More than five years ago, Bill O’Neill got a text message out of the blue from Shannon O’Keefe asking if he wanted to bowl the STORM PBA/PWBA Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles with her. It took O’Neill mere seconds to accept the offer.

The result was a victory at the 2013 event and back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2016, creating a powerhouse pairing of two of the best bowlers on their respective tours today. O’Neill and O’Keefe will once again join forces this year when the PBA/PWBA Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles takes place in Houston starting Friday.

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After winning the 2012 event, then known as the Luci Bonneau Mixed Doubles, with her husband Bryan, O’Keefe found out just days later that Bryan wouldn’t be able to bowl again due to a scheduling conflict. It didn’t take her long to realize O’Neill had never bowled the event.

“The first person I thought of was Bill,” said O’Keefe, who is currently the favorite to win PWBA Player of the Year this season. “I texted Bill immediately, like a week after Bryan and I won, and he said absolutely. Then we won the first year together.”

Although the pair didn’t compete together in 2014 because O’Neill had a scheduling conflict, they reunited to win the 2015 and 2016 events to continue their string of success. Last year, however, the pair finished just 36th and failed to make the cut.

“Last year, I was going through a major change to my game, so I bowled pretty poorly,” said O’Neill, who made a physical change to better control his launch angle. “I felt bad that I made such a big change prior to the event, but I didn’t really have any other option timing wise. I’m in a much better position physically now, so I’m looking forward to getting back into winner’s circle this year.”

One thing that could work in O’Neill and O’Keefe’s favor this year is that they are both on the Hammer ball staff. O’Keefe joined Hammer in January this year and it could give the team an edge.

“We have so many bowling balls in our line and so many good ones that we will probably use different balls,” O’Neill said. “But if she wants to change balls, I at least have an idea of what she’s changing to and vice versa. That’s definitely going to be a huge help for the both of us.”

O’Keefe agreed and said it can only help being on the same ball staff.

“I didn’t know his equipment at all, so if he struggled last year, I didn’t know what to say,” O’Keefe said. “It was the same thing with me because he didn’t know my equipment. Even though I’m having a really successful tour season, I’m still learning the stuff. It will be a big help because he knows the equipment inside and out.”

O’Neill and O’Keefe both said the PBA/PWBA Mixed Doubles event is exceptionally hard to win given the talent of the field but with their track record on the lanes and now throwing the same equipment, they like their chances.

 “The teams are getting stronger and stronger because you have all these young girls who have just graduated college who are in the field, which makes it tougher and tougher,” O’Keefe said. “Winning this tournament has been one of the highlights of my career, and I feel very fortunate to have won it four times.”

If they can win again, that random text message from more than five years ago would put them in the record books, tying Shannon Pluhowsky and Tommy Jones with four PBA/PWBA Mixed Doubles titles.