ARLINGTON, Texas - Growing up, Amanda Greene of Romney, West Virginia, spent her time after school practicing and working at her parents' bowling center, Wilson Lanes. So it should be no surprise the 25-year-old right-hander wasted no time proving she belonged on the re-launched Professional Women's Bowling Association Tour last season.
This week, the tour heads to Lincoln, Nebraska, where Greene will return to Sun Valley Lanes as the defending Pepsi PWBA Lincoln Open champion. The event gets underway Thursday with a 5 p.m. practice session, while official competition takes place Friday and Saturday.
"I never dreamed the tour would come back," said Greene, who won a gold medal in team at the 2012 World Youth Championships in Thailand. "I started bowling regionals with the guys and I never thought we would have women's tournaments again. It's just amazing. I've worked my whole life at bowling and it's the only thing I've ever done. To be able to come out here and do what I do, and do what I love, it's just awesome. I'm so happy, excited and proud to have this tour."
Greene is no stranger to Sun Valley Lanes, dating to her time as a collegiate standout at Lindenwood. The three-time first-team All-American helped lead the Lions to top-five finishes at the 2012 and 2013 Intercollegiate Team Championships, while being named the ITC Most Valuable Player in 2013.
"I'm really excited about it," Greene said about returning to Sun Valley Lanes, where she led wire-to-wire at last year's PWBA Lincoln Open. "I really love Lincoln and I love Sun Valley Lanes. I usually bowl pretty well there and I also bowled there in college where we finished third and fifth in my junior and senior years. So, I'm really excited to go back."
Greene, who holds master's degrees in Business Administration and Public Administration from Lindenwood, is off to a solid start this PWBA Tour season. Most recently, she finished tied for seventh at the PWBA Wichita Open and overall has made three match-play appearances and cashed in all four events she entered. Not bad for someone whose first pro event came at the 2014 United States Bowling Congress Queens.
Although she found herself in the winner's circle last season, the learning curve was evident in 2015, where she didn't cash in the first two standard events of the season. The experience helped Greene better prepare for this season, while continuing to learn more about herself and her game as she endures life on tour.
"I'm still learning," said Greene, who finished seventh at the 2014 USBC Queens. "I think I'm better prepared this year practice-wise and workout-wise. My body is in better shape than it was last year, but I also have more confidence. Last year was kind of an unknown because I didn't know how I was going to fair against the best women in the world every week. It was kind of overwhelming at first, but now I'm in a routine where I'm used to it and am focusing on my own game. I'm not satisfied with this year, but I'm pleased with how the season is going so far."
2016 PEPSI PWBA LINCOLN OPEN
At Sun Valley Lanes, Lincoln, Neb.
(All times local)
Thursday, June 9
9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. - Media event
Noon - 3 p.m.: PWBA Qualifier
3 p.m. - 4 p.m.: Media event
5 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.: Practice
7 p.m.: VIP event
Friday, June 10
8 a.m. - 9 a.m.: Practice
10:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.: Six games of qualifying
5 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.: Six games of qualifying
Saturday, June 11
8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.: Cashers' round - six games
1 p.m. - 4 p.m.: Round-robin match play - six games
5 p.m. - 6 p.m.: Group stepladder finals
Sunday, June 12
11 a.m. - 1 p.m.: Pro-Am
