Finland's Santtu Tahvanainen couldn't hold back his smile as he threw the final ball in the PBA Owen's Illinois Classic—and for good reason. He had just made his dream come true, winning his first PBA Tour title and becoming only the third Finnish bowler to do so, following in the footsteps of legends Mika Koivuniemi and Osku Palermaa.
Tahvanainen finished third in qualifying, then defeated David Krol and Hayden Stippich in single-elimination match play to earn the No. 1 seed in the finals, where he faced Chris Via, who was making his second championship appearance of the season.
In the title match, Tahvanainen set the tone early with a double but stumbled in the third frame, leaving a tough 4-9 split that he couldn’t convert. Meanwhile, Via struggled to find his rhythm, missing a 3-6-10 spare in the second frame. As the match progressed, Tahvanainen maintained his lead, while Via’s costly errors—including a 2-4-8 open in the eighth frame and a 2-8-10 in the ninth—sealed his fate. Tahvanainen capitalized, closing out the match with a strike and securing a long-awaited European victory on U.S. soil.
No European player had won a PBA Tour title in the U.S. since Dominic Barrett’s victory in 2022 at the Storm Cup: PBA Colorado Springs Open. Interestingly, in that match, Barrett defeated none other than Santtu Tahvanainen, 244-234.
The PBA Owen’s Illinois Classic featured several exciting matchups on the road to the championship. Tim Foy Jr. started strong, easily defeating Matt Ogle, who struggled with his game, 217-167. Foy then continued his dominant run, taking down PBA Hall of Fame inductee Sean Rash 242-190. In the semifinals, Foy faced Chris Via in an intense two-handed showdown. With a triple midway through the match, Foy built a 14-point lead, but a costly error in the sixth frame allowed Via to stay in contention. The match remained close, and Foy appeared to be in control with two crucial strikes. However, in the final frame, his opening shot fell short, leaving a 2-8-10 split. Via seized the opportunity, delivering his best two shots of the match to secure a 212-202 victory and a place in the final.
PBA Owen's Illinois Classic was the third PBA Tour event of the 2025 season. Delaware Classic, where Graham Fach emerged victorious, ended in late January, while the U.S. Open took place last weekend with EJ Tackett claiming the first major title of the season.
The PBA Tour now moves west for the PBA Pete Weber Missouri Classic in Springfield. The fourth Stop of the PBA Tour will be held on Feb 11-16 at Enterprise Park Lanes, Springfield, Missouri.
Total of 80 bowling players competed in this year's PBA Owen's Illinois Classic in Bowlero Vernon Hills.
The total prize fund for the 2025 U.S. Open was $200,000.
2025 U.S. Open Stepladder Finals Scores:
Match 1: No. 5 Matt Ogle - No. 4 Tim Foy Jr., 168-217
Match 2: No. 4 Tim Foy Jr. - No. 3 Sean Rash, 242-190
Match 3: No. 4 Tim Foy Jr. - No. 2 Chris Via, 202-212
Match 4: No. 2 Chris Via - No. 1 Santtu Tahvanainen, 155-186
