“It’s hard to put into words,” Pluhowsky said. “I love having my family with me however it ends up. I wish they were all here, but Autumn and I had a good week together and she keeps it real when I miss a spare or throw it bad.”
There weren’t many misses Tuesday for Pluhowsky as the Dayton bowler held a 15-pin lead, 85-70, over England’s Verity Crawley even after a split/open fifth frame in the title match. It was the last time the top-seeded Pluhowsky would miss the mark as she rattled off seven straight strikes to tally a 235 while Crawley finished with 167.
“I wasn’t having the best season overall but I’m happy to end it on a high note,” Pluhowsky said.
Televised finals and top seedings have not been a plus for Pluhowsky in recent years as she was 0-3 on TV heading into Tuesday night’s match against second-seeded Crawley.
“Being the top seed can be an advantage and a disadvantage, but I still like having to bowl only one game to win,” Pluhowsky said. “It’s 10 shots, much easier and the lanes don’t transition as much.”
A second tour championship wasn’t even on the radar just a few days earlier. The field for the season-ending tournament is comprised of winners from this season and the top 24 in points. Pluhowsky had not won a tournament during this season and started the week outside the top 24 players in points.
“I wasn’t even in the championship until after the Pepsi Open,” Pluhowsky said.
Pluhowsky topped PWBA Hall of Famer Liz Johnson, 226-175, Saturday to claim her 5th career PWBA title at the Pepsi Open. There was little time to celebrate however as the win landed Pluhowsky a spot in the PWBA Tour Championship that began the following day. No rest… no problem. The eventual champion went 16-7-1 in match play Monday to claim the top seed heading into Tuesday’s televised match play.
More than a title, winning the Pepsi Open opened a door for Pluhowsky, making her eligible for the PWBA Hall of Fame. The Tour Championship bolstered her resume to six PWBA titles including three majors.
“The hall of fame is something everyone dreams about and to have enough titles to be considered is amazing,” Pluhowsky said. “The hall of fame is validation of your career.”
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