SMYRNA, Tenn. – Scores were reset back to zero for match play at the Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour Music City Classic, and Bryanna Coté of Tucson, Arizona, holds the lead after 16 match play games at Smyrna Bowling Center in Smyrna, Tennessee.
Coté averaged over 240 and won 10 of her 16 matches, tacking on 300 total bonus pins, for a 4,166 total and holds a 260 pin lead over fifth for the stepladder finals. Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio, is second with 4,098 after winning 12 matches for the day.
Stefanie Johnson of McKinney, Texas (3,989), Lauren Russo of Ballwin, Missouri (3,908) and Jordan Richard of Tipton, Michigan (3,907) round out the top five, respectively, all of whom went 9-7 on the day.
Missy Parkin of San Clemente, California (3,845), Mexico’s Sandra Gongora (3,837), Josie Barnes of Hermitage, Tennessee (3,840), Singapore’s New Hui Fen (3,819) and Lindsay Boomershine of Brigham City, Utah (3,798) hold positions six through 10, respectively.
With eight games and a possible 240 bonus pins on the line Monday morning, it’s anyone guess as to who will be the final five remaining for the stepladder finals. For Coté, it’s all about focusing on what she’s doing and the lanes, not necessarily who the opponent is, even if the format allows for more competitiveness to come out.
“If you worry about your opponent and what they’re doing, you can get lost in a match quickly,” said Coté. “I think match play is more fun for all of us because it’s just a different environment and everyone is hungry to win.”
The different environment is definitely noticeable in the building, as matches get closer and feel more tense with each passing game, as well as the potential for 30 extra pins for a win is on the line every game.
Coté has won at least one title a year since 2021, including her first major at the U.S. Women’s Open last year in Rochester, New York, and her love of the sport is what keeps her going and coming back, even through a slow start to the week. She was 54th through the first 12 games of the Music City Classic.
“I love bowling and competing out here on tour, even though I didn’t have the best start with the first event (the Greater Nashville Classic), but I went back to the drawing board to turn it around and it’s really worked.”
Coté and the remaining 23 competitors will start the final round of match play at 11 a.m. Eastern, where the top five after the round is complete will move on to the stepladder finals at 7:30 p.m. Eastern to crown the third and final champion of the Classic Series – Nashville. All rounds will be streamed live on BowlTV.
