Biggest Bowling Events of 2016

The New Year in bowling has started with a bang as Danielle McEwan and Marshall Kent each added another USBC Team USA Trials title to their mantles while Chris Via and Stephanie Schwartz captured the first U.S. Amateur crowns in nearly a decade. The members of Team USA and Junior Team USA for 2016 have been determined and are ready to bring home some medals.

So what else is in store for 2016? Let’s take a look at some of the big events in bowling coming up this year!

CAN ANYBODY DEFEAT BELMONTE AT THE MASTERS?
Australia’s Jason Belmonte is the only bowler to win three consecutive USBC Masters titles. He looks to continue that streak at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis from Feb. 7-14.

The two-hander’s run is impressive considering the grueling format that features a double-elimination match-play bracket leading to the televised stepladder finals. Be sure to watch the finals live on ESPN on Sunday, Feb. 14 at 1 p.m. Eastern.

THIEL TO MATCH PARTICIPATION RECORD AT OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
Sylvester Thiel of Lake City, Minnesota, made his first career appearance at the USBC Open Championships during the 1940 event in Detroit.

On March 16 at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nevada, the 93-year-old is scheduled compete in the tournament for the 71st time, matching the participation record set by USBC Hall of Famers Bill Doehrman of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Joe Norris of San Diego for most tournament appearances.

At the 2015 event in El Paso, Texas, Thiel became just the third bowler in the tournament’s 113-year history to reach 70 years of participation. He also is a member of the tournament’s elite 100,000-Pin Club, having knocked down 113,344 pins over the course of his career on the championship lanes.

WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIPS, MIXED TO USHER IN NEW BOWLING ARENA IN LAS VEGAS
The 2016 USBC Women’s Championships and USBC Mixed will be held in the new $35-million venue located at the South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

The South Point Bowling Plaza is a 60-lane arena that opened late in 2014, and will welcome its first major USBC event with the Women’s Championships beginning April 9. The Mixed will kick off the following day, and have its team events held in the one-of-a-kind stadium setting.

PWBA BECOMES BIGGER AND BETTER
The return of the Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour was one of the biggest stories of 2015, and 2016 is looking even better.

The tour schedule expands in 2016, adding four more events, including a major – the PWBA Players Championship. There’s also a new member benefits package for competitors who become PWBA members in 2016.

The 2016 PWBA Tour will start in late April and run through August, so be sure to visit PWBA.com to see if the top female bowlers in the world will be swinging by your town this spring and summer.

YOUTH TAKEOVER THIS SUMMER
The summer will be filled with plenty of excitement, including several major youth events in the Midwest.

The Bowling.com Youth Open Championships, Junior Gold Championships presented by Storm, Roto Grip and Master and the first USA Bowling National Tournament all will make their home in Indianapolis in the summer of 2016.

Members of Junior Team USA also will be competing at the 2016 World Bowling Youth Championships in Lincoln, Nebraska, beginning at the end of July as they look to take home the gold against the top youth players in the world.

There is a lot on tap for bowling in 2016. We’ll have to wait and see what else is in store for what will be an exciting year!