2018 PWBA TOUR KICKS OFF IN LAS VEGAS

The best bowlers in the world are ready to start the PWBA season and #bowlfearless throughout 2018. The PWBA Las Vegas Open is the first event of the season and begins this weeekend at South Point Bowling Plaza.

The 2018 tour includes 14 event across the country culminating with the Tour Championship Sept. 16-19 in Richmond, Va., alongside the NASCAR Xfinity series Go Bowling 250 at Richmond Raceway.

Fans can catch the action throughout the spring and summer on CBS Sports Network as the stepladder finals of seven events will air live on the network. Coverage of the other events finals will be livestreamed on Xtra Frame, the exclusive online bowling channel for the PBA and PWBA Tours.

Click here to see the full 2018 PWBA Tour schedule and television dates.

The 2018 tour will feature plenty of storylines to watch as many of the sports brightest stars are in peak form and in search of tournament wins, major titles and the 2018 Player of the Year award.

Players to watch in 2018:

• Liz Johnson, age 44, could become the first player to win four consecutive PWBA Player of the Year awards after claiming her third straight in 2017. She won three individual events in 2017, including two majors, and appeared in nine TV finals.


• Shannon O’Keefe won two events and her first major in 2017 and has now won multiple titles in back-to-back seasons. She’s chasing her first PWBA Player of the Year award as her star continues to rise on the tour.


• Kelly Kulick made four TV appearances and won the Fountain Valley Open in 2017. She was a runner-up in two majors in 2017 and remains a threat for the PWBA Player of the Year award in 2018.


• Diana Zavjalova captured the 2017 USBC Queens title and made the TV final of the Sacramento Open. She continues to improve her game and remains a threat to accomplish big things on tour in 2018.


• Danielle McEwan has won a tournament title every year since 2015, including the 2017 Nationwide PWBA Rochester Open. She appeared three times in on TV in 2017 and is just entering her prime at age 26.


• Rocio Restrepo has three event titles in the last two years – winning twice in 2016 and claiming the QubicaAMF Sonoma County Open in 2017. The 2016 Player of the Year runner-up could make a push to claim the award in 2018.


• Shannon Pluhowsky has finished no worse than sixth on the PWBA Tour points list over the last three seasons and has 10 championship-round appearances. She’s one of the top bowlers on tour, and the best left-hander.


• Maria Jose Rodriguez is coming off a season where she finished ninth on the PWBA points list and could be primed for a breakout season in 2018. The 2014 USBC Queens champion has made at least one championship-round appearance in each of the previous three seasons.


• Daria Pajak earned 2017 PWBA Rookie of the Year honors and could win multiple times on tour in 2018. She is a serious threat to become the first player in PWBA history to win player of the year in the season after capturing Rookie of the Year.


• Verity Crawley was the 2017 PWBA Rookie of the Year runner-up after posting two runner-up finishes in 2017.


• Giselle Poss, a former All-American at Vanderbilt, found success at the St. Petersburg-Clearwater Open by finishing third, and placed 20th at the U.S. Women’s Open in 2017.

Visit http://pwba.com/ to learn more about these atheletes, the PWBA Tour and how to watch on TV or see an event in your area.

Liz Johnson

Shannon O'Keefe

Daria Pajak