Twenty-two-year-old Alex Horton defeated Canada’s Zach Wilkins 224-176 to win his first national title and his first major at the PBA Tournament of Champions.
The Pennsylvania native became the fourth rookie this season to capture a PBA Tour title, joining Brandon Bonta, Spencer Robarge, and Austin Grammar in a breakout year for first-year players.
In the championship match, Horton opened with four consecutive strikes to build an early lead. Wilkins, fresh off his first PBA Tour victory just a week earlier at Bayside Bowl in Portland, struggled to match Horton’s scoring pace in the opening half.
Wilkins had an opportunity to close the gap after Horton missed a spare in the eighth frame, but he was unable to string together the strikes he needed heading into the ninth.
Although Horton did not strike in the ninth either, he needed only a mark in the tenth to secure the title. He delivered, closing out the match and officially claiming the trophy.
#2 seed Alex Horton vs. #3 seed Andrew Anderson
In the semifinal, Pennsylvania’s Alex Horton took a different approach than the rest of the field, choosing to throw urethane.
The strategy appeared to work early. Horton found a smooth, predictable reaction that avoided splits and difficult spare leaves, allowing him to stay within reach. At the halfway point, he trailed Andrew Anderson by just 16 pins, with Anderson sitting two wins away from his second career major title.
After the break, Horton added a double to apply pressure. Both players converted spares in the eighth frame, and Horton edged ahead with a slim three-pin lead entering the final two frames.
They both struck in the ninth, setting up a tense finish. In the tenth, Anderson managed only a spare and six pins, opening the door. Needing just a mark to advance, Horton delivered a strike, sending a messenger into the 4 pin to secure the 223-212 victory and a spot in the championship match.
#3 seed Andrew Anderson vs. #5 seed Jason Belmonte
In match two against Andrew Anderson, Jason Belmonte ran into immediate trouble. He opened with a 2-8-10 split, followed by a 2-10, and after a strike, left a 2-4-6-10. Three splits in the first four frames put him in an early hole.
Anderson, meanwhile, stayed steady. He struck three times in the first five frames and built a commanding 44-pin lead by the halfway point.
After the break, the pattern remained the same. Belmonte continued to search for the right ball motion, while Anderson kept control of the pace with clean frames and timely strikes. The match was effectively decided in the ninth frame when Anderson converted a spare to lock it up, finishing with a dominant 236-163 victory.
#4 seed Brandon Bonta vs. #5 seed Jason Belmonte
The matchup between the season’s top rookie, Brandon Bonta, and one of the greatest players to ever bowl, Jason Belmonte, delivered exactly what fans expected — drama.
Belmonte opened with a double, while Bonta struggled early to consistently find the pocket. Still, the rookie managed to string together a double of his own to keep the match tight heading into the commercial break.
After the break, both players appeared to solve Lane 27, which had given them trouble early in the game. From that point on, it became a question of execution in the closing frames.
Both struck in the ninth, setting up a tense finish. In the tenth, however, Bonta was slightly off target, settling for a spare and only seven pins. Belmonte shut the door with three strikes in the tenth frame to secure a 247–213 victory.
Next week, the PBA Tour heads to Bowlero Brooklyn Park in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, for one of the most anticipated stops of the season — the PBA World Series of Bowling XVII.
The event will run from April 29 to May 12, with five PBA Tour titles on the line as the sport’s biggest stars battle across multiple championship formats.
Fantasy League: Round 2 is Complete!
The PBA Tournament of Champions marked the end of Round 2 in the BowlingLife Fantasy League. Check the results—maybe it's you who just won new bowling shoes from Dexter!
At the same time, the PBA50 World Series of Bowling will take place, meaning fans can expect wall-to-wall action and even more high-level competition throughout the two-week stretch.
The PBA Tournament of Champions marked the final PBA Tour event broadcast on The CW. The upcoming PBA World Series of Bowling will shift to CBS.
