Jordan Richard of Maumee, Ohio, won the 2023 PWBA GoBowling! Spokane Open and her third career PWBA title at Lilac Lanes & Casino in Spokane.
The 27-year-old right-hander put on quite a show and took home the trophy and the $20,000 first-place prize by defeating the three opponents - No. 4 seed Hope Gramly, No. 2 seed Dasha Kovalova, and No. 1 seed Erin McCarthy - during Saturday night’s stepladder finals.
It was Richard's first PWBA title since 2019 and, to her, it felt like a long time coming.
'I feel relieved. Even though I had won twice before, it had been four years since I’d gotten it done, so it feels good to get that monkey off my back,' Richard said after the title match. 'I’m excited and happy that it all clicked today; it almost feels like my first title all over again.'
78 bowling players took part in the event.
Competition at the Spokane Open started with two six-game qualifying rounds. After the twelve qualifying round games, the top 26 athletes advanced and bowled another six-game block. After eighteen total games, the field was cut down to the top 12 players, who had a final six-game round to determine the five players for the stepladder finals, based on total pinfall for 24 games.
Seven European bowling athletes participated in the event. Three of them made the first cut and finished their performance at the top 26.
Latvian bowler Diana Zavjalova was the best among Europeans, finishing 18th. Poland's Daria Pająk, who was fifth at the PWBA season-opening Stockton Open, finished in the 20th place, while Finland's 19-year-old bowler Peppi Konsteri ended 24th. It was her first cut in the fresh PWBA Tour career, and she was really happy with her overall performance.
'I made my first ever cut in PWBA and my mental game stayed together in the qualifying even tho I was so close to the cut all the time.' Konsteri wrote on her social media. 'There are things I’d do differently but there are also things I did very well, so over all I’m very happy with this week. I’ll forever remember you Spokane.'
The PWBA Tour will move to Las Vegas, where the season’s first major, the 2023 USBC Queens, takes place from May 17-23.
