Sin climbs the ladder to win 2026 PWBA Bowlers Journal Rockford Open
May 03, 2026
Final Standings
ROCKFORD, Ill. – Malaysia’s Sin Li Jane won her sixth Professional Women’s Bowling Association title Saturday night in Rockford, Illinois, at The Cherry Bowl, defeating Singapore’s New Hui Fen, 257-234.
It was Sin’s second straight win at The Cherry Bowl after winning the 2024 edition of the event, which jump-started her Player of the Year campaign. Unlike 2024 where she was the No. 1 seed in the stepladder finals, Sin had to climb the ladder this time around after grinding her way to the No. 4 seed through 24 games of qualifying.
“I was bowling a little more outside during qualifying, and then in the stepladder I moved to where everyone else was playing,” said Sin. “I made some changes with my ball choices and lane play. And in the stepladder, it’s one match at a time, so my mindset was just to have fun and take it one shot at a time.”
Sin’s climb to the title began against Lauren Russo of Wentzville, Missouri, looking for her second title since a high-scoring affair at the 2024 Southern Indiana Open against Jordan Snodgrass (nee Richard).
Russo started the match with five spares in a row while Sin threw four strikes in the same timeframe, but both opened in the sixth frame off of splits and Sin held a 22-pin at that point. Both competitors doubled before Russo missed a 10 pin in the ninth frame, effectively ending the match as Sin stayed clean for 211 to Russo’s 178. Russo earned $5,550 for her fifth-place finish.
Next for Sin was No. 3 seed Olivia Farwell of Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, in her first championship-round appearance since 2022 where she was also the PWBA Rookie of the Year. Farwell had navigated the 45-foot oil condition well through her four rounds of qualifying, staying in or around the top five before settling in as the No. 3 seed.
The Pennsylvanian had a shaky start but was clean through the first five frames before the 4-6-7 split appeared in the sixth frame, which Farwell was unable to convert. By then, Sin was rounding into form with the first six strikes, pulling ahead quickly. Farwell was unable to keep pace, eventually finishing with 192 while Sin cruised to a 244. For her fourth-place finish, Farwell earned $6,500.
In the semifinal match, Sin faced No. 2 seed Canada’s Jade Côté, making her first championship-round appearance on tour. Côté had plenty of championship experience at Youngstown State, winning an NCAA Bowling Championship with them in 2025 before beginning her rookie season on tour.
Côté started the match with a strike before chopping the 4-7 combo, then left back-to-back 3-6s, converting both of them. The Canadian wasn’t able to strike again until the sixth frame, and by then Sin was proving why she was the 2024 PWBA Player of the Year with six strikes in the first seven frames before finishing with 256 to Côté’s 168. Côté earned $7,500 for her third-place finish.
All that remained for Sin was reigning Player of the Year and No. 1 seed New, and the title match showed why these two players have been at or near the top the last two seasons.
Neither player flinched throughout the match as Sin had four strikes in a row after an opening spare before back-to-back spares, but ended with the final five strikes and closed out with 257. New’s spare came in the second frame after beginning with a strike, then earned her own four-bagger before a stone 9 pin in the seventh frame.
New was working on a double heading into the final frame, needing the first two strikes in the 10th and nine in the fill to win. A wrap 10 pin ended the match, giving Sin the first title of the 2026 PWBA National Tour season and the $20,000 top prize. New earned $10,000 for her runner-up finish.
Sin’s four games in the stepladder totaled 986, good for a 242 average and the fifth-highest four-game stepladder total since 2015, as she continues making her mark on the PWBA Tour.
“Honestly, I wasn’t thinking about the score. I just wanted to make good shots,” said Sin. “If there was trouble, I made adjustments, talked to my ball reps and tried to solve problems as quickly as possible.”
After her career year in 2024, Sin followed it up with another good season in 2025, but finished with no titles and only one championship-round appearance.
“At first I was worried I might be rusty because the last time I bowled in a stepladder was at (the United States Bowling Congress) Queens in 2025,” Sin said, an event she finished second in. “I told myself to calm down and just have fun. I’ve traveled so far from home, so the best thing I can do is enjoy the moment, make good shots and accept whatever happens.”
The PWBA Tour heads to Greeley, Colorado, at Highland Park Lanes for the PWBA Northern Colorado from May 7-9. For more information on that event, click HERE.
ROCKFORD, Ill. – Malaysia’s Sin Li Jane won her sixth Professional Women’s Bowling Association title Saturday night in Rockford, Illinois, at The Cherry Bowl, defeating Singapore’s New Hui Fen, 257-234.
It was Sin’s second straight win at The Cherry Bowl after winning the 2024 edition of the event, which jump-started her Player of the Year campaign. Unlike 2024 where she was the No. 1 seed in the stepladder finals, Sin had to climb the ladder this time around after grinding her way to the No. 4 seed through 24 games of qualifying.
“I was bowling a little more outside during qualifying, and then in the stepladder I moved to where everyone else was playing,” said Sin. “I made some changes with my ball choices and lane play. And in the stepladder, it’s one match at a time, so my mindset was just to have fun and take it one shot at a time.”
Sin’s climb to the title began against Lauren Russo of Wentzville, Missouri, looking for her second title since a high-scoring affair at the 2024 Southern Indiana Open against Jordan Snodgrass (nee Richard).
Russo started the match with five spares in a row while Sin threw four strikes in the same timeframe, but both opened in the sixth frame off of splits and Sin held a 22-pin at that point. Both competitors doubled before Russo missed a 10 pin in the ninth frame, effectively ending the match as Sin stayed clean for 211 to Russo’s 178. Russo earned $5,550 for her fifth-place finish.
Next for Sin was No. 3 seed Olivia Farwell of Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, in her first championship-round appearance since 2022 where she was also the PWBA Rookie of the Year. Farwell had navigated the 45-foot oil condition well through her four rounds of qualifying, staying in or around the top five before settling in as the No. 3 seed.
The Pennsylvanian had a shaky start but was clean through the first five frames before the 4-6-7 split appeared in the sixth frame, which Farwell was unable to convert. By then, Sin was rounding into form with the first six strikes, pulling ahead quickly. Farwell was unable to keep pace, eventually finishing with 192 while Sin cruised to a 244. For her fourth-place finish, Farwell earned $6,500.
In the semifinal match, Sin faced No. 2 seed Canada’s Jade Côté, making her first championship-round appearance on tour. Côté had plenty of championship experience at Youngstown State, winning an NCAA Bowling Championship with them in 2025 before beginning her rookie season on tour.
Côté started the match with a strike before chopping the 4-7 combo, then left back-to-back 3-6s, converting both of them. The Canadian wasn’t able to strike again until the sixth frame, and by then Sin was proving why she was the 2024 PWBA Player of the Year with six strikes in the first seven frames before finishing with 256 to Côté’s 168. Côté earned $7,500 for her third-place finish.
All that remained for Sin was reigning Player of the Year and No. 1 seed New, and the title match showed why these two players have been at or near the top the last two seasons.
Neither player flinched throughout the match as Sin had four strikes in a row after an opening spare before back-to-back spares, but ended with the final five strikes and closed out with 257. New’s spare came in the second frame after beginning with a strike, then earned her own four-bagger before a stone 9 pin in the seventh frame.
New was working on a double heading into the final frame, needing the first two strikes in the 10th and nine in the fill to win. A wrap 10 pin ended the match, giving Sin the first title of the 2026 PWBA National Tour season and the $20,000 top prize. New earned $10,000 for her runner-up finish.
Sin’s four games in the stepladder totaled 986, good for a 242 average and the fifth-highest four-game stepladder total since 2015, as she continues making her mark on the PWBA Tour.
“Honestly, I wasn’t thinking about the score. I just wanted to make good shots,” said Sin. “If there was trouble, I made adjustments, talked to my ball reps and tried to solve problems as quickly as possible.”
After her career year in 2024, Sin followed it up with another good season in 2025, but finished with no titles and only one championship-round appearance.
“At first I was worried I might be rusty because the last time I bowled in a stepladder was at (the United States Bowling Congress) Queens in 2025,” Sin said, an event she finished second in. “I told myself to calm down and just have fun. I’ve traveled so far from home, so the best thing I can do is enjoy the moment, make good shots and accept whatever happens.”
The PWBA Tour heads to Greeley, Colorado, at Highland Park Lanes for the PWBA Northern Colorado from May 7-9. For more information on that event, click HERE.