Wendy Macpherson Knows How To Make The Big Yen

Over the past few seasons since the shutdown of the Women’s Pro Tour, and now the PBA Women’s Series, Wendy Macpherson has been doing a bit of traveling. She’s found herself in Japan for some tournament action and though there were times she had to miss bowling in some PBA Women’s Series action, she felt it worth it and held her own with some winning efforts.
Now, with no PBA Women’s Series to look forward to, Macpherson is continuing her play in Japan and she made it pay off this past week on the Japanese Professional Women’s Tour. A 20-time winner in the old WPBA, Wendy scored her third win of the year on the JPBA Tour and eighth of her career, defeating Mika Sato, 300-235 for the ABS Japan Open. With it came a winner’s check of roughly $36,000. Not a bad haul for less than a week’s work.
But, it doesn’t end there. There was another check that came with her victory, one worth $121,000. That was her bonus for throwing a 300 game in the championship round on live television. Total it up and it was a $157,000 payday for the Henderson, Nev., professional.
"I was bowling for the title and after getting the front 11 , it’s like, oh my God, I’m bowling for 10 million yen…if I don’t strike, I don’t get anything,’’ Macpherson said. "I had already won the title, but I wanted the big bucks. I was very nervous and my heart was beating very fast. It was not so much pressure, but realizing I’d never again have that opportunity. That tournament was the only one all year that offered a 10 million yen prize for a 300 in the championship match."
So, as the true champion she is and has been throughout here career, Macpherson got the 12th strike and 10 million yen.
By Red Burnham
for the Journal Inquirer