Andrew Anderson won the 2025 PBA LBC National Championships Clash, securingThe Duke trophy and the $25,000 top prize.The event took place onSeptember 27 and featured eight finalists representing different divisions ofthe LBC National Championships. The finalists first bowled a four-game seeding round to decide the order forthe one-ball eliminator finals. In this format, each player delivered a singleshot, with the lowest pinfall leading to elimination after each round. Connor Chen, representing Boys Junior Handicap, was the first player out,followed by PBA Hall of Famer Chris Barnes. Anderson then survived a roll-offagainst Robert Morris, winning 7–6 to continue in the competition. OliviaRogers, Karla Alsgood, and Stephanie Zavala were next eliminated as the fieldnarrowed. In the championship round, Anderson met Westyn Griffin from the Open Classicdivision. Both opened with a nine count, but Anderson followed with a strikewhile Griffin knocked down six. That final shot gave Anderson the victory andsecured his place among the Clash champions. The Clash has been held annually since 2023. Tom Daugherty won the inaugural event, while Gianna Brandolino claimed thetitle in 2024. The 2025 edition awarded $53,000 in total prize money, with $25,000 for firstplace, $10,000 for second, and $3,000 for all other finalists.

The Malaysian Tenpin Bowling Congress (MTBC) has reached an agreement with theInternational Bowling Federation (IBF) to host the 2026 World YouthChampionships in Malaysia. The event will be staged at Megalanes Sarawak in Kuching, bringing the world’stop youth bowlers to the venue. This will be the first world bowling event held in Sarawak, and it also marksthe return of a world championship to Malaysian soil after 22 years. Malaysiahosted the World Bowling Championships in Kuala Lumpur back in 2003. The signing ceremony was held at Megalanes Sarawak, attended by YB Datuk AhmadIbrahim and officiated by Dato Najeeb Abdullah for MTBC, Mr. Sunny Si for theAmateur Bowling Association of Sarawak (ABAS), and Mr. Mike Seymour, CEO ofthe IBF. The World Youth Championships is one of the most important events on theinternational bowling calendar, providing young athletes a global stage tocompete at the highest level. The last World Youth Championships took place at theFiesta Bowling Center in Incheon, Korea, in 2024. Fiesta Bowling Center in Incheon, Korea, in 2024

Hammer Bowling has released an open letter to the bowling community followingthe United States Bowling Congress (USBC) decision to impose new restrictions on urethane bowling balls. open letter decision to impose new restrictions on urethane bowling balls On September 4th, USBC announced that slow oil-absorbing high-performancebowling balls (urethane) with absorption times over 90 minutes must meet aminimum 78D hardness requirement starting December 31, 2025, to remainapproved for sale in the United States. Beginning January 1, 2026, several national tournaments will see outright banson these balls, while others will allow them only under specific conditions.However, these balls will still be legal in leagues and local tournaments,unless an event organizer decides otherwise. Hammer expressed strong concern with the decision, stating that the new rulescould create confusion across the sport and limit a piece of equipment thathas long been trusted by bowlers. The company emphasized that urethane has been an important part of bowling fordecades and that restrictions risk upsetting loyal players. Below is the full open letter from Hammer Bowling to bowlers around the world,published in its original form: An Open Letter from Hammer Bowling to Bowlers Around the World: The sport of bowling has always been built on innovation, tradition, and thepursuit of excellence. For more than forty years, urethane bowling balls havebeen a trusted tool and essential part of that story, providing bowlers with areliable tool to tackle challenging lane conditions and allowing bowlers tocompete at their highest level. Now, that legacy is being threatened. The USBC has announced sweeping restrictions on urethane balls for nationaltournaments, including outright bans in some cases. These changes represent aseismic shift in our sport, removing equipment that generations of bowlers,from grassroots leagues to the highest levels of professional play, haverelied upon, and we believe these new rules will create confusion and risksetting a troublesome precedent for leagues and tournaments to follow. At Hammer Bowling, we are deeply frustrated by USBC’s continued attention onbowling ball restrictions including this latest decision to target bowlingball materials. The focus on banning equipment options rather than growingparticipation is a misguided step that risks upsetting loyal bowlers andcausing irreparable harm to the sport we all love. Urethane has earned its place on the lanes - not just as another coverstock,but as a vital tool for controlling ball motion, navigating difficult oilpatterns, and allowing bowlers to compete at their highest level. In today’sgame, with higher rev rates and increasingly challenging lane patterns,urethane remains more important than ever. Eliminating it erases a criticalpart of our sport’s versatility and evolution, and to our knowledge, there hasnever been a ball so effective and so popular that rules were created torestrict its use, despite maintaining USBC-approval, passing numerous spotchecks, and continuing to meet all USBC specifications. Most importantly, we want to reassure bowlers that theHammer Purple Pearl Urethane remains USBC approvedfor use in leagues, local and state events, Junior Gold qualifying, andcollegiate qualifying tournaments. This legendary ball continues to deliverthe performance that bowlers have trusted for years, and it isn’t goinganywhere. Hammer Purple Pearl Urethane remains USBC approved Hammer Bowling stands with bowlers who are angry and disappointed by theseunnecessary restrictions, and we remain committed to fighting for theequipment that makes our sport competitive, enjoyable, and great. Sincerely, The Hammer Bowling Team

The United States has finalized its roster for the 2025 IBF World Championships, which will be held at Top Bowl inside Kai Tak Sports Park in Kowloon, Hong Kong, from November 24 to December 5. The women representing Team USA will be Julia Bond, Bryanna Coté, Breanna Clemmer, Jillian Martin, Shannon Pluhowsky, and Lauren Russo. On the men’s side, the lineup includes Andrew Anderson, Ryan Barnes, Packy Hanrahan, A.J. Johnson, Kristopher Prather, and Chris Via. The team will compete under the guidance of head coach Bryan O’Keefe, alongside assistant coach and USBC Hall of Famer Kelly Kulick. The 2025 IBF World Championships will bring together top athletes from across the globe. Currently, 23 countries are expected to field men’s teams, while 22 nations will send women’s squads. Competition will begin with the opening ceremony on November 24. Over the following 12 days, athletes will compete in singles, doubles, trios, and team of five events. Several federations have already confirmed their rosters ahead of the championships. Sweden officially named its squad earlier this week, and Finland announced its men’s and women’s teams earlier this summer. Sweden officially named its squad earlier this week Finland announced its men’s and women’s teams

The United States Bowling Congress (USBC) has finalized its decision onurethane bowling balls.Beginning January 1, 2026, urethane balls will face strict new limits at national tournaments. In someevents, they will be banned entirely; in others, only models manufactured at aminimum 78D hardness will be allowed.According to USBC officials, these changes should take positive stepstoward addressing the issues related to athlete development, lane patternintegrity and competition equity. The United States Bowling Congress (USBC) has finalized its decision onurethane bowling balls. January 1, 2026 78D hardness According to USBC officials, these changes should take positive stepstoward addressing the issues related to athlete development, lane patternintegrity and competition equity. USBC Lane Pattern Development Lead Nick Hoagland also shared his thoughts onthe growing challenges of creating equitable lane conditions in today’scompetitive bowling environment. According to Hoagland, urethanebowling balls add to the difficulty by quickly breaking down intended lane characteristics.His comments were featured in avideo released by USBC. lane characteristics video released by USBC Hoagland outlined several factors shaping the current situation. Lane surfacesare aging quickly, while bowling ball technology continues to advance at arapid pace. The maximum allowable oil volumes are already being applied tolanes, and higher revolution rates are increasingly common across the field. revolution rates "As an industry, we're nearing the limits of viable oil pattern tricks to achieve balance," Hoagland said. Over the past decade, USBC and other organizations have experimented withdifferent approaches to keep lane conditions challenging while preserving theintended pattern design. These include oil pattern adjustments such as oil speed bumps down the lane topreserve integrity, larger left-side offsets to improve left-right equity,wet-dry designs to discourage urethane use, and radical structures meant topromote fairness across styles. Tournament format changes have also been tested, including shorter blocks,eliminating burn squads, hardness rules, and in some cases restrictingurethane for strike shots. Despite these efforts, balancing competition between left- and right-handedplayers, as well as between one-handed and two-handed styles, continues topresent challenges. When asked how the game might change without urethanes, Hoagland pointed toseveral potential benefits. Shorter patterns could be used more often without losing design integrity, andpattern flexibility would improve at both elite and local levels. Players whobase their game on urethane would need to adapt, while left- and right-handedbowlers would be able to play lanes in a more similar manner. The ruling marks one of the most significant changes to bowling ballregulations in recent years. The full USBC Report on bowling ball hardnessgovernance can be found here. The ruling marks one of the most significant changes to bowling ballregulations in recent years. The full USBC Report on bowling ball hardnessgovernance can be found here .

Following the announcement of the new USBC urethane restriction at nationallyconducted events, 32-time PBA Tour champion Jason Belmonte has spoken outabout the rule changes. announcement of the new USBC urethane restriction USBC recently confirmed that beginning December 31, 2025, urethane bowlingballs must be manufactured at a minimum 78D hardness to remain approved forsale in the United States. Meanwhile, starting January 1, 2026, restrictionswill apply to national tournaments, including complete urethane bans at theU.S. Open, USBC Masters, PWBA Tour events, and others. In his recent post on social media, Belmonte described the rule as unclear anddifficult to follow. He pointed out that while urethane will be banned atnational events, they remain allowed in leagues and other certifiedcompetitions, emphasizing that the changes will affect only a small part ofbowlers post on social media "My head is spinning at just how poor this is, let alone confusing," Belmontesaid. "The majority of bowling will see zero change. The ‘soft’ urethane ballswill still continue to roam free amongst the bowling community." After USBC decision on urethane restriction, urethanes are allowed in certaintournaments, like certified leagues and tournaments, but banned in others, andin some cases allowed only during qualifying before being restricted in laterrounds. Belmonte expressed that the rule changes are very confusing. He also notedthat the USBC had the chance to provide clarity and move the sport forward,but the Australian two-hander believes the decision fell short. "78D hardness balls are allowed, but are also banned, but are also allowed andthen banned within the same tournament. Then the only people who are trying tomake a living are the ones who see the biggest change. If it’s ‘bad’ for thepros, why not bad for everyone else? This governing body had a chance to giveclarity, correct their previous mistakes and lead forward. They have not donethat here!" According to the USBC, The new urethane restriction aims to address issuessuch as lane condition integrity, competitive fairness, and playerdevelopment.USBC is not the only governing body to take action against urethane bowlingballs. In May, we reported that the Norwegian Bowling Federation (NBF) introduced a newrule banning the use of certain urethane bowling balls in major nationalcompetitions. This includes the Norwegian National Championships and the NationalLeague. USBC is not the only governing body to take action against urethane bowlingballs. In May, we reported that the Norwegian Bowling Federation (NBF) introduced a newrule banning the use of certain urethane bowling balls in major nationalcompetitions. This includes the Norwegian National Championships and the NationalLeague.

After weeks of speculation and a formal review process, the United StatesBowling Congress (USBC) has finalized its decision on urethane and other slowoil-absorbing bowling balls. Back on July 23,USBC confirmed it was formally reviewing urethane equipmentfollowing growing concerns about fairness, lane conditions, and enforcement.That announcement included apublic surveyandinput from manufacturers, fueling speculation about a possible ban. July 23 USBC confirmed it was formally reviewing urethane equipment public survey input from manufacturers Now, USBC has delivered its verdict. BeginningJanuary 1, 2026, slowoil-absorbing high-performance balls will face strict new limits at nationaltournaments. In some events, they will be banned entirely; in others, onlymodels manufactured at a minimum78D hardness will beallowed. January 1, 2026 78D hardness Bowling ball makers had already anticipated change. In recent years, mostmajor brands stopped releasing new urethane models, with Storm’sIQ Tour 78U (2023) andHammer’sBlack Pearl Urethane (2024)among the last on the market. IQ Tour 78U Black Pearl Urethane What’s Changing Hardness Standard:BeginningDecember 31, 2025, any slowoil-absorbing high-performance ball (the type that absorbs oil slower than90 minutes and has a high-performance core) must be made at78D hardness or higher tobe approved for sale in the U.S.Older Models: All slowoil-absorbing balls madebefore August 1, 2022 areno longer allowed in national tournaments, even if they meet hardness requirements.League & Local Play:These balls will still be legal in leagues and local tournaments, unless anevent organizer decides otherwise. Hardness Standard:BeginningDecember 31, 2025, any slowoil-absorbing high-performance ball (the type that absorbs oil slower than90 minutes and has a high-performance core) must be made at78D hardness or higher tobe approved for sale in the U.S. Hardness Standard: December 31, 2025 78D hardness or higher Older Models: All slowoil-absorbing balls madebefore August 1, 2022 areno longer allowed in national tournaments, even if they meet hardness requirements. Older Models: before August 1, 2022 no longer allowed in national tournaments League & Local Play:These balls will still be legal in leagues and local tournaments, unless anevent organizer decides otherwise. League & Local Play: Tournament Rules (Starting 2026) Banned Completely: U.S. OpenUSBC MastersAll PWBA Tour events (including U.S. Women’s Open, Queens,Regionals)U22 Masters and QueensUSBC Intercollegiate NationalsUSA Bowling Nationals U.S. Open USBC Masters All PWBA Tour events (including U.S. Women’s Open, Queens,Regionals) U22 Masters and Queens USBC Intercollegiate Nationals USA Bowling Nationals Allowed Only if 78D Hardness: USBC Open ChampionshipsUSBC Women’s ChampionshipsBowlers Journal ChampionshipsUSBC Senior Masters, Senior Queens, Super Senior ClassicYouth Open Championships USBC Open Championships USBC Women’s Championships Bowlers Journal Championships USBC Senior Masters, Senior Queens, Super Senior Classic Youth Open Championships Restricted Use - Junior Gold: 78D urethane balls allowed inqualifying onlyNot allowed in match play or finals 78D urethane balls allowed inqualifying only qualifying only Not allowed in match play or finals No Change:Events like Team USA Trials, collegiate sectionals, Junior Gold qualifiers,and several amateur competitions remain unaffected. No Change: Why the Change? USBC explained four main reasons behind the decision: Lane Conditions -Slow oil-absorbing balls break down lane patterns faster, making them playdifferently than intended.Fairness - Mixingurethane and reactive balls in the same event creates scoring imbalancesbetween styles.Player Development - Relying too heavily on urethane limits skill growth, especiallyfor youth bowlers.Integrity - Theseballs can soften over time, which has caused protests and accusations oftampering. Lane Conditions -Slow oil-absorbing balls break down lane patterns faster, making them playdifferently than intended. Lane Conditions Fairness - Mixingurethane and reactive balls in the same event creates scoring imbalancesbetween styles. Fairness Player Development - Relying too heavily on urethane limits skill growth, especiallyfor youth bowlers. Player Development Integrity - Theseballs can soften over time, which has caused protests and accusations oftampering. Integrity “These changes take positive steps toward addressing the issues related toathlete development, lane pattern integrity and competition equity,” said USBCExecutive DirectorChad Murphy. Chad Murphy Hardness Spot Checks Begin Immediately USBC also confirmed it will beginhardness spot-check testingat national tournaments right away. While primarily for research andmonitoring, the checks also give officials a tool to identify potentialtampering and reinforce competitive integrity. hardness spot-check testing Ineligible Ball Lists USBC has published two official lists of balls that are now ineligible fornational events. The first applies to events whereno slow oil-absorbing balls are allowed (like the U.S. Open andMasters). The second applies to events where they are allowedonly if 78D hardness (like the USBC Open andWomen’s Championships). no slow oil-absorbing balls are allowed only if 78D hardness Some of the most notable models affected include: Storm Pitch BlackStorm IQ Tour 78UHammer Purple Pearl Urethane900 Global Altered RealityMotiv Tank Rampage Pearl Storm Pitch Black Storm IQ Tour 78U Hammer Purple Pearl Urethane 900 Global Altered Reality Motiv Tank Rampage Pearl These are among the most recognizable urethane and urethane-style balls incompetitive play, and their removal from certain events will be immediatelyfelt by both professionals and high-level amateurs. The complete, regularly updated ineligible ball lists are available onBOWL.com. BOWL.com What This Means for Bowlers If you bowl leagues or local tournaments, your urethane ball is still legal unless the organizer adopts theserules.If you compete in national events, you’ll need to carefully check whether your ball is allowed under thenew rules.A number of popular urethane and urethane-like models will no longer bepermitted at certain events, even if they were previously approved. If you bowl leagues or local tournaments, your urethane ball is still legal unless the organizer adopts theserules. If you bowl leagues or local tournaments , your urethane ball is still legal unless the organizer adopts theserules. If you compete in national events, you’ll need to carefully check whether your ball is allowed under thenew rules. If you compete in national events , you’ll need to carefully check whether your ball is allowed under thenew rules. A number of popular urethane and urethane-like models will no longer bepermitted at certain events, even if they were previously approved. A Split Path Between U.S. and Europe While USBC is tightening restrictions on urethane, Europe is moving in theopposite direction. OnAugust 18, the EuropeanBowling Federation (EBF) announced that the78D hardness rule will be dropped starting with the 2026European Bowling Tour (EBT) season and the 2025–26 EBT Youth season. August 18 78D hardness rule will be dropped That decision meansany ball on the USBC/IBF Approved Ball Listcan be used at EBT stops. Importantly, balls such as theHammer Purple Pearl Urethaneand Storm Pitch Black remainon the Approved List, even though they are restricted at certain USBC nationaltournaments beginning in 2026. any ball on the USBC/IBF Approved Ball List Hammer Purple Pearl Urethane Storm Pitch Black In practice, this creates a clear split: In the U.S.: Balls likePurple Hammer and Pitch Black are approved for general use but banned innational events such as the U.S. Open and Masters.In Europe: As long as theball is on the Approved List, it will be allowed at all EBT events, unlessthe tournament is officially sanctioned as part of the PBA Tour. In the U.S.: Balls likePurple Hammer and Pitch Black are approved for general use but banned innational events such as the U.S. Open and Masters. In the U.S.: In Europe: As long as theball is on the Approved List, it will be allowed at all EBT events, unlessthe tournament is officially sanctioned as part of the PBA Tour. In Europe: The contrast highlights a growing divide in global governance. For bowlerscompeting internationally, it means the same ball could be disallowed at aUSBC national tournament yet fully legal on the European tour. The Bottom Line The ruling marks one of the most significant changes to bowling ballregulations in recent years. While reactions will be mixed, USBC believes thenew standards will preserve lane conditions, level the playing field, andencourage more versatile skill development. Read a fullUSBC Report on Bowling Ball Hardness Governance. USBC Report on Bowling Ball Hardness Governance For complete details, FAQs, and the full ineligible ball lists, visitBOWL.com. BOWL.com.

The 22nd Asian Youth Tenpin Bowling Championships concluded in Petaling Jayawith Singapore and Korea sharing the Masters titles. Singapore’sMike Ong Jing Loong captured the Boys’ Masters crown, giving his country asixth gold medal, while Korea’s Paek Ye Dam secured her nation’s first gold inthe Girls’ Masters. In the boys’ stepladder final, Ong defeated Japan’s top-seed Fumine Suda in atwo-game total pinfall match. Ong edged the opening game 248–246and followed with a steady 216–203 to secure a 464–449 victory. Earlier, Onghad advanced by narrowly defeating Korea’s Shin Ji Ho in the semi-finals.The title marked Singapore’s second gold in the boys’ division,following Aiman Raedyn Lim Jen’s Singles win earlier in the week. In the girls’ division, top-seed Paek Ye Dam defeated her Korean teammate LeeDa Eun 454–373 in an all-Korean final. Lee had advanced byovercoming Singapore’s Shirlene Wong in the semi-finals. Paek, who hadfinished fifth in the first block, climbed to the top of the standings in thesecond block to secure her position as the number one seed. The Masters results closed a successful week for Singapore, which dominatedthe girls’ division with a medal tally of four golds, one silver, and onebronze. Korea followed with one gold, four silvers, and one bronze, whileMalaysia collected two bronze medals. In the boys’ division, Kuwait topped the standings with two gold medals andone silver. Singapore earned two golds and one bronze, while Korea finishedwith one gold and two silvers. Overall, Singapore emerged as the leading nation with six golds, one silver,and one bronze – their best performance at the Asian Youth Championships.Kuwait finished second in the overall medal table, with Korea in third.Thechampionships, held from August 20 to 27, 2025, brought together 56 boys, 32girls, and 38 officials from 14 countries.

The 22nd Asian Youth Tenpin Bowling Championships in Petaling Jaya sawhistoric results as Kuwait and Singapore both celebrated double victories.Kuwait captured the Boys’ Team and All Event gold medals,while Singapore secured the Girls’ Team and All Event titles. In the boys’ Team of Four, Malaysia led after the first block but slipped witha poor start in the second. Kuwait’s Abdul Rzzaq Mohamad, Adel Ali, NasserAlkandari, and Hassan Qasem surged with a 940 game to move into contention.Korea and Singapore also remained close with high scores. The contest came down to the final game. Singapore posted 939 to reach 5158and Malaysia finished with 860 for 5172. Korea closed with 907 to total 5187,but Kuwait ended with 957 to secure the gold medal at 5194. Thevictory was Kuwait’s first Team gold since 2007 in Beijing. In the girls’ Team event, Singapore’s Hazel Tan, Shirlene Wong, Lim Shi En,and Nur Irdina Hazly led from start to finish. They ended with 5017 for theirfourth gold medal of the championships. Korea’s Paek Ye Dam, Jo Yoon Seo, NohHye Min, and Lee Da Eun followed closely but settled for silver with 4988.Malaysia took the bronze with 4796. The All Events titles also produced historic moments. Kuwait’s Hassan Qasemearned the Boys’ All Events gold with 4123. Korea’s Bae Jung Hun claimedsilver with 4071, while Malaysia’s Muhammad Aiman Syahin took bronze with4063. Singapore’s Lim Shi En won the Girls’ All Events with 3828, adding a fifthgold for her country. Team-mate Shirlene Wong earned silver with 3822, andKorea’s Noh Hye Min secured bronze with 3791.The top 16 boys andtop 16 girls from the All Event standings advanced to the Matchplay Mastersfinals, which begin tomorrow in Petaling Jaya.

The 2025 Ultimate Tenpin Cup in Australia crowned its singles champions withConnor Raines of the NQ Crocs and Bek Martin of NES Synergy winning thetitles. Both players collected 5000 Australian Dollars and atrophy. In the men’s stepladder final, No. 1 seed Connor Raines defeated U.S. star EJTackett 211-201. Tackett had advanced by beating JacksonBuckingham 198-156 and then overcoming Sam Cooley 215-205. Cooley finished theevent in third place. In the women’s division, No. 4 seed Bek Martin made her way through thestepladder with wins over Maranda Pattison 194-181 and Bryanna Coté 220-193.In the final, Martin faced England’s top seed Verity Crawley andwon 211-202 to claim the championship. Coté placed third while Crawleyfinished runner-up. Full Results The tournament is not over yet. The Ultimate Teams Clash begins tomorrow with18 teams set to compete for the title.

Today, the 22nd Asian Youth Tenpin Bowling Championships continued in Petaling Jaya with the Doubles events.Singapore secured their third gold medal in the girls’ division, after winning two golds in Singles yeasterday, while host nation Malaysia celebrated their first gold in the boys’ division. In the girls’ Doubles event, Singapore’s Lim Shi En and Nur Irdina Binte Hazly took control after the second game and never looked back. They posted 2637 to win comfortably and deliver another gold for Singapore. Korea’s Paek Ye Dam and Jo Yoon Seo finished second with 2473, while Japan’s Kiri Watanabe and Mao Kondoh claimed the bronze medal with 2456. Malaysia ended fourth with 2431. winning two golds in Singles yeasterday

Singapore swept the Singles events at the 22nd Asian Youth Tenpin BowlingChampionships in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. Aiman Raedyn Lim Jen wonthe Boys’ Singles title while Hazel Tan Wei Ning took the Girls’ Singlescrown. In the boys’ division, Korea’s Kim Woo Jin started strongly with games of 259,279, and 299 to build a big lead. But a low fourth game of 162 opened the doorfor his rivals.Korea’s Bae Su Hyeon stayed close and Qatar’sTalal Al Marri also moved up with strong finishes. In the last game,Singapore’s Lim rolled 249 to seal the gold with 1436. Bae finished secondwith 1422, and Al Marri secured bronze with 1400. The tournament will run from August 20 to 27, 2025, with 56 boys, 32 girls,and 38 team officials taking part from fourteen countries.