Fifty games in, EJ Tackett is still where many expected him to be - at the top of the PBA World Championship standings.
After the PBA World Championship Advancers Round at the PBA World Series of Bowling XVII, the field has been cut to 16 players for match play.
In the battle for the final major trophy of the season, Tackett maintained the lead with 11,316 pins across 50 games. The three-time defending PBA World Championship winner now moves into match play still chasing his first PBA Tour title of the 2026 season.
Chris Via advanced in second place with 11,259, followed by PBA Players Championship winner and another strong candidate for the 2026 Player of the Year award, Brandon Bonta, in third with 11,222. Jason Belmonte, who shares the record with EJ Tackett for the most WSOB wins with nine, moved into fourth with 11,174, while Kris Prather completed the top five with 11,105.
Bill O’Neill finished sixth with 11,076, followed by Darren Tang in seventh with 11,025. Jason Sterner took eighth with 11,016, while Zach Wilkins claimed ninth with 10,997. Thomas Larsen rounded out the top 10 with 10,933.
Mitch Hupé advanced in 11th with 10,922, followed by Ryan Barnes in 12th with 10,912. 2026 U.S. Open champion Patrick Dombrowski finished 13th with 10,892, Packy Hanrahan was 14th with 10,887, Hayden Stippich took 15th with 10,881, and Deo Benard secured the final match play spot in 16th with 10,875.
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Santtu Tahvanainen was the first player below the cut, finishing with 10,872 and missing match play by just three pins. However, his week is far from over, as he is one of 11 players who reached multiple animal pattern championship finals, qualifying in both the Chameleon and Scorpion Championships.
Full PBA World Championship standings can be found here.
The remaining 16 players will bowl 16 games of round-robin match play on Wednesday, starting at 11 a.m. local. After 66 total games, the top nine players will advance to the televised PBA World Championship rounds.
Those finals will take place June 13 at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Michigan. The semifinal round is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET on CBS Sports Network, followed by the championship round at 1 p.m. ET on CBS.
2026 PBA World Championship Schedule
All times listed are local Central Time unless noted.
Wednesday, May 6 - World Championship Match Play
11:00 a.m. - Match Play Round 1 (8 games)
6:00 p.m. - Match Play Round 2 (8 games)
After match play, the top nine players will advance to the televised championship rounds.
Saturday, June 13 - PBA World Championship TV Finals
11:00 a.m. ET - Semifinals (CBS Sports Network)
1:00 p.m. ET - Finals (CBS)
