Liz Johnson

Liz Johnson (born May 2, 1974) is a professional bowler, currently residing in Cheektowaga, New York. 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.

Johnson bowled collegiately at Morehead State University before joining the PWBA. On the pro circuit, she started strong, capturing Rookie of the Year honors and a major tour victory (BPAA 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.

Not to be denied the opportunity to bowl in professional competition, Johnson became a member of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) — generally regarded as the "men's tour." 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.

Johnson's bowling style is considered to be mechanically sound and consistent, not flashy. "If you were to compare Major League Baseball superstar Roger Clemens 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." [Article: "Liz Johnson becomes first woman to win a PBA title". First appeared 8/22/05 at www.bowl.com]

Johnson won the 2007 U.S. Women's Open, 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).

In the media

The PWBA tour was carried on ESPN and ESPN2 throughout the 1990s and up to 2003, when the tour was suspended due to monetary problems. Johnson made frequent appearances in the televised finals from 1996-2003.

Personal

Johnson likes spending time with her seven nieces and nephews, taking her 15-year old nephew, Robert, to go bowling, and just hanging out.

Awards and Recognition

* 1992 Girls Scratch Champion, Coca-Cola Youth Bowling Championships
* 1993 Collegiate Rookie of the Year and Collegiate Bowler of the Year
* 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)

References