Under the lights, against the best in the world, EJ Tackett, in thechampionship match of the season’s first major, Brandon Bonta deliveredperfection. Not just a win. Not just a breakthrough. A perfect start of his career. Quiteliterally. Strike after strike, the No. 4 seed dismantled one of the sport’s greatestplayers and sealed the PBA Players Championship with a flawless performance -earning $10,000 in bonus money and giving fans across America a free game ofbowling in the process. On the biggest stage of his young career, Bonta didn’t just arrive. He made history. The championship match opened with Bonta in complete control. Throwing theStorm Bionic and Storm IQ Tour 78/U, he started with a five-bagger and neverlooked back. Tackett struck four times in his first six shots but trailed by21 pins halfway through the game. Storm IQ Tour 78/U Bonta kept pouring it on. Six in a row. Seven. Eight. Nine. When Tackettfailed to strike in the ninth frame, the game was sealed. But Bonta wasn’t finished. He completed the perfect game, earning himself a $10,000 bonus and giving fansacross America a free game of bowling. Can you imagine a better debut on the biggest stage? No one can. The finals, just like qualifying, were contested on a dual oil pattern format- 50-foot Badger and 37-foot Viper. However, the venue was different. While all qualifying rounds were held atBowlero Euless, the stepladder finals moved to the International Training andResearch Center - a place very special to EJ Tackett, as he met his futurewife Natalie duirng the Junior Team USA camp in 2013 in there. Now the ITRC will hold special meaning for Bonta too. He took the long road through the stepladder to earn that title. The opening match between No. 4 seed Brandon Bonta and No. 5 seed SpencerRobarge showed nerves from the very beginning. Bonta missed a single-pin sparein the second frame, while Robarge struggled early, leaving a spareunconverted before splitting in the third and fourth frames. Ball choices played a key role. Bonta used a Transformer on the 50-foot Badgerpattern and switched to a Storm !Q Tour 78/U on Viper. Robarge relied on aHammer Black Urethane on Viper and a Track Synthesis on Badger. Bonta settled in quickly, stringing together strikes in the fourth and fifthframes to build a 26-pin lead heading into the commercial break. He maintainedmomentum after the restart, while Robarge was unable to generate consistentcarry. The match concluded 227-173 in Bonta’s favor, sending him forward to faceJesper Svensson in the next round. In the match between No. 3 seed Jesper Svensson and Brandon Bonta, bothplayers came out firing. Each opened with a four-bagger beforeBonta shot one slightly high, leaving a 4-7-9 split. He nearly converted it,though, but the 4-pin slid in front the ninth, which left standing. Meanwhile, Svensson had trouble of his own, leaving a single 7-pin and failingto convert, resulting in an open frame. Svensson relied on the Storm !Q Tour 78/U on both oil patterns, while Bontastayed with the same equipment setup that carried him through the openingmatch. After the commercial break, Bonta surged ahead and entered the tenth framewith the lead. Svensson was unable to strike on his first shot in the tenth,settling for a spare and finishing with 216. That left Bonta needing justeight pins to advance. He delivered, striking on his first shot in the tenth to secure the 253-216win and advance to face Canada’s Graham Fach in the semifinal. No. 2 seed Graham Fach started the semifinal with two strikes and two spares.Bonta, however, looked completely settled on the right side — an advantagewith Robarge, Svensson, and Fach all left-handers — and built an 11-pin leadthrough six frames. Fach used a polished Track Stealth Mode on the long pattern and a CrownVictory 78/U on the shorter oil. Bonta made a ball change in the sixth frame,switching from a Roto Grip Transformer to a Storm Bionic Hybrid. After the break, Fach applied pressure with strikes in the eighth and ninth.Bonta responded with strikes in the ninth and tenth but left a ringing 10-pinthat kept the match alive. Fach needed three in the tenth to forcea tie, but a stone eight on his first shot ended the threat. Bonta closed it out 247-226, sending the No. 4 seed into the final against EJTackett that he later won in a big style. The next stop on the 2026 PBA Tour schedule is the Legendz PBA Pete WeberMissouri Classic, taking place February 24 through March 1 at Bowlero St.Peters in St. Peters, Missouri. The event begins on Tuesday,February 24, with the seven-game Pre-Tournament Qualifier.

John Douglas “Guppy” Troup has officially been inducted into the PBA Hall ofFame as the sole member of the Class of 2026. The induction took place last night during the 2026 PBA Hall of Fame ceremonyin Arlington, Texas. Troup was selected through the PBA Hall of Fame Veterans Committee, whichrecognizes players whose careers made a lasting impact on professionalbowling. He received the most votes from living Hall of Famers among thecandidates on this year’s ballot. Guppy Troup was known for his flashy style, and his career on the PBA Tour wasjust as memorable. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Troup moved with his family to South Carolina in1953 at the age of three. Shortly after, he began bowling and became a memberof a team called “The Guppies,” with which he won a state title and set ajunior state record. The team’s name later became his lifelong nickname. Guppy Troup became a PBA member in 1975 and began competing on the PBA Tourthe following season. His breakthrough came in 1978 when he won his first PBA Tour title at theKessler Open. During his career, Guppy Troup won eight PBA Tour titles. His most successfulstretch came between 1980 and 1985, when he collected seven titles, includingthree victories in the 1982 season. His final PBA Tour title came at the 1985Austin Open in Austin, Texas. Troup also built one of the most accomplished résumés in PBA Regional Tourhistory. He earned 42 regional titles, ranking ninth on the all-time PBA Regional Tour titles list. ninth on the all-time PBA Regional Tour titles list He later competed on the PBA50 Tour, where he was named Rookie of the Year in2000. Guppy Troup's PBA Tour Titles 1978 Kessler Open – Battle Creek, Michigan1980 Waukegan Super Touch Open – Waukegan, Illinois1982 Miller High Life Classic – Anaheim, California1982 Molson Bowling Challenge – Windsor, Ontario, Canada1982 Northern Ohio Open – Fairview Park, Ohio1983 Quaker State Open – Grand Prairie, Texas1984 Budweiser Classic – Columbus, Ohio1985 Austin Open – Austin, Texas 1978 Kessler Open – Battle Creek, Michigan 1980 Waukegan Super Touch Open – Waukegan, Illinois 1982 Miller High Life Classic – Anaheim, California 1982 Molson Bowling Challenge – Windsor, Ontario, Canada 1982 Northern Ohio Open – Fairview Park, Ohio 1983 Quaker State Open – Grand Prairie, Texas 1984 Budweiser Classic – Columbus, Ohio 1985 Austin Open – Austin, Texas

The PBA has officially released the PBA50 Schedule for the 2026 season. Theseason will feature 17 events. PBA50 Tour will include 15 PBA50 title events, with five majors, along with two PBA60 title events.The season will begin in April and run through early August. The upcoming year will mark the 45th season of the PBA50 Tour. Below is the complete PBA50 Schedule for 2026. April 13–16 – PBA50 The Villages Classic, The Villages, FLApril 30–May 12 – PBA50 World Series of Bowling IV, Bloomington, MNApril 30–May 9 – PBA50 Ballard Championship, Bloomington, MNApril 30–May 10 – PBA50 Monacelli Championship, Bloomington, MNApril 30–May 11 – PBA50 Petraglia Championship, Bloomington, MN(MAJOR) April 30–May 12 – PBA50 WSOB IV World Championship, Bloomington, MN(MAJOR) May 19–24 – PBA Senior U.S. Open, Greeley, CO(PBA 60) May 27–31 – USBC Super Senior Classic, Las Vegas, NV(MAJOR) May 31–June 7 – USBC Senior Masters, Las Vegas, NVJune 11–14 – PBA50 FireLake Classic, Shawnee, OKJune 17–20 – PBA50 David Small’s Championship Lanes Classic, Anderson, INJune 22–25 – PBA50 South Shore Classic, Hammond, IN(PBA60) July 2–8 – PBA60 World Series of Bowling II, Columbus, OHJuly 11–14 – PBA50 Akron Classic, Fairlawn, OH(MAJOR) July 17–22 – Bud Moore PBA50 Players Championship, Woodbridge, VAJuly 27–30 – PBA50 Norfolk Classic, Norfolk, VA(MAJOR) August 4–8 – Johnny Petraglia BVL PBA50 Tournament of Champions, Morgantown, WV

The stepladder finals are officially set for Sunday at Bowlero Euless and theInternational Training and Research Center in Arlington, Texas. After 46 games played from Tuesday through Friday, five players remain incontention for the first major title of the 2026 PBA Tour season. The positioning round slightly reshuffled the order, as Jesper Svensson movedinto the third seed, Brandon Bonta secured the fourth, and Spencer Robargedropped from third to the fifth and final stepladder position. Meanwhile, EJ Tackett never gave up control of the tournament. After 46 games,he leads with 10,702 total pins and a 229 average. He finished holding a286-pin advantage over the cut line and enters Sunday as the top seed. EJ Tackett never gave up control of the tournament Canada's Player of the Year Graham Fach secured the second seed with 10,493total pins and a 225 average. Just outside the top five after match play was Tim Foy Jr. in sixth with10,333. Brad Miller followed in seventh with 10,282, and Matthew Ogle finishedeighth with 10,279. Andrew Anderson ended ninth with 10,210. Sam Cooley completed 10th with10,167. BJ Moore finished 11th with 10,163, while Bill O’Neill placed 12thwith 10,125. CJ Petrin ended 13th with 10,114. Mitch Hupe followed in 14th with 10,058.Shawn Maldonado, who led early in the tournament, finished 15th with 9,896.Nicholas Pate rounded out the top 16 with 9,835. Shawn Maldonado, who led early in the tournament After a demanding week of competition across two oil patterns and multiplematch play blocks, the field is now reduced to five. No. 5 seed SpencerRobarge will meet Brandon Bonta in the opening match on Sunday, starting at 3p.m. CST on The CW. The CW

The first eight games of round robin match play are complete at the PBA Players Championship, and the race toward the stepladder finals is gettingtighter. PBA Players Championship Only five players will advance to Sunday’s stepladder finals at the firstmajor of the 2026 PBA Tour season. After 38 games, EJ Tackett remains in control. He maintained his lead and nowsits at 8,851 total pins with a 229 average. He holds a 130-pin advantage oversecond place and is the only player who can feel relatively safe heading intothe final eight match play games. Behind him, the battle is wide open. Graham Fach moved into second place with 8,719. Spencer Robarge is third with8,662, followed closely by Brandon Bonta in fourth at 8,658. Tim Foy Jr.currently holds the fifth and final stepladder position with 8,620. Brandon Bonta Andrew Anderson is just three pins behind the cut in sixth place with 8,617.Jesper Svensson follows in seventh at 8,611, while Matthew Ogle sits eighthwith 8,609. BJ Moore is ninth with 8,598. The margin between second place and ninth place is just over 120 pins. With 30bonus pins awarded for every match play win, the standings can change quickly. Further down the standings, Bill O’Neill is 10th with 8,489. Brad Millerstands 11th at 8,471. Sam Cooley holds 12th place with 8,448. Nicholas Pate is13th at 8,399. Shawn Maldonado sits 14th with 8,361. Mitch Hupé follows in15th at 8,334. CJ Petrin rounds out the top 16 with 8,310. Brad Miller The stepladder finals of the PBA Players Championship are set for Sunday at3 p.m. CST on The CW. The CW.

The Advancers Round is complete at the PBA Players Championship, and the fieldhas been cut from 32 to 16 players at Bowlero Euless and the ITRC inArlington, Texas. PBA Players Championship After six additional games on the dual oil pattern format, the final 30-gametotals determined the 16 players moving on to match play. EJ Tackett remains in first place overall with 6,838 pins and a 228 average.Graham Fach moved into second with 6,777, followed closely by Andrew Andersonin third at 6,774. EJ Tackett remains in first place overall CJ Petrin sits fourth with 6,771, while Shawn Maldonado rounds out the topfive at 6,766. Shawn Maldonado Spencer Robarge stands sixth with 6,731. Tim Foy Jr. is seventh at 6,729, andJesper Svensson holds eighth place with 6,722. Brandon Bonta, who led the Advancers Round with 1,450 and a 242 average whilestriking at a 70 percent rate, climbed from 22nd after qualifying to ninthoverall with 6,713. Brad Miller, who advanced through the PTQ earlier in the week, followed with1,419 and a 237 average in the Advancers Round. He jumped from 24th afterqualifying to 10th overall with 6,667. advanced through the PTQ earlier in the week Matthew Ogle secured 11th place with 6,656. BJ Moore finished 12th at 6,650.Sam Cooley sits 13th with 6,637. Nicholas Pate placed 14th with 6,616. Mitch Hupé claimed 15th at 6,605, and Bill O’Neill captured the finaladvancing position in 16th with 6,600. Just outside the cut, DeeRonn Booker finished 17th with 6,572, missing matchplay by 28 pins. Full results can be found here. here The top 16 players will bowl 16 games of round-robin match play on Friday, starting at 11 a.m CST.The top five after two rounds of match play will advance to Sunday’s stepladder finals. The stepladder finals of the PBA Players Championship are set for Sunday at 3 p.m. CST on The CW. The CW.

Form is temporary. Class is permanent. After all four qualifying rounds at thePBA Players Championshipon the Viper 37-foot and Badger 50-foot oil patterns, EJ Tackett finally tookfirst place with a total of 5,545 pins and a 231.04 average. He ended +745above the 200-average pace across the 24-game block. PBA Players Championship In two days, players bowled 24 games across four qualifying rounds. Eventhough Tackett did not win any of those rounds, his consistent pace allowedhim to secure the top position overall. After the final game, the reigning Player of the Year admitted that he felttired after the intense schedule, but was pleased with the result. “The No. 1 position is where you want to be,”he told Nolan Hughes of the PBAafter his final shot. “We’ve got a lot of games left to go, but we’ve got agood start going into match play.” he told Nolan Hughes of the PBA Shawn Maldonado, who led the field for most of qualifying, secured secondplace with 5,479, followed by Andrew Anderson in third with 5,441. Andersonhad a slow start, butQualifying Round 3 marked a major turnaround, as he climbed from 36th position to seventh. Qualifying Round 3 marked a major turnaround CJ Petrin finished fourth at 5,405, and Nate Garcia,who made it to the main field through the PTQ, rounded out the top five with 5,403. who made it to the main field through the PTQ Graham Fach placed sixth with 5,366. Tim Foy Jr. finished seventh at 5,349,Matt Ogle took eighth with 5,342, and Jesper Svensson secured ninth place at5,329. Spencer Robarge completed the top ten with 5,312. Jesper Svensson was one of three Swedish bowlers competing in the PBA PlayersChampionship qualifiers, but he was the only one to complete the event. Rasmus Edvall, the PBA Scorpion Champion, felt pain in his knee, the same kneethat previously sidelined him for nearly a year, and had to withdraw duringGame 3 of Qualifying Round 1. “The knee I had problems with before is acting up again, but it’s somethingdifferent this time,” he told BowlingLife. “I’ll go home and see some doctorsto find out what’s going on this time.” Meanwhile, Martin Larsen experienced issues with his elbow and also withdrewafter the first day of competition. The battle around the cut line remained close until the final games.Timmy Tan, who made a significant move earlier in qualifying, secured the 31st position with 5,209 pins and a 217.04 average. TomDaugherty claimed the final advancing spot in 32nd place with 5,203. Timmy Tan, who made a significant move earlier in qualifying View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bowling News • Reviews • Tips (@bowlinglife.eu) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bowling News • Reviews • Tips (@bowlinglife.eu) Just outside the cut, Santtu Tahvanainen finished 33rd with 5,199, missing theAdvancers Round by four pins. Defending champion Ethan Fioredid not advance this year. He concluded qualifying in 41st place with 3,975through 18 games before falling short of the top 32 after the final round. Defending champion Ethan Fiore The remaining 32 players will return for the Advancers Round, a six-game blockscheduled for 6 p.m. CST on a dual oil pattern format, with Badger on one laneand Viper on the other. Following the Advancers Round, the top 16 will move on to round-robin matchplay. The stepladder finals of the PBA Players Championship are set for Sundayat 4 p.m. Eastern onThe CW. The CW

Even though the top three positions remained unchanged, the third qualifyinground at thePBA Players Championshipbrought significant movement across the rest of the leaderboard, tighteningthe race ahead of the final block in Arlington, Texas. PBA Players Championship After 18 of 24 qualifying games,Shawn Maldonado remains in first placewith a total of 4,196 pins and a 233 average. Shawn Maldonado remains in first place Although he finished 38th in Round 3, his earlier performance was strongenough to keep him at the top position overall. EJ Tackett still holds second place with 4,163 pins and a 231 average. Heplaced 22nd in the third round but remains firmly in contention heading intothe final block of qualifying. DeeRonn Booker sits in third with 4,144. Matthew Ogle has moved from tenthinto fourth place with 4,120, followed by Trevor Roberts in fifth at 4,104.Mitch Hupé currently stands sixth with 4,072. Andrew Anderson made one of the biggest moves of the round, finishing secondin the block and surging from 36th place after Round 2 all the way up toseventh overall with 4,048 pins. Tim Foy Jr. occupies eighth place with 4,046. Nicholas Pate holds ninth at4,035. At the same time, Malaysia’s Timmy Tan produced a major jump in the standings.He entered Round 3 in 47th place, then set the pace for the block with 1,461over six games. That result lifted him into 10th overall with a total of 4,025pins. The defending champion Ethan Fioreis currently in 24th place with 3,975 pins. defending champion Ethan Fiore Around the cut line, the race remains tight. Deo Benard and Jason Belmonte aretied in 31st and 32nd place with 3,951 pins each, both averaging 220. Justbelow the cut, Sean Lavery-Spahr sits in 33rd with 3,947, only four pinsbehind the advancing position.Full results can be foundhere. here. One more six-game qualifying block remains before the field is reduced to thetop 32 players. Round 4 will be contested on the longer 50-foot Badger oilpattern, starting at 6 p.m. CST. The stepladder finals of the PBA Players Championship will be broadcast onSunday, February 22 at 4 p.m. Eastern onThe CW. The CW

The 2026 PBA Tour season continued in Arlington, Texas with another sixqualifying games at the season-opening major event, the PBA PlayersChampionship. A total of 96 players began the event on the 37-foot Viper oil pattern beforemoving to the longer 50-foot Badger pattern for Round 2. With half of the24-game qualifying schedule complete, Shawn Maldonado moved into first placewith a total of 2,886 pins, averaging 240 over 12 games. EJ Tackett sits in second with 2,815. DeeRonn Booker follows in third at2,788. Trevor Roberts holds fourth place with 2,774, while Graham Fach roundsout the top five with 2,762. Mitch Hupé is sixth with 2,728. The defending champion Ethan Fiore standsseventh at 2,719. Nick Pate occupies eighth with 2,698. Tim Foy Jr. is ninthwith 2,694, and Matt Ogle completes the top ten at 2,689. Trey Brand,who led the field after Round 1 , is currently in 23rd position with 2,622 total. who led the field after Round 1 Only the top 32 players after 24 total qualifying games will advance to thenext stage. With 12 games remaining, the battle around the cut line isbeginning to tighten. Zach Weidman currently holds the 32nd position with 2,604 pins. Just one pinbehind him is Nate Garcia in 33rd place with 2,603. You can check the full results here. Just sign in to LeaguePalsfirst, as the standard PBA results page won’t display detailed scores withouta LeaguePals login. check the full results here Qualifying continues on Wednesday starting at 11 a.m. CST with Round 3 on theViper pattern, followed by Round 4 on the Badger pattern. The top 32 playerswill then advance to the six-game Advancers Round. The stepladder finals of the PBA Players Championship are scheduled to airSunday, February 22 at 4 p.m. Eastern onThe CW. The CW

96 players officially opened the long-awaited 2026 PBA Tour season with thefirst qualifying block at the PBA Players Championship in Arlington, Texas. The first six-game round was played on the Viper 37-foot oil pattern. After advancing through the PTQ on Monday with a ninth-place finish, PBARegional title winner at the 2023 PBA Emerald Southwest Challenge, Trey Brandcarried that momentum into the main field. He claimed first position after sixgames with a total of 1,501 pins. After advancing through the PTQ on Monday with a ninth-place finish Brand averaged 250 and struck on 75 percent of his shots, compared to the 57percent field average. Sean Lavery-Spahr sits in second place with 1,494 pins. Mitch Hupé follows inthird with 1,466, while DeeRonn Booker is fourth with 1,465. Kyle Troup roundsout the top five with 1,450. Shawn Maldonado holds sixth place with 1,440. EJ Tackett is seventh with1,432. Chris Sloan stands in eighth with 1,417. Nick Pate and BJ Moore aretied for ninth and tenth with 1,416 each. PTQ leader Ben Robinson holds the final spot above the cut with 1,328 pins anda 221 average. Just below the line, Anthony Simonsen sits in 33rd place withthe same total. PTQ leader Ben Robinson Four perfect games were scored already by Tim Foy Jr., Brad Miller, Nate Purches, and Jakob Butturff. Full results can be foundhere. here The field will be cut to 32 players after a total of 24 qualifying gamesplayed over four rounds. Qualifying continues later today with another six games on the longer Badger50-foot oil pattern, starting at 9 p.m. CST. The full qualifying schedule runs from Tuesday, February 17 through Friday,February 20. The first broadcast of the 2026 PBA Tour season is scheduled for Sunday,February 22 at 4 p.m. Eastern on The CW. The CW

The 2026 PBA Tour season started with Ben Robinson leading the PBA PlayersChampionship PTQ after seven games in Arlington, Texas. The PBA Players Championship marks the first tournament and first major of the2026 PBA Tour season. The event opened with the Pre-Tournament Qualifier, where 73 players competedfor 14 spots in the main field. After seven games on the Aulby 39-foot oil pattern, Ben Robinson of the UKsecured the top position with a total of 1,664 pins. He averaged 237 for theround and finished 264 pins above par. Robinson built his lead with consistent striking and clean spare shooting. Hestruck on 64 percent of his shots, well above the 54 percent field average.Just as important, he did not miss a single spare during the seven-game block. Brian Robinson finished second with 1,614 pins. Nate Garcia followed in thirdplace with 1,608. Tyrell Ingalls placed fourth with 1,606, while Ryota Iguchirounded out the top five with 1,597. Brad Miller advanced in sixth position with 1,586. Carlos Granados finishedseventh with 1,570. Johnathan Norman secured eighth place with 1,566, justahead of Trey Brand, who had 1,565. Riley Patton claimed the tenth spot with 1,559. David Simard followed ineleventh with 1,557. Kyle Michalosky took twelfth place with 1,554. MasonEdmondson finished thirteenth with 1,553. Nathan Ruest-Lajoie secured thefinal advancing position in fourteenth with 1,549. The top 14 players moved on to the main field and will join 82 othercompetitors in the main event. The PBA Players Championship now continues with a practice session. Officialqualifying rounds are scheduled to begin Tuesday at 11 a.m. CST on the Viper37-foot oil pattern. Viper is one of two patterns used for the major event, along with the Badger50-foot pattern. The official start of qualifying at the PBA Players Championship will alsomark the deadline for team submissions in the BowlingLife Fantasy League, somake sure to submit your team. All information about the BowlingLife Fantasy League can be foundhere. make sure to submit your team here View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bowling News • Reviews • Tips (@bowlinglife.eu) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bowling News • Reviews • Tips (@bowlinglife.eu)

EJ Tackett added another win to his rivalry with Jason Belmonte by taking thevictory in the PBA USA vs. The World Captains Match on Sunday. Both captainsalso picked two teammates for the PBA USA vs. The World televised finals onApril 4. PBA USA vs. The World Captains Match Representing Team USA, Tackett defeated Belmonte with a score of 266–227.Tackett struck on 11 of his 12 shots. His only open frame came in the eighth,when he left a 7-10 split. The match was held inside the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame. Aunique setup included two real wood lanes installed inside the museum, withoutany lane markings or arrows. The victory gives Tackett and Team USA an advantage heading into the PBA USAvs. The World televised finals on April 4. Tackett secured lane choice and thefirst selection in setting the lineup order for the upcoming team event. The finals will feature four singles matches between Team USA and Team World.Each singles match will count for one point. Two additional points will beawarded to the team with the higher total pinfall. If the teams are tied, aone-ball roll-off will decide the outcome. Following the Captains Match, both players selected two teammates for theApril event. Tackett chose Andrew Anderson and Ethan Fiore to join Team USA. Meanwhile,Belmonte selected Jesper Svensson of Sweden and Dom Barrett of the UK torepresent Team World. The fourth and final player on each team will be determined based on 2026competition points after the PBA Indiana Classic in March.