Sweden's Jesper Svensson Secures Top Seed for PBA Tournament of Champions Finals

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

The final rounds of match play are complete, and the top nine players are locked in for the stepladder finals of the 2025 PBA Tournament of Champions powered by 1800 Tequila.

Sweden’s Jesper Svensson claimed the No. 1 seed after an impressive run at AMF Riviera Lanes in Fairlawn, Ohio. The two-handed lefty, who won this event back in 2016, finished match play with the highest score total and will bowl for the title on Sunday in the championship round.

Joining him in Sunday’s televised finals on FOX are Canada’s Graham Fach, who won 2025 PBA Delaware Classic, E.J. Tackett, who is aiming for his third major title this season, and Kevin McCune, 2025 PBA Players Championship finalist. These four players earned direct spots in the final show based on their performance in match play.

McCune had a big finish to sneak into the top four, capping off his 26th birthday with nine strikes in his last 10 shots. It’s the second straight major where McCune has reached the finals.

The rest of the top nine will compete in Saturday’s prelims round — a stepladder format airing on FS1. Keven Williams (No. 5) leads that group, needing just one win to join the main finals on Sunday.

Here are the five players who will compete in the prelims round:

• Keven Williams (No. 5 seed)

• Jakob Butturff (No. 6 seed)

• AJ Johnson (No. 7 seed)

• Matt Sanders (No. 8 seed)

• Packy Hanrahan (No. 9 seed)

Hanrahan claimed the final spot by a slim margin, edging out Shawn Maldonado. Finland’s Mika Koivuniemi, the most successful European bowler on the PBA Tour with 14 titles and the 2011 Tournament of Champions winner, placed 11th. The winner of the prelims round will face McCune in the first match on Sunday, followed by Tackett, Fach, and then Svensson in the final.

Stepladder Finals Matchups

Prelims Round – Saturday, April 19 (FS1):

• Match 1: Matt Sanders (8) vs. Packy Hanrahan (9)

• Match 2: Winner vs. AJ Johnson (7)

• Match 3: Winner vs. Jakob Butturff (6)

• Match 4: Winner vs. Keven Williams (5)

Championship Round – Sunday, April 20 (FOX):

• Match 1: Prelims winner vs. Kevin McCune (4)

• Match 2: Winner vs. EJ Tackett (3)

• Match 3: Winner vs. Graham Fach (2)

• Title Match: Winner vs. Jesper Svensson (1)

Don’t Miss the PBA Hall of Fame

The PBA Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place Friday at 5 p.m. ET. This year’s class includes Bill O’Neill, Sean Rash, George Branham III, and Dave Schroeder. You can watch the ceremony for free on BowlTV.

Tournament Schedule

(All Times Eastern)

Friday, April 18 • 5 p.m. – PBA Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Line on BowlTV

Saturday, April 19 • 5 p.m. – Prelims Round (Stepladder Finals), Live on FS1

Sunday, April 20 • 3 p.m. – Championship Round (Stepladder Finals), Live on FOX

Stay tuned to BowlingLife.eu for daily updates from the PBA Tournament of Champions.