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
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
