PBA Roth/Holman Doubles Championship Down to 16 After Wild Round

Out of 32 teams that started the bracket in Portland, Maine, only 16 remain in contention for the PBA Roth/Holman Doubles Championship title.

The opening round of match play delivered a mix of expected results and early exits for several top-seeded teams.

All matches were played in a best-of-seven Baker format, with teams alternating shots on two different oil patterns - 38-foot Holman and 42-foot Roth.

There were no surprises at the top, as EJ Tackett and Marshall Kent moved on with a 4-2 win over Jimmy Clark and Joe Colcord, while second seed Boog Krol and Keven Williams controlled their match with a 4-1 win over Charlie Mitchell and Arturo Quintero.

Tomas Käyhkö and Trevor Roberts advanced with a 4-0 sweep against Matt Russo and Nick Pate, while Alec Keplinger and Michael Davidson unexpectedly eliminated 2021 and 2024 champions Andrew Anderson and Kris Prather, 4-2.

An early surprise came as Nate Garcia and Julian Salinas swept PBA Players Championship winner Brandon Bonta and TJ Rock 4-0. In a meantime, Eric Jones and Deo Benard edged past Cam Crowe and Nate Stubler in a 4-3 match.

2019 champions Matt Ogle and Sean Rash secured a narrow 4-3 win over Thomas Larsen and Brian Robinson, while Mitch Hupé and Packy Hanrahan, who won in 2023, also advanced with a 4-3 result against AJ Johnson and Tommy Jones.

Defending champion Bill O’Neill, now paired with his new doubles partner Graham Fach, fell 4-0 to the twins Sean Lavery-Spahr and Anthony Lavery-Spahr, while Jesper Svensson and Kyle Troup advanced with a 4-2 win over Tun Hakim and Nate Purches.

Santtu Tahvanainen and Ethan Fiore defeated Chris Via and Darren Tang 4-2, while father-son duo Ryan Barnes and Chris Barnes came back from 0-2 to beat Sam Cooley and Ronnie Russell 4-2 after firing games of 299, 278, 256 and 219.

Rookies CJ Petrin and Alex Horton delivered one of the biggest upsets by edging Anthony Simonsen and Dom Barrett in a 4-3 match.

Zach Wilkins and AJ Chapman defeated Spencer Robarge and Jake Peters 4-2, while Tim Foy Jr. and Kevin McCune advanced with a 4-2 win over Justin Knowles and Jakob Butturff.

Brad Miller and Kyle Sherman completed the bracket with a 4-2 victory against 2026 U.S. Open champion Patrick Dombrowski and his doubles partner Bailey Mavrick.

With the Round of 32 complete, the remaining 16 teams will compete again in the best-of-seven format to determine the top eight.

The opening set of matches on Friday at 11 a.m. ET will feature EJ Tackett and Marshall Kent against Tomas Käyhkö and Trevor Roberts, alongside Eric Jones and Deo Benard facing Alec Keplinger and Michael Davidson. Matt Ogle and Sean Rash will meet Nate Garcia and Julian Salinas, while Mitch Hupé and Packy Hanrahan take on Sean Lavery-Spahr and Anthony Lavery-Spahr.

Later at 3 p.m. ET, Boog Krol and Keven Williams will bowl against Santtu Tahvanainen and Ethan Fiore. Jesper Svensson and Kyle Troup will face Ryan Barnes and Chris Barnes. Zach Wilkins and AJ Chapman meet CJ Petrin and Alex Horton, while Tim Foy Jr. and Kevin McCune will take on Brad Miller and Kyle Sherman.

All matches before the finals are available live on BowlTV.

The tournament will continue through the Round of 8, with only four teams advancing to the televised championship round.

The finals will be broadcast live on Sunday, April 19 at 4 p.m. ET on The CW. The winning team will be decided in a Race-to-Two format.