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The World Bowling Tour, a major professional tour, unites bowlers from selected major professional and amateur organizations through a series of events organized by World Bowling.[1]
| Abbreviation | WBT |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2011 |
| Headquarters | Arlington, Texas |
Parent organization | World Bowling |
| Affiliations | World Tenpin Bowling Association (WTBA) |
| Website | World Bowling Tour |
The World Bowling Tour's marquee event, the WTBA World Championships, attracts bowlers from over 50 countries. World Bowling Tour events include all the PBA Tour major tournaments. As a stepladder tournament, the season-ending World Bowling Tour Finals features the top three men, and top three women in the World Bowling Tour points standings.[2]
To participate in the World Bowling Tour, bowlers must be a member of one of the federations of the World Tenpin Bowling Association. The federations of the WTBA include:
- Professional Bowlers Association, which include the PBA Tour, PBA50, and PBA international;
- Professional Women's Bowling Association.
- Thai Tenpin Bowling Association;
- Korea Professional Bowlers Association;
- Japan Professional Bowling Association;
The winner of a WBT tournament can also earn credit for a PBA Tour title, as long as the bowler registered for the tournament beforehand as a professional.[3] International bowlers, bowlers who do not reside in the United States, can also join the PBA under its PBA International program. If a PBA International member wins a WBT tournament, he must upgrade to full membership of the PBA.[4]
The entry fee for a WBT tournament is $5,000 USD. Winners of World Bowling Tour events also qualify for the PBA Tournament of Champions.[3]
2019 Schedule [5]
Tournaments listed in bold are considered majors by the World Bowling Tour.
| Date | Event | Location | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2–8, 2019 | H.H. Emir Cup |  Doha, Qatar | Tier 2 |
| March 11–21, 2019 | PBA World Series of Bowling |  Detroit, MI | Tier 1 |
| March 26 - April 4, 2019 | USBC Masters | Las Vegas, NV | Tier 1 |
| May 15–21, 2019 | USBC Queens | Wichita, KS | Tier 1 - Women Only |
| June 16–23, 2019 | US Women's Open | Las Vegas, NV | Tier 1 - Women Only |
| July 25–28, 2019 | Storm PBA/PWBA Striking Against Breast Cancer | Houston, TX | Tier 2 |
| August 16–18, 2019 | New Mexico Open | Rio Rancho, NM | Tier 3 |
| August 22–30, 2019 | World Women's Championships | Las Vegas, NV | Tier 2 - Women Only |
| August 24–31, 2019 | FloBowling PBA Summer Swing | Aurora, IL | Tier 2 |
| August 24 - September 8, 2019 | Lucky Larsen Masters |  Helsingborg, Sweden | Tier 2 |
| September (TBD), 2019 | Thailand Open |  Bangkok, Thailand | Tier 2 |
| October 23–30, 2019 | U.S Open | Mooresville, NC | Tier 1 |
| October 31 - November 6, 2019 | Kuwait Open |  Kuwait City, Kuwait | Tier 2 |
Major tournaments
In order for a tournament to qualify as a major, it must offer a minimum prize fund of $200,000 USD.[2] The tournaments that are recognized as majors by the World Bowling Tour include:
- International Bowling Championship supported by DHC (JBC)
- USBC Masters (USBC)
- United States Open (USBC)
- PBA World Championship (PBA Tour)
- PBA Tournament of Champions (PBA Tour)
- United States Women's Open (USBC)
- WTBA World Championships (WTBA)
World Bowling scoring
The World Bowling scoring system, described as "current frame scoring,"[6] is used during the stepladder finals of the World Bowling Tour Finals. Current frame scoring counts 30 pins for each strike (regardless of previous shot), 10 pins for each spare (bonus pins that are added match the first roll of the next frame), and basic pin count for open frames. The tenth frame follows the same format as the first nine frames. That means no bonus, or fill shots, are given. The maximum score is still 300, achieved with ten rather than twelve, consecutive strikes.[7][8] World Bowling scoring is intended to be easier to understand than traditional scoring for fans or bowlers that are new to the sport.[7] The television networks also advertised current frame scoring to increase struggling television ratings.[6][8]
Match play scoring
Match play scoring is a 12-frame system that made its first national appearance in bowling at the 2014 World Bowling Tour finals. This system scores by counting frames won rather than counting total pinfall.[9] It resembles match play scoring in golf where players go even, plus one, or minus one as the match progresses. A frame is won if a bowler has a higher pinfall on the first roll of the frame than their opponent. The bowler that wins the most frames will win the match.[9]
| Year | Male Winner | Male Runner-Up | Female Winner | Female Runner-Up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Chris Barnes[10] |  Mika Koivuniemi | Missy Parkin [11] | Liz Johnson |
| 2014 | Mika Koivuniemi[12] | Sean Rash | Kelly Kulick[13] | Liz Johnson |
| 2015 |  Dom Barrett[14] | Mike Fagan | Danielle McEwan[15] | Kelly Kulick |
| 2017 |  Jason Belmonte[16] | Marshall Kent |  Diana Zavjalova [17] | Danielle McEwan |
| 2018 | E.J. Tackett[18] | Anthony Simonsen | Liz Johnson[19] | Danielle McEwan |
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