as the first woman to make the televised finals of a Men’s PBA Tour event in 2005, when she defeated Wes Malott in the semifinal match before losing to Tommy Jones in the championship round, by clinching a Team USA Trials title and adding the 2009 USBC Queens crown to a spoil of championships that includes two titles at the Women’s U.S. Open.“I'm a fighter,” Johnson said after winning the 2009 Queens event. “When it comes to anything, especially bowling, I'm going to fight my way through."Read More
  • Kelly Kulick  Kelly KulickStats:
    • Became first woman ever to earn Lumber Liquidator’s PBA Tour Exemption on June 4, 2006
    • 2003 U.S. Women’s Open Champion
    • 2007 USBC Queens Champion
    • 2009 USBC Queens Runner-up
    If you doubted for a second that Kelly Kulick would win the 2007 USBC Queens event when the news broke that she had made the telecast, you might not have known that she had a force on her side far more powerful than any mere mortal—that force, of course, was Spider Man.When Kulick discovered that a Long Island fan of hers happened to have a father who wrote the Spider Man series, it wasn’t long before professional bowling made an appearance in #20 of the Friendly Neighborhood Spider Man comic book series which, incidentally, just happened to be released on the very day Kulick won the Queens.“I never thought that something like that would happen to me,” Kulick told the New York Times. But no one will fault her for coming just short of a second Queens victory this year when she ran into one of the hottest bowlers in the world—Team USA member Liz Johnson who, to this day, remains the only woman ever to compete on a men’s professional bowling telecast.Kulick finished a mere second at the 2009 Queens tournament—a loss which, given the caliber of bowler it took to best her that day, Kulick can live with."If there is any bowler I want to finish second to, it's Liz,” Kulick said. “She's having a great careerRead More
  • Shannon O'Keefe  Shannon O'KeefeStats:
    • 5-Time Team USA Member
    • Runner-up at 2007 U.S. Women’s Open
    • 5th at 2007 USBC Queens
    • 2007 Women's World Champion
    By now, many are aware of Shannon O’Keefe’s achievements as a Gold-Medalist at the 2007 Women’s World Championships and a five-time member of Team USA.What few people may know, though, is that the origin of those achievements is found in one of the most unlikely places imaginable—a pair of shoes.The daughter of a former professional bowler, it was not until O’Keefe turned 16 that she first decided to join her brother on the lanes as her body began to suffer the consequences of a determined softball career in which, at just 15 years old, she finished among the top 160 at the 1996 U.S. Olympic softball team trials.“My Dad took me to Dick’s Sporting Goods and got me a teal plastic ball, and then I looked up and saw this pair of white Lind’s shoes with a teal toe,” Shannon explains. “I am not spending $150 just so you can look cute in a sport you’re not even good at,” her father said. “That was all I needed,” Shannon reflects years later. “As soon as you tell me I can’t do something, I will work at it until I prove you wrong.” Though Shannon’s father surely considers himself proven wrong by now, Shannon aims to prove much more, seeking to “win all the majors,” a goal inspired after she finished as runner-up at the 2007 Women’s U.S. Open in Reno. As for the father who once dared to doubt her? “He is one of my best friends,” Shannon says. “He has been with me on this journey from day one. To have somebody in your corner with you like that, I am very blessed.”Read More
 
 
 
 
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