Vol. 2, No.4
Summer 2007

TV Time

Revitalized U.S. Women's Open and
PBA Women's Series give girls hope

Diandra Asbaty

Shannon Pluhowsky

Shannon O'Keefe

For years, girls who bowl could look forward to competing at the collegiate level and perhaps for Team USA, but without a women's pro tour, their chances of making a career in the sport were small.

That's starting to change.

With the revival of the U.S. Women's Open, the world's top female bowlers are embracing the chance to compete at the sport's highest level.

The U.S. Women's Open presented by the United States Bowling Congress will be conducted for the first time since 2003, the same year the Professional Women's Bowling Association ceased operations. The event will be held Aug. 13-18 at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev.

Final rounds of the U.S. Women's Open will feature a bracket elimination format in which the top 16 players will compete on television. In a deal with ESPN, the first four rounds of the finals will be taped Aug. 17-18 and shown on Sept. 16, 23, 30 and Oct. 7. The final four competitors will return to Reno for a live televised championship round on Oct. 14.

The return of one of bowling's major events has Team USA standouts Diandra Asbaty of Chicago, Shannon Pluhowsky of Phoenix and Shannon O'Keefe of Rochester, N.Y., excited for the future.

"I'm very hopeful this is the start of something big," said Asbaty, a nine-time Team USA member and 2003 graduate of the University of Nebraska who never got the chance to compete on the PWBA Tour. "I really think people are going to respond to this event in a very positive and major way."

Pluhowsky, a three-time U.S. Junior Amateur champion, three-time U.S. Amateur champion and the 2006 USBC Queens champion, has traveled the world competing at the highest level. She grew up with ambitions of making a living as a professional bowler.

"We all grow up hoping to be able to bowl professionally," said Pluhowsky, who also bowled at Nebraska. "I think this is a step in the right direction. Hopefully, these events will lead to the creation of another women's pro tour."

While there is no full-time women's professional tour, the Professional Bowlers Association will conduct four special women's events, called the PBA Women's Series, alongside selected regular Denny's PBA Tour events this fall. Qualifying for these events will take place during the U.S. Women's Open.

Amateur players, such as those on Team USA, may participate and still maintain their amateur status, since the PBA will not require PBA membership for the 16 players who qualify for the Women's Series.

The championship match of all four PBA Women's Series events will be televised on ESPN.

"For this sport to survive, we have to give the young women something to look forward to," said O'Keefe, who finished fifth at this year's USBC Queens. "The PBA Women's Series and the U.S. Women's Open do just that. I think it's awesome."

US Youth Bowler is published by USBC Communications, 5301 S. 76th St., Greendale, WI 53129, telephone (800) 514-BOWL, fax (414) 421-3013.

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