Singaporean bowler, Shayna Ng, has added another major achievement to her career after winning the Professional Women’s Bowling Association (PWBA) Cleveland Open in Ohio.
The 36-year-old defeated American Jordan Snodgrass 195-186 in the title match on August 13 to claim her fourth PWBA Tour title and secure a place in the season-ending Tour Championship.
Here are key things to know about Singapore’s Shayna Ng and her latest achievement.
Who is Shayna Ng?
Ng was born in Singapore in 1989 and competes for the Singapore national bowling team. She is a right-handed bowler and joined Singapore’s national training squad in 2005.
She has represented Singapore at major international competitions for more than a decade and has built a reputation as one of the country’s leading bowlers.
Her international achievements include a gold medal in the women’s singles event at the 2021 International Bowling Federation (IBF) World Bowling Championships.
A historic world champion
One of Ng’s biggest career achievements came in 2015 when she won Singapore’s first women’s singles gold medal at the World Bowling Women’s Championships.
That victory helped establish her as one of the leading bowlers in the world and earned her wider recognition beyond Singapore.
She later added another major world title by winning the women’s singles event at the 2021 IBF Super World Championships.
She has held a world record
Ng also made her mark statistically.
The Singaporean has held the women’s world record for a six-game series since 2011, when she recorded 1,601 pins. The Asian Bowling Federation continues to list the mark among the sport’s records.
That achievement underlined her consistency over a longer series rather than relying on one exceptional game.
A successful PWBA career
Ng has also enjoyed considerable success on the Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour in the United States.
Her first PWBA title came at the 2018 PWBA Las Vegas Open. She followed that with another victory at the 2019 Sonoma County Open before returning to the winner’s circle at the Go Bowling Topeka Open in May 2025.
Her latest victory in Cleveland adds another title to that record.
The 2025 season was particularly significant for Singaporean bowling, with Ng, New Hui Fen and Cherie Tan all reaching the PWBA Tour Championship. New also became the first Singaporean to win the PWBA Player of the Year award.
Singapore’s top athlete
Ng’s achievements have also earned recognition at home.
She was named Singapore’s Sportswoman of the Year in 2014 and 2016, while she was also named Singapore’s Bowler of the Year in 2010, 2013 and 2015.
In 2017, she received the Singapore Youth Award, one of the country’s notable honours for young people who have made significant contributions.
Her latest comeback
Ng’s Cleveland Open triumph was notable because of how she recovered from a poor start.
She opened the tournament with a 144 game but recovered to finish qualifying third with 2,603 pins.
She then went 8-4 in match play to enter the stepladder final as the top seed.
After Snodgrass defeated Canada’s Felicia Wong 228-204 in the semi-final, Ng beat the American 195-186 in the championship match at Yorktown Lanes.
“I’ve been bowling well and my form has been pretty good of late, so coming into this tournament, I just told myself to focus on making good shots and making all my spares,” Ng said.
“I started off not as well with a 140 game, and there’s no way I thought I would end up winning the Cleveland Open. I guess this is a true testament that patience does pay off, and I’m happy it did.”
She credits mental strength
Ng has previously spoken about the demands of competing professionally and the mental strength required to remain at the top of the sport.
“Bowling on Tour has really taught me how to grind and stay mentally tough,” she said.
“This oiling pattern was far from easy, and getting through 24 games on it required a lot of patience, focus and resilience.
“I’m grateful for every opportunity I get to compete on Tour, and I truly see it as a blessing.”
What next for Ng?
The Cleveland Open victory earned Ng US$10,000 (S$12,800) and a place in the PWBA Tour Championship, which will be held at the same venue from August 16-18.
She will also have an eye on the IBF World Cup in Munich, Germany, in October.
“This win is definitely a great confidence booster heading into the tournament,” Ng said.
“It gives me a lot of belief in my game and something positive to build on.”
For Ng, the Cleveland victory is therefore more than another trophy. It represents another chapter in a career that has already taken her from Singapore’s national programme to world championship gold and the top level of professional bowling in the United States.
