EJ Tackett defended his Shark Championship title and tied Don Johnson with his 26th Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour title after defeating Tom Smallwood 265-206 in an all-Motiv Bowling final.
In the first Stepladder Finals match, Jesper Svensson faced Tom Smallwood in a Round of 8 rematch, as Svensson earned the No. 5 seed as the highest-seeded qualifier who lost in the Round of 8.
Svensson started with an IQ Tour 78-U urethane bowling ball, converting a spare in the first frame, while Smallwood opened with a strike using the Motiv Jackal Onyx. However, he soon failed to convert a 3-6-7-10 split. Jesper responded with a strike but made an error of his own in the third frame, failing to convert a 1-3-4-6-7 spare. Smallwood then strung together four strikes to extend his lead to 32 pins before the commercial break. After the break, the "Ice Man" returned with another spare and then switched to the Storm Level, which immediately paid off with a strike. Unfortunately, it was a little too late, as Smallwood remained locked in, continuing to strike and increasing his lead to 44 pins before the ninth frame.
Jesper failed to strike again, and the match was decided—Smallwood took the win in the first match, defeating Svensson 247-192. This victory meant that, for the first time this season, the WSOB Animal Pattern Championship title would be claimed by an American bowler.
In the second Stepladder match, Smallwood faced No. 3 seed Tim Foy Jr., who is having a career-best season, making his fifth TV round appearance this year.
Both bowlers started the match nervously. Foy Jr. opened with the Big Four split, while Smallwood failed to convert a 4-pin spare. They both bounced back with a strike in the second frame, with Foy Jr. adding a spare in the third. Smallwood then strung together two more strikes, while Foy Jr. struggled with the left lane, unable to convert a strike. Fortunately for him, Smallwood also failed to strike in his next two frames before the break, reducing his lead to 19 pins. After the break, Foy Jr. came back with a strike, but the stubborn 10-pin on the left lane remained standing again in the seventh frame. Smallwood responded with a strike and a spare, but Foy Jr. made a crucial mistake in the eighth frame—his shot went too high, leaving a 4-7-10 split.
Smallwood took advantage, firing another strike and needing only nine pins in the tenth frame to shut down his opponent. However, he managed only six pins, leaving a small window for Foy Jr. to come back. Foy Jr. needed two strikes and seven pins on his final frame to win. The first strike was clean, but the 10-pin refused to fall on the second shot, handing the victory to Smallwood, who survived a disastrous mistake to win 189-182.
With two wins separating him from the PBA Tour title, Smallwood faced Packy Hanrahan, who immediately engaged with the crowd, ramping up the energy in the alley. Hanrahan started strong with a double, while Smallwood struggled to control his speed on both lanes, resulting in slightly light shots. In the third frame, Hanrahan missed a 7-pin spare but bounced back in the fourth and fifth frames with another double. On his last shot before the break, Hanrahan missed way off target but managed to convert a tough spare, holding an eight-pin lead. After the break, Smallwood responded with a five-bagger, while Hanrahan couldn’t keep up with his striking pace, ultimately falling to Smallwood 222-212.
For the title, Smallwood faced EJ Tackett, the man who had made six straight TV round appearances and all four Stepladder Final events here in Reno, Nevada.
Still seeking his first win on an animal pattern, Tackett came out focused, delivering twelve brilliant shots. He started with seven consecutive strikes before picking up his first spare in the eighth frame. Holding a commanding 50-plus pin lead, he added another spare in the ninth, but it had no impact on the outcome.
Tackett secured his 26th PBA Tour title—and his third of the season—with a dominant 265-206 victory over Tom Smallwood.
Before Shark Championship, three international players from three different countries have claimed the PBA Tour title in Reno, with Sweden's Rasmus Edvall winning the Scorpion, Singapore's Darren Ong taking the win at Viper, and Tun Hakim winning Malaysia's first PBA Tour Title at Chameleon Championship.
The PBA Shark Championship held its finals during the PBA World Series of Bowling XVI in Reno. Tomorrow, the competition will shift to the PBA World Championship Round-Robin Match Play Rounds, starting at 10 a.m. local.
The prize fund for the PBA Shark Championship winner was $20,000.
2025 PBA Shark Championship Stepladder Finals Scores:
Match 1: No. 5 Jesper Svensson - No. 4 Tom Smallwood, 192-247
Match 2: No. 4 Tom Smallwood - No. 3 Tim Foy Jr., 189-182
Match 3: No. 4 Tom Smallwood - No. 2 Packy Hanrahan, 222-212
Match 4: No. 2 Tom Smallwood - No. 1 EJ Tackett, 206-265
PBA World Series of Bowling XVI Schedule:
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
