Liz Johnson (bowler)

Elizabeth Ann Johnson (born May 2, 1974) is an American professional ten-pin bowler, currently residing in Cheektowaga, New York. She was best known as an 11-time winner on the Professional Women's Bowling Association (PWBA) Tour, which included the first of her five U.S. Women's Open titles in 1996, before that organization suspended operations in 2003. Since the rebirth of the PWBA in 2015, Johnson has won five more PWBA Tour titles, including three more majors, for a total of 16 PWBA titles. She won five additional professional titles during the PWBA Tour's hiatus, becoming a member of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) and the PBA Women's Series. Johnson was elected to the USBC Hall of Fame in December 2014, and was officially inducted on April 29, 2015.

Johnson is currently a member of the Storm and Turbo Grips pro staffs.

Johnson was a standout youth softball player, playing the sport from age eight through her high school graduation at Niagara-Wheatfield High School in Sanborn, New York. Primarily a pitcher, she won 60 games during her high school years. Shortly after high school, she won the 1992 Coca-Cola Youth Bowling Championships in the Girls' Scratch division. Johnson then bowled at Morehead State University, earning both Rookie of the Year and Collegiate Bowler of the Year honors in 1993, but stayed in college only one year, as she was determined to make bowling her career. She claims that bowling is the only job she's ever had. She worked in her local bowling center early on, and has held various pro shop and pro staff positions in addition to earning a living on the lanes.

Johnson qualified for Team USA and joined the PWBA Tour shortly after leaving college. On the pro circuit, she started strong, capturing Rookie of the Year honors and a major tour victory at the U.S. Women's Open in 1996. She won a second PWBA major at the 2001 Hammer PWBA Players Championship. Another PWBA career highlight came in 2001, shortly after the terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C. In an emotional event held on September 14 — the first professional sporting event to resume after the attacks — Johnson bowled the third televised perfect 300 game in PWBA history to defeat Carolyn Dorin-Ballard in the final match of the Paula Carter Classic.

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