The Advancers Round at the PBA Ohio Classic is complete, and the five players heading to Sunday’s stepladder finals are now set.
At the center of the entire week was Ryan Barnes. The reigning PBA Rookie of the Year took the lead in the third round of qualifying and never really let this tournament slip out of his hands.
Barnes finished as the top seed with 9,139 total pins, averaging 253 over 36 games. Now, he is just one win away from his first career PBA Tour title.
Ryan Barnes | PBA Ohio Classic
While Barnes controlled the lead, Hanrahan quietly held his position right behind him.
Packy Hanrahan secured the No. 2 seed with 8,948, putting together one of the steadiest weeks in the field.
The two-handed lefty held second place since qualifying Round 4 and never had a bad block that pushed him out of that position.
He now has a chance to win his third career title, but he will first have to get past Spencer Robarge.
Robarge made his second TV appearance of his rookie season after finishing fifth in the season-opening PBA Players Championship. He was solid early, sitting fifth after qualifying, but dropped to tenth after a slower 1,371 block in the Elimination Round of 40. A strong final block of 1,567 in the Round of 16 changed everything, pushing him up to third place with 8,841.
In his hometown, Chris Via followed a similar script.
The Columbus native was outside the top-five pace after qualifying and still eighth after the Round of 40. But when it mattered most, he delivered. A 1,532 block in the Round of 16 lifted him into fourth place with 8,817, earning him a spot in the finals in front of a home crowd.
And then there was the man without whom Sundays on The CW just don’t happen.
EJ Tackett was leading the tournament after 12 games, but then his week started going in the opposite direction. Tackett dropped to seventh after 24 qualifying games, and by the end of the Round of 40, he was sitting in 11th place and well outside the stepladder.
He needed something late - and he found it.
Tackett closed the Round of 16 with games of 289 and 280 to climb back into fifth place with 8,813 and secure the final spot in the show.
It marks his fifth championship round appearance in seven events this season.
PBA Ohio Classic Stepladder Finals
Tackett now has a chance to repeat Boog Krol’s run at the USBC Masters last week, where he climbed from the No. 5 seed to lift the trophy after defeating Tackett in the final.
Just outside the stepladder finals, Graham Fach finished sixth with 8,800, missing the show by only 13 pins. Hayden Stippich followed in seventh with 8,767, and Matt Russo placed eighth with 8,759.
François Lavoie, who made headlines earlier in the week, finished ninth with 8,744. CW Network color analyst Kyle Sherman rounded out the top 10 with 8,732.
The stepladder finals will be broadcast live on Sunday, April 5 at 4 p.m. ET on The CW.
| Rank | Player | Total | Avg. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ryan Barnes | 9,139 | 253.86 |
| 2 | Patrick Hanrahan | 8,948 | 248.56 |
| 3 | Spencer Robarge | 8,841 | 245.58 |
| 4 | Chris Via | 8,817 | 244.92 |
| 5 | EJ Tackett | 8,813 | 244.81 |
| CUT TO STEPLADDER FINALS | |||
| 6 | Graham Fach | 8,800 | 244.44 |
| 7 | Hayden Stippich | 8,767 | 243.53 |
| 8 | Matt Russo | 8,759 | 243.31 |
| 9 | Francois Lavoie | 8,744 | 242.89 |
| 10 | Kyle Sherman | 8,732 | 242.56 |
| 11 | Kris Prather | 8,712 | 242.00 |
| 12 | Cameron Crowe | 8,701 | 241.69 |
| 13 | Richie Teece | 8,653 | 240.36 |
| 14 | Jeff Mann | 8,653 | 240.36 |
| 15 | Darren Tang | 8,592 | 238.67 |
| 16 | Zach Wilkins | 8,471 | 235.31 |
