Verity Crawley and Missy Parkin will miss the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open at Royal Pin Woodland in Indianapolis.
Both players withdrew before the start of the major, which begins today with official practice before qualifying starts Thursday.
Crawley has been dealing with a stress fracture in her right shin. The injury had already kept her out of recent PWBA Tour events, and she has now decided not to bowl one of the biggest tournaments of the season.
“After a lot of thought, I have made the incredibly difficult decision to withdraw from the tournament,” Crawley said on her social media. “Deep down, I think I knew this had to happen. For my long-term health, it is the right choice, but that doesn’t make the decision any easier.”
Crawley said she first hoped to compete through the injury by managing the pain and using a walking boot away from the lanes. However, a recent practice session changed that plan.
“I really thought I could just power through - deal with the pain and wear the boot when I wasn't on the lanes,” Crawley said. “But the reality hit home during a recent practice session. I experienced pain just doing a basic swing and slide drill without the boot, to the point where I was too apprehensive to even attempt a full approach.”
She said sitting out the U.S. Women’s Open was difficult, but added that her focus now has to be on healing and rebuilding strength properly.
After the U.S. Women's Open, the PWBA Tour will have around a six-week break. That could give Crawley time to recover before a possible return at the 2026 PBA/PWBA Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles in July.
Parkin, a 13-time Team USA member, also withdrew from the event. She said the decision was made because of personal reasons and recent health issues.
“This will be the first time I’ve ever missed bowling this event since I was 19 years old,” Parkin said. “Due to some personal reasons and a few health bumps lately, I’m taking this time to prioritize my future and long-term health.”
The withdrawals from Crawley and Parkin also changed the 2026 U.S. Women's Open tournament schedule.
The PTQ had originally been set for Tuesday, with 49 players scheduled to bowl eight games. Even before the withdrawals, the setup was unusual, as 48 of those 49 players were expected to advance into the main field. But with two open spots available in the main field, every player listed for the PTQ could be moved directly into the main event. With no cut left to make, organizers cancelled the PTQ and informed the players.
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The 2026 U.S. Women’s Open will begin Wednesday with official practice on each of the four tournament oil patterns. Once announced, oil patterns can be found here.
Qualifying rounds are scheduled to begin Thursday. The event will continue through the televised finals on Tuesday, June 16, at 7 p.m. ET.
