The 2025 World Seniors Championships concluded on Wednesday at the NationalBowling Stadium in Reno, Nevada, with the Masters Finals marking the final dayof competition. Over six days, bowlers from 37 countries competed acrossSingles, Doubles, Team, All-Events, and Masters divisions, with the finalmatches crowning this year’s individual champions. Singles, Doubles Team In the Senior Men’s Masters,John Janawicz of the UnitedStates captured his fourth gold medal of the tournament, defeating teammateChris Barnes 2–1 in ahigh-scoring final. Both players opened the match with long strings ofstrikes, but Janawicz prevailed in the deciding game 248–217 after Barnesstruggled with corner-pin carry. In the semifinals, Janawicz advanced pastAustralia’sMichael Muir (240–205, 232–257,226–219), while Barnes defeatedAdam Hayes of Australia 2–0(248–178, 213–195). Muir and Hayes earned bronze medals. Senior Men’s Masters John Janawicz Chris Barnes Michael Muir Adam Hayes Japan’s Eiko Suzuki claimed theSenior Women’s Masters titlewith a 2–0 victory over Germany’sMartina Beckel (198–168,188–158). Suzuki, who maintained strong form throughout the event, advancedfrom the semifinals by defeating Italy’sAlessandra Morra (192–190,225–208), while Beckel overcame the United States’Jodi Woessner 2–0 (190–177,208–153). Morra and Woessner took bronze. Eiko Suzuki Senior Women’s Masters Martina Beckel Alessandra Morra Jodi Woessner TheGrand Senior Men’s Mastersconcluded withArturo Hernández of Venezuelawinning gold after a strong 2–0 performance (185–178, 236–212) againstGermany’s Peter Knopp.Hernández reached the final by defeating England’sKim Johnson 2–1 (199–166,158–234, 222–193), while Knopp advanced past Australia’sDavid Farquharson 2–0 (178–207,212–189). Johnson and Farquharson earned bronze medals. Grand Senior Men’s Masters Arturo Hernández Peter Knopp Kim Johnson David Farquharson In theGrand Senior Women’s Masters,Angie Brown of England securedgold after a tight three-game final against Australia’sJulie Harrison. Brown openedwith a narrow 183–181 win and closed the series 2–1 after scores of 188–151and 187–150. In the semifinals, Brown defeated France’sPépitá Jacques (227–158,159–170, 179–153), while Harrison advanced past Mexico’sMaria Ruiz (183–183*, 151–172,150–159). Jacques and Ruiz took bronze medals. Grand Senior Women’s Masters Angie Brown Julie Harrison Pépitá Jacques Maria Ruiz Complete Medal Tally:

Singapore has officially announced its men’s and women’s national teams forthe2025 IBF World Championships, set to take place from November 24 to December 5 at Top Bowl inside Kai TakSports Park in Kowloon, Hong Kong. 2025 IBF World Championships The men’s team will featureBasil Ng, Cheah Ray Han, Darren Ong, Jaris Goh,Joel Tan, and Xavier Teo.This year, Darren Ong made history at the World Series of Bowling XVI, becoming the first player from Singapore to win a PBA Tour title. Basil Ng, Cheah Ray Han, Darren Ong, Jaris Goh,Joel Tan, and Xavier Teo. Basil Ng Cheah Ray Han Darren Ong Jaris Goh Joel Tan Xavier Teo This year, Darren Ong made history at the World Series of Bowling XVI, becoming the first player from Singapore to win a PBA Tour title . On the women’s side, Singapore will be represented byBernice Lim, Cherie Tan, Daphne Tan,New Hui Fen, Ning Tay, and Shayna Ng.New Hui Fen had a blast in the recent PWBA Tour season, winning three titles, including a major at the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open, where she climbed from the No. 5 seed to win all four stepladder matches, averaging over 256. Meanwhile, Shayna Ng also made a powerful return to the top of the podium, capturing her third PWBA career title — and first in six years — by winning the 2025 PWBA Go Bowling Topeka Open. Bernice Lim, Cherie Tan, Daphne Tan,New Hui Fen, Ning Tay, and Shayna Ng. Bernice Lim Cherie Tan Daphne Tan New Hui Fen Ning Tay Shayna Ng New Hui Fen had a blast in the recent PWBA Tour season, winning three titles, including a major at the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open , where she climbed from the No. 5 seed to win all four stepladder matches, averaging over 256. Meanwhile, Shayna Ng also made a powerful return to the top of the podium, capturing her third PWBA career title — and first in six years — by winning the 2025 PWBA Go Bowling Topeka Open. Both teams will represent Singapore in singles, doubles, trios, and team offive events throughout the 12-day championship. The IBF World Championships will bring together top bowlers from around theworld, with at least 28 federations in men's division and 23 federations inwomen's division are expected to delegate their athletes to compete. Theopening ceremony will take place on November 24, followed by qualification andmedal rounds through early December. Other countries, including theUnited States,Sweden, andFinland, have already revealed their national teams ahead of the tournament. United States Sweden Finland

The 2025 World Seniors Championships continued at the National Bowling Stadiumin Reno, Nevada, where Monday’s competition decided the Team Event championsacross all four divisions. The day began with the final qualifying blocks andconcluded with the Baker-format semifinals and gold medal matches for Seniorand Grand Senior Men’s and Women’s divisions. In the Senior Men’s Team event, the United States claimed gold after animpressive display throughout the round. The American quartet of Chris Barnes,Parker Bohn III, Tom Hess, and John Janawicz dominated qualifying andcontinued their form in the finals. They defeated Belgium 2–0 (234–202,235–182) in the semifinals before sweeping the Netherlands 2–0 (229–190,217–191) in the championship match. The Netherlands earned silver, whileGermany and Belgium took bronze. The Senior Women’s Team final brought another victory for the United States.The team of Lynda Barnes, Dana Ausec, Rina Sabo, and Jodi Woessner earned goldafter a thrilling three-game final against Australia. The Americans overcameGermany in the semifinals 2–1 (236–136, 206–220, 181–167) and then outlastedAustralia 2–1 (186–179, 175–225, 226–222) in the final. Australia took silver,while Germany and Canada finished with bronze. In the Grand Senior Men’s Team division, Mexico captured gold after a dominantfinals performance. The team of Alfonso Rodriguez, David Eskenazi, MarioGarcia, and Raul Mendez advanced through a tough semifinal against Australia,winning 2–1 (217–181, 176–197, 232–198), before sweeping Puerto Rico 2–0(211–154, 241–156) in the final. Puerto Rico earned silver, while Japan andAustralia secured bronze medals after reaching the semifinals. In the Grand Senior Women’s Team final, Australia claimed gold in a confidentperformance over France. The team of Heather Robertson, Julie Harrison, RobynBull, and Robyn Flynn advanced from the semifinals by defeating Czech Republic2–0 (185–149, 162–150), while France overcame Iceland 2–1 (162–215, 200–191,188–155). In the final, Australia maintained steady control, winning 194–181and 200–187 to close out the series 2–0. France earned silver, and CzechRepublic and Iceland shared bronze. With all Team Events now completed, the tournament now moves into the Mastersstages, where individual head-to-head match play will decide the finalchampions of the 2025 World Seniors Championships. Updated Medal Tally (after Team Events): Remaining Schedule of the 2025 World Seniors Championships (local time,Reno): Tuesday, October 2110:00–11:00 – Masters (Step 1) Senior Men11:00–12:00 – Masters (Step 1) Senior Women12:00–12:30 – Lane Maintenance12:30–13:30 – Masters (Step 1) Grand Senior Men13:30–14:30 – Masters (Step 1) Grand Senior Women14:30–15:00 – Lane Maintenance15:00–16:00 – Masters (Step 2) Senior Men & Senior Women16:00–17:00 – Masters (Step 2) Grand Senior Men & Grand Senior Women17:00 – Medal Presentation (All Events) Tuesday, October 21 Wednesday, October 2209:00–10:00 – Masters (Step 3 Quarterfinals) Senior Men & Senior Women10:00–11:00 – Masters (Step 3 Quarterfinals) Grand Senior Men & GrandSenior Women11:00–11:30 – Lane Maintenance11:30–12:30 – Masters (Step 4 Semifinals, all divisions)12:30–13:30 – Masters Finals Senior Women13:30–14:30 – Masters Finals Senior Men14:30–15:30 – Masters Finals Grand Senior Men15:30–16:30 – Masters Finals Grand Senior Women Wednesday, October 22

The 2025 World Seniors Championships continued in Reno, Nevada, with the firstmedals awarded in Singles and Doubles. The competition, held at the NationalBowling Stadium, gathered senior and grand senior bowlers from around theworld to compete across four divisions – Senior Men, Senior Women, GrandSenior Men, and Grand Senior Women. The Singles and Doubles qualification rounds took place on Friday andSaturday, followed by Sunday’s medal rounds. The day also marked the start ofthe team event, with the opening three-game block for both Senior Men andSenior Women. Senior Singles In Senior Men’s Singles,John Janawicz of the UnitedStates captured the gold medal after defeatingAdam Hayes of Australia 241–181in the final. Janawicz advanced to the title match by defeating teammateTom Hess 236–226 in thesemifinals, while Hayes overcameGery Verbruggen of Belgium244–196. Hess and Verbruggen both received bronze medals. John Janawicz Adam Hayes Tom Hess Gery Verbruggen The Senior Women’s Singles title went toManuela Oing of Germany, whobeat Alicia Marcano ofVenezuela 201–190 in the final. In the semifinals, Oing rolled a strong278–226 victory againstEiko Suzuki of Japan, whileMarcano advanced with a narrow 182–178 win over Germany’sMichaela Göbel-Janka. Suzukiand Göbel-Janka earned bronze. Manuela Oing Alicia Marcano Eiko Suzuki Michaela Göbel-Janka Senior Doubles In Senior Men’s Doubles, Germany’sBodo Konieczny andMichael Krämer won gold afterdefeating Italy’sMaurizio Celli andMarco Reviglio 380–369 in thefinal. Earlier, Konieczny and Krämer eliminated the American pairParker Bohn III andTom Hess 435–414, while Celliand Reviglio advanced by beatingChris Barnes andJohn Janawicz of the UnitedStates 439–382. The two U.S. teams shared bronze medals. Bodo Konieczny Michael Krämer Maurizio Celli Marco Reviglio Parker Bohn III Tom Hess Chris Barnes John Janawicz Senior Women’s Doubles produced an all-American gold medal match.Rina Sabo andJodi Woessner claimed goldafter defeating teammatesDana Ausec andLynda Barnes 462–436 in ahigh-scoring final. In the semifinals, Sabo and Woessner defeatedReija Lundén andJaana Taavitsainen of Finland450–393, while Ausec and Barnes overcame Germany’sMartina Beckel andMichaela Göbel-Janka 445–372.Finland and Germany each secured bronze medals. Rina Sabo Jodi Woessner Dana Ausec Lynda Barnes Reija Lundén Jaana Taavitsainen Martina Beckel Michaela Göbel-Janka Grand Senior Singles In the Grand Senior Singles divisions, Japan and Germany were the maincontenders on the men’s side. The semifinals featured three Japanese bowlersand one German, ensuring at least one Japanese finalist. Germany’sPeter Knopp, who recently became a champion in BowlingGP France Senior tournament, advanced to the championshipmatch after defeatingSatoshi Matsubara 192–181, whileToru Kawashima of Japan beatHisanori Umeda 233–168. In thefinal, Kawashima secured the goldmedal for Japan with a 179–151 win overKnopp, leaving Germany withsilver and Matsubara and Umeda earning bronze. Peter Knopp, who recently became a champion in BowlingGP France Senior tournament , Satoshi Matsubara Toru Kawashima Hisanori Umeda Kawashima Knopp In the Grand Senior Women’s Singles, Australia and France dominated thesemifinal stage.Julie Harrison defeatedRobyn Flynn 199–188 in anall-Australian match, whileJacqueline Faure (Boissiere) ofFrance overcamePepita Jacques (Estruch) 175–169.In the final, Faure delivered adecisive 199–181 victory overHarrison to claim gold forFrance, with Flynn and Jacques taking bronze. Julie Harrison Robyn Flynn Jacqueline Faure (Boissiere) Pepita Jacques (Estruch) Faure Harrison Grand Senior Doubles In Grand Senior Women’s Doubles, Angie Brown and Diane Johnson captured goldafter defeating Robyn Flynn and Julie Harrison of Australia 382–361. Brown andJohnson reached the final by defeating fellow English duo Sandra Simmonds andLynn Squibb 403–338, while Flynn and Harrison advanced with a 419–347 win overJapan’s Honami Yanagawa and Yumiko Yoshida. The English and Japanese pairsreceived bronze.In Grand Senior Men’s Doubles,Gary Baker andKim Johnson of England tookgold after a 418–363 victory againstYvan Augustin andSerge Frouvelle of France.Baker and Johnson moved through the semifinals by beatingRalf Gr We andPeter Knopp of Germany 394–321,while the French pair narrowly defeatedMario Garcia andAlfonso Rodriguez of Mexico355–352. Germany and Mexico earned bronze medals. Gary Baker Kim Johnson Yvan Augustin Serge Frouvelle Ralf Gr We Peter Knopp Mario Garcia Alfonso Rodriguez England’s strong showing in the Grand Senior division came despite earlychallenges. The team lost two players early in the week, asKim Oakley suffered a fracturedfoot and Lol Ellis experienceda stroke, preventing them from competing further. Kim Oakley Lol Ellis What's Next? With Singles and Doubles completed, attention now shifts to the team events. The first three games of Senior Men’s and Senior Women’s team qualifying werecontested on Sunday evening, with the United States leading the Senior Men’sstandings and Canada narrowly in front among Senior Women after Day 1. Current Medal Tally (after Singles and Doubles): 1. United States – 2 Gold, 1 Silver, 3 Bronze2. Germany – 2 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze3. England – 2 Gold, 0 Silver, 2 Bronze4. France – 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze5. Japan – 1 Gold, 0 Silver, 2 Bronze6. Australia – 0 Gold, 2 Silver, 2 Bronze7. Italy – 0 Gold, 1 Silver, 0 Bronze8. Venezuela – 0 Gold, 1 Silver, 0 Bronze9. Finland – 0 Gold, 0 Silver, 1 Bronze10. Belgium – 0 Gold, 0 Silver, 1 Bronze11. Mexico – 0 Gold, 0 Silver, 1 Bronze 1. United States – 2 Gold, 1 Silver, 3 Bronze 2. Germany – 2 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze 3. England – 2 Gold, 0 Silver, 2 Bronze 4. France – 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze 5. Japan – 1 Gold, 0 Silver, 2 Bronze 6. Australia – 0 Gold, 2 Silver, 2 Bronze 7. Italy – 0 Gold, 1 Silver, 0 Bronze 8. Venezuela – 0 Gold, 1 Silver, 0 Bronze 9. Finland – 0 Gold, 0 Silver, 1 Bronze 10. Belgium – 0 Gold, 0 Silver, 1 Bronze 11. Mexico – 0 Gold, 0 Silver, 1 Bronze Remaining Schedule of the 2025 World Seniors Championships (local time,Reno): Monday, October 2009:00–12:00 – Team Event (3 games) Senior Men & Grand Senior Men13:30–16:30 – Team Event (3 games) Senior Women & Grand Senior Women16:30–17:30 – Team Semifinals (all divisions)17:30–18:30 – Team Finals (all divisions)18:30–19:00 – Medal Presentation (Teams) Monday, October 20 Tuesday, October 2110:00–11:00 – Masters (Step 1) Senior Men11:00–12:00 – Masters (Step 1) Senior Women12:00–12:30 – Lane Maintenance12:30–13:30 – Masters (Step 1) Grand Senior Men13:30–14:30 – Masters (Step 1) Grand Senior Women14:30–15:00 – Lane Maintenance15:00–16:00 – Masters (Step 2) Senior Men & Senior Women16:00–17:00 – Masters (Step 2) Grand Senior Men & Grand Senior Women17:00 – Medal Presentation (All Events) Tuesday, October 21 Wednesday, October 2209:00–10:00 – Masters (Step 3 Quarterfinals) Senior Men & Senior Women10:00–11:00 – Masters (Step 3 Quarterfinals) Grand Senior Men & GrandSenior Women11:00–11:30 – Lane Maintenance11:30–12:30 – Masters (Step 4 Semifinals, all divisions)12:30–13:30 – Masters Finals Senior Women13:30–14:30 – Masters Finals Senior Men14:30–15:30 – Masters Finals Grand Senior Men15:30–16:30 – Masters Finals Grand Senior Women Wednesday, October 22

The International Bowling Federation (IBF) has officially announced an interimpolicy regarding the use of urethane bowling balls in IBF competitions.The decision follows the recent developments from the UnitedStates Bowling Congress (USBC) and comes shortly before two majorinternational events on the IBF calendar - the 2025 IBF World SeniorChampionships taking place from October 13 to 23 in Reno, Nevada, and the 2025IBF World Championships set for November 24 to December 5 in Hong Kong. According to the IBF statement, the IBF Technical Committee has completed apreliminary review and introduced an immediate measure that will remain inplace until further notice. Under this policy, all bowling ballsmanufactured on or after January 1, 1991, and listed on the official USBCApproved Ball List at the start of the tournament, are permitted for use inIBF competitions. Bowling balls produced before 1991 or not included on theUSBC Approved Ball Listare now prohibited in all IBF-sanctioned tournaments. The official list isavailable on the USBC website and will be accessible at all IBF events toverify eligibility. This means that many of the most popularurethane bowling balls, such as theHammer Purple Pearl UrethaneandStorm IQ Tour 78/U, remain approved for use in IBF competitions. USBC Approved Ball List Hammer Purple Pearl Urethane Storm IQ Tour 78/U The IBF emphasized that this step ensures fairness, clarity, and consistencyacross global competitions while maintaining alignment with USBC standards. The Technical Committee will continue its assessment and issue further updateswhen the review process concludes. This ruling was released after the USBC finalized its own policy changesregarding urethane bowling balls.

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 transfer of PBA Tour broadcasts from FOX to The CW Network does not onlyaffect American audiences, but also international viewers. Since The CW Network is only available in the United States, it was importantto secure a way for fans worldwide to follow the biggest stage in professionalbowling. The Professional Bowlers Association confirmed to BowlingLife’s ErikasJansonas that global fans will still be able to follow the action throughBowlTV, the same livestream service used in past seasons. “International viewers will be able to watch PBA events on the CW via BowlTV -just as they could watch FOX shows in past years,” the PBA stated. The 2026 regular season begins on February 22 with the PBA PlayersChampionship in Arlington, Texas. The CW Network will broadcast ten events inten straight Sundays, all live at 4 p.m. ET. Meanwhile, the World Series ofBowling will be livestreamed on CBS. Below is the full PBA Tour Schedule 2026 on The CW Network, with all eventsairing at 4 p.m. ET: February 22: PBA Players Championship – Arlington, Texas –International Training and Research Center February 22: PBA Players Championship March 1: PBA Pete Weber Missouri Classic – St. Peters, Mo. – BowleroSt. Peters March 1: PBA Pete Weber Missouri Classic March 8: U.S. Open – Indianapolis, Ind. – Royal Pin Woodland March 8: U.S. Open March 15: PBA Illinois Classic – Decatur, Ill. – David Small’s VictoryLanes March 15: PBA Illinois Classic March 22: PBA Indiana Classic – Fort Wayne, Ind. – David Small’s ProBowl West March 22: PBA Indiana Classic March 29: USBC Masters – Allen Park, Mich. – Thunderbowl Lanes March 29: USBC Masters April 5: PBA Ohio Classic – Columbus, Ohio – Columbus Square BowlingPalace April 5: PBA Ohio Classic April 12: PBA New York Classic – Rochester, N.Y. – ABC Gates Bowl April 12: PBA New York Classic April 19: PBA Roth/Holman Doubles Championship – Portland, Maine –Bayside Bowl April 19: PBA Roth/Holman Doubles Championship April 26: PBA Tournament of Champions – Fairlawn, Ohio – AMF RivieraLanes April 26: PBA Tournament of Champions Earlier this year, the PBA announced that it hadsigned a multi-year broadcast agreement with The CW Network, marking the end of its partnership with FOX. signed a multi-year broadcast agreement with The CW Network

The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) has announced the full PBA TourSchedule 2026, with live broadcasts set to air on The CW Network. The new television partnership introduces “PBA Championship Sundays on TheCW,” bringing professional bowling to a national audience on ten consecutiveSundays. Coverage will begin on February 22, 2026, with the PBA Players Championship inArlington, Texas. Every broadcast will air live at 4 p.m. ET and continuethrough April 26, 2026, when the season closes with the PBA Tournament ofChampions in Fairlawn, Ohio. In total, The CW will feature four major championships. These include the PBAPlayers Championship, U.S. Open, USBC Masters, and the PBA Tournament ofChampions. Six additional title events will also be broadcast, such as the PBA Pete WeberMissouri Classic and the Roth/Holman Doubles Championship from Bayside Bowl inPortland, Maine. Fans can follow qualifying and match play rounds through BowlTV before theChampionship Sunday broadcasts. Below is the full PBA Tour Schedule 2026 on The CW Network, with all eventsairing at 4 p.m. ET: February 22: PBA Players Championship – Arlington, Texas –International Training and Research Center February 22: PBA Players Championship March 1: PBA Pete Weber Missouri Classic – St. Peters, Mo. – BowleroSt. Peters March 1: PBA Pete Weber Missouri Classic March 8: U.S. Open – Indianapolis, Ind. – Royal Pin Woodland March 8: U.S. Open March 15: PBA Illinois Classic – Decatur, Ill. – David Small’s VictoryLanes March 15: PBA Illinois Classic March 22: PBA Indiana Classic – Fort Wayne, Ind. – David Small’s ProBowl West March 22: PBA Indiana Classic March 29: USBC Masters – Allen Park, Mich. – Thunderbowl Lanes March 29: USBC Masters April 5: PBA Ohio Classic – Columbus, Ohio – Columbus Square BowlingPalace April 5: PBA Ohio Classic April 12: PBA New York Classic – Rochester, N.Y. – ABC Gates Bowl April 12: PBA New York Classic April 19: PBA Roth/Holman Doubles Championship – Portland, Maine –Bayside Bowl April 19: PBA Roth/Holman Doubles Championship April 26: PBA Tournament of Champions – Fairlawn, Ohio – AMF RivieraLanes April 26: PBA Tournament of Champions Earlier this year, the PBA announced that it had signed a multi-year broadcast agreement with The CW Network, marking the end of its partnership with FOX.While Championship Sundays will air on The CW, the World Series ofBowling will be broadcasted on CBS. signed a multi-year broadcast agreement with The CW Network

EJ Tackett has been named the Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year for 2025.Tackett received 86.5 percent of the vote from PBA members andmedia. Andrew Anderson and Ethan Fiore followed with six percent each, whileJason Belmonte, Graham Fach, Jesper Svensson, and Chris Via were alsonominated. This is his fourth career award and his third in a row. With this achievement,Tackett joins Earl Anthony, Mark Roth, Walter Ray Williams Jr., and Belmonteas the only players to win three consecutive Player of the Year honors. Tackett’s 2025 season included several milestones. He led the PBA Tour inpoints with 34,690, in earnings with $438,540, and in average with 228.60. He recorded 11 top-five finishes, 12 top-10 finishes, 13 top-25 finishes, andcashed in 15 events. During the season, Tackett added multiple career titles, surpassing DonJohnson to enter the top ten on the all-time list with 27. He also secured two major championships. At theU.S. Open, Tackett made a late charge from outside the cut to win his second title inthe event. Later, he captured thePBA World Championship, finishing a demanding World Series of Bowling with a victory over JasonBelmonte. U.S. Open PBA World Championship The Player of the Year award carries the name of Christopher Schenkel, theHall of Fame broadcaster who was the longtime voice of the PBA. He passed awayin 2005.

The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) and Longmarch Bowling haveannounced a 10-year agreement to relaunch the PBA China Regional Program. The relaunch begins in October 2025 with three scheduled tournaments at theLongmarch Bowling Center in Shanghai. The first event, the PBA China Tribute to Pioneers Championship, will takeplace from September 18–21, 2025. It will be followed by the PBA ChinaScorpion Championship on January 2–3, 2026, and the 2026 PBA China Cup onOctober 2–4, 2026. This new partnership builds on the PBA’s history in China. The relationship began in 2014 when Longmarch Bowling helped recruit playersin China to join the PBA through the “Pioneers Program.” More than 100 Chinesebowlers have become members since then, with several competing in the PBAWorld Series of Bowling. In 2019, the PBA China Tiger Cup became the first PBA event in the country,featuring the season’s top seven PBA-ranked players alongside hundreds ofcompetitors from China and Asia. The program was paused in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The PBA and Longmarch Bowling aim to use this relaunch to expand competitiveopportunities for Chinese bowlers, attract new talent, and strengthen thesport’s presence in the region. The 10-year agreement is part of the PBA’s wider plan for global growth, withChina seen as an important market for the sport’s future.PBA Regional events outside the United States have proven successful, with PBA Sweden and PBA Japan already established on the international calendar.

Chris Via and Bryanna Coté claimed the title at the 25th anniversary edition of the Storm PBA/PWBA Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles, held at Copperfield Bowl in Houston. After finishing qualifying in 22nd place, the pair surged during match play and secured the top spot heading into the final game. With a total pinfall of 10,416 (+1,216) over 46 combined games, they held a comfortable lead of 260 pins over Kyle Troup and Liz Johnson, who finished in second with +1,042. Latest win marked Coté’s sixth PWBA title and Via’s second PBA title. For the win they were awarded with $25,000. Via also rolled the only two 300 games of the tournament and donated both $300 bonuses to the Striking Against Breast Cancer foundation. Last year's champions Anthony Simonsen and Danielle McEwan finished in 22nd. Last year's champions Last year's champions The final PBA title event of the season will be the Storm Lucky Larsen Masters in Helsingborg, Sweden, while the PWBA season wraps in August with Championship Week in Rochester, New York. Storm Lucky Larsen Masters in Helsingborg, Sweden Storm Lucky Larsen Masters in Helsingborg, Sweden Championship Week in Rochester, New York Championship Week in Rochester, New York Top 5 Final Standings: Top 5 Final Standings: Chris Via / Bryanna Coté – 10,416 (+1,216)Kyle Troup / Liz Johnson – 10,242 (+1,042)Darren Tang / Sin Li Jane – 10,039 (+839)Andrew Anderson / Erin McCarthy – 9,952 (+752)Tommy Jones / Shannon Pluhowsky – 9,918 (+718) Chris Via / Bryanna Coté – 10,416 (+1,216) Kyle Troup / Liz Johnson – 10,242 (+1,042) Darren Tang / Sin Li Jane – 10,039 (+839) Andrew Anderson / Erin McCarthy – 9,952 (+752) Tommy Jones / Shannon Pluhowsky – 9,918 (+718)

The 2025 PBA50 Petraglia Championship concluded on Tuesday in Jackson, Michigan, with Finland’s Mika Koivuniemi winning his first PBA50 title since 2018. In the title match, Koivuniemi, the No. 2 seed, started strong with a strike and spare, then built momentum with seven consecutive strikes from the fourth to the tenth frame - a pace his opponent just couldn't hande, securing the win 258-224. Previously, in the semifinal, Koivuniemi defeated No. 5 seed Liz Johnson, who had advanced through two earlier matches by defeating Brian LeClair in the opening match, 215-199 and then defeating Tom Daugherty 225-197. Johnson and Koivuniemi were even early in the game, but a split in the fourth frame gave Koivuniemi the lead. He remained clean through the match and finished strong to win 227-202. Koivuniemi earned $5,000 for the win. This win was crucial for Major Mika as he moves closer to qualifying for the PBA50 World Championship match play. All qualifying scores from this tournament, along with those from the Ballard, Monacelli, and Holman Championships, will determine the top 18 players advancing to the World Championship. Koivuniemi currently stands in 19th place and will need strong results in the upcoming Holman Championship to move up. All matches of the PBA50 are available to watch live on BowlTV. PBA50 Petraglia Championship Stepladder Finals – Match Results PBA50 Petraglia Championship Stepladder Finals – Match Results Match 1: Liz Johnson def. Brian LeClair, 215 – 199 Match 1: Match 2: Liz Johnson def. Tom Daugherty, 225 – 197 Match 2: Semifinal: Mika Koivuniemi def. Liz Johnson, 227 – 202 Semifinal: Final: Mika Koivuniemi def. Bo Goergen, 258 – 224 Final:

Andrew Anderson defeated EJ Tackett in two straight games during Sunday’s finale at Steel City Bowl & Brews in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to become the fifth bowler to claim the title since the lounch of the event. The final match began with Tackett taking an early lead with four straight strikes, but open frames in the later stages allowed Anderson to steal Game 1, 212–200. In Game 2, early errors from Tackett gave Anderson a comfortable advantage. Despite an open frame in the sixth, Anderson held on to win 212–189 and sweep the Race-to-Two final. This win marks Anderson’s second title of the season—both earned in finals matches against Tackett—and the sixth PBA Tour title of his career. Earlier in the year, Tackett topped Anderson in the U.S. Open, but Anderson bounced back to defeat him at the PBA Mike Aulby Nevada Classic. Tackett topped Anderson in the U.S. Open Tackett topped Anderson in the U.S. Open PBA Mike Aulby Nevada Classic PBA Mike Aulby Nevada Classic With this win, he also pockets the $35,000 top prize. The Tour Finals featured the top eight points leaders from the 2024 and 2025 seasons, split into two groups. Anderson and Tackett each earned the top seed in their respective groups during Saturday’s positioning rounds and fought their way through stepladder matches to reach the final. In Group 1, Tackett advanced after narrowly escaping a roll-off win against Graham Fach. In Group 2, Anderson survived a high-scoring bracket that saw Jason Belmonte shoot 269 and 278 in his first two matches. Anderson lost the first game of their head-to-head but forced a roll-off and doubled in the tenth to move on to the championship. The PBA Tour Finals closes out the 2025 season. The post-season begins with the Storm PBA/PWBA Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles in July, followed by a return to international play in August at the Storm Lucky Larsen Masters in Sweden. Group 1 Stepladder Results: Group 1 Stepladder Results: Match 1: Kyle Troup (No. 4) defeated Bill O’Neill (No. 3), 227–214Match 2: Graham Fach (No. 2) defeated Kyle Troup, 226–197Match 3: EJ Tackett (No. 1) defeated Graham Fach, 2–1 Match 1: Kyle Troup (No. 4) defeated Bill O’Neill (No. 3), 227–214 Match 1: Match 2: Graham Fach (No. 2) defeated Kyle Troup, 226–197 Match 2: Match 3: EJ Tackett (No. 1) defeated Graham Fach, 2–1 Match 3: Group 2 Stepladder Results: Group 2 Stepladder Results: Match 1: Jason Belmonte (No. 3) defeated Anthony Simonsen (No. 4), 269–259Match 2: Jason Belmonte defeated Marshall Kent (No. 2), 278–221Match 3: Andrew Anderson (No. 1) defeated Jason Belmonte, 2–1 Match 1: Jason Belmonte (No. 3) defeated Anthony Simonsen (No. 4), 269–259 Match 1: Match 2: Jason Belmonte defeated Marshall Kent (No. 2), 278–221 Match 2: Match 3: Andrew Anderson (No. 1) defeated Jason Belmonte, 2–1 Match 3:

The final PBA Tour title of the 2025 season is on the line this weekend in Pennsylvania, where the top eight point leaders from the 2024 and 2025 seasons are competing in the PBA Tour Finals. On Saturday, the players were split into two groups based on their points standings. Group 1 included EJ Tackett, Bill O’Neill, Kyle Troup, and Graham Fach. Group 2 featured Anthony Simonsen, Jason Belmonte, Andrew Anderson, and Marshall Kent. Each group bowled two games on dual oil patterns—46-foot Petraglia on the left lane and 40-foot Monacelli on the right. The two lowest scorers were placed as the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds for Sunday’s stepladder. The top two advanced to a one-game match to determine seeding for the final. In Group 1, Tackett led the pack with 266 in his first game and stayed consistent to finish with a total of 488. Fach followed closely with 460 to join him in the seeding match, where Tackett rolled 258 to Fach’s 211 to claim the top seed. O’Neill and Troup will open Sunday’s Group 1 stepladder at 5 p.m. ET. The winner will face Fach, and then meet Tackett in a Race-to-Two match. Group 2 saw a standout performance from Andrew Anderson, who started with a 279 and followed it with 206 for a 485 series. Marshall Kent secured second with 452, while Belmonte and Simonsen struggled to keep pace. Anderson edged out Kent in the seeding match, 193–191, and now waits for the winner of the Group 2 stepladder starting at 7 p.m. ET. Belmonte and Simonsen will face off in the opener, with the winner moving on to face Kent. The two stepladder winners will meet in the championship match at 9 p.m. ET. All matches will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network, which recently signed a new two-year agreement with the PBA beginning in 2026. new two-year agreement with the PBA beginning in 2026 new two-year agreement with the PBA beginning in 2026

Shannon Pluhowsky won the 2025 PWBA Tour Championship at ABC Gates Bowl in Rochester, New York. Pluhowsky, the No. 1 seed, defeated England’s Verity Crawley 235-167. She earned $50,000 for the win, while Crawley took home $25,000 for second place. The title match was low scoring in the early frames. Pluhowsky had 85 through five frames after leaving a 4-6-10 split, while Crawley had 70 with two strikes and two opens. After the commercial break, both players struck twice in a row, but Pluhowsky added two more strikes to take control. A strike in the ninth and another in the 10th secured the match for Pluhowsky. The victory marked Pluhowsky's third career major title, sixth overall and second in a row PWBA title. Just 3 days ago, Pluhowsky won PWBA Pepsi Open. won PWBA Pepsi Open Crawley reached the title match by defeating No. 5 seed Stephanie Zavala, 233-215 in the semifinals. Zavala had earlier defeated No. 4 seed Jordan Snodgrass, 185-150, and No. 3 seed Lauren Russo, 233-170. Snodgrass earned $10,000 for fifth place, Russo earned $12,000 for fourth, and Zavala collected $15,000 for third. 2025 PWBA Tour Championship was the last event of the 2025 PWBA season. Singapore's New Hui Fen was named 2025 PWBA Player of the Year. She led the tour with 94,550 points and three titles, including the U.S. Women’s Open, Rock 'n' Roll Open and BowlTV Open. Snodgrass finished second in the points race with 93,125. U.S. Women’s Open Rock 'n' Roll Open BowlTV Open

The stepladder finalists are set for the 2025 PWBA Tour Championship at ABC Gates Bowl in Rochester, New York. Five players remain in the season’s final major event, and the PWBA Player of the Year race is still undecided.Singapore’s New Hui Fen, who led the PWBA Tour season in points and earnings, did not advance to the stepladder finals, finishing ninth. She will receive 10,600 points, bringing her total to 94,550 Tour points accumulated throughout the season. Jordan Snodgrass, who earned the No. 4 seed, will fight against fifth seed Stephanie Zavala in the opening match of the stepladder. With a single win, Snodgrass can overtake New in season points with 94,625. Meanwhile, Zavala moved into the stepladder during the position round, defeating 2025 Rookie of the Year Malaysia’s Gillian Lim 226–202 to jump from seventh to fifth place. 2025 Rookie of the Year The winner of the opening match will face third seed Lauren Russo. Russo is making her second television appearance of the season after finishing third at the U.S. Women’s Open earlier this year. Second seed Verity Crawley of England will await the winner of that match as a No. 2 seed, only two wins away from the major title. In qualifiers, Crawley averaged over 244 during her block on the 38-foot oil pattern, becoming the first player since the format change in 2021 to start 8-0 in match-play. to start 8-0 in match-play Crawley is also appearing on TV for the second time this season, having reached the finals of the PWBA Anniversary Open in June. Top seed Shannon Pluhowsky, will bowl in the championship match. Pluhowsky is looking for her second straight title after winning the PWBA Pepsi Open and her third career major title. winning the PWBA Pepsi Open The finals will take place Tuesday, Aug. 12, at 7 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.

The PWBA Tour Championship began at ABC Gates Bowl in Rochester, New York, with winners from this season and the top 24 in points competing in match play. Day one kicked off with the first eight games of the 24-game match play, and with a major title up for grabs, UK's Tenpin Hall of Famer wasted no time making history. UK's Tenpin Hall of Famer Verity Crawley became the first player since the format change in 2021 to start the event 8-0 in match-play.Crawley averaged over 244 during her block on the 38-foot oil pattern, scoring 1,957 before bonus pins for a total of 2,197. This is the fifth-highest eight-game match-play total since the PWBA Tour’s relaunch in 2015. Shannon Pluhowsky, the PWBA Pepsi Open champion, sits in second place with 2,066, while Lauren Russo holds third with 1,992. Singapore’s New Hui Fen, the season leader in points and earnings, and Josie Barnes, ranked second in earnings and third in average, share fourth place at 1,973. Positions six through ten after day one are Dasha Kovalova of Ukraine (1,957), Julia Bond (1,941), Jordan Snodgrass (1,926), Lindsay Boomershine (1,926), and Natasha Roslan of Malaysia (1,914). Match play continues Monday morning at 10 a.m. Eastern with another eight games, followed by the final eight games starting at 5 p.m. Eastern. After 24 games, the top five players will advance to the stepladder finals on Tuesday night, broadcast live on CBS Sports Network at 7 p.m. Eastern. Both rounds of match play are being livestreamed on BowlTV. BowlTV

Malaysia’s Gillian Lim has been named the 2025 PWBA Rookie of the Year. She became the first Malaysian player in history to receive the award. Lim led all rookies in points, earnings, and top-12 finishes during the 2025 season. Her consistent performances across events secured her the top rookie spot. The announcement comes as Lim competes in the season-ending PWBA Tour Championship. After the first eight games of match play, she is in 15th place with two wins, five losses, and one tie, for a total pinfall of 1,848. Meanwhile, England’s Verity Crawley made history by becoming the first player since the format change in 2021 to start the event 8-0 in matches. Crawley averaged over 244 during her block on the 38-foot oil pattern, scoring 1,957 before bonus pins for a total of 2,197 to lead the 24-player field. Match play continues Monday morning at 10 a.m. Eastern with another eight games,followed by the final eight games starting at 5 p.m. Eastern. After 24 games, the top five players will advance to the stepladder finals on Tuesday night, broadcast live on CBS Sports Network at 7 p.m. Eastern. Both rounds of match play are being livestreamed on BowlTV. BowlTV

Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio, won the PWBA Pepsi Open at ABC Gates Bowl, defeating Liz Johnson of Niagara Falls, New York, 226-175 in the championship match. The victory marked Pluhowsky’s fifth fifth PWBA Tour title. After 12 games of qualification, Pluhowsky qualified as the No. 4 seed with 2,748 total (+348) among 16 advancing players. In the Round of 16, Pluhowsky faced No. 13 seed, Sweden’s Anna Andersson and came from two games to one down to win the best-of-five series with scores of 228 and 235 in the last two games (225-201, 193-232, 214-234, 228-196, 235-225). In the Round of 8, she then swept Singapore’s Shayna Ng with close games of 216-187, 249-230, and 220-210. The semifinal saw Pluhowsky take on Lindsay Boomershine. The intrigue was kept just at the beginning of the game, as Pluhowsky closed with eight consecutive strikes to win 269-189. On the other side of the bracket, No. 10 seed Liz Johnson defeated Breanna Clemmer 3-1 in the Round of 16, then advanced from the top 8 with a narrow one-pin victory in game five against Stephanie Zavala. In the semifinal, Johnson defeated No. 14 seed Nora Johansson of Sweden 235-227 to advance to the title match. In the title match, Johnson led by one pin halfway through the game, but Pluhowsky took control in the second half with a string of strikes. Johnson was unable to match the pace and missed a spare late in the game. Pluhowsky secured the win 226-175, earning the $10,000 top prize. Liz Johnson received $5,000 as runner-up. As the victory marked Pluhowsky’s fifth Professional Women’s Bowling Association title, she is now eligible for the PWBA Hall of Fame. With the victory, Pluhowsky also secured her place in the PWBA Tour Championship field, which features all 2025 title winners and the top 24 in season points. The Tour Championship begins Sunday with practice and continues with match play rounds before the stepladder finals on Tuesday night.

Stefanie Johnson has won her fifth Professional Women’s Bowling Association title after taking the victory at the PWBA Rochester Open, held at ABC Gates Bowl in Rochester, New York. Johnson qualified as the No. 2 seed after match play and went on to defeat New Hui Fen of Singapore in the semifinal and top seed Bailey Delrose of Crest Hill, Illinois, in the championship match. This marks Johnson’s first title since the 2022 PWBA Rockford Open. In the semifinal, Johnson faced New Hui Fen, who had been undefeated in stepladder finals this season. Both players struggled early with open frames, but Johnson gained momentum in the second half of the match. She secured the win 203-196, ending New’s perfect 9–0 record in stepladder finals this season. The final match saw Johnson against Delrose, who was making her first career stepladder appearance. Both started strong, but Delrose left a 3-7 split in the sixth frame, allowing Johnson to take the lead. Johnson maintained control and finished with a 230-204 win. Johnson earned $10,000 and secured a spot in the season-ending Tour Championship. Meanwhile, Delrose took home $5,000 for second place. Earlier in the stepladder, Cherie Tan of Singapore faced Julia Bond. Bond advanced with a 233–214 win, then lost to New Hui Fen 224–213 in the second match. Stepladder Results – PWBA Rochester Open Stepladder Results – PWBA Rochester Open Match 1 – Julia Bond def. Cherie Tan, 233–214 Match 2 – New Hui Fen def. Julia Bond, 224–213 Semifinal – Stefanie Johnson def. New Hui Fen, 203–196 Final – Stefanie Johnson def. Bailey Delrose, 230–204 Match 1 Match 2 Semifinal Final

Josie Barnes of Hermitage, Tennessee, claimed the 2025 PWBA Anniversary Open title after winning two matches during Sunday night’s stepladder finals at the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The finals took place as part of the Junior Gold Championships Opening Ceremony, drawing over 6,500 spectators into the arena. It marked one of the most attended and visually striking finals in recent PWBA history. Barnes, seeded second, first faced Verity Crawley of England in the semifinals. Crawley had advanced with a 212–193 win over Colombia’s Rocio Restrepo in Match 2. Barnes kept a clean game and used Crawley’s mid-game opens to take control, winning 214–194 to earn a spot in the title match. In the championship match, Barnes met Kayla Smith of Rockford, Illinois. Smith had secured the No. 1 seed after a strong final qualifying round but struggled with carry in the final. Barnes built momentum early with five consecutive strikes and held the lead to close out the match 236–191. The win marks her second title of the 2025 season and sixth overall on the PWBA Tour. second title of the 2025 season second title of the 2025 season The stepladder finals opened with Sweden’s Nora Johansson making her PWBA finals debut. Johansson, the first two-handed player to reach a PWBA stepladder final, led early against Restrepo but closed with back-to-back splits, losing 209–215. All matches were contested at the Resch Center on a specially built lane installation. The event was aired live on CBS Sports Network. PWBA Anniversary Open Stepladder Finals - Match Results Match 1: Rocio Restrepo def. Nora Johansson, 215 - 209Match 2: Verity Crawley def. Rocio Restrepo, 212 - 193Semifinal: Josie Barnes def. Verity Crawley, 214 - 194Final: Josie Barnes def. Kayla Smith, 236 - 191 Match 1: Rocio Restrepo def. Nora Johansson, 215 - 209 Match 1: Match 2: Verity Crawley def. Rocio Restrepo, 212 - 193 Match 2: Semifinal: Josie Barnes def. Verity Crawley, 214 - 194 Semifinal: Final: Josie Barnes def. Kayla Smith, 236 - 191 Final:

After four rounds of qualifying at The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley, the field at the 2025 PWBA Anniversary Open has been cut to the top five players who will advance to Sunday’s televised stepladder finals at the Resch Center. Kayla Smith of Rockford, Illinois, will make her first stepladder finals appearance as she claimed the No. 1 seed after an outstanding final round, averaging over 265 across six games. Her block of 1,593 was the second-highest six-game series on the PWBA Tour since its relaunch in 2015, just two pins shy of Breanna Clemmer’s 1,595 at the 2022 St. Petersburg-Clearwater Open. Josie Barnes of Hermitage, Tennessee, who led the standings through all previous rounds, will enter as the No. 2 seed. She’s seeking her second title of the year after winning the 2025 USBC Queens. who led the standings through all previous rounds who led the standings through all previous rounds Verity Crawley of England took the No. 3 position, returning to the PWBA stepladder finals for the first time since 2023. Nora Johansson impressed with a massive climb from 27th to 2nd in Round 3 and held her ground on Friday to lock in the No. 4 seed for the televised finals. This marks her first career appearance in a PWBA televised final. Rocio Restrepo of Colombia rounds out the top five. Full results Full results Live CBS Sports Network broadcast of the PWBA Anniversary Open begins Sunday, July 13, at 7 p.m. Eastern.

The first squad of the Mixed Doubles event has been completed at the 2025European Championship of Champions, currently taking place at Plus BowlingCenter in Vienna, Austria. After eight games, Türkiye’s duoTuna Böncü andGülhanım Birinci have taken thetop spot with a combined total of3571 and a team average of223.2. Tuna Böncü Gülhanım Birinci 3571 223.2 Böncü contributed 1878 with a strong 234.8 average, while Birinci added 1693for 211.6. Their consistent performance across all eight games placed themahead of the Romanian pairMate Balazs-Becsi andAna Maria Piticariu, whofinished second with 3403 andan average of 212.7.Latvia’s Rihards Kovalenko andLiana Ponomarenko currently sitin third with 3292, averaging205.8. Mate Balazs-Becsi Ana Maria Piticariu 3403 Latvia’s Rihards Kovalenko Liana Ponomarenko 3292 The top five teams are rounded out byGreece (3282) andMalta (3276), followed byIsrael,Italy,Iceland,Cyprus, andUkraine completing the top ten. Greece Malta Israel Italy Iceland Cyprus Ukraine A highlight of today’s first squad came fromFrance’s Gaëtan Mouveroux,who rolled the first300 game of the 2025 EuropeanChampionship of Champions. Mouveroux scored 247, 233, 300, 266, 245, 237, 245,and 222 for a total of 1995 anda 249.4 average in his eight games. France’s 300 game 1995 In the Singles standings, Mouveroux’s performance also propelled him to thetop of the men’s leaderboard with a combined total of 3838 over 16 games,ahead of Nicolai Mallia of Malta (3697), Tuna Böncü of Türkiye (3693), andMate Balazs-Becsi of Romania (3540). On the women’s side, Franziska Czech ofGermany currently leads with 3168, followed by Alexandra Giannadaki of Greece(3104), Kaisa Ly Lee of Estonia (3103), and Gülhanım Birinci of Türkiye(3100). However, these standings only reflect results after the first Mixed Doublessquad, and the picture is expected to change as more players, includingyesterday’s leadersTeodor SamuelssonandLaura Beuthner, are yet to bowl their squad. Teodor Samuelsson Laura Beuthner The second Mixed Doubles squad will be played later today, after which the top three teams based on total pinfall will be awarded medals. second Mixed Doubles squad top three teams All information about ECC 2025, including the results page and livestream, canbe found at tournaments.bowlinglife.eu tournaments.bowlinglife.eu Official Schedule – European Championship of Champions 2025 Thursday, 23 October14:00–18:00 – Mixed Doubles Group B (Series 9–16) Thursday, 23 October Friday, 24 October09:00–13:00 – Men’s Block 2 (Series 17–24)14:00–18:00 – Women’s Block 2 (Series 17–24) Friday, 24 October Saturday, 25 October10:00–13:00 – Top 12 Men and Women (8 Games)14:00 – Semifinals (Best of 3)15:15 – Finals (Best of 3) Saturday, 25 October

The men’s competition is underway at the 2025 European Championship of Champions in Vienna, and Sweden’s Teodor Samuelsson has taken a commanding early lead after the first block of eight games at Plus Bowling Center.Samuelsson delivered a dominant performance, scoring 2022 with a remarkable 252.8 average, posting games of 233, 266, 237, 236, 257, 279, 257, and 257. His consistent pace and strong finishes in the later games allowed him to move ahead of France’s Maxime Dubois, who finished second with 1945 and a 243.1 average. Lukas Jelinek of the Czech Republic followed in third with 1915 and a 239.4 average. Teodor Samuelsson 2022 252.8 average Maxime Dubois 1945 Lukas Jelinek 1915 Croatia’s Vedran Barunčić sits in fourth with 1881, while Paul Purps of Germany rounds out the top five at 1869. Sixth place belongs to Gaetan Mouveroux of France with 1843, followed by Nicolai Mallia of Malta and Simon Jaros of Slovakia, who are tied for seventh at 1831. Tuna Böncü of Türkiye is ninth with 1815, and Anders Tausø Christensen of Denmark completes the top ten with 1805. This first men’s block was played on the official 42-foot oil pattern (2.98:1 ratio, 27.4 mL of oil), which has already proven to be on high scoring pace. The men will return to the lanes on Friday, October 24, for their second block of qualifying, while Thursday will also feature the Mixed Doubles competition. Following qualifying, the top 12 bowlers in each division will advance toFinal Step 1 for eight additional games, with scores carried forward. The topfour will then proceed to head-to-head semifinals (1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3). Winnerswill meet in a best-of-three match to decide the 2025 European Championship ofChampions titles.All information about ECC 2025, including theresults page and livestream, can be found at tournaments.bowlinglife.eu tournaments.bowlinglife.eu Official Schedule – European Championship of Champions 2025 Thursday, 23 October09:00–13:00 – Mixed Doubles Group A (Series 9–16)14:00–18:00 – Mixed Doubles Group B (Series 9–16) Thursday, 23 October Friday, 24 October09:00–13:00 – Men’s Block 2 (Series 17–24)14:00–18:00 – Women’s Block 2 (Series 17–24) Friday, 24 October Saturday, 25 October10:00–13:00 – Top 12 Men and Women (8 Games)14:00 – Semifinals (Best of 3)15:15 – Finals (Best of 3) Saturday, 25 October

The women’s division has officially opened the 2025 European Championship ofChampions today at Plus Bowling Center in Vienna, Austria. After the firstblock of eight games, Germany’sLaura Beuthner took theearly leader with a strong total of1810, averaging226.2. Laura Beuthner 1810 226.2 The European Championship of Champions, organized by the European BowlingFederation (EBF), brings together the reigning national champions from acrossEurope. Each athlete competes in 24 qualifying games divided into three 8-gameblocks, with today’s opening session marking the start of the event. Beuthner posted games of 215, 268, 277, 227, 220, 200, 200, and 203 to takethe top position heading into the next stage. Close behind isJenny Mathiesen of Norway, whosits in second place with1778 and a 222.2 average.France’s Solene Goron iscurrently third with1746 (218.2 average). Jenny Mathiesen 1778 Solene Goron 1746 The top five after the first block also includeSamantha Greiner of theNetherlands (1726) andHayley Russell of England(1717). Czech Republic’sEma Iwazawa follows closely insixth with 1706, while Austria’sTamara Adler, representing thehost nation, holds eighth place with 1646. Karen Kærgaard Nielsen of Denmarksits ninth with 1632, while Hannah Masterson of Ireland rounds out the top tenwith 1629. Samantha Greiner Hayley Russell Ema Iwazawa Tamara Adler The opening block gave bowlers their first test on the 42-foot oil patternfeaturing a 2.98:1 ratio and 27.4 mL of oil. The women will return to the lanes onFriday, October 24, for theirsecond qualifying block, while the men’s competition begins later today withtheir first eight games. Friday, October 24 Action continues throughout the week, with Mixed Doubles on Thursday and thetop 12 finals and championship matches concluding on Saturday, October 25, atPlus Bowling in Vienna. Following qualifying, the top 12 bowlers in each division will advance toFinal Step 1 for eight additional games, with scores carried forward. The topfour will then proceed to head-to-head semifinals (1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3). Winnerswill meet in a best-of-three match to decide the 2025 European Championship ofChampions titles.All information about ECC 2025, including theresults page and livestream, can be found at tournaments.bowlinglife.eu tournaments.bowlinglife.eu Official Schedule – European Championship of Champions 2025 Wednesday, 22 October14:00–18:00 – Men’s Block 1 (Series 1–8) Wednesday, 22 October Thursday, 23 October09:00–13:00 – Mixed Doubles Group A (Series 9–16)14:00–18:00 – Mixed Doubles Group B (Series 9–16) Thursday, 23 October Friday, 24 October09:00–13:00 – Men’s Block 2 (Series 17–24)14:00–18:00 – Women’s Block 2 (Series 17–24) Friday, 24 October Saturday, 25 October10:00–13:00 – Top 12 Men and Women (8 Games)14:00 – Semifinals (Best of 3)15:15 – Finals (Best of 3) Saturday, 25 October

The European Championship of Champions 2025 is approaching, and one of themost anticipated details for bowlers has finally been confirmed – the officialoil pattern. The event will be held from 22 to 25 October 2025 atPlus Bowling Center in Vienna, Austria, bringing together national championsfrom across Europe. Organized by the European Bowling Federation (EBF), the tournament is openexclusively to the reigning national champions of each federation. The official lane condition for this year’s championship will feature a42-foot oil pattern with a2.98:1 ratio and27.4 milliliters of oil. 42-foot oil pattern 2.98:1 ratio 27.4 milliliters The event is structured with separate men’s and women’s divisions, eachathlete bowling 24 qualifying games divided into three 8-game blocks. One ofthese blocks will be played as Mixed Doubles, and medals will be awarded basedon total scores from that block. Following qualifying, the top 12 bowlers in each division will advance toFinal Step 1 for eight additional games, with scores carried forward. The topfour will then proceed to head-to-head semifinals (1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3). Winners will meet in a best-of-three match to decide the2025 European Championship of Champions titles.All information about ECC 2025, including the results page, can be found at tournaments.bowlinglife.eu tournaments.bowlinglife.eu Official Schedule – European Championship of Champions 2025 Wednesday, 22 October09:00–13:00 – Women’s Block 1 (Series 1–8)14:00–18:00 – Men’s Block 1 (Series 1–8) Wednesday, 22 October Thursday, 23 October09:00–13:00 – Mixed Doubles Group A (Series 9–16)14:00–18:00 – Mixed Doubles Group B (Series 9–16) Thursday, 23 October Friday, 24 October09:00–13:00 – Men’s Block 2 (Series 17–24)14:00–18:00 – Women’s Block 2 (Series 17–24) Friday, 24 October Saturday, 25 October10:00–13:00 – Top 12 Men and Women (8 Games)14:00 – Semifinals (Best of 3)15:15 – Finals (Best of 3) Saturday, 25 October

Another packed Elitserien weekend delivered seven matches and plenty of drama.Full House impressed with a huge double win on the road against Alingsås andPergamon, shaking up the standings. AIK bounced back with their first victoryof the season, while Boden grabbed three valuable points on their Stockholmtour. Clan remained strong at home, and Kaskad edged Göta in a tight Saturdaymatch. Saturday Matches Overview BK Kaskad – IS Göta 11–8 IKW/Köping BK – Bodens BS 10–10 Sunday Match Recap Team Alingsås BC – BK Full House 9–11 Team Pergamon – BK Full House 8–12 Stureby BK – Bodens BS 9–11 Philip Strandgren led Boden with 926, while Tommy Wendel added 940 for thehosts. AIK BK – Bodens BS 14–6 Team Clan Nässjö BK – IS Göta 11–8 Kevin Lindbladh fired 1017, supported by William Berggren. Anders Anderssonled Göta with 986. Elitserien Standings (After October 19, 2025) #TeamMatchesWDLPoints WonTotal Pts1Team Alingsås BC650170–49102BK Full House640260–5983Bodens BS421138–4254Team Clan Nässjö BK420244–3445BK Kaskad220024–1546Team Pergamon BC420241–3947AIK BK H411237–4338IKW/Köping BK301223–3619IS Göta501442–56110Stureby BK200217–230 #TeamMatchesWDLPoints WonTotal Pts # Team Matches W D L Points Won Total Pts 1Team Alingsås BC650170–49102BK Full House640260–5983Bodens BS421138–4254Team Clan Nässjö BK420244–3445BK Kaskad220024–1546Team Pergamon BC420241–3947AIK BK H411237–4338IKW/Köping BK301223–3619IS Göta501442–56110Stureby BK200217–230 1Team Alingsås BC650170–4910 1 Team Alingsås BC 6 5 0 1 70–49 10 2BK Full House640260–598 2 BK Full House 6 4 0 2 60–59 8 3Bodens BS421138–425 3 Bodens BS 4 2 1 38–42 5 4Team Clan Nässjö BK420244–344 4 Team Clan Nässjö BK 4 2 0 2 44–34 4 5BK Kaskad220024–154 5 BK Kaskad 2 0 24–15 4 6Team Pergamon BC420241–394 6 Team Pergamon BC 4 2 0 2 41–39 4 7AIK BK H411237–433 7 AIK BK H 4 1 2 37–43 3 8IKW/Köping BK301223–361 8 IKW/Köping BK 3 0 1 2 23–36 1 9IS Göta501442–561 9 IS Göta 5 0 1 4 42–56 1 10Stureby BK200217–230 10 Stureby BK 2 0 2 17–23 0

TheBowlingGP France Senior 2025concluded on Sunday at Bowling Plaza in Grand-Quevilly, wrapping up five daysof exciting competition and warm hospitality. The event, part ofthe International Senior Bowling Tour, brought together 155 of Europe’s topsenior bowlers for a memorable week in Normandy. BowlingGP France Senior 2025 Germany’s Peter Knopp claimed the men’s title after consistent performancesthroughout the tournament. Norway’s Ingar Gabrielsen finished second, followedby England’s Stephen Carnall in third place and the Netherlands’ Wim van derVeen in fourth. In the women’s division, Belgium’s Véronique Perniaux secured thechampionship, joined on the podium by fellow Belgian Liliane Vintens in secondand France’s Isabelle Sacco in third. Germany’s Martina Beckel finishedfourth. Among the local competitors, Jean-Luc Raumauge was the best French malebowler, ahead of Charles Lanos, Francisco Vaz of Portugal, and Daniel Ratel.In the women’s local division, Agnès Agoston took the win,followed by Estelle Mazur and Annette Leroy. Full results can befoundhere. here Set in the town of Grand-Quevilly near Rouen, the BowlingGP France Senior 2025featured not only competitive bowling but also the signature hospitality thathas made this event a highlight of the senior bowling calendar.Participants enjoyed daily lunches with regional dishes and thetraditional Friday evening Normandy Party with local food and live music.

Sweden’s Mattias Wetterberg has won the English Open 2025, held at Stroud Bowlin the Five Valleys Shopping Centre in Stroud, England. The tournament concluded with the top eight players competing in four finalgames to determine the English Open champion.Wetterberg, whoqualified in 23rd place, successfully advanced through Final Steps 1, 2, and 3before delivering a strong performance in the final. He scored 976 in the lastfour games to finish with a total of 1865 and secure the title. England’s Ben Robinson finished second with 1803, while Brandon Roberts placedthird with 1772, just one pin ahead of Sweden’s Kevin Melin, who took fourth.For the win, Wetterberg received a top prize of £3,500. The English Open 2025 took place from 26 September to 5 October and is one ofthe most anticipated scratch bowling tournaments in the United Kingdom. Theevent attracted both domestic and international players and was sanctioned bythe BTBA.

The 2026 PBA Sweden Tour began in style with the PBA Sweden Wolf Nässjö, whereSweden’s Alvin Kvarnström claimed the first title of the new season. Kvarnström entered the stepladder final as the No. 4 seed and went on animpressive run to victory. He first defeated Joachim Karlsson, then fired aperfect 300 game to overcome William Svensson. In the championship match,Kvarnström faced Jesper Svensson and secured the win to capture the PBA SwedenWolf Nässjö title. With this victory, Alvin Kvarnström earned an international invitation,including entry fee, to the 2027 PBA World Series of Bowling. He also secureda guaranteed spot in the finals of the 2026 Storm Lucky Larsen Masters, one ofthe key events on the European bowling calendar. The PBA Sweden Wolf Nässjö marked the first stop of the 2026 PBA Sweden Tour,a series of regional events leading up to the Storm Lucky Larsen Masters. Thisyear’s schedule will feature four tournaments, with a possible fifth event tobe added. The top three players on the season’s points list will earneligibility for the TBA, while the overall points leader will qualify for the2026 PBA Regional Players Invitational. One regular and one senior player willreceive invitations. Each event winner on the PBA Sweden Tour will also earn an internationalinvitation to the 2027 PBA World Series of Bowling and a guaranteed place inthe finals of the Storm Lucky Larsen Masters. The winner of the SLLM will notonly earn a PBA National title but also qualify for the 2027 PBA Tournament ofChampions, one of the most prestigious events in professional bowling. The next PBA Sweden Tour stop will bePBA Sweden Viper Malmö, taking place at Baltiska Bowlinghallen in Malmö on February 14-15. PBA Sweden Viper Malmö

The Sarawak International Open 2025 concluded on Saturday at Megalanes Sarawakin Kuching, Malaysia, with Muhammad Aqil Bin Faizal of MMBC, Penang taking theOpen Masters title. The 18-year-old secured victory in the LastMan Standing stepladder shootout, defeating 10-time PBA Tour title winner and2022 Sarawak champion Dominic Barrett in the final, 253–248. In the championship match, both bowlers opened with five consecutive strikes.Barrett left a single pin in the sixth frame, while Aqil struck again in thesixth and seventh to build a 19-pin lead. Both players spared the eighth andninth frames, before Barrett finished strong with three strikes in the tenthfor 248. Aqil needed a spare in his final frame and, after leaving asix-count, he converted and followed with a strike in the bonus frame to sealthe win with 253. The path to the final began with the first stepladder match, where Ahmad MuazBin Fisol of Malaysia, seeded fourth, was eliminated after posting 177.Barrett advanced with 267, joined by Ryo Fukumitsu of Japan with 249, whileAqil stayed close with 247. In the next match, Fukumitsu fell short on 213against Barrett’s 225 and Aqil’s 245, setting up the decisive title matchbetween the Brit and the Malaysian. Aqil collected the top prize of RM20,000 (approx. 4,000 Euros). Barrett earnedRM10,000 (approx. 2,000 Euros) as runner-up, while Fukumitsu and Ahmad Muaztook home RM5,000 (approx. 1,000 Euros) and RM2,500 (approx. 500 Euros)respectively. This year’s Sarawak International Open attracted 145 contestants in the OpenDivision, continuing its role as one of Malaysia’s major international bowlingevents.

On Monday, the European Bowling Federation (EBF) confirmedit will drop the 78D hardness rule for the European Bowling Tour (EBT). The change starts with the 2026 EBT season and the 2025–26 EBTYouth season. All IBF/USBC-approved balls, including high performance urethaneand urethane-like bowling balls, will be allowed at every EBT stop.Meanwhile, PBA-sanctioned events on European soil will continue tofollow PBA rules. it will drop the 78D hardness rule for the European Bowling Tour (EBT) On EBT, the optional 78D rule lastedonly one season. Allowing each event to adopt the 78D rule did not deliver the expectedresult. The EBT calendar shrank by more than half, and organizers blamed therule for fewer entries. only one season In an interview with Erikas Jansonas ofBowlingLife, EBF President Valgeir Guðbjartsson said the optional rule had astronger negative effect than expected. “When we made the 78D rule optional for organizers last year, we hoped itwould not negatively affect EBT. Unfortunately, the number of tournamentsdropped significantly — from 14 in 2024 to just 6 in 2025. In several cases,organizers cited the optional nature of the rule as a reason for notparticipating. Additionally, we faced criticism for deviating from IBF'sstandard rules regarding bowling balls.” Asked what outcome the EBF expects now from removing the 78D rule, he pointedto rebuilding the calendar and stability.“EBF does hope thattournaments will be return to EBT and it can continue to grow.” After EBF's decision, any ball on theUSBC Approved Ball Listwill be eligible for use, including urethanes softer than 78D. USBC Approved Ball List Meanwhile, in the United States, discussions about urethane governance havebeen in the headlines over the past month.On July 23,USBC released an official statementexpressing increasing concerns about the ongoing use of urethane bowling ballsin certified competition.USBC then surveyed bowlersabout potential changes and now and majority wants change. Eventhough USBC will probably take totally different path on urethanes, EBFPresident said the systems remain aligned as long as ball approvals areunchanged. “USBC, as part of IBF, has not taken a differentdirection. They continue to manage the approved ball lists and checks. As longas this remains unchanged, IBF — and therefore EBF — will follow USBC's leadon this matter.” USBC released an official statement USBC then surveyed bowlers USBC’s Equipment Specifications Committee plans to meet in late August orearly September 2025 to provide a structured solution. Until then, it’sunclear whether ball changes will affect the Approved Ball List or only thenational tournament rulebook.When asked why the EBF did not waitfor the USBC Equipment Specifications Committee decision, Guðbjartsson citedEBT scheduling needs. “We could not wait longer, as we have toprepare the EBT for next year.”

Following a public statement from the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) confirming that it is in advanced talks to ban urethane bowling balls in certified competition, reactions have started to come out from within the bowling community. public statement public statement in advanced talks to ban urethane bowling balls in advanced talks to ban urethane bowling balls Brunswick, one of the leading bowling equipment manufacturers, confirmed it has been in contact with USBC since April regarding potential changes to ball specifications. These discussions are part of USBC’s wider review process, which includes input from technical experts, manufacturers, and stakeholders. In an interview with Erikas Jansonas from BowlingLife, Jordan Vanover, VP International at Brunswick Bowling Products, LLC, said the company has been in ongoing discussions with USBC in recent months, actively sharing feedback and addressing the concerns raised by the organization. “USBC contacted us in late April requesting feedback on potential changes to bowling ball specifications, and we have maintained open communications with the USBC over the past few months,” Mr. Vanover said “We have listened to the USBC concerns and had the opportunity to share our thoughts and ideas.” In those imput exchanges, Brunswick made it clear that it does not support a ban on urethane. The company believes urethane balls play an important role for many bowlers, especially in more demanding lane conditions. “We do not agree with the idea of banning urethane balls,” Vanover stated. “These balls are an important tool for many bowlers who use them to achieve more controllable ball motion on challenging lane patterns.” Brunswick’s product lineup includes several urethane balls under its umbrella, including the most popular one - Hammer’s Purple Pearl Urethane. A full ban would have financial consequences for the company. “The elimination of urethane balls would have a measurable impact on our sales,” Vanover noted. In recent months, there has been speculation that manufacturers have slowed or stopped urethane development due to the pottential USBC urethane ban. Brunswick, however, denied this connection. “The urethane ball released in March 2024 was not connected to the ongoing USBC discussions,” said Vanover. While USBC has not yet announced a final decision, the topic remains one of the most widely discussed in the bowling community today. BowlingLife has been in contact with USBC officials, but at this time, the organization has no further comment beyond what was published in its social media post on July 23. USBC has also launched a public survey asking for input on how urethane bowling balls should be handled in certified competitions. USBC has also launched a public survey USBC has also launched a public survey All feedback gathered so far, along with any new responses, will be reviewed by the Equipment Specifications Committee at its next meeting, set for late August or early September 2025.

Darren Tang, a PBA Tour title holder since his win at the 2021 Bowlerstore.com Classic, has officially written his name into the PBA record books with one exceptional achievement. After years of competing as a one-handed player, Tang made a bold move in late 2024 by switching to a two-handed delivery. Many fans assumed it was just for content - since Tang is the one of the biggest bowling content creators on YouTube - but it wasn’t. He bowled his first tournament using the two-handed style in November and fully committed to the change in February 2025. biggest bowling content creators on YouTube biggest bowling content creators on YouTube This weekend, his efforts fully paid off as he won the PBA Santa Maria Open in the West Region. With this victory, Tang becomes the first bowler ever to win PBA titles using both one-handed and two-handed techniques. Following the victory, Darren Tang spoke with Erikas Jansonas from BowlingLife about his newest achievement, the challenges he faced during the transition to two-handed, and how he sees his future on tour. As most things in life, best of them comes unexpectedly. That happened and this time. When asked what it meant for him to become the first player in PBA history to win titles using both styles, Darren said that he didn’t pursue the distinction on purpose, but acknowledged it was still a special moment. “Always cool to have the distinction to be the first to do something. It’s not something that I thought too much about,” Tang stated. “I just want to keep getting better to give myself the best chance possible to win again on the tour.” “Always cool to have the distinction to be the first to do something. It’s not something that I thought too much about,” Tang stated. “I just want to keep getting better to give myself the best chance possible to win again on the tour.” Even though many say that two-handed bowling is a kind of cheat code, it’s still difficult to learn - especially well enough to win a PBA title. When explaining the technical challenges that came with switching styles, Tang shared that one old habit in particular was especially tough to break. “The hardest habit to break for me is the internal rotation of my shoulder. I had this move as a one hander, and it would cause misses to the left and is more or less a power leak," Tang explained. "It’s exaggerated bowling two handed because of the position I have to rotate around now. If I don’t keep it in check, my elbow flies around the ball much worse than a good shot.” “The hardest habit to break for me is the internal rotation of my shoulder. I had this move as a one hander, and it would cause misses to the left and is more or less a power leak," Tang explained. "It’s exaggerated bowling two handed because of the position I have to rotate around now. If I don’t keep it in check, my elbow flies around the ball much worse than a good shot.” Starting over with a brand-new style is never easy—it takes time to develop, and there’s always some doubt. For pros like Tang, who need to perform just to make a living, the risk is even bigger. He admitted that the initial decision to switch wasn’t easy. But once he fully committed to going two-handed, he never looked back. “I haven’t doubted the switch. I did doubt switching initially. I think the hardest part in anything someone does is start. I understood that this would take some time. I told myself that I need to be okay with not cashing for the rest of the season to develop this skill. Once I committed, I never looked back. I was extremely fortunate to pick up on it much faster than I anticipated.” “I haven’t doubted the switch. I did doubt switching initially. I think the hardest part in anything someone does is start. I understood that this would take some time. I told myself that I need to be okay with not cashing for the rest of the season to develop this skill. Once I committed, I never looked back. I was extremely fortunate to pick up on it much faster than I anticipated.” Tang noticed that he strikes more often with the two-handed style, but some old habits of one-handed style still sneak into his current technique - reminding us that bowling is always changing and adapting. “I have committed to both styles. I believe the optimal way to throw strikes is with two hands. I also believe that the optimal way to shoot spares is with the thumb in. So that is what I will be committing to for the foreseeable future.” “I have committed to both styles. I believe the optimal way to throw strikes is with two hands. I also believe that the optimal way to shoot spares is with the thumb in. So that is what I will be committing to for the foreseeable future.”

At the 2025 European Men’s Bowling Championships in Aalborg, Denmark, Team Italy delivered one of its strongest performances in decades.Gli Azzurri claimed medals in Singles, Doubles, the Team event, and All-Events, and came close in Trios — missing the podium by just 9 pins. Singles Singles Doubles Doubles Trios Trios When many powerhouses struggled to find a game plan on a challenging oil pattern — one that some players called the toughest ever seen at the European Championships — Italy’s national team obviously thrived, scoring well above the EMC average. Much of that Italy's success was led by Antonino Fiorentino, who, in addition to bronze medals in Doubles and Team event, also claimed gold in All-Event and Singles, becoming the only Italian bowler to ever win European titles in Singles, Doubles, and Trios. Fiorentino previously won Doubles gold with Nicola Pangolini in 2023 and Trios gold in 2019 and 2022 alongside Pangolini and Alessandro Santu. won Doubles gold with Nicola Pangolini in 2023 won Doubles gold with Nicola Pangolini in 2023 BowlingLife caught up with Antonino Fiorentino after the event to hear how Italy navigated the challenging lane conditions, adapted their strategy mid-tournament, and came just one brave and timely decision away from earning medals in every event at the EMC 2025. Reading the Lanes, Not Just the Pattern Sheet Fiorentino said he noticed early on that playing traditional lines near the second or third arrow wouldn’t be an option this year at the European Men's Bowling Championships, and that some non-standard adjustments would be necessary. “I noticed from official practice that big asymmetrical balls didn’t hold up well on the fresh — maybe for one game. After that, the best look I had was moving in and playing really close to the pocket with a forward roll and a low-flaring ball. For me, that was the Envy Tour.” “I noticed from official practice that big asymmetrical balls didn’t hold up well on the fresh — maybe for one game. After that, the best look I had was moving in and playing really close to the pocket with a forward roll and a low-flaring ball. For me, that was the Envy Tour.” His usual go-to ball didn’t look as promising. For transition, he also avoided fast-response asymmetric shapes like the Brunswick Hypnotize, opting instead for his Track Theorem. “My benchmark ball — the Trouble Maker Solid — just looked worse overall. For the transition, I also decided to go with my Theorem instead of the Hypnotize, for the same reason. I noticed that big, quick-asym balls weren’t effective there either.” “My benchmark ball — the Trouble Maker Solid — just looked worse overall. For the transition, I also decided to go with my Theorem instead of the Hypnotize, for the same reason. I noticed that big, quick-asym balls weren’t effective there either.” While urethane bowling balls had repeatedly shown success at past European Championships, using them wasn’t part of Italy’s original strategy this time — but as Fiorentino noted, in Europe, you always have to be prepared to both use urethane and face opponents who do. “We all picked one urethane ball each, but we didn’t really test them during practice. It was more of a defensive move — you never know what can happen in Europe with the Purples.” “We all picked one urethane ball each, but we didn’t really test them during practice. It was more of a defensive move — you never know what can happen in Europe with the Purples.” Like a Finely Tuned Stradivarius Violin In the early stages of the tournament, everything was falling into place for Antonino Fiorentino. He opened his six-game block with a 211 and kept building momentum, finishing strong with a 269 in the final game — a performance that secured him third place in Singles qualification. It was clear that his equipment choices were spot on and performing exactly as expected. “In Singles and Doubles, my arsenal worked perfectly. I saw exactly what I had anticipated during practice. Shot-making was obviously crucial, but if you had the right types of balls and played the correct part of the lane in the right way, you could still score.” “In Singles and Doubles, my arsenal worked perfectly. I saw exactly what I had anticipated during practice. Shot-making was obviously crucial, but if you had the right types of balls and played the correct part of the lane in the right way, you could still score.” In the semifinal, Fiorentino rolled 246 and a dominant 277 in the final — beating two French bowlers with urethanes inside the lane. “In Singles I bowled against Valentin Saulnier and Gaëtan Mouveroux. They were both using the Purple Hammer playing inside. I used the Perfect Mindset against Valentin, and then switched to the Envy Tour against Gaëtan because that pair was slower. It was basically a shot-making contest — we didn’t really interfere with each other’s game. There were too few shots.”In Doubles, paired with Erik Davolio, Antonino Fiorentino finished third in qualification with a mutual 212.4 average. In the semifinal, they faced the same opponents — but this time, France’s urethane strategy proved more effective. Davolio scored 155, Fiorentino added 194, but it wasn’t enough to break through to the Doubles final. “In Singles I bowled against Valentin Saulnier and Gaëtan Mouveroux. They were both using the Purple Hammer playing inside. I used the Perfect Mindset against Valentin, and then switched to the Envy Tour against Gaëtan because that pair was slower. It was basically a shot-making contest — we didn’t really interfere with each other’s game. There were too few shots.” “They were able to migrate left faster than us and ended up breaking down our lines.” “They were able to migrate left faster than us and ended up breaking down our lines.” The Turning Point: France and Finland Change the Game After the Doubles block, things began to shift. France started playing urethane deep inside, around the fourth arrow — and it was clearly working. The French trio of Valentin Saulnier, Gaëtan Mouveroux, and Maxime Dubois averaged 218.7, leading the Trios qualification by more than 200 pins over their closest competitors. “We noticed that France was using Purples at the beginning of the block, and they were playing them inside — around the fourth arrow, keeping it tight to the pocket. That allowed them to score well as a team on the fresh. We decided to copy that strategy for the rest of the tournament, and it turned out to be a good choice. It was much easier than trying to use big asyms. I think we were the only team — maybe along with part of the Swedish team — who picked up on that.” “We noticed that France was using Purples at the beginning of the block, and they were playing them inside — around the fourth arrow, keeping it tight to the pocket. That allowed them to score well as a team on the fresh. We decided to copy that strategy for the rest of the tournament, and it turned out to be a good choice. It was much easier than trying to use big asyms. I think we were the only team — maybe along with part of the Swedish team — who picked up on that.” Another turning point in the competition came when Finland’s Niko Oksanen rolled a 1396 block using a Purple Hammer, playing on the outside part of the lane. His success sparked a wave of imitation — with more and more players, and in some cases entire teams, trying to replicate the strategy. While it paid off for some, like the Romanian national team, Fiorentino noted that for many others, it ended up doing more harm than good. like the Romanian national team like the Romanian national team “Sometimes there was more room than usual, but other times no room at all. The point is that many teams couldn’t get anything going inside, so they took the gamble and tried to copy that strategy. As a result, in Trios and Team, there was much more urethane going down the lanes. And if before I had just a small amount of miss-room to the right playing inside, urethane completely took that away — and scores dropped even further.” “Sometimes there was more room than usual, but other times no room at all. The point is that many teams couldn’t get anything going inside, so they took the gamble and tried to copy that strategy. As a result, in Trios and Team, there was much more urethane going down the lanes. And if before I had just a small amount of miss-room to the right playing inside, urethane completely took that away — and scores dropped even further.” A Crucial Adjustment By the time the Team event began, lane conditions had become much tighter due to the surge in urethane use. With miss-room shrinking, Fiorentino made a bold choice — instead of switching balls early, he decided to polish his Envy Tour. That little maneuver proved crucial and ultimately secured him the All-Events gold. “On the first day of the Team event, I noticed the lanes were tighter because of all this. So for the final block, I decided to polish my Envy Tour instead of switching too early to the Theorem. That ended up being the decisive move for my All-Events gold as I bowled 290 with it.” “On the first day of the Team event, I noticed the lanes were tighter because of all this. So for the final block, I decided to polish my Envy Tour instead of switching too early to the Theorem. That ended up being the decisive move for my All-Events gold as I bowled 290 with it.” The same strategy might have worked for the entire Italian team, but in the Team semifinals against Denmark, they opted to start with urethane — a decision that didn’t quite pay off. By the time they adjusted their approach, the momentum had already shifted, and it was too late to recover. “We wasted valuable practice time trying to make urethane work, and by the time we switched to reactive… they were already lined up and striking way more than we were.” “We wasted valuable practice time trying to make urethane work, and by the time we switched to reactive… they were already lined up and striking way more than we were.” A Little Too Late In the Masters, Fiorentino started as a No. 1 seed and skipped the first final step. In the final step 2, Fiorentino met No. 24 seed Iceland's Arnar David Jonsson, who previously defeated Sweden's Markus Jansson. As both players were throwing balls at the same part of the lane with similar ball’s Fiorentino was happy about this matchup. "It was a good matchup for me — we were playing the same part of the lane with similar balls (Envy Tour vs. Ion Pro), and I just outperformed him." "It was a good matchup for me — we were playing the same part of the lane with similar balls (Envy Tour vs. Ion Pro), and I just outperformed him." But then, Fiorentino's run came to an end against Denmark's Tim Stampe — a matchup that clashed stylistically. Italian knew righ from the beginning that this match will be a tough one. He lost the first nervous game 158-189. Pushed back against the wall and needing something fast, Fiorentino made a tactical shift to urethane in the next game but lacked reps in that part of the lane. “I got paired with Tim Stampe, which I wasn’t too happy about. He was using higher-flaring balls (900 Global Harsh Reality and Roto Grip Rockstar), which allowed him to play left of me and completely blow up my line. I think I made the right move at the start of Game 2, realizing that the only way to beat him was to use urethane outside. But I had literally never thrown a ball in that zone for the whole two weeks, so I didn’t have enough info or confidence to make it work.” “I got paired with Tim Stampe, which I wasn’t too happy about. He was using higher-flaring balls (900 Global Harsh Reality and Roto Grip Rockstar), which allowed him to play left of me and completely blow up my line. I think I made the right move at the start of Game 2, realizing that the only way to beat him was to use urethane outside. But I had literally never thrown a ball in that zone for the whole two weeks, so I didn’t have enough info or confidence to make it work.” Ironically, Stampe went on to lose the semifinal 2-0 (248–201, 234–169) to Maxime Dubois — who succeeded using urethane on the outside, the very strategy Fiorentino had turned to just a bit too late. Had he made the switch earlier, it might have led to yet another medal. Still, the Italian came remarkably close to achieving something rare at the European Championships: medaling in every single event.

This week, Sweden’s Rasmus Edvall made history by claiming his first Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour title at the PBA Scorpion Championship. He defeated Ryan Barnes, then Tobias Börding, EJ Tackett, and No. 1 seed Malaysia's Rafiq Ismail in the title match. PBA Scorpion Championship PBA Scorpion Championship His victory as a No. 5 seed marked one of the most remarkable comeback stories in recent PBA Tour history. For Rasmus, winning the title was always a childhood dream, but when the time came to face the pressure of the stepladder final, he approached the match with a focused mindset. “Of course I wanted to win, it’s one of my childhood dreams. But my mindset in the stepladder final, I took it match by match, frame by frame. If I had my focus on the win, I knew something bad could happen,” Rasmus shared with Erikas Jansonas from BowlingLife in an interview after the win. His strategy in the finals was one of simplicity. Rather than chasing the perfect shot, he knew that precision was key. “My plan for the matches was to be as simple as I could. I knew if I hunted the perfect line to get as many strikes as I could, I could also get many splits. If I left more than 2 pins after a shot, that could be trouble,” he explained. This approach helped him navigate the pressure, ensuring consistency throughout the matches. The finals weren’t without their difficulties, however. With many bowlers seeking their first-ever PBA Tour title, nerves were high. Under pressure, many mistakes were made—so many that some spectators even labeled the Scorpion Championship as one of the ugliest finals in history. “There were many debutants in the final, so most of us were a little bit nervous. The lanes were tricky, but the nervous players made it look trickier than what it was. A lot of grip pressure makes you often push the ball too far down the lane and miss inside the ideal line,” Rasmus recalled. Despite the challenges, his adaptability and poise kept him on track—he started the stepladder finals with not taking the 6-10 spare but stayed clean for the remaining 39 frames he bowled that night. After securing the victory, the reality of the moment still hadn’t fully sunk in. Rasmus couldn't believe what he had just accomplished, so his teammates from IS Göta, who had cheered him on from the front row, were quick to remind him of the significance of the achievement.“They tried to tell me what I had done and what it meant. I couldn’t believe it myself. It was a huge accomplishment that I still haven’t realized,” Rasmus admitted. As for the celebration, Rasmus kept it low-key, opting for a quiet dinner with his teammates. “We had a dinner with most of the boys, but nothing really exciting. Might be a little celebration when I get home,” he said, hinting at a bigger celebration when he returns to Sweden. Knowing the parties Helsingborg (the city in Sweden where IS Göta is based) is capable of, the author of this article predicts a night to remember. Looking ahead, Rasmus is already setting his sights on new challenges. The first one: a road trip across America to Allen Park, Michigan, where the next PBA Tour stop will take place. “This week we are heading to Detroit by car for the USBC Masters. After that, we will finally fly home. I will also play in the PBA Players Championship and the PBA Tournament of Champions. With this win, new doors have opened up for me with the PBA Tournament of Champions. It feels really cool to be able to participate in that prestigious tournament!” Both PBA Scorpion and Viper Championship titles were won by international players, with Darren Ong winning just a day after. The WSOB XVI continues today with the PBA Chameleon Championship, with stepladder finals airing live on FS1. International viewers can follow the action on BowlTV. Darren Ong winning just a day after Darren Ong winning just a day after BowlTV BowlTV

In January, the Brunswick Ballmaster Open 2025 in Finland brought together some of the best bowling talent from around the world. Among the familiar faces in the crowd was Dave Wodka, a name well known to bowling fans, especially across the Pond. Wodka etched his name into the sport’s history as a PBA Tour titleholder after winning the 1999 Greater Detroit Open. Today, Wodka occasionally bowls on the PBA50 Tour, but his focus has recently shifted to bringing decades of on-lane experience into the business side of the game as international sales manager for Brunswick Bowling. Brunswick Ballmaster Open 2025 Brunswick Ballmaster Open 2025 The Evolution of Bowling: More Knowledge, More Power As Wodka watched the crown jewel of all Brunswick-sponsored tournaments—the Ballmaster Open—unfold at Tali Bowl, with many young European talents firing big numbers, he reflected on how the sport has evolved since his own playing days. “I think the biggest thing is knowledge,” he explained in an exclusive interview with Erikas Jansonas from BowlingLife. “Whether it be knowledge about lane conditions, lane machines, oils, all the way to coaching, fitness, and bowling balls. There’s so much more knowledge available now for the kids that are coming up. Obviously, two-handed bowling has kind of revolutionized the game. It’s not going anywhere, so people who don’t like it just won’t like it. It is what it is.” Seeing young bowlers accomplish incredible feats—like firing a 300 with a two-handed backup ball, something unheard of in 1999—Wodka acknowledged that younger players have taken the game to another level. firing a 300 with a two-handed backup ball firing a 300 with a two-handed backup ball “It’s just a different environment, competing against all these younger kids. My ball doesn’t go through the pins quite as well as theirs anymore. These kids are bigger, stronger. They have more knowledge, they’ve studied bowling balls. And I think it’s just a combination of all of that.” Bowling Now is too Easy? With 21 perfect games recorded during the tournament, the conversation naturally turned to whether today’s players had cracked the code. The eternal question—Is it sheer talent, or are the oil patterns more forgiving than before? “It’s a combination of the two,” Wodka said. “I wouldn’t say that the oil pattern is ‘easy,’ but it’s favorable for good scores if you’re throwing it well. There were plenty of people who didn’t have good scores. But they’ve [the organizers] created a very favorable lane pattern where those who are bowling well can string a lot of strikes. Their maintenance on the machines and lanes is top-notch, and that makes a difference, too, when it comes to pin carry, topography of the lanes, and all kinds of other different things.” A 30-Year Bond: Brunswick and Ballmaster Brunswick’s collaboration with Ballmaster stretches back over three decades, something Wodka was proud to highlight. “I just started as the international sales manager, so I don’t know all of the history. But I do know Brunswick has been a sponsor of the Ballmaster Open for more than 30 years. Done in conjunction with our distributor here, Sami [Heinilä] at Oy Bowling Ab, they just do a phenomenal job across Finland. The Brunswick brand is very strong in Finland, and it makes sense for us to collaborate with this facility and this event and show our support for the people here.” Many, including the author of this article, might wonder: what can be so special about a bowling alley? But only someone who has never been to Tali Bowl would ask that question. The moment you climb the stairs and take in the sheer scale of a real bowling stadium—featuring 36 top-class Brunswick Pro Anvilane lanes in a spacious, arena-like building—it leaves you speechless. At least for a moment or two. As Wodka walked into the legendary venue, one detail immediately caught his eye. “Obviously, the facility is beautiful, but what stood out to me first was the flags of all the past winners and how they recognize them. I think that’s phenomenal. Even to the point where they announce any past winner in the building before every squad, whether they’re bowling or not. I think that’s really cool—they honor those who have supported this event for years. I would equate getting a flag here to the European version of getting a flag on the PBA Tour. This is the largest event in Europe.” The Bohn Legacy One of the most talked-about storylines at this year’s Ballmaster was the presence of Parker Bohn III and his son, Brandon. Parker, a Ballmaster champion in 2016, competed alongside his son, continuing a multi-generational bowling legacy. Wodka, who had the same flight as Parker from Frankfurt, chuckled at the memory of their trip. “He slept the whole flight,” Wodka joked. “I haven’t had a whole lot of time to talk to him about his win here, but I know he tries to come to this event every year. I know this event is very important to him. He took his son with him this year.” While Parker’s experience helped him stay competitive—finishing 11th at the Brunswick Ballmaster Open 2025—Brandon’s run ended in qualification. But Wodka is optimistic about Brandon’s future, stating that this is just the beginning of his journey. “Brandon will have his day,” Wodka assured. “Brandon’s very good. I think this is the first overseas event that he’s bowled. He had a lot of good squads; he just didn’t quite get to the cut. But he did have a 300 game, and that was very cool.” So did Parker’s knowledge outweigh Brandon’s raw power? “His knowledge—and you’re talking about Parker, who is arguably a top-five player in PBA history. There is another level when you get to players like Parker. We’re talking about Norm Duke, Pete Weber, Earl Anthony. That’s an elite group. There’s a whole bunch of us below that who had success on the tour, but we’re not at that level.” Big Industry Changes From a Brand's Perspective Beyond the competition, the bowling industry itself has been undergoing significant changes, with Brunswick often at the center of major business moves—whether it’s rule changes regarding urethane bowling balls or attempting to acquire big distributors. rule changes regarding urethane bowling balls rule changes regarding urethane bowling balls attempting to acquire big distributors attempting to acquire big distributors “As with any big business acquisition, there are hurt feelings. And unfortunately, there’s a lot of hurt feelings when something like that happens—on one side or the other. From a Brunswick standpoint, we look at it purely as a business decision. If we didn’t think it was good for the sport, we wouldn’t do it.” Wodka acknowledged the split reactions such moves often generate. “People will agree with it, people won’t agree with it. Again, you’re always going to have two sides. There’s no decision we ever make—small or big—that makes everybody happy. That’s just life in general. You can’t make everyone happy all the time.” What remains unchanged, he emphasized, is Brunswick’s dedication to bowling’s growth. “Brunswick is committed to the sport of bowling, and Brunswick is committed to making the sport of bowling better and helping it thrive. The moves we make are only geared towards that. They’re never personal.”

After a thrilling win at the 2025 PBA Delaware Classic, Graham Fach is back in the winner’s circle—this time, with a renewed sense of confidence. The Canadian bowler, who had gone nearly nine years since his first PBA title, made history once again by defeating Jakob Butturff in the finals, 277-200. It’s a moment of victory made even sweeter by his early-season success, including qualifying for Team Canada. thrilling win at the 2025 PBA Delaware Classic thrilling win at the 2025 PBA Delaware Classic In an exclusive interview with BowlingLife, Fach shared his emotions and the mindset that helped him through the finals, where he posted impressive scores of 256, 249, and 277 in three consecutive matches. The start of the year has been one for the books for Fach. He not only qualified for Team Canada, but he also claimed the first PBA Tour title of the season in front of a packed crowd. Reflecting on the busy start, Fach expressed how proud he is to represent his home country on the world stage. “Qualifying for Team Canada is always something that I take pride in. We have a talented group of guys who are all excited to compete together for gold medals,” said Fach. “It’s been a busy start to the year. I’ve been fortunate enough to come out ahead in these first few events. I feel as though I’m on top of my game and I can’t ask for a better start to the year.” Fach's victory at the Delaware Classic was marked by impressive consistency and composure. In the finals, he shot scores of 256, 249, and an incredible 277 to claim the title. His mental approach to the game and his ability to adjust on the fly were critical to his success on the TV lanes. “I needed to stay concentrated on what the lanes were telling me to do and not getting caught up in transition,” he explained. “It’s harder under the bright lights of tv to remain as mentally strong compared to qualifying and matchplay only because of the additional distractions that come with bowling in a crowd setting.” Fach’s pre-shot routine became his anchor throughout the tournament, allowing him to stay focused and in control despite the high pressure. “I focused on my pre shot routines and accepting that I am only able to control what I can control and give each shot my best effort,” he continued. “Fortunately the pins fell my way and I was able to come away with the win.” But there was no time for big celebrations as the PBA Tour season continues with the first major tournament of the 2025 season – the U.S. Open presented by Go Bowling! in Indianapolis. Fach is currently 13th in a 108-player field, with a total score of 3,413 after 16 games of qualifying. The 2025 U.S. Open is a joint effort between the United States Bowling Congress and the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America. It is recognized as a major event on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour and remains one of the most prestigious tournaments in the sport. Live broadcast can be found throughout qualifying and match play on BowlTV. Full results can be found on bowl.com BowlTV BowlTV bowl.com bowl.com