Stefanie Johnson barely made the match-play bracket at the PWBA Rochester Open, but by the end of Thursday night she was celebrating a championship repeat at ABC Gates Bowl.
The McKinney, Texas, bowler entered match play as the No. 16 seed and defeated Finland’s Peppi Konsteri 200-183 in the title match to win her sixth career Professional Women’s Bowling Association title and second consecutive Rochester Open crown.
Johnson’s path to the title included a first-round sweep of top-seeded Crystal Elliott before surviving a five-game quarterfinal battle against Colombia’s Maria Jose Bohr. In the semifinals, she rolled a 257-167 victory over Singapore’s Daphne Tan to advance to the championship match.
FL1 WEATHER: Dangerous heat grips Finger Lakes through Friday before holiday weekend relief Konsteri earned her first career championship-round appearance by defeating Sweden’s Nora Johansson 243-157 in the semifinals. The title match remained close until the final frame, when Konsteri needed a double to secure her first professional title but left a split that opened the door for Johnson’s victory.
The win is Johnson’s second straight at ABC Gates Bowl and earned her the tournament’s $10,000 top prize. Konsteri received $5,000 as runner-up, while semifinalists Tan and Johansson each collected $3,520.
The PWBA Summer Series in Rochester continues Friday with the BowlTV Open, followed by the Lilac City Open later in the week.
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