The 16-game qualifying stage at the PBA New York Classic is complete, and from the original 132-player field competing for the eighth title of the season, only 44 remain. And for the first time this season, that group of advancers does not include EJ Tackett.
But first, let’s look at the positive side of things.
Kyle Troup, who was sixth after the first qualifying round, moved into the lead after an even better second round, including a 300 game, to take control of the field at ABC Gates Bowl in Rochester.
Though the job is not done, that was a small moment of satisfaction for Kyle Troup, whose best result this season was 16th place at the 2026 PBA Indiana Classic.
The 34-year-old two-hander, who set the PBA’s single-season earnings record in 2021 with nearly half a million dollars, finished with a total of 3,725 pins, averaging 232 over 16 games on the 38-foot Bear oil pattern.
He followed up a strong opening round with an even better second block of 1,868.
Behind Troup by just seven pins is Darren Tang with 3,718. Chris Via holds third with 3,686 at a 230 average, while Patrick Dombrowski made one of the biggest moves of the round to climb into fourth place with 3,685. Tom Daugherty, who led after Round 1 with 1,920, rounded out the top five with 3,678.
Riley Woodard is sixth with 3,660, followed by Austin Grammar in seventh with 3,655. Finland’s Tomas Käyhkö sits eighth with 3,630, while Lanndyn Carnate and Kyle Sherman are tied in ninth and tenth with 3,629, both averaging 226.
Carnate finished his block with a 300 game and a 299 in games six and eight to jump into the top 10.
Andrew Hall took the last qualifying position with 3,508, finishing 44th.
EJ Tackett, who leads the PBA Tour in points this season without a title, missed the cut by just 13 pins and finished 48th.
It marks the first time this season that Tackett will not advance past qualifying.
EJ Tackett's 2026 PBA Tour Finishes
Prior to the PBA New York Classic
| Tournament | Finish |
|---|---|
| PBA Players Championship | 2nd |
| PBA Pete Weber Classic | 7th |
| Go Bowling U.S. Open | 12th |
| Groupon PBA Illinois Classic | 3rd |
| PBA Indiana Classic | 3rd |
| USBC Masters | 2nd |
| Pilgrim's PBA Ohio Classic | 5th |
Ironically, Tackett’s worst performance this season was still better than Kyle Troup’s best result. In March, EJ Tackett finished 12th at the 2026 PBA U.S. Open, while in every other event he placed no lower than seventh.
It is also heartbreaking news for BowlingLife Fantasy League players, as more than 75 percent of teams picked EJ Tackett, making him the most popular player selection across all tiers.
The Advancers Round begins at 11 a.m. ET, where the remaining players will bowl six more games.
After that, the top 24 will move on to match play, with those seeded ninth through 24th competing in the opening round, while the top eight earn a bye.
Match play will continue across Friday with best-of-seven matches in the Round of 16 and Round of 8. Bracket winners, along with the highest-seeded player eliminated in the Round of 8, will secure a place in the stepladder finals, which will be broadcast live on Sunday, April 12 at 1 p.m. ET on The CW.
| Rank | Player | Total | Avg. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kyle Troup | 3,725 | 232.81 |
| 2 | Darren Tang | 3,718 | 232.38 |
| 3 | Chris Via | 3,686 | 230.38 |
| 4 | Patrick Dombrowski | 3,685 | 230.31 |
| 5 | Tom Daugherty | 3,678 | 229.88 |
| 6 | Riley Woodard | 3,660 | 228.75 |
| 7 | Austin Grammar | 3,655 | 228.44 |
| 8 | Tomas Kayhko | 3,630 | 226.88 |
| 9 | Landyn Carrate | 3,629 | 226.81 |
| 10 | Kyle Sherman | 3,629 | 226.81 |
| ... | |||
| 44 | Andrew Hall | 3,508 | 219.25 |
| CUT TO ADVANCERS ROUND | |||
| 45 | Dallas Leong | 3,503 | 218.94 |
| 46 | Ryan Barnes | 3,495 | 218.44 |
Full PBA New York Classic results can be found here.
