EJ Tackett has become the first bowler in PBA history to win Player of the Year in four consecutive seasons, claiming the 2026 Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year award.
The 34-year-old from Bluffton, Indiana, received 85.46% of the votes cast by PBA members and media. It is his fifth career Player of the Year award, following victories in 2016 and from 2023 through 2025.
Only Jason Belmonte and Walter Ray Williams Jr., with seven each, and Earl Anthony, with six, have won more. Tackett moves ahead of Mark Roth, who earned four.
Record Average
This season, Tackett set a PBA Tour single-season average record of 229.79 across 438 games. He also led the tour in points with 32,335 and earnings with $324,075.
His consistency produced 10 top-five finishes, 13 top-10 finishes and 17 cashes in 18 title events, leading the tour in all three categories.
The new average record adds to an already strong run. His 229.37 average in 2024 and 228.60 in 2025 rank third and fifth, respectively, on the all-time list.
Tackett’s clinched the POY award winning the 2026 AMF PBA World Championship for the fourth consecutive year.
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