In a thrilling finale at the 2024 PBA Tour Finals, Anthony Simonsen emerged victorious, securing his 15th career title and second of the season. The event, held at Steel City Bowl & Brews in Bethlehem, culminated in a dramatic roll-off where Simonsen defeated Marshall Kent to claim the $30,000 first-place prize.
The competition began on Saturday with eight finalists divided into two groups based on their PBA Tour season points from 2023 and 2024. Marshall Kent topped Group 1 and advanced to the title match by defeating Bill O’Neill. In Group 2, Simonsen, seeded second, overcame group leader Jason Belmonte in the Race-to-Two stepladder finale to earn his place in the championship match.
Group 1 Highlights
- Match 1: Jakob Butturff defeated EJ Tackett, 217-210.
- Match 2: Bill O’Neill triumphed over Butturff, 247-193.
- Match 3: Marshall Kent edged out O’Neill in a roll-off (180-258, 226-206, 48-28).
Group 2 Highlights
- Match 1: Kyle Troup defeated Packy Hanrahan, 256-212.
- Match 2: Anthony Simonsen bested Troup, 240-213.
- Match 3: Simonsen overcame Jason Belmonte in a roll-off (264-235, 182-255, 49-37).
In the Championship match, Simonsen won the first game against Kent 246-210. Despite Kent’s resilience and a comeback to win the second game 248-200, the final roll-off saw Simonsen prevail 40-38. Simonsen’s victory places him alongside Jason Belmonte, EJ Tackett, and Kyle Troup as two-time winners of the PBA Tour Finals, an event no other player has won in the past eight years.
Final Standings:
- Anthony Simonsen: $30,000
- Marshall Kent: $15,000
- Jason Belmonte: $8,000
- Bill O’Neill: $8,000
- Kyle Troup: $6,000
- Jakob Butturff: $6,000
- EJ Tackett: $5,000
- Packy Hanrahan: $5,000
The PBA Tour season will continue in July with the Storm PBA/PWBA Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles and the PBA/PBA50/PWBA Jonesboro Trios. In August, the PBA Tour will head to Helsingborg, Sweden, for its sole event outside the U.S., the Storm Lucky Larsen Masters.
