Bowling Revolution P-League
Also known as	Bowling Revolution P★League
Genre	Sports
Presented by	Play-by-play Mitsuaki Ogawa, Ryo Izuno, Daisuke Fujita Reporters Marie Ueda Color analysts Takashi Maruyama, Yoshimi Kitaoka, Kinta Yano Supporter Saki Nakajima
Country of origin	Japan
No. of series	59
Production
Producer	BS Nittele
Original release
Network	BS Nittele (BS日テレ).
Release	April 2, 2006 (2006-04-02) – present

Bowling Revolution P★League (ボウリング革命 P★League, Bōringu Kakumei Pi-ri-gu) is a series of Japanese women-only bowling tournaments, developed solely for television. Entry into these tournaments is limited to selected members of the Japan Professional Bowling Association (JPBA), and amateurs who have qualified via open auditions. The show airs throughout Japan on BS Nittele (BS日テレ).

The "P" in P★League has five meanings: "Pretty", "Power", "Passion", "Performance" and "Perfect".

History

During the 1970s, bowling was very popular among the Japanese.^[1] Japan had as many as 3,697 bowling establishments during the 1970s, with more than 120,000 bowling lanes installed.^[2]

By the late 1990s, the number had shrunk to only 600. In 2008, there were 1,100 bowling establishments and 25.1 million people bowled in Japan: about one in five Japanese.^[3]

In the 1970s, the JPBA produced a series of televised bowling tournaments, such as Ladies Challenge Bowl (レディズ・チャレンジボウル 1969-1975) and The Star Bowling (ザ・スターボウリング 1978-1998), in the attempt to further push the sport's appeal, as well as showcase the women who competed in the JPBA. Big names such as Ritsuko Nakayama and Kayoko Suda competed in these tournaments. The formula worked - as the show's concept is used in many other Japanese bowling promotions on television, leading up to the present day.

Nakayama, along with the JPBA, created P-League in 2006 in an attempt to revive bowling's popularity on television once enjoyed in the 1970s.

Participants

The women who compete in P-League have either been chosen by the JPBA, or qualified through a try-out. The bowlers who compete in P-League are among the best women bowlers in the world. Most of the competitors hold an average of 190 or better, and several have bowled 300 games and 800 series.

Tournament details

The television show consists of a series of tournament matches. An entire tournament is bowled and filmed in one day. However, when aired on television, the television coverage can span nine weeks because of the 30-minute time slot. Each tournament is bowled in a single-elimination bracket format.

Venue and filming conditions

Tamachi Hilane (田町ハイレーン), located in Minato-ku, Tokyo

Currently, all the tournaments are filmed at the 68-lane Tamachi Hilane (田町ハイレーン) bowling center, located in Minato City, Tokyo, with the exception of T44, which was filmed at Tomikoshi Takashimadaira Bowl, located in Itabashi, Tokyo.

A temporary filming studio enclosure is constructed around three pairs of lanes (lanes 57 through 62 at Tamachi, and 27 through 32 at Tomikoshi), complete with additional lighting and a pink-themed decor. On the outer pairs of lanes, the first half of those lanes past the foul line is turned into seating areas for the live viewing audience, which can number over one hundred spectators. Lanes 59 and 60 at Tamachi (29 and 30 at Tomikoshi) are bowled on as the tournament "TV pair." As of T43, P-League features a new larger digital scoreboard above the far end of the pair. Many other parts of the establishment are turned into dressing rooms and interviewing areas.

While the matches are being filmed, most of the remaining competitors sit in the "settee area" to the left of the tournament pair, along with the viewing audience, watch the matches. In earlier tournaments, when a member of the Japan National Team bowled, her JNT teammates in the settee area would yell "saa iccho" (さーいっちょ) for encouragement just before the bowler made her delivery. The television commentators are situated in the settee area to the right of the tournament pair. Usually, the commentators cannot be heard by the people in the studio during the match. But, on occasion a commentator will yell with enthusiasm, stirring up laughter among the bowlers. Ryo Itsuno once yelled, "Nandedayō?" (何でだよう？ or "Why?") while working on Round 25, Match E when Yūko Nakatani left a soft 10-pin in a crucial must-strike situation. Other phrases popular with Itsuno include "YOSHA! SUTORAIKŪ!" (よっしゃぁ～!ストラッイクー!) or "JUST POCKET!" (ジャストポケット!) after a strike, and "GOOD JOB!" or "EXCELLENT!" after a great spare conversion.

The scores are tracked by the computer scoring system on the TV pair, and occasionally need to be corrected by the bowlers themselves.

Competitors in the upcoming matches practice outside of the studio, using the remaining available lanes.

At the end of most telecasts, supporter Saki Nakajima hosts a segment called Chotto Kininaru! or I'm Curious! (ちょっと　気になる！) where she meets with the members of P-League, and together participate in various activities, such as interviews, bowling tips, and skill challenges.

Cast

Active bowlers (T43 to present)

Key to table:

• ☆ - Champion, ◎ - 2nd Place, △ - 3rd Place
• SF - Eliminated in semi-finals ("ABC"/"DEF" matches)
• 1 - Eliminated in 1st Round (any A-F match)
• ↓ - Lowest score in a single A-F match (T31-present; starting with T42, lowest score does not matter in "season tournament 3" - see "Non-qualifier" below)
• "Blank" - Inactive
• × - Banned (after previous "↓"; T21-present. Starting with T43, bowlers can only be banned for season tournaments 2 and 3, see next entry)
• ● - Non-qualifier in six-ball roll-off ("Season Tournament 1"; T43 and every third tournament thereafter)
• A - Amateur

Name	Catchphrase	S1			S2			S3			S4			S5			S6			S7			S8			S9			S10			S11			S12			S13			Total wins
		43	44	45	46	47	48	49	50	51	52	53	54	55	56	57	58	59	60	61	62	63	64	65	66	67	68	69	70	71	72	73	74	75	76	77	78	79	80	81
Rina Asada (浅田梨奈)	Angel Smile	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	1	↓	×	↓	×	1	×	×	×	●	1	1	△	1	1	×	×	×	×	×	×	●	Inactive		0
Hitomi Anadō (安藤瞳)	Cutie Eyes	●	○	SF	SF	○	1	SF	↓	×	●	↓	×	●	↓	×	1	SF	1	◎	↓	×	1	1	◎	●	◎	1	↓	×	1	1	1	1	1	↓	×	↓	×	Inactive	0
Ayano Iwami (岩見彩乃)	Unconventional Back-Upper	×	×	×	↓	×	1	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	↓	×	1	●	↓	×	↓	×	1	↓	×	☆	SF	◎	SF	△	↓	×	●	↓	×	↓	×	Inactive	1
Asami Uta (浦麻紗実)	Dynamite Hammy[11]	Not a JPBA member												●	1	1	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	0
Mina Endō (遠藤未菜)	Sports Club Powerful Lady	×	×	×	☆	↓	×	×	×	×	↓	×	1	●	SF	1	↓	×	SF	SF	1	1	↓	×	SF	↓	×	1	1	1	△	1	↓	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	1
Nao Ōishi(大石奈緒)	Northern Superheroine	●	↓	×	↓	×	1	◎	1	◎	●	☆	1	↓	×	SF	●	1	1	1	1	△	☆	1	SF	●	1	1	↓	×	1	1	△	1	↓	×	△	↓	×	Inactive	2
Yuka Ōshima (大嶋有香)	Whimsy! Venus	Not a JPBA member																					1	↓	×	●	↓	×	1	☆	1	1	1	1	×	×	×	↓	×	N/A	1
Junya Onaka (大仲純玲)	Lane Kuno	Not a JPBA member																																	＊	↓	×	Inactive			0
Yuki Okada (岡田友貴)	High Spec Girl	Not a JPBA member																																	↓	×	1	↓	×	Ret	0
Ayano Katai (片井文乃)	Flame Challenger	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	0
Yui Kawasaki (川崎由意)	Kawayui Football	Not a JPBA member																		1	1	1	●	◎	1	●	SF	SF	SF	1	1	●	↓	×	SF	SF	SF	1	Inactive		0
Yuka Kishida (岸田有加)	Passionate Ponytail	↓	×	1	↓	×	SF	●	1	SF	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	0
Kim Seul-ki (キム・スルギ)	Fightin'! K-Girl	1	1	1	●	☆	1	↓	×	1	↓	×	◎	1	↓	×	1	↓	×	●	◎	SF	↓	×	1	↓	×	◎	●	SF	☆	↓	×	◎	1	↓	×	Inactive			2
Ayaka Kubota (久保田彩花)	Wonder Girl of Nara	Not a JPBA member																														SF	SF	1	●	1	1	●	Inactive		0
Miwa Kumamoto (熊本美和)	Real Idol of the Bowling World	Not a JPBA member																																	↓	×	1	×	×	×	0
Saki Koike (小池沙紀)	Positive Daughter From Nagasaki	Not a JPBA member																					＊	○	1	☆	☆	1	↓	×	1	1	↓	×	↓	×	1	Inactive			2
Natsumi Koizawa (小泉奈津美)	Counterattack Babyface	×	×	×	∆	A	×	•	SF	1	1	↓	×	•	1	1	◎	◎	☆	☆	1	SF	SF	1	☆	•	1	1	•	SF	1	↓	×	1	SF	〇	1	1	Inactive		1
Ayumi Kobayashi (小林あゆみ)	Brilliant Left-Armer	1	◎	1	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	1	1	☆	1	↓	×	1	↓	×	↓	×	1	◎	↓	×	1	↓	×	•	◎	SF	•	◎	1	Inactive			1
Yoshimi Kobayashi (小林よしみ)	Cool Matchmaker!	·	SF	1	×	×	×	SF	1	1	×	×	×	SF	∆	SF	•	1	◎	○	SF	1	•	SF	1	1	1	SF	•	SF	SF	SF	SF	SF	•	1	1	×	×	×	0
Mika Sakai (酒井美佳)	Supermodel of the Lane	∆	↓	×	1	↓	×	•	↓	×	•	SF	SF	∆	↓	×	☆	1	1	•	↓	×	SF	1	1	SF	↓	×	SF	1	1	↓	×	1	↓	×	1	1	Inactive		1
Shiori Sakomoto (坂本詩緒里)	Prima Bowler from Russia	Not a JPBA member															•	SF	1	↓	×	☆	◎	↓	×	↓	×	1	↓	×	1	↓	×	1	∆	↓	×	↓	×	Inactive	1
Asami Sakurai (櫻井麻美)	Shonan's Gorgeous Bowler	Not a JPBA member			•	1	1	1	SF	1	×	×	×	↓	×	1	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	0
Moriko Sakurai (櫻井眞利子)	Good Feeling Venus Strike	SF	↓	×	•	1	1	•	1	SF	☆	SF	SF	↓	×	1	•	1	SF	•	1	1	•	↓	×	1	1	1	×	×	×	•	1	1	1	↓	×	•	Inactive		1
Masami Satō (佐藤まさみ)	天真爛漫FUJIYAMAガール	↓	×	1	卒
Kana Shimoide (霜出佳奈)	新生キラキラボウラー	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	1	↓	×	＊	↓	＊	×	×	×	×	×	×	第70戦よりPリーグ復帰／2017年プロテスト合格
Aki Suzuki (鈴木亜季)	東海のファンキーガール	↓	×	○	＊	準	○	準	1	1	準	1	○	1	準	1	＊	↓	×	↓	×	1	×	×	×	↓	×	○	◎	○	◎	↓	×	〇	1	準	1	×	×	×
Risa Suzuki (鈴木理沙)	リトル★ファンタジスタ	1	1	準	1	↓	×	＊	1	1	×	×	×	×	×	×	1	1	1	×	×	×	×	×	×	1	↓	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	1
Miki Takehara (竹原三貴)	神戸のハッピーボウラー	＊	1	1	1	↓	×	↓	×	1	×	×	×	↓	×	1	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×
Ami Tanaka (田中亜実)	天然!ビタミン娘	×	×	×	×	×	×	1	↓	×	↓	×	1	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×
Akiko Tanigawa (谷川章子)	ビューティー・ハニー	1	1	1	↓	×	準	↓	×	1	＊	1	1	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×
Anami Tsurui(鶴井阿南)	フレッシュサウスポー										1	↓	×	準	1	1	準	↓	×	準	準	◎	1	☆	○	準	準	1	＊	1	1	＊	準	準	◎	1	準	1			第2回次世代P★リーガー発掘プロジェクト合格者 2014年プロテスト合格／第4シーズンよりPリーグ参加
Chika Terashita(寺下智香)	道産子アスリート										○	↓	×	1	◎	○	↓	×	1	1	1	1	○	↓	×	準	↓	×	↓	×	準	☆	1	☆	準	1	☆	＊			第2回次世代P★リーガー発掘プロジェクト合格者 2014年プロテスト合格／第4シーズンよりPリーグ参加
Mariko Nakano (中野麻理子)	九州魂全開レフティ										↓	×	1	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	第4シーズンよりPリーグ参加／2012年プロテスト合格
Mitsuki Nakamura (中村美月)	下町の鉄腕ルーキー	↓	×	準	1	1	1	↓	×	1	＊	1	1	×	×	×	↓	×	1	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×
Aki Nawa(名和秋)	サイレント・ビューティー	↓	×	1	準	1	1	＊	☆	○	1	1	準	1	1	1	○	1	1	1	↓	×	＊	1	準	1	↓	×	1	1	1	1	↓	×	1	1	1
Miki Nishimura (西村美紀)	浪速のダイナミックボンバー	◎	準	1	1	◎	◎	準	1	◎	1	1	◎	1	準	1	↓	×	○	1	☆	1	準	欠	×	卒
Masami Hasegawa (長谷川真実)	マシュマロ・スマイル	1	↓	×	準	1	1	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	1	○	1	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×
Urara Himeji (姫路麗)	気迫のボウリング・ジェンヌ	準	1	1	1	準	☆	1	○	1	準	○	1	◎	☆	1	1	↓	×	準	↓	×	1	準	1	1	準	1	1	↓	×	◎	☆	欠	＊	準	1	×	×	×
Mai Funamoto (舟本舞)	四国のボウリングマイスター	準	↓	×	×	×	×	↓	×	1	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	第43戦よりPリーグ参加
Shoko Furuta (古田翔子)	発展途上!ひまわり娘				＊	↓	×	○	↓	×	1	↓	×	↓	×	1	×	×	×	×	×	×	1	準	1	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	第2シーズンよりPリーグ参加／2013年プロテスト合格
Narumi Honma (本間成美)	アプローチのアイドル										1	↓	×	1	↓	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	↓	×	1	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	第4シーズンよりPリーグ参加／2014年プロテスト合格
Rumi Maeya (前屋瑠美)	不屈のリトルファイター										◎	1	1	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	第2回次世代P★リーガー発掘プロジェクト合格者 2014年プロテスト合格／第4シーズンよりPリーグ参加
Hiromi Matsunga(松永裕美)	博多のミラクルファイター	＊	1	1	↓	×	準	☆	↓	×	＊	準	☆	↓	×	◎	準	☆	1	↓	×	1	＊	1	1	○	1	1	↓	×	1	準	1	1	1	1	◎
Suzuna Miyagi(宮城鈴菜)	驚異のクランカー	↓	×	1	卒
Sanae Mori (森彩奈江)	シンデレラガール	☆	準	◎	◎	1	1	↓	×	☆	↓	×	1	☆	1	準	↓	×	1	↓	×	準	1	↓	×	↓	×	準	＊	↓	×	↓	×	1	☆	☆	1	1
Yuki Yamada (山田幸)	新世代のカリスマ																			＊	準	1	↓	×	欠	×	×	×	☆	↓	×	＊	1	1	↓	×	1	↓	×		2015年プロテスト合格／第7シーズンよりPリーグ参加
Mayumi Yoshida (吉田真由美)	ボウリング・アーティスト	＊	☆	☆	↓	×	1	1	準	準	＊	1	1	＊	↓	×	準	○	準	＊	○	1	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×
Keaki Watanabe (渡辺けあき)	アクトレス・ストライカー	1	↓	×	＊	準	1	1	↓	×	↓	×	1	＊	↓	×	＊	準	1	↓	×	1	×	×	×	×	×	×	＊	↓	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	第39戦よりPリーグ参加／2012年プロテスト合格

Wild card

In Tournament 13, to fill the semi-final matches, a wild card bowler came from the highest score of the ten non-winning bowlers from the first-round matches. This was Urara Himeji with a 259 game, and she went on to win both her semi-final and final matches to win the tournament.

Starting with Tournament 14, the final match wild card bowler became the player with the highest score among the ABC and DEF matches, but not winning her match. The wild card bowls in the final match against the winners of those two matches.

Banned from the next tournament

Starting with Tournament 20, P-League instituted a system where bowlers could be disqualified from the next tournament because of a low score.

• From Tournaments 20 through 28, bowlers with the two lowest scores in Round 1 were banned from participating in the next P-League Tournament.
• In Tournaments 29 and 30, the three lowest scorers in Round 1 were banned from participating in the next P-League Tournament.
• Since Tournament 31, but with the exception of T42, the lowest scorer in each of the A through F matches are banned from the next tournament. This change brings the number of banned bowlers to six. Starting with T45 (and every third tournament after), for the season-ending regular tournament there are no banned bowlers. Instead, all bowlers will open the next season and tournament with a qualifying round to determine eligible bowlers.
• In all, the banned bowlers are eligible to participate in the tournament following the tournament from which they were banned. There are, however, times where a banned bowler is chosen to bowl in the next tournament, usually to fill an open spot left by a bowler who leaves P-League. When P-League's active roster is greater than 24 bowlers, a banned bowler may possibly not bowl in the next tournament that she is eligible for.

Until T46, Hiromi Matsunaga was the only bowler never to be banned under the "Round 1 low score" rule. She missed the cut in T43's qualifying round.

Tournament statistics

Tournament notes

Tournament 17: Hiromi Matsunaga makes P-League history by scoring the highest three-game series of 781 by way of games of 278, 288 and 215. The two semifinal matches are among the most exciting thus far. In the ABC match, Urara Himeji stays behind Matsunaga, and matches all but just one of Matsunaga's 10 consecutive strikes leading to the 10th frame. Himeji finishes first by striking out in the frame for a 279, and takes some of the pressure off of Matsunaga, while she deals with the possibly of rolling a perfect 300-game. Unfortunately, Matsunaga throws the ball high and leaves the 4-7, and finishes with a 288. In the DEF match, Mika Sakai keeps a steady lead over both Sanae Mori and Nao Ōishi. Mori's soft-10 pin leave in the 9th frame takes her out of contention. In the 10th, Sakai loses her chance of shutting out Ōishi by leaving a ringing 10-pin on the first ball. Sakai finishes with a 237, and forces Ōishi to strike out in the 10th to take a one-pin victory. Ōishi rolls the first two strikes, but leaves a half-10 pin on the last ball, to tie the match at 237. Ōishi wins the one-ball roll-off 10-9. Himeji takes the wild card position with her 279 score. Himeji takes advantage of her second wind via the wild card, and fires off a five-bagger to take command of the final match, and wins the match and tournament with a 238.

Tournament 28: For the first time in P-League history, all members of the Japan National Team won their first round matches (Ōishi, Asada, and Koizumi) and reached the ABC/DEF matches. It is also the first time all three positions in either the ABC or DEF match are filled by members of the Japan National Team. It is the first time all amateurs (four of them in Round 28) have qualified for the ABC/DEF matches. It is also the second time (previously T12) the final match consisted entirely of amateurs (Asada, Harigaya, and Ōishi as the wild card). With her win, Harigaya is the first bowler without affiliation to the Japan National Team nor the JPBA to win.

Tournament 30: Hiromi Matsunaga matches Urara Himeji's record of five tournament wins. The final match had a line-up that matched the line-up in Tournament 29 (Mori, Matsunaga, and Nishimura). The win was also the second time that Matsunaga won two consecutive tournaments (T18 and 19). This round also introduced Saki Nakajima as a supporter.

Tournament 31: Hiromi Matsunaga sets new records for not only the most tournament wins with six, but also the number of continuous wins (three). The rules changed in Round 31, where the lowest scorers in each of A-F matches are banned from the next tournament. This rule changed the dynamics of the A-F matches, as each bowler is now faced with not only losing the first round match, but also not rolling the worst score in the match. The mood was noticeably more serious in the A-F matches than in previous rounds.

Tournament 33: After four straight tournament wins, Hiromi Matsunaga loses to Aino Kinjō in Match 33C, 225-226. After a strike in the foundation ninth frame, Matsunaga brought a 21-pin lead over Kinjō with her to the 10th frame. Matsunaga rolls the ball straight into the head-pin, leaving the difficult 4-10 split. Missing the split, Kinjō is forced to cover 20 pins in the 10th frame. A strike on the first ball gives Kinjō a comfortable position to collect the needed ten pins in the last two balls. Kinjō was then defeated in the ABC semi-final match against Miki Nishimura. Nishimura and best-friend Urara Himeji meet up with Ayano Katai in the final match. Nishimura started strong with a turkey in the first three frames, along with Katai's four-bagger. Katai falls out of contention with consecutive opens in the fifth and sixth frames. After a slow start with a 65 in the fourth frame for Himeji, she finishes the match with eight straight strikes for a 245 - forcing Nishimura to match her, starting at the eighth frame for any chance of taking advantage of a break by Himeji. Nishimura ends up short, rolling a 233 and a second-place finish. It is Himeji's sixth tournament win, and is only one win away from matching Matsunaga's record of seven tournament wins.

Tournament 34: Three new members of P-League make their debut. Ayumi Kobayashi (age 21) earned her JPBA membership earlier in 2011. Satsuki Sasaki (23) is the newest member of the Japan national team. Kana Shimoide (17) is also a Japan national team member, and is currently attending high school. Mika Sakai breaks Hiromi Matsunaga's three-game record by rolling games of 275, 257 and 257 for a 789 series. Masami Hasegawa makes the final match for the first time. Mayumi Yoshida and Sakai tie in the final match with a 257-257 score. Yoshida wins the tie-breaker and tournament 10-7.

Tournament 35: Yūko Nakatani retires from P-League after Tournament 34. Three new JPBA members are added to the active roster: Yoshimi Kobayashi, Miki Takehara and Ami Tanaka. For the first time since Tournament 1, no members of the Japan National Team or JBC are in the line-up.

Tournament 36: Two new bowlers are added to the active roster: Hitomi Andō, a winner of the P-League open auditions, and Seul Ki Kim, a KPBA member.

Tournament 37: Mina Endō, one of the amateurs who passed the P-League open auditions, is added to the roster. This is the first appearance by an amateur after two tournaments. In the first semi-final match, Mitsuki Nakamura and Miki Nishimura both finish with a 237; using a frame-by-frame tie-breaker rule, where the last highest score in a frame wins, it was determined Nishimura was eligible for the Wild Card position. They both had a 217 in the ninth frame, but Nakamura had a 188, while Nishimura had a 197 in the eighth frame—this gave her the win.

Tournament 38: Ayano Iwami, the second amateur who passed the P-League open auditions, is added to the roster; she is the first "back-up ball" bowler (throwing with her right hand but hooking like a left-hander's ball) to feature in the show's history. Nao Ōishi, who was a member of the Japanese National Team, topped the pro test in 2012, regaining her eligibility into P-League. Ōishi, a three-time winner, was featured in "dream match" E, consisting of eight-time winner Hiromi Matsunaga and five-time winner Urara Himeji. These three bowlers, at the time of the tournament, are the three highest average bowlers in P-League history. Mitsuki Nakamura makes it to the final match for her first time with 267 scores in each of her first two matches. The final match was filled with 10-pin leaves, making for a low scoring event. Nakamura had a slight lead heading into the 10th frame. However, in the 10th, her first ball doesn't bite the lane, missing the head pin completely and leaves the 1-2-4-10 washout. Barely missing the spare, she finished with a 193. Needing just a 7-count on her last ball in the 10th, Miki Nishimura strikes and scores a 197, to secure her third P-League tournament win. Nakamura finishes second. Mika Sakai, after making the final as a wild card, places third with a 181.

Tournament 39: Hiromi Matsunaga extends her record for tournaments won to nine.

Tournament 40: For the first time since P-League switched to its current format in Tournament 14, the winner of Match C in the first round wins the overall tournament. Urara Himeji breaks the jinx by defeating Miki Takehara and Suzuna Miyagi. It is Himeji's seventh tournament win. It was also both Takehara and Miyagi's first visits to the final match. Himeji takes over second place in all-time scoring average with a 220.3 average for 67 games.^[12] Nao Ōishi drops to third place all-time at 220.2 after 47 games.^[13] Hiromi Matsunaga, averaging 231.2, continues to lead P-League in this category.^[14] Ayano Iwami bowls an all-time P-League low score of 123 in the first round.

Tournament 41: Aki Suzuki wins her first P-League tournament and becomes the first bowler since Tournament 26 to win after qualifying for the final match as the wild card. Mariko Sakurai becomes the second bowler in P-League history to convert the difficult 4-6-7-9-10 split, also known as the "greek church," doing so in Match C. Aino Kinjō previously converted the split, doing so in Tournament 10 in the 3rd-place play-off match.

Tournament 42: Seul Ki Kim becomes the first foreign bowler to win a P-League tournament.

Tournament 43: T43 is the first of three tournaments that make up Season 1 (the others being T44 and T45.) Hiromi Matsunaga failed to qualify for T43 during the six-ball qualifier, which breaks her record of consecutive tournaments bowled without being banned at 23. Mai Funamoto makes her P-League debut by rolling the highest game of 264 by a first-timer. Masami Satō returns after being away from P-League since T35 due to an injury. Tamachi Hi-Lane will undergo renovations during T44. P-League will return to Tamachi Hi-Lane in T45. Sanae Mori wins her first P-League tournament by defeating Miki Nishimura and Mika Sakai.

Season 1 Final: Sanae Mori qualified for the Season 1 Final with 24 points by winning T43, semi-finals in T44, and 2nd place in T45. Yoshida Mayumi qualified by winning T44 and T45, despite failing to qualify for T43 during the six-ball qualifier. Miki Nishimura qualified with 13 points. She lost in the first round of T45 to Mori, and had to wait for the results of the matches for Ayumi Kobayashi (lost in 1st round T45, 10 points) and Hitomi Andō (lost in semi-finals DEF T45, 10 points). Mayumi became "Season Queen" with a score of 227. Mori and Nishimura tied at 213 and had a 1 ball roll-off for 2nd and 3rd place. They were tied after 3 roll-off frames, but Mori claimed 2nd place after she rolled a strike and Nishimura rolled 9 in the 4th roll-off frame.

Tournament 46: Mina Endō became the first amateur to win the tournament since Junko Harigaya in T28. Natsumi Koizumi finished 3rd in her first tournament as a professional. Sanae Mori bowled the lowest score (so far) to get the wild card over Aki Nawa by one pin (197-196). She finished 2nd. For the first time, Hiromi Matsunaga gets banned from the next tournament under the "Round 1 low score" rule in Match A.

Public affairs

See also

• DHC Ladies Bowling Tour (DHCレディースオープンボウリングツアー)

References

External links

• Official web site
• JPBA web site