Liz Johnson
Encyclopedia
Liz Johnson is a professional bowler, currently residing in Cheektowaga, NY. She was best known as an 11-time winner on the Professional Women's Bowling Association
(PWBA) tour before that organization suspended operations in 2003 due to a lack of corporate sponsorship. She has also been a member of the Professional Bowlers Association
(PBA) and the PBA Women's Series
.
before joining the PWBA. On the pro circuit, she started strong, capturing Rookie of the Year honors and a major tour victory at the U.S. Women's Open
in 1996. Another PWBA career highlight came in 2001, shortly after the terrorist attacks in New York City
and Washington, D.C.
In an emotional event — the first professional sporting event to resume after the attacks — Johnson bowled the third televised perfect 300 game in PWBA history on her way to winning the Paula Carter Classic.
(PBA) — generally regarded as the "men's tour" — in 2004. Early in the 2004-05 season, she made history by becoming the first woman to qualify for a standard PBA tour event, making the Round of 64 at the 2004 Uniroyal Tire Classic. Later that season, she raised the bar even higher by becoming the first woman to make the televised finals of a PBA event (2005 Banquet Open). She won her semifinal match in that event over Wes Malott
by a score of 235-228. But she was unable to complete the quest for a title, falling, 219-192, to eventual PBA Player of the Year Tommy Jones in the final match.
Johnson posted another "first" in the summer of 2005 — becoming the first woman to win a PBA event, as she captured the title in a regional tour stop (2005 East Region Kingpin Lanes Open). To win that tournament, she had to defeat four-time PBA titleist Ryan Shafer in the semifinal, and PBA tour veteran Michael Fagan
in the finals.
, 248-215, over close friend and tour roommate Shannon O'Keefe
at the National Bowling Stadium
in Reno, Nevada
. The event returned in 2007 from a three-year hiatus when its rights were acquired by the United States Bowling Congress
(USBC).
Johnson's first PBA Women's Series title came in the Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles event, where she partnered with Norm Duke
for the victory on January 6, 2009. In the Baker Doubles format, Johnson threw five of the ten frames in the final match, and had a strike in every frame. Johnson won her first singles title in the PBA Women's Series on September 5, 2009, at the PBA Viper Championship.
Liz' most recent major title was the 2009 USBC Queens
tournament at the National Bowling Stadium
in Reno, NV. She qualified as the #1 seed in the 2010 U.S. Women's Open, but lost in the final match to Kelly Kulick
, 233-203.
Liz was part of Team USA in 2011 -- the team that went to the WTBA World Women's Championships in Hong Kong
and took home gold for the United States in the team event for the first time since 1987.
and his 95 mile-per-hour fastball to Tommy Jones' mega-hook power game in bowling, you could compare Johnson's game to another 300-game winner: Chicago Cubs
pitcher Greg Maddux
, who throws an 85 mph fastball but almost never walks enemy batters because of his pin-point accuracy."
Professional Women's Bowling Association
The Professional Women's Bowling Association formed in 1960. After the organization struggled, a group of female professional bowlers left the PWBA to form the Ladies' Professional Bowlers Association in 1974. The two merged again in 1978, forming the Women's Professional Bowlers Association,...
(PWBA) tour before that organization suspended operations in 2003 due to a lack of corporate sponsorship. She has also been a member of the Professional Bowlers Association
Professional Bowlers Association
The Professional Bowlers Association is the major sanctioning body for the sport of professional ten-pin bowling in the United States. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the PBA membership consists of almost 4,300 members worldwide...
(PBA) and the PBA Women's Series
PBA Women's Series
The PBA Women's Series was a mini-tour for female professional bowlers. It was started in 2007 as a way to bring women's bowling back to television after the Professional Women's Bowling Association disbanded in 2003...
.
PWBA career
Johnson bowled collegiately at Morehead State UniversityMorehead State University
Morehead State University is a public, co-educational university located in Morehead, Kentucky, United States in the foothills of the Daniel Boone National Forest in Rowan County, midway between Lexington, Kentucky, and Huntington, West Virginia. The 2012 edition of "America's Best Colleges" by U.S...
before joining the PWBA. On the pro circuit, she started strong, capturing Rookie of the Year honors and a major tour victory at the U.S. Women's Open
U.S. Women's Open (bowling)
The United States Women's Open, a.k.a. U.S. Women's Open, a.k.a. Women's U.S. Open, is an annual tournament for women, dedicated to ten-pin bowling in the United States. From its inception in 1949 until its cancellation in 2004 , the event was held every year except for 1953, 1997 and 2002...
in 1996. Another PWBA career highlight came in 2001, shortly after the terrorist attacks in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
In an emotional event — the first professional sporting event to resume after the attacks — Johnson bowled the third televised perfect 300 game in PWBA history on her way to winning the Paula Carter Classic.
Competing in the PBA
Not to be denied the opportunity to bowl in professional competition, Johnson became a member of the Professional Bowlers AssociationProfessional Bowlers Association
The Professional Bowlers Association is the major sanctioning body for the sport of professional ten-pin bowling in the United States. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the PBA membership consists of almost 4,300 members worldwide...
(PBA) — generally regarded as the "men's tour" — in 2004. Early in the 2004-05 season, she made history by becoming the first woman to qualify for a standard PBA tour event, making the Round of 64 at the 2004 Uniroyal Tire Classic. Later that season, she raised the bar even higher by becoming the first woman to make the televised finals of a PBA event (2005 Banquet Open). She won her semifinal match in that event over Wes Malott
Wes Malott
Wesley Clint "Big Nasty" Malott is an American professional ten-pin bowler who resides in Pflugerville, Texas. He has six titles in eight full seasons on the PBA tour, having won at least one title in four straight seasons . He also won the 2006–07 Showplace Lanes Megabucks Shootout, which is not...
by a score of 235-228. But she was unable to complete the quest for a title, falling, 219-192, to eventual PBA Player of the Year Tommy Jones in the final match.
Johnson posted another "first" in the summer of 2005 — becoming the first woman to win a PBA event, as she captured the title in a regional tour stop (2005 East Region Kingpin Lanes Open). To win that tournament, she had to defeat four-time PBA titleist Ryan Shafer in the semifinal, and PBA tour veteran Michael Fagan
Michael Fagan (American bowler)
Michael Fagan is an American professional bowler and an exempt bowler on the PBA Tour. Known for his high backswing, he is sometimes known as the "King of Swing". He has a high RPM rate, but also has a smooth release, so his style can be classified as either a cranker or a power stroker.Fagan owns...
in the finals.
Recent Accomplishments
Johnson won the 2007 U.S. Women's OpenU.S. Women's Open (bowling)
The United States Women's Open, a.k.a. U.S. Women's Open, a.k.a. Women's U.S. Open, is an annual tournament for women, dedicated to ten-pin bowling in the United States. From its inception in 1949 until its cancellation in 2004 , the event was held every year except for 1953, 1997 and 2002...
, 248-215, over close friend and tour roommate Shannon O'Keefe
Shannon O'Keefe
Shannon O'Keefe is a female professional bowler who has competed in the USA and internationally. She is a 5-time member of Team USA, and is the reigning Women's World Champion . Shannon competed on the now defunct PWBA Tour and was runner-up rookie of the year in that tour's final season...
at the National Bowling Stadium
National Bowling Stadium
The National Bowling Stadium is a ten-pin bowling stadium in Reno, Nevada. The stadium is recognizable for an aluminum geodesic dome in its facade, built to resemble a large bowling ball....
in Reno, Nevada
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
. The event returned in 2007 from a three-year hiatus when its rights were acquired by the United States Bowling Congress
United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress is a sports membership organization dedicated to ten-pin bowling in the United States. It was formed in 2005 by a merger of the American Bowling Congress, Women's International Bowling Congress, Young American Bowling Alliance, and USA Bowling...
(USBC).
Johnson's first PBA Women's Series title came in the Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles event, where she partnered with Norm Duke
Norm Duke
Norm Duke is an American professional bowler currently on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour. He has bowled 58 perfect 300 games in PBA competition, including the 15th televised 300 game in PBA Tour history on January 5, 2003....
for the victory on January 6, 2009. In the Baker Doubles format, Johnson threw five of the ten frames in the final match, and had a strike in every frame. Johnson won her first singles title in the PBA Women's Series on September 5, 2009, at the PBA Viper Championship.
Liz' most recent major title was the 2009 USBC Queens
USBC Queens
The USBC Queens is an annual ten-pin bowling event for amateur and professional female bowlers, sanctioned by the United States Bowling Congress...
tournament at the National Bowling Stadium
National Bowling Stadium
The National Bowling Stadium is a ten-pin bowling stadium in Reno, Nevada. The stadium is recognizable for an aluminum geodesic dome in its facade, built to resemble a large bowling ball....
in Reno, NV. She qualified as the #1 seed in the 2010 U.S. Women's Open, but lost in the final match to Kelly Kulick
Kelly Kulick
Kelly Kulick is an American professional bowler from Union Township, New Jersey. She has won eight professional women's bowling titles and one PBA Tour title.-Bowling accomplishments:...
, 233-203.
Liz was part of Team USA in 2011 -- the team that went to the WTBA World Women's Championships in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and took home gold for the United States in the team event for the first time since 1987.
In the media
Johnson was named "Female Bowler of the Decade" (2000–2009) in the Winter, 2010 issue of U.S. Bowler.Style
Johnson's bowling style is considered to be mechanically sound and consistent, not flashy. "If you were to compare Major League Baseball superstar Roger ClemensRoger Clemens
William Roger Clemens , nicknamed "Rocket", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who broke into the league with the Boston Red Sox, whose pitching staff he would help anchor for 12 years. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher. He played for four different teams over...
and his 95 mile-per-hour fastball to Tommy Jones' mega-hook power game in bowling, you could compare Johnson's game to another 300-game winner: Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
pitcher Greg Maddux
Greg Maddux
Gregory Alan Maddux , nicknamed "Mad Dog" and "The Professor", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the first pitcher in major league history to win the Cy Young Award for four consecutive years , a feat matched only by Randy Johnson...
, who throws an 85 mph fastball but almost never walks enemy batters because of his pin-point accuracy."
Awards and recognition
- 1992 Girls Scratch Champion, Coca-Cola Youth Bowling Championships
- 1993 Collegiate Rookie of the Year and Collegiate Bowler of the Year
- U.S. Amateur Champion in back-to-back years (1993–94)
- Member of Team USA - 1994, which won the gold medal at the World Tenpin Team Cup in Malaysia
- 1996 PWBA Rookie of the Year
- Two-time U.S. Women's Open champion (1996, 2007)
- 2009 USBC QueensUSBC QueensThe USBC Queens is an annual ten-pin bowling event for amateur and professional female bowlers, sanctioned by the United States Bowling Congress...
Champion - Named "Female Bowler of the Decade" (2000–2009) in the Winter, 2010 issue of U.S. Bowler