Bowling, a popular sport with a rich history, has various prestigious tournaments held globally.
These events showcase the talent of top bowlers and teams across both professional and amateur levels.
Here is an overview of the most important bowling tournaments.
Most Important Bowling Tournaments:
- World Championships
- World Cup
- U.S. Open
- Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour
- PBA Tournament of Champions
- United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Open Championships
- USBC Masters
- World Tenpin Bowling Championships
- USBC Queens
- PBA World Championship
- PBA Players Championship
- World Senior Championships
- National Bowling Association Championships
- PBA Tour Finals
- World Bowling Youth Championships
- Australian Tenpin Bowling Open
- NCAA Women’s Bowling Championship
Table of Contents
- #1 World Championships
- #2 World Cup
- #3 U.S. Open
- #4 Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour
- #5 PBA Tournament of Champions
- #6 United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Open Championships
- #7 USBC Masters
- #8 World Tenpin Bowling Championships
- #9 USBC Queens
- #10 PBA World Championship
- #11 PBA Players Championship
- #12 World Senior Championships
- #13 National Bowling Association Championships
- #14 PBA Tour Finals
- #15 World Bowling Youth Championships
- #16 Australian Tenpin Bowling Open
- #17 NCAA Women’s Bowling Championship
- FAQ
#1 World Championships
- 📍 Location: Varies globally
- 📅 Established: 1954
- 🔄 Held: Every 4 years
- 👥 Teams: National teams
The World Bowling Championships, governed by World Bowling, is the most prestigious international bowling tournament.
Teams from around the world compete in various categories. The United States has seen considerable success in the competition, emerging as one of the strongest bowling nations.
#2 World Cup
- 📍 Location: Varies globally
- 📅 Established: 1973
- 🔄 Held: Every 4 years
- 👥 Teams: National teams
The Bowling World Cup, organized by QubicaAMF, is a coveted competition that pits bowlers from various countries against each other.
It has notably featured rare bowling talents such as Paeng Nepomuceno. The United States and Finland have both garnered multiple wins, with the US leading the pack.
#3 U.S. Open
- 📍 Location: United States
- 📅 Established: 1941
- 🔄 Held: Annually
- 👥 Teams: Individual bowlers
The U.S. Open, organized by the United States Bowling Congress (USBC), is a major professional bowling event.
It features a challenging format that tests individual talent and skill. Pete Weber holds the record for the highest number of U.S. Open wins, with five titles.
#4 Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour
- 📍 Location: United States
- 📅 Established: 1959
- 🔄 Held: Annually
- 👥 Teams: Individual bowlers
The PBA Tour is the premier bowling series, consisting of multiple events organized by the Professional Bowlers Association.
Walter Ray Williams Jr. leads in PBA Tour titles, accumulating a record 47 wins throughout his career. The PBA Tour showcases the progression of professional bowling skills and talent over time.
#5 PBA Tournament of Champions
- 📍 Location: United States
- 📅 Established: 1962
- 🔄 Held: Annually
- 👥 Teams: Individual bowlers
The PBA Tournament of Champions is an invitation-only event that invites previous PBA Tour title-holders. It is one of bowling’s most prestigious events, featuring the best bowlers on the professional circuit.
Several legendary bowlers like Earl Anthony, Mike Aulby, and Jason Belmonte have claimed multiple Tournament of Champions titles.
#6 United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Open Championships
- 📍 Location: United States
- 📅 Established: 1901
- 🔄 Held: Annually
- 👥 Teams: Individual bowlers and teams
The USBC Open Championships is a prominent annual bowling event, featuring skilled amateur and professional bowlers.
The competition allows both individual and team participation, offering a unique blend of camaraderie and skill. Its long history showcases the development of bowling talent in the United States.
#7 USBC Masters
- 📍 Location: United States
- 📅 Established: 1951
- 🔄 Held: Annually
- 👥 Teams: Individual bowlers
The USBC Masters, one of professional bowling’s major events, pits professionals and amateurs in a challenging tournament format.
Jason Belmonte dominates the Masters with five titles, showcasing his impressive skill. The competition continues to attract bowlers seeking to challenge themselves against the sport’s elite talents.
#8 World Tenpin Bowling Championships
- 📍 Location: Varies globally
- 📅 Established: 1954
- 🔄 Held: Every 4 years
- 👥 Teams: National teams
The World Tenpin Bowling Championships, governed by World Bowling, showcases the skill of national teams worldwide.
Held separately for Men and Women until 2005, the championships are now a mixed-gender event, highlighting the sport’s growing inclusivity. The US, with its rich bowling history, has been a dominant force in the competition.
#9 USBC Queens
- 📍 Location: United States
- 📅 Established: 1961
- 🔄 Held: Annually
- 👥 Teams: Individual women bowlers
The USBC Queens, a major bowling event specifically for women, challenges participants in a competitive format.
Notable talents, such as Liz Johnson and Wendy Macpherson, have multiple Queens titles under their belts. The tournament highlights the prowess of women bowlers in the US and beyond.
#10 PBA World Championship
- 📍 Location: United States
- 📅 Established: 1958
- 🔄 Held: Annually
- 👥 Teams: Individual bowlers
The PBA World Championship is a prominent professional bowling event that tests the skill of participants in a grueling competition format. Bowling legends like Earl Anthony and Walter Ray Williams Jr.
have made their mark in this event, adding prestige to the title. The PBA World Championship continues to challenge bowlers on the highest level.
#11 PBA Players Championship
- 📍 Location: United States
- 📅 Established: 1960
- 🔄 Held: Annually
- 👥 Teams: Individual bowlers
The PBA Players Championship is an annual professional bowling event that offers a stern test of participants’ skills.
Bowlers such as Jason Belmonte and Billy Hardwick have excelled in this prestigious competition, adding to its esteemed reputation. The PBA Players Championship continues to be a significant milestone on the bowling calendar.
#12 World Senior Championships
- 📍 Location: Varies globally
- 📅 Established: 2013
- 🔄 Held: Every 2 years
- 👥 Teams: National teams
The World Senior Championships, organized by World Bowling, caters to bowlers over the age of 50, highlighting the sport’s ageless nature.
Spanning various events, including singles, doubles, team, and all-events categories, the biennial competition showcases the continued skill and passion of veteran bowlers.
#13 National Bowling Association Championships
- 📍 Location: United States
- 📅 Established: 1939
- 🔄 Held: Annually
- 👥 Teams: Individual and team categories
The National Bowling Association (TNBA) Championships is a significant amateur bowling event in the US, celebrating diversity in the bowling community.
Organized by TNBA, the annual event features youth, adult, and senior divisions across multiple categories, fostering camaraderie and inclusivity in the world of bowling.
#14 PBA Tour Finals
- 📍 Location: United States
- 📅 Established: 2017
- 🔄 Held: Annually
- 👥 Teams: Top-ranked PBA players
An elite event where the top-ranked PBA players compete, the PBA Tour Finals puts the best of the best in the spotlight.
Started in 2017, this new addition to the bowling calendar has already seen champions such as Jason Belmonte and EJ Tackett. The PBA Tour Finals continue to evolve and attract star talents from the bowling world.
#15 World Bowling Youth Championships
- 📍 Location: Varies globally
- 📅 Established: 1988
- 🔄 Held: Every 2 years
- 👥 Teams: National teams
The World Bowling Youth Championships, organized by World Bowling, cater to the next generation of bowlers. This biennial event offers a global platform for youths to showcase their skills while building sportsmanship and friendships.
Countries like the United States, South Korea, and Malaysia have produced notable youth champions in the past.
#16 Australian Tenpin Bowling Open
- 📍 Location: Australia
- 📅 Established: 1961
- 🔄 Held: Annually
- 👥 Teams: Individual bowlers
The Australian Tenpin Bowling Open, a prestigious event in the bowling calendar, attracts national and international bowlers to compete on a challenging stage.
Moreover, it is a stepping stone for Australian bowlers to develop their skills and make a name for themselves in the global bowling community.
#17 NCAA Women’s Bowling Championship
- 📍 Location: United States
- 📅 Established: 2004
- 🔄 Held: Annually
- 👥 Teams: Collegiate teams
The NCAA Women’s Bowling Championship, held annually by the NCAA, spotlights the best collegiate women’s bowling talent across the United States.
Universities like Nebraska, Maryland Eastern Shore, and Vanderbilt have achieved success in the past. The competition continues to impact the sport by producing a new generation of skilled bowlers.
Since there are only 17 tournaments provided in the list, we have covered all of them with descriptions.
FAQ
What is the most important bowling tournament?
The World Bowling Championships, established in 1954, is considered the most important bowling tournament, featuring national teams from around the globe.
What is the oldest bowling tournament?
The USBC Open Championships, established in 1901, is the oldest bowling tournament, challenging both individual and team bowlers annually.
What is the hardest bowling tournament to win?
The U.S. Open is perhaps the hardest bowling tournament to win due to its challenging format and the high level of individual skill required.
