Professional Women's Bowling Association
Encyclopedia
The Professional Women's Bowling Association (PWBA) formed in 1960. After the organization struggled, a group of female professional bowlers left the PWBA to form the Ladies' Professional Bowlers Association in 1974. The two merged again in 1978, forming the Women's Professional Bowlers Association, which became the Ladies Professional Bowlers Tour (LPBT) in 1981. In its final years, the LPBT changed its name back to the Professional Women's Bowling Association.
In the fall of 2003, the PWBA tour ceased operations before the completion of its 2003 season. This was primarily caused by a lack of interest in sponsoring women's bowling that gradually dwindled over time.
and ESPN2
from the late 1980s up until when the association folded. From 2004-2006, the WIBC Queens event (re-named USBC Queens
in 2005) was the only scheduled event for female bowlers that received TV coverage.
For the autumn of 2007, the USBC
acquired rights to the U.S. Women's Open
. The event was televised for five Sundays on ESPN, with the action being called by PBA legends Nelson Burton Jr.
and Marshall Holman
. This event also served as the qualifier for the PBA Women's Series, a special four-stop mini-tour for the top 16 females. The finals for the mini-tour events were televised along with the regular PBA broadcasts for four Sundays on ESPN in November-December, 2007.
The U.S. Women's Open returned for five weeks in September-October, 2008, and the PBA Women's Series was expanded to seven events in the 2008-09 season.
(USBC) then acquired the PWBA when the WIBC merged with the American Bowling Congress
(ABC), Young American Bowling Alliance
(YABA) and USA Bowling in 2005.
The Professional Bowlers Association
(PBA) opened its membership to women in April 2004. Former PWBA members such as Kelly Kulick
, Kim Adler
and Liz Johnson would eventually become exempt members of the PBA Tour. The PBA created the PBA Women's Series
in 2007, allowing women PBA members to compete in a small number of events without their male counterparts.
Other bowlers either retired from professional bowling, or moved onto other bowling organizations. Wendy Macpherson
started competing in the Japan Ladies Bowling Club (JLBC) in 2004, winning the 2004 JLBC Prince Cup in her first appearance. She would eventually earn her membership in the Japan Professional Bowling Association
(JPBA) in 2007. In 2007, the Japan Bowling Congress
(JBC) started the DHC Cup Girls Bowling International
- the tournament eventually becoming the third largest tournament for females in the world in terms of money, just behind the U.S. Women's Open and the USBC Queens.
Kim Adler
,
Lynda Barnes
,
Leanne Barrette
,
Lisa Bishop,
Alayne Blomenberg,
Tammy Turner Boomershine,
Cindy Coburn-Carroll,
Stephanie Chiera,
Cheryl Daniels,
Dede Davidson,
Marianne Dirupo,
Carolyn Dorin-Ballard
,
Cathy Dorin-Lizzi,
Anne Marie Duggan,
Helen Duval,
Jeri Edwards
Karen Ellingsworth,
Michelle Feldman
,
Rene Fleming,
Kendra Gaines,
Julie Gardner,
Shirley Garms,
Carol Gianotti,
Nikki Gianulias,
Tennelle Grijalva-Milligan,
Liz Johnson
Tish Johnson,
Cara Honeychurch,
Kelly Kulick
,
Karen Krejcha,
Wendy Macpherson
,
Dana Miller-Mackie,
Debbie McMullen,
Betty Morris,
Michelle Mullen,
Jeanne Naccarato,
Sue Neidig,
Lori Nichols,
Carol Norman,
Virginia Norton,
Sandy Postma,
Stacy Rider,
Jan Schmidt,
Robin Romeo,
Tori Romeo,
Jackie Sellers,
Sandra Jo Shiery,
Aleta Sill,
Judy Soutar,
Diana Teeters,
Lisa Wagner,
Leila Wagner
In the fall of 2003, the PWBA tour ceased operations before the completion of its 2003 season. This was primarily caused by a lack of interest in sponsoring women's bowling that gradually dwindled over time.
In the media
Many PWBA events were televised on ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
and ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American sports cable television network owned by ESPN. The channel debuted on October 1, 1993.Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was initially branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross,...
from the late 1980s up until when the association folded. From 2004-2006, the WIBC Queens event (re-named USBC Queens
USBC Queens
The USBC Queens is an annual ten-pin bowling event for amateur and professional female bowlers, sanctioned by the United States Bowling Congress...
in 2005) was the only scheduled event for female bowlers that received TV coverage.
For the autumn of 2007, the USBC
United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress is a sports membership organization dedicated to ten-pin bowling in the United States. It was formed in 2005 by a merger of the American Bowling Congress, Women's International Bowling Congress, Young American Bowling Alliance, and USA Bowling...
acquired rights to the U.S. Women's Open
U.S. Women's Open (bowling)
The United States Women's Open, a.k.a. U.S. Women's Open, a.k.a. Women's U.S. Open, is an annual tournament for women, dedicated to ten-pin bowling in the United States. From its inception in 1949 until its cancellation in 2004 , the event was held every year except for 1953, 1997 and 2002...
. The event was televised for five Sundays on ESPN, with the action being called by PBA legends Nelson Burton Jr.
Nelson Burton Jr.
Nelson "Bo" Burton, Jr. is a professional ten-pin bowler and former longtime analyst for the Professional Bowlers Tour on ABC Television. He is the son of Nelson Burton, Sr., who himself was a successful bowler in his day, competing with the likes of Glenn Allison and Billy Welu...
and Marshall Holman
Marshall Holman
Marshall Holman is an American professional bowler primarily known for his success on the PBA Tour throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He also served as a color analyst alongside Mike Durbin on several ESPN and ESPN2 bowling telecasts from 1996–2001...
. This event also served as the qualifier for the PBA Women's Series, a special four-stop mini-tour for the top 16 females. The finals for the mini-tour events were televised along with the regular PBA broadcasts for four Sundays on ESPN in November-December, 2007.
The U.S. Women's Open returned for five weeks in September-October, 2008, and the PBA Women's Series was expanded to seven events in the 2008-09 season.
Post-PWBA
The Women's International Bowling Congress (WIBC) acquired the rights and assets of the PWBA. This gave the WIBC control of the PWBA name, trademark, logo, website domain (pwba.com), as well as the PWBA's historical records. The United States Bowling CongressUnited States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress is a sports membership organization dedicated to ten-pin bowling in the United States. It was formed in 2005 by a merger of the American Bowling Congress, Women's International Bowling Congress, Young American Bowling Alliance, and USA Bowling...
(USBC) then acquired the PWBA when the WIBC merged with the American Bowling Congress
United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress is a sports membership organization dedicated to ten-pin bowling in the United States. It was formed in 2005 by a merger of the American Bowling Congress, Women's International Bowling Congress, Young American Bowling Alliance, and USA Bowling...
(ABC), Young American Bowling Alliance
United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress is a sports membership organization dedicated to ten-pin bowling in the United States. It was formed in 2005 by a merger of the American Bowling Congress, Women's International Bowling Congress, Young American Bowling Alliance, and USA Bowling...
(YABA) and USA Bowling in 2005.
The Professional Bowlers Association
Professional Bowlers Association
The Professional Bowlers Association is the major sanctioning body for the sport of professional ten-pin bowling in the United States. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the PBA membership consists of almost 4,300 members worldwide...
(PBA) opened its membership to women in April 2004. Former PWBA members such as Kelly Kulick
Kelly Kulick
Kelly Kulick is an American professional bowler from Union Township, New Jersey. She has won eight professional women's bowling titles and one PBA Tour title.-Bowling accomplishments:...
, Kim Adler
Kim Adler
Kim Adler is an American Ten-pin bowling professional who was a member of the now-defunct Professional Women's Bowling Association. She is considered one of the top women bowling players of all time, competing professionally from 1991-2003....
and Liz Johnson would eventually become exempt members of the PBA Tour. The PBA created the PBA Women's Series
PBA Women's Series
The PBA Women's Series was a mini-tour for female professional bowlers. It was started in 2007 as a way to bring women's bowling back to television after the Professional Women's Bowling Association disbanded in 2003...
in 2007, allowing women PBA members to compete in a small number of events without their male counterparts.
Other bowlers either retired from professional bowling, or moved onto other bowling organizations. Wendy Macpherson
Wendy Macpherson
Wendy Macpherson is an American ten-pin bowler.Macpherson was born in Walnut Creek, California and currently lives in Henderson, Nevada. She won twenty titles with the Professional Women's Bowling Association between 1986 and 2003 and was a four-time Bowling Writers Association of America Female...
started competing in the Japan Ladies Bowling Club (JLBC) in 2004, winning the 2004 JLBC Prince Cup in her first appearance. She would eventually earn her membership in the Japan Professional Bowling Association
Japan Professional Bowling Association
The is the major sanctioning body for the sport of professional ten-pin bowling in Japan. The organization was founded by , and was established on January 27, 1967. The JPBA sanctions tournaments and other functions related to professional bowling for both men and women. Its headquarters are...
(JPBA) in 2007. In 2007, the Japan Bowling Congress
Japan Bowling Congress
is the major sanctioning body for the sport of ten-pin bowling in Japan. The JBC sanctions tournaments and other functions related to amateur bowling for both men and women. The current president of the JBC is Kyohei Akagi. The JBC was established during the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo...
(JBC) started the DHC Cup Girls Bowling International
DHC Cup Girls Bowling International
The DHC Cup Girls Bowling International is an annual ten-pin bowling event for professional and amateur female bowlers, held in Japan, and is sanctioned by the Japan Bowling Congress . Offering an award purse of JPY¥12.0 million , it is currently the third-biggest tournament for females in the...
- the tournament eventually becoming the third largest tournament for females in the world in terms of money, just behind the U.S. Women's Open and the USBC Queens.
Notable Previous Members
Donna Adamek,Kim Adler
Kim Adler
Kim Adler is an American Ten-pin bowling professional who was a member of the now-defunct Professional Women's Bowling Association. She is considered one of the top women bowling players of all time, competing professionally from 1991-2003....
,
Lynda Barnes
Linda Barnes (bowling)
Lynda Barnes , is one of the world's leading female Ten-pin bowlers. She is a former member of the PWBA . She is right-handed. In 1999, Lynda married Chris Barnes who is also a leading Ten-pin bowler on the Professional Bowlers Association tour...
,
Leanne Barrette
Leanne Barrette
Leanne Barrette-Hulsenberg, currently of Roseville, CA , was one of the top female professional bowlers on the now-defunct Professional Women's Bowling Association Tour. In a career that spanned 17 years, she won 26 PWBA titles and was twice named PWBA Player of the Year...
,
Lisa Bishop,
Alayne Blomenberg,
Tammy Turner Boomershine,
Cindy Coburn-Carroll,
Stephanie Chiera,
Cheryl Daniels,
Dede Davidson,
Marianne Dirupo,
Carolyn Dorin-Ballard
Carolyn Dorin-Ballard
Carolyn Dorin-Ballard is one of the top female ten-pin bowlers in the World. She was a member of the PWBA and has bowled in PBA Tournaments as well. She was an exempt competitor in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 PBA Women's Series seasons, which were sponsored by the United States Bowling Congress...
,
Cathy Dorin-Lizzi,
Anne Marie Duggan,
Helen Duval,
Jeri Edwards
Karen Ellingsworth,
Michelle Feldman
Michelle Feldman
Michelle Feldman is a right-handed female professional ten-pin bowler and former member of the now-defunct Professional Women's Bowling Association . She hails from Skaneateles, NY, and now resides in nearby Auburn, NY. In her career, she has won 14 professional titles: 12 on the PWBA Tour and...
,
Rene Fleming,
Kendra Gaines,
Julie Gardner,
Shirley Garms,
Carol Gianotti,
Nikki Gianulias,
Tennelle Grijalva-Milligan,
Liz Johnson
Tish Johnson,
Cara Honeychurch,
Kelly Kulick
Kelly Kulick
Kelly Kulick is an American professional bowler from Union Township, New Jersey. She has won eight professional women's bowling titles and one PBA Tour title.-Bowling accomplishments:...
,
Karen Krejcha,
Wendy Macpherson
Wendy Macpherson
Wendy Macpherson is an American ten-pin bowler.Macpherson was born in Walnut Creek, California and currently lives in Henderson, Nevada. She won twenty titles with the Professional Women's Bowling Association between 1986 and 2003 and was a four-time Bowling Writers Association of America Female...
,
Dana Miller-Mackie,
Debbie McMullen,
Betty Morris,
Michelle Mullen,
Jeanne Naccarato,
Sue Neidig,
Lori Nichols,
Carol Norman,
Virginia Norton,
Sandy Postma,
Stacy Rider,
Jan Schmidt,
Robin Romeo,
Tori Romeo,
Jackie Sellers,
Sandra Jo Shiery,
Aleta Sill,
Judy Soutar,
Diana Teeters,
Lisa Wagner,
Leila Wagner