PWBA unveils full 2023 Regional schedule and Showdown format, makes National Tour updates
January 05, 2023
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ARLINGTON, Texas – Professional Women’s Bowling Association members planning on competing in regional tournaments this season can now fill in their calendars as the entire 2023 PWBA Regional schedule has been released.
The nine-event regional season will begin with the PWBA Greater Dallas Regional, which will be held at JB’s Allen Bowl in Allen, Texas, on Jan. 21 and conclude at Highland Park Lanes in Greeley, Colorado, host of the PWBA Northern Colorado Regional on Nov. 11.
In between, the PWBA Regional Tour will make stops in Michigan, Washington, Ohio, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Minnesota in an attempt to give female bowlers from all across the country the opportunity to experience PWBA competition.
Those bowlers will be hoping to win titles and earn their way into the Regional Showdown, which will be held in December and serve as the official end to the 2023 PWBA Tour season.
Each regional champion will automatically be seeded for match play at the Regional Showdown. The remaining spots in the 16-person field will be awarded based on the results of an eight-game qualifying round that will be open to all PWBA Regional-eligible bowlers.
The top 16 players will compete in round-robin match play before the field is cut to the final four bowlers for the stepladder finals.
Every player who qualifies for match play will cash at the Regional Showdown. If the number of entries is high enough, additional cash spots outside the top 16 will be paid at a ratio of 1:3 as is done for PWBA National Tour prize funds.
The winner of the 2023 Regional Showdown will not only receive a cash prize, but she will also have her entry fees covered for all 2024 PWBA National Tour singles events as well.
To be eligible to enter a PWBA Regional event, a female competitor must average at least 180. PWBA Tour national champions, regardless of membership status at the time of their win, will not be eligible to compete in any PWBA Regional event.
The cost to enter a PWBA Regional event is $100 for a member and $150 for a non-member.
“The best way to continue growing the PWBA National Tour is by making sure that there are plenty of opportunities for bowlers to compete at the regional level,” PWBA Players Committee Chairperson Bryanna Coté said. “Once players get a taste of professional competition through regionals, they feel more confident and better equipped to take the next step and eventually begin competing on the national tour.”
Bowlers competing on the 2023 PWBA National Tour will be in store for some changes after the PWBA Players Committee voted to adjust Tour Championship eligibility rules and some of this year’s event prize funds.
Per the Players Committee vote, spots in the 24-player Tour Championship field will now be reserved for PWBA members who win titles during the 2023 season (with the exception of the PBA/PWBA Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles) or who are high enough on the season points list at the conclusion of the second Classic Series event provided they have participated in a minimum of 50% of the season’s tournaments.
Tour Championship competitors will participate in round-robin match play with the top five bowlers advancing to the stepladder finals.
The Players Committee also voted to approve an increase in the purse offered at the events comprising the Great Lakes Classic Series. The additional prize money will be moved from this season’s three PWBA standard events.
2023 PWBA REGIONAL SCHEDULE
With dates, event, center, location and broadcast channel (subject to change):
To learn more about the PWBA Tour, visit PWBA.com.
The nine-event regional season will begin with the PWBA Greater Dallas Regional, which will be held at JB’s Allen Bowl in Allen, Texas, on Jan. 21 and conclude at Highland Park Lanes in Greeley, Colorado, host of the PWBA Northern Colorado Regional on Nov. 11.
In between, the PWBA Regional Tour will make stops in Michigan, Washington, Ohio, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Minnesota in an attempt to give female bowlers from all across the country the opportunity to experience PWBA competition.
Those bowlers will be hoping to win titles and earn their way into the Regional Showdown, which will be held in December and serve as the official end to the 2023 PWBA Tour season.
Each regional champion will automatically be seeded for match play at the Regional Showdown. The remaining spots in the 16-person field will be awarded based on the results of an eight-game qualifying round that will be open to all PWBA Regional-eligible bowlers.
The top 16 players will compete in round-robin match play before the field is cut to the final four bowlers for the stepladder finals.
Every player who qualifies for match play will cash at the Regional Showdown. If the number of entries is high enough, additional cash spots outside the top 16 will be paid at a ratio of 1:3 as is done for PWBA National Tour prize funds.
The winner of the 2023 Regional Showdown will not only receive a cash prize, but she will also have her entry fees covered for all 2024 PWBA National Tour singles events as well.
To be eligible to enter a PWBA Regional event, a female competitor must average at least 180. PWBA Tour national champions, regardless of membership status at the time of their win, will not be eligible to compete in any PWBA Regional event.
The cost to enter a PWBA Regional event is $100 for a member and $150 for a non-member.
“The best way to continue growing the PWBA National Tour is by making sure that there are plenty of opportunities for bowlers to compete at the regional level,” PWBA Players Committee Chairperson Bryanna Coté said. “Once players get a taste of professional competition through regionals, they feel more confident and better equipped to take the next step and eventually begin competing on the national tour.”
Bowlers competing on the 2023 PWBA National Tour will be in store for some changes after the PWBA Players Committee voted to adjust Tour Championship eligibility rules and some of this year’s event prize funds.
Per the Players Committee vote, spots in the 24-player Tour Championship field will now be reserved for PWBA members who win titles during the 2023 season (with the exception of the PBA/PWBA Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles) or who are high enough on the season points list at the conclusion of the second Classic Series event provided they have participated in a minimum of 50% of the season’s tournaments.
Tour Championship competitors will participate in round-robin match play with the top five bowlers advancing to the stepladder finals.
The Players Committee also voted to approve an increase in the purse offered at the events comprising the Great Lakes Classic Series. The additional prize money will be moved from this season’s three PWBA standard events.
2023 PWBA REGIONAL SCHEDULE
With dates, event, center, location and broadcast channel (subject to change):
- Jan. 21, PWBA Greater Dallas Regional, JB’s Allen Bowl, Allen, Texas, BowlTV
- March 25, PWBA Greater Detroit Regional, Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Mich., BowlTV
- May 14, PWBA Spokane Regional, Lilac Lanes & Casino, Spokane, Wash., BowlTV
- June 11, PWBA Cleveland Regional, Yorktown Lanes, Parma Heights, Ohio, BowlTV
- July 2, PWBA Pinehurst Regional, Sandhills Bowling Center, Aberdeen, N.C., BowlTV
- July 22, PWBA Greater Pittsburgh Regional, Nesbit’s Lanes, Pittsburgh, Pa., BowlTV
- Aug. 27, PWBA Rockford Regional, The Cherry Bowl, Rockford, Ill., BowlTV
- Sept. 24, PWBA Twin Cities Regional, Cedarvale Lanes, Eagan, Minn., BowlTV
- Nov. 11, PWBA Northern Colorado Regional, Highland Park Lanes, Greeley, Colo., BowlTV
- Dec. 2023, PWBA Regional Showdown, host center and city TBD, BowlTV
To learn more about the PWBA Tour, visit PWBA.com.