Ice Man Returns: Jesper Svensson Captures His Second Major at PBA Tournament of Champions

May 24, 2025 | By Erikas Jansonas

PBA

Article hero image

Jesper Svensson | Picture credit: Professional Bowlers Association (PBA)

Ice Man Returns: Jesper Svensson Captures His Second Major at PBA Tournament of Champions

May 24, 2025 | By Erikas Jansonas

Jesper Svensson | Picture credit: Professional Bowlers Association (PBA)

PBA

Sweden’s Jesper Svensson is once again the PBA Tournament of Champions winner, lifting the trophy for a second time after a convincing victory in Sunday’s stepladder finals at AMF Riviera Lanes in Fairlawn, Ohio.

The 'Ice Man' defeated Jakob Butturff 221–197 in the championship match, capping off a dominant week where he led after match play and entered the finals as the No. 1 seed. With this win, Svensson now owns 14 PBA Tour titles, tying him with Finland’s Mika Koivuniemi for the most by a European bowler, and two major championships.

BEst bowling balls review ad banner

Championship Match: Svensson Shuts Down Butturff to Reclaim TOC Title

In the title match, Svensson started strong with four strikes in a row using the Storm IQ Tour 78-U. Butturff, coming off five straight wins between the prelims and stepladder, struggled to find the right reaction on the lanes. An open frame in the third and scattered spares made it difficult for the lefty to build momentum.

While Butturff finally struck in the fifth, he couldn’t string them together. Svensson remained clean, calmly picking up spares and never letting go of the lead. He sealed the win 221–197, returning to the top of the TOC podium for the first time since 2016.

Match 3: Butturff Blazes Past Fach to Reach Championship Match

Before facing Svensson, Jakob Butturff rolled through Canada’s Graham Fach in the semifinal. Butturff started with four strikes and built a massive lead while Fach struggled early with an reactive resin ball choice, leaving an open in the fourth.

Even after switching from Hammer Black Widow Mania to a Brunswick Mesmerize and finding a late triple, Fach couldn’t close the gap. Butturff stayed clean and finished with a 234–182 win — his fifth consecutive match victory, including two from Saturday’s prelims.

Match 2: Butturff Survives Late Drama to Eliminate Tackett

In the second match, EJ Tackett — who was chasing the Triple Crown in a single season — fell just short against Butturff in a game filled with ups and downs.

Tackett started slowly but built a late charge with a string of strikes before a 4-pin in the eighth stopped the run. Butturff missed a 2-4-7 spare but bounced back in the ninth with a strike. Tackett left splits in both the ninth and tenth frames, converting one but ultimately handing Butturff the chance to close it out.

Butturff picked up the same 2-4-7 spare he had missed earlier and secured a tight 196–190 victory.

Motiv Evoke hysteria bowling ball review ad banner

Match 1: Butturff Outlasts McCune in Tight Opener

The stepladder finals opened with Jakob Butturff taking on Kevin McCune, who had made his second consecutive major finals appearance after finishing fifth in last week’s PBA Players Championship.

Both players started with urethane equipment and exchanged early blows, with McCune holding a slim three-pin lead at the commercial break. Butturff returned with back-to-back strikes, while McCune fell short in the ninth and tenth.

Butturff needed a mark and three pins — he struck in the 10th and finished at 231, advancing with a win over McCune’s 215.

Recapping the Road to the Finals

The 2025 PBA Tournament of Champions, powered by 1800 Tequila, was held at the iconic AMF Riviera Lanes — a venue rich with PBA history.

Through 42 games of qualifying and match play, nine players advanced to the two-part stepladder finals. Jakob Butturff earned his spot by winning Saturday’s prelims, defeating Matt Sanders, AJ Johnson, and Keven Williams. On Sunday, he defeated McCune, Tackett, and Fach before falling to Svensson.

Jesper Svensson’s victory gave him a long-awaited return to the winner’s circle on the U.S., where his last title win was back in 2022 at the Storm Cup. The 'Ice Man' won his 13th PBA Tour title last year at the 2024 Storm Lucky Larsen Masters in Helsingborg, Sweden.

Final Championship Round Results

  • Match 1: Butturff def. McCune, 231–215
  • Match 2: Butturff def. Tackett, 196–190
  • Match 3: Butturff def. Fach, 234–182
  • Championship Match: Svensson def. Butturff, 221–197

Stay with BowlingLife.eu for more coverage, interviews, and highlights from the 2025 PBA Tournament of Champions and all major bowling events across the globe.

Similar Articles

see more
Article thumbnail image

Coté and Via Capture 2025 Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles Title

Chris Via and Bryanna Coté claimed the title at the 25th anniversary edition of the Storm PBA/PWBA Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles, held at Copperfield Bowl in Houston. After finishing qualifying in 22nd place, the pair surged during match play and secured the top spot heading into the final game. With a total pinfall of 10,416 (+1,216) over 46 combined games, they held a comfortable lead of 260 pins over Kyle Troup and Liz Johnson, who finished in second with +1,042. Latest win marked Coté’s sixth PWBA title and Via’s second PBA title. For the win they were awarded with $25,000. Via also rolled the only two 300 games of the tournament and donated both $300 bonuses to the Striking Against Breast Cancer foundation. Last year's champions Anthony Simonsen and Danielle McEwan finished in 22nd. Last year's champions Last year's champions The final PBA title event of the season will be the Storm Lucky Larsen Masters in Helsingborg, Sweden, while the PWBA season wraps in August with Championship Week in Rochester, New York. Storm Lucky Larsen Masters in Helsingborg, Sweden Storm Lucky Larsen Masters in Helsingborg, Sweden Championship Week in Rochester, New York Championship Week in Rochester, New York Top 5 Final Standings: Top 5 Final Standings: Chris Via / Bryanna Coté – 10,416 (+1,216)Kyle Troup / Liz Johnson – 10,242 (+1,042)Darren Tang / Sin Li Jane – 10,039 (+839)Andrew Anderson / Erin McCarthy – 9,952 (+752)Tommy Jones / Shannon Pluhowsky – 9,918 (+718) Chris Via / Bryanna Coté – 10,416 (+1,216) Kyle Troup / Liz Johnson – 10,242 (+1,042) Darren Tang / Sin Li Jane – 10,039 (+839) Andrew Anderson / Erin McCarthy – 9,952 (+752) Tommy Jones / Shannon Pluhowsky – 9,918 (+718)

PBA

Article thumbnail image

Mika Koivuniemi Captures PBA50 Petraglia Championship Title

The 2025 PBA50 Petraglia Championship concluded on Tuesday in Jackson, Michigan, with Finland’s Mika Koivuniemi winning his first PBA50 title since 2018. In the title match, Koivuniemi, the No. 2 seed, started strong with a strike and spare, then built momentum with seven consecutive strikes from the fourth to the tenth frame - a pace his opponent just couldn't hande, securing the win 258-224. Previously, in the semifinal, Koivuniemi defeated No. 5 seed Liz Johnson, who had advanced through two earlier matches by defeating Brian LeClair in the opening match, 215-199 and then defeating Tom Daugherty 225-197. Johnson and Koivuniemi were even early in the game, but a split in the fourth frame gave Koivuniemi the lead. He remained clean through the match and finished strong to win 227-202. Koivuniemi earned $5,000 for the win. This win was crucial for Major Mika as he moves closer to qualifying for the PBA50 World Championship match play. All qualifying scores from this tournament, along with those from the Ballard, Monacelli, and Holman Championships, will determine the top 18 players advancing to the World Championship. Koivuniemi currently stands in 19th place and will need strong results in the upcoming Holman Championship to move up. All matches of the PBA50 are available to watch live on BowlTV. PBA50 Petraglia Championship Stepladder Finals – Match Results PBA50 Petraglia Championship Stepladder Finals – Match Results Match 1: Liz Johnson def. Brian LeClair, 215 – 199 Match 1: Match 2: Liz Johnson def. Tom Daugherty, 225 – 197 Match 2: Semifinal: Mika Koivuniemi def. Liz Johnson, 227 – 202 Semifinal: Final: Mika Koivuniemi def. Bo Goergen, 258 – 224 Final:

PBA

Article thumbnail image

Andrew Anderson Defeats Belmo and Tackett to Win 2025 PBA Tour Finals

Andrew Anderson defeated EJ Tackett in two straight games during Sunday’s finale at Steel City Bowl & Brews in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to become the fifth bowler to claim the title since the lounch of the event. The final match began with Tackett taking an early lead with four straight strikes, but open frames in the later stages allowed Anderson to steal Game 1, 212–200. In Game 2, early errors from Tackett gave Anderson a comfortable advantage. Despite an open frame in the sixth, Anderson held on to win 212–189 and sweep the Race-to-Two final. This win marks Anderson’s second title of the season—both earned in finals matches against Tackett—and the sixth PBA Tour title of his career. Earlier in the year, Tackett topped Anderson in the U.S. Open, but Anderson bounced back to defeat him at the PBA Mike Aulby Nevada Classic. Tackett topped Anderson in the U.S. Open Tackett topped Anderson in the U.S. Open PBA Mike Aulby Nevada Classic PBA Mike Aulby Nevada Classic With this win, he also pockets the $35,000 top prize. The Tour Finals featured the top eight points leaders from the 2024 and 2025 seasons, split into two groups. Anderson and Tackett each earned the top seed in their respective groups during Saturday’s positioning rounds and fought their way through stepladder matches to reach the final. In Group 1, Tackett advanced after narrowly escaping a roll-off win against Graham Fach. In Group 2, Anderson survived a high-scoring bracket that saw Jason Belmonte shoot 269 and 278 in his first two matches. Anderson lost the first game of their head-to-head but forced a roll-off and doubled in the tenth to move on to the championship. The PBA Tour Finals closes out the 2025 season. The post-season begins with the Storm PBA/PWBA Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles in July, followed by a return to international play in August at the Storm Lucky Larsen Masters in Sweden. Group 1 Stepladder Results: Group 1 Stepladder Results: Match 1: Kyle Troup (No. 4) defeated Bill O’Neill (No. 3), 227–214Match 2: Graham Fach (No. 2) defeated Kyle Troup, 226–197Match 3: EJ Tackett (No. 1) defeated Graham Fach, 2–1 Match 1: Kyle Troup (No. 4) defeated Bill O’Neill (No. 3), 227–214 Match 1: Match 2: Graham Fach (No. 2) defeated Kyle Troup, 226–197 Match 2: Match 3: EJ Tackett (No. 1) defeated Graham Fach, 2–1 Match 3: Group 2 Stepladder Results: Group 2 Stepladder Results: Match 1: Jason Belmonte (No. 3) defeated Anthony Simonsen (No. 4), 269–259Match 2: Jason Belmonte defeated Marshall Kent (No. 2), 278–221Match 3: Andrew Anderson (No. 1) defeated Jason Belmonte, 2–1 Match 1: Jason Belmonte (No. 3) defeated Anthony Simonsen (No. 4), 269–259 Match 1: Match 2: Jason Belmonte defeated Marshall Kent (No. 2), 278–221 Match 2: Match 3: Andrew Anderson (No. 1) defeated Jason Belmonte, 2–1 Match 3:

PBA

Article thumbnail image

PBA Tour Finals 2025: Tackett and Anderson Lead Positioning Rounds

The final PBA Tour title of the 2025 season is on the line this weekend in Pennsylvania, where the top eight point leaders from the 2024 and 2025 seasons are competing in the PBA Tour Finals. On Saturday, the players were split into two groups based on their points standings. Group 1 included EJ Tackett, Bill O’Neill, Kyle Troup, and Graham Fach. Group 2 featured Anthony Simonsen, Jason Belmonte, Andrew Anderson, and Marshall Kent. Each group bowled two games on dual oil patterns—46-foot Petraglia on the left lane and 40-foot Monacelli on the right. The two lowest scorers were placed as the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds for Sunday’s stepladder. The top two advanced to a one-game match to determine seeding for the final. In Group 1, Tackett led the pack with 266 in his first game and stayed consistent to finish with a total of 488. Fach followed closely with 460 to join him in the seeding match, where Tackett rolled 258 to Fach’s 211 to claim the top seed. O’Neill and Troup will open Sunday’s Group 1 stepladder at 5 p.m. ET. The winner will face Fach, and then meet Tackett in a Race-to-Two match. Group 2 saw a standout performance from Andrew Anderson, who started with a 279 and followed it with 206 for a 485 series. Marshall Kent secured second with 452, while Belmonte and Simonsen struggled to keep pace. Anderson edged out Kent in the seeding match, 193–191, and now waits for the winner of the Group 2 stepladder starting at 7 p.m. ET. Belmonte and Simonsen will face off in the opener, with the winner moving on to face Kent. The two stepladder winners will meet in the championship match at 9 p.m. ET. All matches will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network, which recently signed a new two-year agreement with the PBA beginning in 2026. new two-year agreement with the PBA beginning in 2026 new two-year agreement with the PBA beginning in 2026

PBA