The stepladder finals are set at the PBA Tournament of Champions after 42 games of qualifying and match play at AMF Riviera Lanes in Fairlawn, Ohio.
Zach Wilkins secured the top seed with a total of 10,259 pins. Alex Horton finished second with 10,166, followed by Andrew Anderson in third with 10,118. Brandon Bonta claimed the fourth spot with 10,072, while Jason Belmonte rounded out the top five with 10,003.
Just outside the stepladder, Santtu Tahvanainen, Anthony Simonsen, EJ Tackett, Mitch Hupé, and Darren Tang completed the top 10.
Wilkins leads the PBA Tournament of Champions after earning a place in the main event just a week ago by winning the PBA Roth/Holman Doubles Championship together with AJ Chapman. He carried that momentum throughout the week, consistently staying near the top five, eventually securing the No. 1 seed. He now sits one match away from a second career title, this time a major.
It won’t be easy, as the stepladder finals feature a mix of determined newcomers and highly experienced stars.
Alex Horton won his first PBA Regional Tour title just months ago, finished 11th in the PTQ for the Tournament of Champions, and will now make his first appearance in a PBA Tour stepladder final.
If there was ever a time to expect something unexpected from a rookie, it might be now, as three rookies — Brandon Bonta, Spencer Robarge, and Austin Grammar — have already won titles this season.
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To win the title, Horton will need to get past two future Hall of Famers and a player who already owns a major. Oh, who did that with a perfect game.
Andrew Anderson advanced as the No. 3 seed, adding another major opportunity to his career, while Brandon Bonta, the season-opening PBA Players Championship winner, will bowl from the fourth position with a chance to claim his second major title this season.
Four-time Tournament of Champions winner Jason Belmonte takes the fifth and final spot.
The stepladder finals will air live Sunday, April 26 at 4 p.m. ET on The CW.
