WYOMING, Mich. – A normal week on the Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour brings many of the world’s best bowlers together for three days to do battle for one tournament title.
PWBA Classic Series events are anything but normal, however, as they give those same bowlers the opportunity to compete for three titles within a seven-day span.
The 2023 PWBA Classic Series – Grand Rapids will do just that, and that is why a field of nearly 100 bowlers will be converging on Spectrum Lanes in Wyoming, Michigan, from May 31-June 6.
Competitors will begin to arrive at Spectrum Lanes on Wednesday for the tournament’s official practice session, which will take place from 2-4 p.m. Eastern.
Following the official practice session, a select group of PWBA Tour stars will take to the lanes for the Bowl with the Pros event starting at 6 p.m. Eastern. This event gives local bowlers the opportunity to bowl alongside their favorite PWBA players in a fun and exciting environment.
Competition begins Thursday with the first of two rounds of qualifying for the PWBA Grand Rapids Classic. Participants will bowl two six-game blocks, starting at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern, with the top 12 competitors making the cut for match play.
The top 12 will return to Spectrum Lanes on Friday and bowl two six-game rounds of round-robin match play starting at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Eastern. After the second round of match play is completed, the top five players will advance to the stepladder finals.
The stepladder finals will start at 6:30 p.m. Eastern on Friday and determine which player wins the 2023 PWBA Grand Rapids Classic. The finals will be broadcast live at BowlTV.com.
The same format will be followed for the PWBA BowlTV Classic, which begins with qualifying on Saturday at 10 a.m. Eastern and concludes with the stepladder finals on BowlTV Sunday starting at 6:30 p.m. Eastern.
The final tournament of the week will be the PWBA Great Lakes Classic, which will have a field made up of the top 24 competitors based on the combined qualifying totals (24 games) from the first two events.
The 24 advancers will bowl three eight-game rounds of round-robin match play to determine the top five for the stepladder finals (total pins from the 24 games of qualifying will not carry over to this event).
The stepladder finals will start at 6:30 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday and determine which player wins the 2023 PWBA Great Lakes Classic. The finals will be broadcast live at BowlTV.com.
The 2023 Classic Series – Grand Rapids will mark the first time that Spectrum Lanes has hosted a PWBA Tour event.
Dasha Kovalova of Muskegon, Michigan, a five-time PWBA Tour titlist and the 2019 United States Bowling Congress Queens champion, has been looking forward to this event ever since it popped up on this year’s schedule, and she knows that there are plenty of locals who feel the same way.
“It’s going to be great to bowl in Grand Rapids because I’ve been hearing about how excited people are about it for months and months ever since this season’s schedule was announced,” Kovalova said. “It’s really cool to bring the tour to Michigan because it not only will showcase the best lady bowlers in the world, but it also shows people what it takes to compete out here full time.
“A lot of local ladies are really looking forward to this week. Not all of them will necessarily bowl, but they’re excited it’s at Spectrum so they can come on out, watch and support friends who bowl. They’re really excited and happy, and I think that’s sweet because it shows how great of a community we have.”
Bryanna Coté of Tucson, Arizona, is definitely coming to bowl, and she’s equally excited to have the PWBA Tour land in Grand Rapids for the first time.
“I’m always excited to go to different centers; I think it’s great that we aren’t in the same places every time because it gives us a chance to broaden our horizons,” Coté said. “All lanes are different, so going someplace new gives us a chance to master our craft just a little bit better. Also, it gives us a chance to meet new people and be in a different atmosphere, so I’m excited to be headed to Spectrum Lanes.”
Fans in the Grand Rapids area should be just as excited to have Coté.
After all, the 37-year-old right-hander is a four-time PWBA Tour titlist and former PWBA Player of the Year (2021).
Three of Coté’s four tour victories have come at classic series events (2022 PWBA BVL Classic; 2022 PWBA Dallas Classic and 2021 PWBA ITRC Classic), and her performance at the 2021 PWBA Fall Classic Series at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nevada, is what helped her move from eighth to first in that season’s player of the year race.
Coté isn’t quite sure what it is about classic series competition that seems to bring out her best; she just knows that she wants it to continue this week in Grand Rapids.
“I couldn’t really tell you why I’ve had success in the classic series because there’s nothing different that I do preparation-wise for them,” Coté said. “Maybe it’s just that in the back of my mind I know that they’re more of a sprint than a marathon, so I know I have to come out swinging.”
Coté has definitely come out swinging during the early stages of the 2023 season as she has cashed in all three events, ranks in the top 15 in every major statistical category and has already made a stepladder finals appearance – she finished fifth at the PWBA GoBowling! Spokane.
While Coté would love to keep the momentum going this week in Grand Rapids, she doesn’t plan on forcing the issue; instead, she’s just going to stick to the approach that’s gotten her this far.
“I try to keep things simple when I compete. I have a gameplan going in, and then I just try to keep the ball in play and make my spares,” Coté said. “I’m going to stay positive, mentally grind through any bumps that come along the way and try to conquer any challenges that lie ahead.”
The 2023 PWBA Tour season features 12 events and an overall prize fund of approximately $1.4 million, which is tied for the largest average per event since the tour’s relaunch in 2015.
The schedule also features three majors, the USBC Queens, which was won by Lindsay Boomershine of Brigham City, Utah, U.S. Women’s Open and season-ending PWBA Tour Championship. The stepladder finals at all three majors will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network.
There are nine events on the 2023 PWBA Regional schedule. The season kicked off with the PWBA Greater Dallas Regional in January and will conclude with the season-ending PWBA Regional Showdown at Aloma Bowl in Winter Park, Florida, on December 7-9.
