The 20235 PWBA Anniversary Open in Green Bay, Wisconsin, marked the 10th anniversary of the relaunch of the Professional Women's Bowling Association Tour, and it delivered on its promise as one of the season's biggest and most memorable events.
Hosted at The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley from July 8-13 and culminating in spectacular arena finals at the Resch Center, the tournament drew over 6,500 bowling fans - the largest crowd for any PWBA event in recent memory. The week-long event featured multiple rounds of high-stakes qualifying, "Bowl with the Pros" sessions, and a record-breaking three perfect games.
Josie Barnes emerged as the tournament's standout performer. She led the qualifying early with a 12-game average of 235 and remained consistent throughout. In the stepladder finals, Barnes captured her second title of the year by defeating Kayla Smith 236-191, in a final match filled with excitement and energy from the enthusiastic arena crowd. Verity Crawley and Rocio Restrepo made a run for the title in the stepladder but fell short of achieving the gold.
The event not only crowned a new champion, but they celebrated 10 years of the PWBA relaunching the tour. Barned summed up the feeling shared by many: "I'm a big sports fan, so I've attended a lot of different sporting events. To sit in the stands as a fan and as someone who competes professionally, I've always thought, 'I want that for bowling'"
Next tournament is the PBA/PBWA Mixed Doubles Lucy Tournament.