The 2025 PBA Players Championship ended with a breakthrough moment as 20-year-old Ethan Fiore captured his first-ever PBA Tour title—and a major—by defeating Ryan Barnes in the championship match. The win earned Fiore a $100,000 payday and etched his name into the record books as the second-youngest major champion in PBA history, just behind Anthony Simonsen, who claimed his first major at 19 years and 39 days.
The day began with the stepladder finals, where the spotlight was initially on Kevin McCune and Tim Foy Jr., longtime friends and recent doubles partners. Before the opening match, the two exchanged playful jabs that had the crowd in tears. McCune joked he’d beat Foy by his age—about 100 pins—while Foy replied that he’d be safe if he could bowl McCune’s weight. But once the match began, it was Foy who quickly took control. McCune, who had rolled through four opponents in the preliminary round, started cautiously using a Storm IQ Tour 78-U urethane ball. After four consecutive spares and a ball switch, he still couldn’t find a rhythm. Meanwhile, Foy strung five strikes between the second and sixth frames, building a 47-pin lead by the commercial break. Even a shredded belt in the ball return machine, which delayed the match for 15 minutes, couldn’t break Foy’s focus. He stayed sharp and closed the match with a convincing 235–185 victory.
Foy carried that momentum into the next round against No. 3 seed Alec Keplinger. Although Keplinger opened with two quick strikes, his scoring pace dropped off soon after. Foy, despite an early 4-9 split, rebounded with three strikes and stayed steady throughout. He never lost the lead, eventually taking the match 247–215 and moving one step closer to his first career title.
However, in the semifinal match, Foy’s run came to an end. Standing in his way was Ryan Barnes, the No. 2 seed and returning finalist from the 2024 Players Championship. Barnes, often known for struggling under the TV lights, looked like a new man this time around. He came out firing with seven strikes in a row, sending a clear message that he was ready for the moment. Foy kept things close with four strikes of his own in the first six frames, but a missed opportunity to string more allowed Barnes to stay ahead. A 2-10 split in the eighth by Barnes opened a window, cutting the lead to just five pins, but Foy couldn't capitalize. Barnes held on, striking late to win 264–235 and earn his shot at redemption in the title match.
That set up a historic final between Barnes (22) and Fiore (20)—a combined age of just 42, possibly the youngest championship pairing in PBA major history. Both players had yet to win a PBA title, let alone a major, and the pressure was written all over their faces. With $100,000 and a major title on the line, every shot carried weight. The nerves showed early, as neither player could find a consistent look. After ten frames, each had managed only five strikes. But Fiore found his groove first, stringing four strikes between the fourth and seventh frames, which gave him a solid lead. Barnes, on the other hand, made a critical error in the sixth that widened the gap, and he couldn’t recover in the closing frames.
As the final pin fell, Ethan Fiore raised his arms in victory, becoming one of the youngest major champions the PBA has ever seen. When asked about his plans for the $100,000 prize money, the 20-year-old responded mentioning that part of it would go toward upgrading his sleep setup as, above all, he just loves to sleep.
With the Players Championship complete, the focus now shifts to the next major on the calendar: the PBA Tournament of Champions, taking place April 14–20.
