Malaysian bowling star Sin Li Jane has made a thunderous return to the top of the podium by capturing the 2026 PWBA Bowlers Journal Rockford Open title at The Cherry Bowl. This victory marks her sixth career Professional Women’s Bowling Association (PWBA) title and her first of the 2026 season.
After a winless 2025 campaign, Li Jane demonstrated the form that earned her the 2024 Player of the Year award. Despite qualifying as the fourth seed after 24 games, she successfully “climbed the ladder” in the stepladder finals to claim the championship.
Li Jane’s path to the title was a masterclass in consistency, as she defeated three consecutive opponents to reach the final:
- Match 1: Defeated Lauren Russo (USA), 211-178.
- Match 2: Defeated Olivia Farwell (USA), 244-192.
- Semifinal: Defeated Jade Côté (Canada), 256-168.
In a high-stakes title match, Li Jane faced the reigning Player of the Year and top seed, New Hui Fen of Singapore. Li Jane maintained her composure to secure a 257-234 victory, averaging an impressive 242 across her four stepladder games.
With this win, Li Jane takes home the $20,000 (approx. RM79,400) top prize and carries significant momentum heading into the next stop of the tour, the PWBA Northern Colorado Open, scheduled for May 7-9.
“I never thought I’d enjoy training this much until joining Sportif. The coaches are supportive and really know how to bring out the best in you.”