PWBA Communications
ROCKFORD, Ill. – The 2026 Professional Women’s Bowling Association National Tour season kicks off Wednesday, and there is no better place to start than at the former headquarters of the tour here at The Cherry Bowl.
The Cherry Bowl hosts the first event of the 2026 season, the PWBA Bowlers Journal Rockford Open, where the action begins Wednesday with the pre-tournament qualifier at 6 p.m.. Ten bowlers will advance from the PTQ to the main tournament field of 75 bowlers. Those athletes will have their practice session Thursday at 1 p.m..
After the practice session, two Bowl with the Pros events take place at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Eastern on Thursday. Bowl with the Pros events allow members of the local community to bowl alongside their favorite professionals in a fun environment.
Once the fun and games are over, Bowlers Journal Rockford Open qualifying begins Friday at 11 a.m. for the first of four six-game qualifying rounds. Round 2 also will take place on Friday beginning at 6 p.m. After the first two rounds, the field will be cut to the top third for another six-game round Saturday at 10 a.m.
An additional cut will be made to the top 12 for a final qualifying round at 3 p.m. with the top five athletes advancing to the stepladder finals beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern to determine the first champion of the 2026 season. The entirety of the PWBA Bowlers Journal Rockford Open will be streamed live on BowlTV.
The last time a National Tour stop was in Rockford was in 2024 when Malaysia’s Sin Li Jane won and kicked off her Player of the Year campaign – she would go on to win three more events that season. It remains to be seen if that kind of momentum will be held by the winner of this year’s event, but reigning Player of the Year New Hui Fen of Singapore will seek to continue her winning ways after earning three titles in 2025.
The 2026 PWBA National Tour includes stops in Colorado, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Indiana and Texas. For the full schedule, visit PWBA.com/national-tour.
TOURNEY RENAMED
The PWBA and Storm Bowling have reached a naming rights agreement that will make Storm a presenting sponsor of one PWBA Tour event annually beginning with the 2026 season.
As part of the agreement, Storm has secured naming rights to the 2026 PWBA Columbus Open, which will be renamed the PWBA Barbara Chrisman Classic presented by Storm. The event will be contested at HPL Bowling Center in Columbus from June 4 to 6.
The agreement marks a continued investment in the PWBA Tour, providing enhanced visibility for both the tour and its partners while supporting the long-term sustainability of professional women’s bowling.
“Storm is proud to step in as a presenting sponsor of a PWBA Tour event,” said Tyler Jensen, president of Storm Bowling. “This partnership reflects our continued commitment to supporting women’s bowling at the highest level and elevating the visibility of the Tour. We’re excited to align with the USBC and BPAA on an event that showcases the best in the sport. It’s a true win-win for bowling.”
The money that Storm puts forward each year will go toward Tour prize funds, ensuring player payouts remain consistent and competitive.
“When we saw that the USBC and BPAA were reinvesting directly into the PWBA prize fund, it made the decision an easy one for us,” said Jensen. “Supporting the best players in the world has always been at the core of who we are as a company.
“We also saw this as a meaningful opportunity to honor our owner, Barb Chrisman, by naming an event in her honor. She is incredibly excited to present the trophy to the first winner of the Barb Chrisman Classic, and we look forward to this event celebrating her legacy and women’s bowling for many years to come.”