Singapore’s Darren Ong made history at the World Series of Bowling XVI, becoming the first player from Singapore to win a PBA Tour title. Ong secured his victory in the PBA Viper Championship, defeating two-time PBA Player of the Year EJ Tackett 215-205 in the final match.
Ong led the competition from start to finish, rolling three perfect games along the way. He swept Stuart Williams and Trevor Roberts 3-0 in the Single Elimination round and earned the tournament’s top seed. His victory marks a significant milestone for Singaporean bowling, following in the footsteps of several Singaporean women who have won titles on the PWBA Tour.
“I still can't believe that this actually happened,” Ong told the PBA after the match. “I hope this achievement inspires other bowlers, not just in Singapore, but in Southeast Asia and Asia. We are capable of coming on Tour and giving everyone here a run for their money.”
Tackett, the No. 5 seed, fought his way up the stepladder by defeating Jason Belmonte, Zach Wilkins, and Kris Prather. He had a chance to shut out Ong in the final frames but left a 4-10 split in the ninth. Despite missing his ideal line by only 0.4 boards, the slight margin was enough to cost him the match. Ong needed only a mark to win and delivered a strike to claim the trophy.
Tackett made his third TV round appearance in 72 hours but did not secure a win. He finished second at the PBA Mike Aulby Nevada Classic on Sunday, losing to Andrew Anderson, placed third in the Scorpion Championship, and now finished second in the Viper Championship.
Both Scorpion and Viper titles were won by international players, with Sweden’s Rasmus Edvall claiming his first PBA Tour title just a day earlier.
For his win, Ong earned a $20,000 prize and secured a spot in this year’s PBA Tournament of Champions in April.
In 2023, Darren Ong won the singles gold medal at the IBF World Bowling Championships in Kuwait, becoming the first male bowler from Singapore to claim the title since Remy Ong's victory at the 2006 World Championships in South Korea.
The WSOB XVI continues today with the PBA Chameleon Championship, with stepladder finals airing live on FS1. International viewers can follow the action on BowlTV.
2025 PBA Viper Championship Stepladder Finals Scores:
Match 1: No. 5 EJ Tackett - No. 4 Jason Belmonte, 247-220
Match 2: No. 5 EJ Tackett - No. 3 Zach Wilkins, 254-237
Match 3: No. 5 EJ Tackett - No. 2 Kris Prather, 224-207
Match 4: No. 5 EJ Tackett - No. 1 Rafiq Ismail, 205-215
PBA World Series of Bowling XVI Schedule:
All times are Nevada local.
Tuesday, March 18
9 a.m. – PBA Chameleon Championship - Match Play Round of 16 (best-of-five games)
11:30 a.m. – PBA Chameleon Championship - Match Play Round of 8 (best-of-five games)
4 p.m. on FS1 – PBA Chameleon Championship - Finals
Wednesday, March 19
9 a.m. – PBA Shark Championship - Match Play Round of 16 (best-of-five games)
11:30 a.m. – PBA Shark Championship - Match Play Round of 8 (best-of-five games)
4 p.m. on FS1 – PBA Shark Championship - Finals
Thursday, March 20
10 a.m. – PBA World Championship - Round-Robin Match Play Round 1 (eight games)
5 p.m. – PBA World Championship - Round-Robin Match Play Round 2 (eight games)
Saturday, March 22
12 p.m. on FOX – PBA World Championship Finals
