The PBA World Series of Bowling (WSOB) is an annual multi-tournament ten-pin bowling event held by the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) in North America.

Formation The inaugural World Series of Bowling event was held by the PBA at the start of the 2009–10 PBA Tour season (August 2 through September 6, 2009), and took place in the Detroit, Michigan suburbs of Allen Park and Taylor. Part of the reason for developing the World Series, given the U.S. economic recession at the time, was to consolidate multiple tournaments into one location to save on travel and broadcast crew costs. The brainchild of then-Deputy Commissioner Tom Clark, the World Series included five “animal pattern” tournaments (Cheetah, Viper, Chameleon, Scorpion and Shark), each named for a custom lane-oiling pattern. All of the animal pattern tournaments took place in Allen Park's Thunderbowl Lanes. A stand-alone tournament at nearby Taylor Lanes, the Motor City Open, was also considered part of the inaugural World Series of Bowling. In addition to being stand-alone title tournaments, the animal pattern events served as initial qualifying for that season's PBA World Championship major. While television tapings for the final rounds of the Motor City Open and all five animal pattern tournaments took place September 5 and 6, the PBA World Championship finals were not held until December 13, 2009 in Wichita, Kansas.

History World Series of Bowling II moved to Las Vegas for the 2010–11 season. The event had five animal oil pattern events, with the PBA World Championship again running in a split format (qualifying in late October through early November, 2010, with the final rounds on January 14–16, 2011). Subsequent events ran only four or three animal pattern tournaments, but continued to use these events as initial qualifying for the PBA World Championship. After being held in Las Vegas for the next four years, the event moved to Reno, Nevada for three consecutive seasons.

The World Series of Bowling has run every PBA season since its inception, except for 2018. After Fox Sports acquired the PBA television rights earlier that year, the decision was made to move the World Series to a spring event so it would be included in Fox's TV schedule. Thus, World Series of Bowling X was moved from late 2018 to March 2019, and was held in its original home of Allen Park, MI.

Bowlers from over 30 countries have participated in the World Series of Bowling. PBA Commissioner Tom Clark has credited the WSOB with inspiring an influx of international players who now regularly compete on the PBA Tour.

Tournament formats and qualifying have changed over the years. For the 2026 season, priority registration was given to the top 75 PBA players in 2025 season points, the top three players in collegiate points, top three from the Regional Players Invitational tournament, any player with a national PBA Tour title in the last ten years, and any PBA Hall of Famer (Performance category). There are also a select number of international players chosen by way of resumé submissions through March 15, as well as Commissioner's exemptions. Any open spots in the initial field are filled from the ten-game April 29 Pre-Tournament Qualifier (PTQ). The starting field bowls ten qualifying games (in two 5-game blocks) on each of the four "animal" oil patterns. The 40 total games of qualifying determine the top one-third of bowlers who move on to the ten-game Advancers Round on the Earl Anthony 42 oil pattern. The top 16 players from the Advancers Round then compete in roundrobin match play. Pinfall from all rounds, plus 30 bonus pins for each match play victory, determine the nine players for the PBA World Championship semifinals. The 5–9 seeds bowl a play-in stepladder to determine the fifth seed for the televised finals, while the top four seeds automatically advance to the finals telecast.

Event results World Series of Bowling I Dates: August 2–September 6, 2009 and December 13, 2009 Location: Allen Park, MI, except where noted

Events: Event Airdate Preliminary rounds Final round Winner Runner-up Motor City Open Nov 1 Aug 2–6 (Taylor, MI) Sep 5 Walter Ray Williams, Jr., USA Chris Barnes, USA Cheetah Championship Nov 8 Aug 11–13 Sep 5 Norm Duke, USA Ryan Ciminelli, USA Viper Championship Nov 15 Aug 14–16 Sep 5 Rhino Page, USA Ryan Ciminelli, USA Chameleon Championship Nov 22 Aug 18–20 Sep 6 Bill O'Neill, USA Ronnie Russell, USA Scorpion Championship Nov 29 Aug 23–25 Sep 6 Mike Devaney, USA Jason Belmonte, Australia Shark Championship Dec 6 Aug 27–29 Sep 6 Jack Jurek, USA Mike Fagan, USA PBA World Championship Dec 13(Wichita, KS) Aug 30–Sep 3 Live Tom Smallwood, USA Wes Malott, USA

World Series of Bowling II Dates: October 25–November 6, 2010 and January 14–16, 2011 Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

Events: Event Airdate Preliminary rounds Final round Winner Runner-up Cheetah Championship Nov 28 Oct 25, Nov 1 Nov 5 Eugene McCune, USA Norm Duke, USA Viper Championship Dec 5 Oct 26, Nov 1 Nov 5 Bill O’Neill, USA Andres Gomez, Colombia Chameleon Championship Dec 12 Oct 27, Nov 2 Nov 6 Scott Norton, USA Sean Rash, USA Scorpion Championship Dec 19 Oct 28, Nov 2 Nov 6 Yong-Jin Gu, South Korea Jun-Yung Kim, South Korea Shark Championship Dec 6 Oct 29, Nov 3 Nov 6 Osku Palermaa, Finland Dan MacLelland, Canada PBA World Championship Jan 14–16 Oct 25–29 Live Chris Barnes, USA Bill O’Neill, USA

World Series of Bowling III Dates: November 5–19, 2011 Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

Events: Event Airdate Preliminary rounds Final round Winner Runner-up Viper Open Jan 22 Nov 5 Nov 18 Stuart Williams, England Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela Chameleon Open Feb 12 Nov 6 Nov 19 Jason Belmonte, Australia Sean Rash, USA Scorpion Open Feb 19 Nov 7 Nov 19 Dominic Barrett, England Sean Rash, USA Shark Open Mar 4 Nov 8 Nov 19 Jason Belmonte, Australia Chris Barnes, USA PBA World Championship Jan 15 Nov 5–8, 17–18 Nov 18 Osku Palermaa, Finland Ryan Shafer, USA

Notes: WSOB III was the first and only World Series in which all events were won by players from outside North America.

World Series of Bowling IV Dates: November 3–11, 2012 Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

Events: Event Airdate Preliminary rounds Final round Winner Runner-up Cheetah Championship Dec 16 Nov 3–7 Nov 10 Bill O’Neill, USA Mike Wolfe, USA Viper Championship Dec 23 Nov 3–7 Nov 10 Brad Angelo, USA Mika Koivuniemi, Finland Chameleon Championship Dec 30 Nov 3–7 Nov 11 Scott Norton, USA Jason Belmonte, Australia Scorpion Championship Jan 6 Nov 3–7 Nov 11 Tom Daugherty, USA Osku Palermaa, Finland PBA World Championship Jan 13 Nov 3–9 Nov 11 Parker Bohn III, USA Jason Belmonte, Australia

World Series of Bowling V Dates: October 25–November 3, 2013 Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

Events: Event Airdate Preliminary rounds Final round Winner Runner-up Cheetah Championship Dec 1 Oct 25–26 Nov 2 Wes Malott, USA Parker Bohn III, USA Viper Championship Dec 8 Oct 25, 27 Nov 2 Chris Barnes, USA Ryan Ciminelli, USA Chameleon Championship Dec 15 Oct 25, 28 Nov 2 Ryan Ciminelli, USA Dominic Barrett, England Scorpion Championship Dec 22 Oct 25, 29 Nov 3 Tom Smallwood, USA Marshall Kent, USA PBA World Championship Jan 13 Oct 25–31 Nov 3 Dominic Barrett, England Sean Rash, USA

World Series of Bowling VI Dates: October 25–November 2, 2014 Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

Events: Event Airdate Preliminary rounds Final round Winner Runner-up Cheetah Championship Dec 14 Oct 25, 30 Nov 2 Anthony Pepe, USA Dick Allen, USA Viper Championship Dec 21 Oct 26, 30 Nov 2 Mika Koivuniemi, Finland Connor Pickford, USA Chameleon Championship Dec 28 Oct 27, 31 Nov 2 DJ Archer, USA Ronnie Russell, USA Scorpion Championship Jan 4 Oct 28, 31 Nov 2 Michael Haugen Jr., USA Martin Larsen, Sweden PBA World Championship Jan 11 Oct 25–31 Live Mike Fagan, USA Wes Malott, USA

World Series of Bowling VII Dates: December 8–19, 2015 Location: Reno, Nevada

Events: Event Airdate Preliminary rounds Final round Winner Runner-up Cheetah Championship Dec 20 Dec 8, 14 Dec 18 Parker Bohn III, USA Paul Moor, England Viper Championship Dec 27 Dec 9, 14 Dec 18 Ryan Ciminelli, USA Kim Bolleby, Thailand Chameleon Championship Jan 3 Dec 10, 15 Dec 19 Jesper Svensson, Sweden Pascal Winternheimer, Germany Scorpion Championship Jan 10 Dec 11, 15 Dec 19 Jon Van Hees, USA Jason Sterner, USA PBA World Championship Dec 17 Dec 8–13 Live Gary Faulkner Jr., USA E. J. Tackett, USA

World Series of Bowling VIII Dates: November 29–December 11, 2016 Location: Reno, Nevada

Events: Event Airdate Preliminary rounds Final round Winner Runner-up Cheetah Championship Dec 18 Nov 29, Dec 6, 8 Dec 10 Mike Wolfe, USA Darren Tang, USA Chameleon Championship Dec 24 Nov 30, Dec 6, 8 Dec 10 Mitch Beasley, USA A. J. Johnson, USA Scorpion Championship Dec 25 Dec 1, 7–8 Dec 10 Tommy Jones, USA BJ Moore, USA Shark Championship Dec 25 Dec 2, 7–8 Dec 10 François Lavoie, Canada Walter Ray Williams Jr., USA PBA World Championship Dec 11 Nov 29–Dec 5 Live E. J. Tackett, USA Tom Smallwood, USA

World Series of Bowling IX Dates: November 8–19, 2017 Location: Reno, Nevada

Events: Event Airdate Preliminary rounds Final round Winner Runner-up Chameleon Championship Dec 17 Nov 8, 15 Nov 18 Liz Johnson, USA Anthony Pepe, USA Shark Championship Dec 17 Nov 9, 15 Nov 18 Richie Teece, England Charlie Brown Jr., USA Cheetah Championship Dec 24 Nov 11, 16 Nov 19 Jesper Svensson, Sweden Thomas Larsen, Denmark Scorpion Championship Dec 24 Nov 12, 16 Nov 19 E. J. Tackett, USA Jason Belmonte, Australia PBA World Championship Dec 31 Nov 8–9, 11–14 Nov 19 Jason Belmonte, Australia Jesper Svensson, Sweden

World Series of Bowling X Dates: March 12–21, 2019 Location: Allen Park, Michigan

Events: Event Airdate Preliminary rounds Final round Winner Runner-up Cheetah Championship Mar 18 Mar 12, 18 Live Dick Allen, USA Kyle Sherman, USA Chameleon Championship Mar 19 Mar 13, 19 Live Jason Belmonte, Australia Andres Gomez, Colombia Scorpion Championship Mar 20 Mar 14, 20 Live Kristopher Prather, USA BJ Moore, USA PBA World Championship Mar 21 Mar 12–16 Live Jason Belmonte, Australia Jakob Butturff, USA

World Series of Bowling XI Dates: March 6–15, 2020 & October 1–5, 2020 Location: Las Vegas, Nevada & Centreville, Virginia

The PBA's World Series of Bowling XI, which included three standard PBA title events and the PBA World Championship, was scheduled to take place March 6–18, 2020 in Las Vegas, with live finals broadcasts occurring across four consecutive days on FS1 (one Sunday afternoon broadcast on March 15, followed by three prime time evening broadcasts on March 16–18). However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, only the PBA World Championship was completed in March. The match play rounds and finals of the other three tournaments were postponed, and eventually rescheduled for October 1–5, 2020. The location for the animal pattern tournament conclusions was also changed to Centreville, Virginia, allowing it to follow the PBA League event.

Events: Event Airdate Preliminary rounds Final round Winner Runner-up Cheetah Championship Oct 4 Mar 8, Oct 1 Live Sean Rash, USA E. J. Tackett, USA Chameleon Championship Oct 4 Mar 9, Oct 2 Live Jason Belmonte, Australia Brad Miller, USA Scorpion Championship Oct 5 Mar 10, Oct 3 Live Carsten Hansen, Denmark BJ Moore, USA PBA World Championship Mar 15 Mar 8–14 Live Jason Belmonte, Australia Anthony Simonsen, USA

World Series of Bowling XII Dates: March 5–17, 2021 Location: Tampa, Florida