Anthony Simonsen left no room for heartbreak this time.
One week after a crushing 7–10 split ended his U.S. Open title hopes, Simonsen returned to the spotlight earning a No. 1 seed and then capturing the PBA Illinois Classic, defeating defending champion Santtu Tahvanainen 290–279 to secure his 17th career PBA Tour title.
The championship match quickly turned into a strike battle, with both players perfect through nine frames. Tahvanainen, using a Motiv Nebula on the right lane and a Motiv Black Venom on the left, struck on his first shot in the tenth but left the 10 pin on the second.
That was all the opening Simonsen needed. Using two Storm Bionic balls - the same line that helped Brandon Bonta and Patrick Dombrowski win earlier titles this season - Simonsen delivered three strikes in the tenth frame to close out the victory.
Here’s how the remaining stepladder finals unfolded at the 2026 PBA Illinois Classic.
#2 seed Santtu Tahvanainen vs. #3 seed EJ Tackett
Defending champion Santtu Tahvanainen opened his semifinal match with a strike as he began his attempt at back-to-back titles.EJ Tackett ran into early trouble, leaving a 4-6 split in the opening frames. He recovered quickly, but Tahvanainen responded after leaving back-to-back corner pins. As the match progressed toward the commercial break, Tahvanainen found his rhythm and put together consecutive strikes.
Tackett, meanwhile, left another split on the right lane, which had challenged players throughout the show. That gave Tahvanainen a clear lead heading into the break.
After the break, Tahvanainen added a spare and a strike to maintain control. Tackett’s biggest obstacle proved to be his own execution, as he left a 2-8-10 split and later settled for a spare in the eighth frame.
Tahvanainen followed with two more strikes, putting the match out of reach from Tackett. He secured the win, 248-185.
#3 seed EJ Tackett vs. #5 seed Matt Ogle
In the second match, EJ Tackett and Matt Ogle opened with doubles. Ogle then left a 10 pin, and Tackett answered with one of his own a frame later while using the Motiv Venom Shock. Those were the only early mistakes, and the match was tied again as they headed into the commercial break.
After the break, Ogle left a 3-10 split and was unable to convert it, giving Tackett a 24-pin advantage. From that point, Ogle needed a string of strikes and some help from Tackett to get back into the match.
Although Tackett left a 10 pin in the seventh frame, he did not give away any ground. Tackett stayed clean and closed the door with a double in the tenth frame to secure the 258-224 victory.
The win moved him on to face defending champion Santtu Tahvanainen in the semifinal.
#4 seed Shawn Maldonado vs. #5 seed Matt Ogle
Matt Ogle got his chance for payback in the opening match of the stepladder finals after falling to Shawn Maldonado in Friday’s Round of 8.
Maldonado had rallied from a 3-1 deficit in that earlier meeting to win three straight games and secure the No. 4 seed. Ogle advanced as the highest-seeded loser, setting up an immediate rematch on Sunday.
In the stepladder opener, both players began with spares before settling into a steady run of strikes on the high-scoring 43-foot Carmen Salvino oil pattern. But their approaches were completely different.
Maldonado used the new Hammer Purple Pearl Urethane 78D and kept his angles tighter in front of him, while Ogle relied on the Hammer Effect Tour and played deeper across the lane.
Neither player built separation early, as both filled frames cleanly heading into the commercial break.
After the break, Ogle extended his strike run to five in a row before a slightly high shot shifted the momentum and briefly gave Maldonado a narrow edge. Maldonado could not fully capitalize, leaving a 5 pin in the eighth frame but still holding a one-pin lead.
Ogle answered with a double to apply pressure. Maldonado responded with two strikes and a spare, forcing Ogle to double in the tenth frame to win. Ogle delivered three strikes in the final frame to secure the 268-258 victory and advance to face No. 3 seed EJ Tackett, where he eventually lost.
Next Stop
Next week, the PBA Tour heads to Fort Wayne, Indiana, for the PBA Indiana Classic at David Small’s Pro Bowl West. The event will mark the fifth title stop of the 2026 PBA Tour season.
It will also close out Round 1 of the BowlingLife Fantasy League . If you have not finalized your lineup yet, make sure to visit BowlingLife.eu and set your team before competition begins.
The PBA Indiana Classic will take place March 17-22. The week starts Monday with seven games of Pre-Tournament Qualifying beginning at 8:30 a.m. CST.
