2018 PBA Tour season


The 2018 PBA Tour season, the 59th season of play of the U.S. Professional Bowlers Association's ten-pin bowling tour, began on January 26, 2018. The season included 21 singles title events, two doubles title events, and a non-title team event. The 2018 season was used to mark the PBA's 60th year of operations, which included a 148-player PBA 60th Anniversary Classic in Indianapolis, and the unveiling of the Tour's top 60 moments.

Tournament schedule

The PBA Tournament of Champions and the PBA Players Championship majors were held in February. The season's third major, the USBC Masters, took place in April, while the U.S. Open was contested in late October. The PBA Tour Finals, first contested in 2017, returned for 2018, featuring the top eight money leaders from the start of 2016 through the 2018 Maine Shootout. It was held in Allen Park, MI on May 4-6.
On March 21, 2018, Fox Sports announced that it had acquired the television rights for the PBA Tour, replacing ESPN, with 26 broadcasts on Fox Sports 1 and four on Fox beginning in 2019. Fox aired an additional PBA Clash event on December 23, 2018, which served as Fox's debut bowling broadcast and as a prelude for the 2019 season. This broadcast drew a live TV audience of 1.768 million viewers, the highest audience for a bowling broadcast on any network since 2005.
Due to the new agreement, the World Series of Bowling and PBA World Championship were postponed from the 2018 season and moved to March 2019, in order to have them be part of Fox's 2019 schedule. They were replaced on the schedule with a reinstated PBA Fall Swing, held in the Tulsa suburb of Owasso, Oklahoma. This event consisted of two standalone title events, with these events serving as initial qualifying for the PBA Tulsa Open.

Season awards

The PBA announced its 2018 season awards on November 20.

Tournament summary

Major tournaments are in bold. Career PBA title numbers for winners are shown in parentheses.
In late 2017, the PBA released a list of 16 oil patterns that would debut with the 2017 PBA World Series of Bowling and continue into 2018. The patterns now include both a name and number, with the number representing the oil length. There are nine "Animal" oil patterns: Cheetah 33, Wolf 33, Viper 36, Chameleon 39, Bear 39, Scorpion 42, Shark 45, Dragon 45, and Badger 52. There are also seven "Legends" patterns: Johnny Petraglia 36, Don Carter 39, Don Johnson 40, Earl Anthony 42, Mark Roth 42, Carmen Salvino 44, and Dick Weber 45.
EventAirdateCityPreliminary roundsFinal roundOil patternWinnerNotes
DHC PBA Japan InvitationalJan 28 XTokyo, JapanJan 26–27LiveDragon 45Dominic Barrett, England Invitational event. ¥5 million first prize.
PBA Tournament of ChampionsFeb 11 EFairlawn, OHFeb 5–10LiveDon Johnson 40Matt O'Grady, USA Invitational event. PBA major. $50,000 top prize.
Go Bowling! PBA 60th Anniversary ClassicFeb 18 EIndianapolisFeb 13–17LiveDick Weber 45Jakob Butturff, USA Open event. $30,000 top prize.
Barbasol PBA Players ChampionshipFeb 25 EColumbus, OHFeb 19–24LiveCarmen Salvino 44Tom Smallwood, USA Open members-only event. PBA major. $40,000 top prize.
Mark Roth-Marshall Holman PBA Doubles ChampionshipMar 25 EColumbus, OHFeb 19–24Feb 25Carmen Salvino 44Jason Belmonte, Australia and Bill O'Neill, USA Open event. $24,000 top prize.
PBA-WBT Brunswick Euro ChallengeN/AMunich, GermanyMar 10-17Mar 18Not reportedJenny Wegner, Sweden PBA and WBT title event. €11,500 first prize.
USBC MastersApr 15 ESyracuse, NYApr 8–14LiveUSBC Masters Andrew Anderson, USA Open event. PBA major. $30,000 top prize.
PBA Xtra Frame Port Property Management Maine ShootoutApr 18 XPortland, MEApr 16–18LiveMark Roth 42Dick Allen, USA Open match play tournament limited to 64 entries. $10,000 top prize.
OceanView at Falmouth PBA League
Semifinals: May 6 E
Finals: May 13 E		Portland, MEApr 19–21Apr 22Mark Roth 42Go Bowling! Silver Lake Atom Splitters Team event. $60,000 top prize.
2018 PBA Tour Finals
Grp1 Stepladder: Jun 5 C
Grp2 Stepladder: Jun 12 C
Finals: Jun 19 C		Allen Park, MIMay 4–5May 6Position rounds on Johnny Petraglia 36, Don Carter 39, Mark Roth 42 and Dick Weber 45. Top seed chooses pattern afterward.Jason Belmonte, Australia Invitational event featuring top 8 in PBA Tour prize money, 2016 through April 18, 2018. $30,000 top prize.
PBA Xtra Frame Wilmington OpenMay 20 XWilmington, NCMay 18–19LiveViper 36Cristian Azcona, Puerto Rico Open event. $10,000 top prize.
PBA-WBT Busan CupN/ABusan, South KoreaMay 20-25May 26Not reportedAnnop Arromsaranon, Thailand PBA and WBT title event. ₩30 million top prize.
PBA Xtra Frame Greater Jonesboro OpenJun 3 XJonesboro, ARJun 1–2LiveDon Johnson 40Andrew Anderson, USA Open event. $12,500 top prize.
PBA Xtra Frame Lubbock Sports OpenJun 10 XLubbock, TXJun 8–9LiveScorpion 42Chris Barnes, USA Open event. $13,000 top prize.
PBA Xtra Frame Parkside Lanes OpenJul 2 XAurora, ILJun 29–Jul 1LiveChameleon 39, Bear 39, Don Carter 39; top seed chooses stepladder finals patternE. J. Tackett, USA Open event. $10,000 top prize.
Storm Xtra Frame PBA/PWBA Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed DoublesJul 29 XHouston, TXJul 26–28LiveNot reportedE. J. Tackett, USA and Liz Johnson, USAOpen PBA and PWBA title event. $16,000 top prize.
PBA Xtra Frame Gene Carter's Pro Shop ClassicAug 19 XMiddletown, DEAug 17–18LiveEarl Anthony 42Anthony Simonsen, USA Open event. $15,000 top prize.
PBA Xtra Frame Kenn-Feld Group ClassicAug 26 XColdwater, OHAug 24–25LiveDon Johnson 40Jakob Butturff, USA Open event. $10,000 top prize.
PBA-WBT Storm Lucky Larsen MastersN/AMalmö, SwedenSep 5–8Sep 9Not reportedKyle Troup, USA PBA and WBT title event. $16,385 top prize.
PBA International-WBT ThailandN/ABangkok, ThailandSep 22–27Sep 28Not reportedDanielle McEwan, USA PBA and WBT title event.
฿1,000,000 top prize.
FloBowling PBA Fall Swing Wolf OpenOct 16 XOwasso, OKOct 15–16LiveWolf 33Anthony Simonsen, USA Open event. $10,000 top prize.
FloBowling PBA Fall Swing Bear OpenOct 18 XOwasso, OKOct 17–18LiveBear 39E. J. Tackett, USA Open event. $10,000 top prize.
FloBowling PBA Fall Swing Tulsa OpenOct 20 XOwasso, OKOct 19–20LiveMatch play: Dragon 45
Finals: Bear 39, Wolf 33 		Stuart Williams, England Top 18 from Wolf & Bear qualifying. $30,000 top prize.
74th U.S. OpenOct 31 CWichita, KSOct 24–30LiveU.S. Open Dominic Barrett, England Open event. $30,000 top prize.
PBA-WBT World Men's Championships – Masters EventN/AHong KongNov 24–Dec 4Dec 5Not reportedMitch Hupe, CanadaNon-title event. Participants based on 2017–18 WBT event points.
PBA ClashDec 23 FHouston, TXN/ALiveDon Johnson 40Marshall Kent, USANon-title elimination tournament. Top 8 earnings leaders from 2018 season. $25,000 winner-take-all prize.