The pressure increased Friday night in Indianapolis as the first round of match play was completed at the 2026 U.S. Open. After 40 total games, Anthony Simonsen reclaims the top position.
Anthony Simonsen, who had previously held the lead earlier in the week, used a 5-3 match play record to move into first place with 9,199 total pins. He added 150 bonus pins during the round and built a 63-pin cushion over second place. His block included multiple games over 250, keeping him steady throughout the night.
Advancers round leader Tim Foy Jr. remains close in second with 9,136 after going 4-3-1. He did not lose ground but could not close the gap either. Chris Via made one of the strongest pushes of the evening. He went 6-2, rolled a 300 game during match play, and climbed into third with 9,123.
Patrick Dombrowski also went 6-2 and now sits fourth at 8,989. AJ Johnson holds fifth place with 8,973 after an even 4-4 record.
Behind the top five, the movement was significant.
Tun Hakim made one of the biggest jumps of the round. After barely advancing earlier in the week, he went 7-1 in match play and surged into seventh place with 8,914. Terrance Rock also impressed, finishing 6-2 and moving into ninth.
Ethan Fiore, who was inside the top group earlier in the tournament, dropped to tenth after going 2-6 in match play.
Defending champion EJ Tackett sits twelfth with 8,823 after a 5-3 performance. He remains within reach of the top five with two rounds left. Jason Belmonte is currently eighteenth at 8,683 and will need a strong Saturday to move into contention.
Only 226 pins separate fifth place from fifteenth. With 16 match play games remaining, the race for the stepladder is still open.
Standings After 40 Games
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Anthony Simonsen – 9,199
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Tim Foy Jr. – 9,136
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Chris Via – 9,123
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Patrick Dombrowski – 8,989
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AJ Johnson – 8,973
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Andrew Anderson – 8,922
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Tun Hakim – 8,914
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Dylan Jablonski – 8,860
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Terrance Rock – 8,851
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Ethan Fiore – 8,850
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Tomas Kayhko – 8,835
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EJ Tackett – 8,823
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Michael Davidson – 8,798
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Tommy Jones – 8,758
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Dominic Barrett – 8,747
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Stuart Williams – 8,694
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Deo Benard – 8,691
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Jason Belmonte – 8,683
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Mitch Hupe – 8,669
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Kyle Troup – 8,648
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Ryan Barnes – 8,576
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Patrick Hanrahan – 8,547
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Eric Jones – 8,537
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Sam Cooley – 8,531
Match play continues Saturday in Indianapolis with two more eight-game rounds at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. local time. After 56 total games, including 30 bonus pins for each win, the top five players will earn spots in Sunday’s stepladder finals, which will air live on The CW.
