RESULTS

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Entering this week’s Nationwide PWBA Columbus Open, Shannon Pluhowsky is No. 16 in the points race for the PWBA Players Championship.

The Dayton, Ohio, resident, who averaged 238.5 in Friday’s opening round at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl, has an 18-pin lead over last week’s winner, Rocio Restrepo.

Competition in the Nationwide PWBA Columbus Open continues Friday afternoon with the second eight-game qualifying block. After 16 games, the field will be cut to the top 12 competitors, who will bowl six additional games on Saturday morning. The top five in total pinfall after 22 games advance to the stepladder finals.

CBS Sports Network will have live coverage of Saturday’s stepladder finals at 5 p.m. (Eastern). BowlTV has live stream coverage of rounds leading up to the televised finals.

While Pluhowsky admits it’s been a tough season, she remains motivated to make the PWBA Tour Championship – either with a victory or by earning enough points to make the 16-player field.

“It has to be one game at a time,” Pluhowsky said of her focus. “Obviously, I just need two good weeks and I can make it. It’s been a rocky season, but the last couple of weeks I’ve bowled pretty good. I bowled pretty well in Florida, and OK last week, they were just a little hard.”

In the opening round, Pluhowsky was paired with Liz Johnson, her longtime Team USA teammate and one of her close friends on tour, who was seventh after the first round.

“It’s always fun to bowl with your friends – obviously we’re friends with everybody – but you have the friends you have hung out with and spent a lot of time with,” Pluhowsky said. “I’ve spent a lot of time with Liz. We have a good friendship and it is motivating.”

Pluhowsky still seeks that elusive first PWBA title, which automatically would put her into the PWBA Tour Championship. She made the event last season by qualifying sixth overall in points.

And maybe the fact she gets to bowl in a center that’s only an hour away from her home will be the final piece of the puzzle.

“We don’t bowl early, so I can sleep in my own bed, stay at home,” Pluhowsky said. “So far, it’s working out.”

The Nationwide PWBA Columbus Open is the final of three elite-field events on the PWBA Tour this season. Elite events have the top 24 players in points after the U.S. Women's Open with the remainder of the 32-player field completed through a pre-tournament qualifier.

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