The stage is set for the PBA Scorpion Championship stepladder finals, and history could be made tonight. Four of the five finalists are seeking their first career PBA title, while one of the sport’s biggest stars aims to add yet another trophy to his collection.
Motiv Bowling is making a powerful statement in this event, with four of its players advancing to the finals. Among them are three international standouts—No. 1 seed Rafiq Ismail from Malaysia, No. 3 seed Tobias Börding from Germany, and No. 5 seed Rasmus Edvall from Sweden—each making their televised PBA championship round debut. Joining them is rookie Ryan Barnes, who recently reached the PBA Pete Weber Missouri Classic finals as the No. 5 seed.
The biggest name in the finals is EJ Tackett, the No. 2 seed, making his second TV round appearance in just 24 hours after losing the PBA Mike Aulby Nevada Classic title to Andrew Anderson yesterday. Nevertheless, the two-time reigning PBA Player of the Year and 26-time PBA Tour champion is looking to tie Don Johnson for 10th on the all-time titles list tonight—all he has to do is win twice.
But Tackett's story is just one of five—every player in the finals has their own history to make. Ismail enters as the top seed after a dominant showing in the elimination rounds, defeating Shawn Maldonado and Rasmus Edvall. Börding has the chance to become the first German bowler to win a PBA title. Edvall’s journey has been especially remarkable—battling through knee injuries, he now finds himself in the biggest moment of his career. Meanwhile, Barnes continues to prove he belongs among the sport’s best, making his second championship round appearance of the season.
The finals take place at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nevada, and will be broadcast live on FS1 at 8 PM ET (U.S. time), 1 AM (Swedish and German time), and 8 AM (Malaysia time). International spectators can watch the competition live on
PBA World Series of Bowling XVI Schedule:
Monday, March 17
9 a.m. – PBA Viper Championship - Match Play Round of 16 (best-of-five games)
11:30 a.m. – PBA Viper Championship - Match Play Round of 8 (best-of-five games)
4 p.m. on FS1 – PBA Viper Championship - Finals
Tuesday, March 18
9 a.m. – PBA Chameleon Championship - Match Play Round of 16 (best-of-five games)
11:30 a.m. – PBA Chameleon Championship - Match Play Round of 8 (best-of-five games)
4 p.m. on FS1 – PBA Chameleon Championship - Finals
Wednesday, March 19
9 a.m. – PBA Shark Championship - Match Play Round of 16 (best-of-five games)
11:30 a.m. – PBA Shark Championship - Match Play Round of 8 (best-of-five games)
4 p.m. on FS1 – PBA Shark Championship - Finals
Thursday, March 20
10 a.m. – PBA World Championship - Round-Robin Match Play Round 1 (eight games)
5 p.m. – PBA World Championship - Round-Robin Match Play Round 2 (eight games)
Saturday, March 22
12 p.m. on FOX – PBA World Championship Finals
