2022 THE STORM CUP in Review
THE STORM CUP was dominated by major champions in 2022, with all four events being won by players with double-digit Guaranteed Rate PBA Tour title counts and at least one major apiece.
Jesper Svensson won the opening event before Jason Belmonte took the next two and recent Triple Crown winner Dom Barrett claimed the final title in the series. Players battled for competition points among the four events, two in February and two in March, with the top five players earning a share of THE STORM CUP bonus prize fund.
Belmonte’s two wins led him to claim THE STORM CUP, followed by Barrett, Svensson, EJ Tackett and Nick Pate filling out the five spots.
THE STORM CUP: David Small’s Best of the Best Championship
JAX60
Jackson, Michigan
Winner: Jesper Svensson (11th career title)
Svensson was the tournament leader following every round of competition, earning the No. 1 seed for the stepladder finals in which he bowled a 248 game to defeat Packy Hanrahan for the title. The win was the 11th of Svensson’s career.
Also qualifying for the stepladder finals were eventual THE STORM CUP top-five players Pate, who finished third, and Barrett, who finished fourth. Belmonte, the eventual THE STORM CUP champion, missed the cut to the round of 24.
THE STORM CUP: David Small’s Kokomo Championship
Heritage Lanes
Kokomo, Indiana
Winner: Jason Belmonte (27)
Belmonte took the lead in THE STORM CUP, which he would never relinquish, with his win in Kokomo. His 27th PBA Tour title was his second of the season and also the second time the top seed won a THE STORM CUP event. Belmonte was the top qualifier and faced Pate in the championship match, which moved Pate into second place in THE STORM CUP points race.
Tackett finished third and Anthony Simonsen was fourth.
THE STORM CUP: PBA Lubbock Sports Open
South Plains Lanes
Lubbock, Texas
Winner: Jason Belmonte (29)
After winning the PBA Scorpion championship for his 28th title and third of the season, Belmonte won in Lubbock for his 29th title and fourth of the season. This time, Belmonte had to climb the stepladder, qualifying third and knocking out Svensson and Sean Lavery-Spahr on the way to the title match with Tackett.
Belmonte prevailed over Tackett, 253-245, and increased his lead in THE STORM CUP points race. Through three events, only two players would have the possibility of catching Belmonte—Svensson and Tackett—but both would need a victory combined with Belmonte finishing low enough to be caught.
THE STORM CUP: PBA Colorado Springs Open
Harmony Bowl
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Winners: Dom Barrett (10)
Barrett had been lurking in THE STORM CUP points race and entered the event in Colorado Springs as No. 5 on the leaderboard. By the time he qualified as the top seed for the stepladder finals, Barrett guaranteed himself a second-place finish in THE STORM CUP (Belmonte clinched THE STORM CUP by making it to the Round of 12 and ultimately finished eighth).
In the championship match at Harmony Bowl, Barrett rolled 244 to Santtu Tahvanainen’s 234, giving Barrett his second title of the season and 10th of his career.
Final 2022 THE STORM CUP Standings
- Jason Belmonte, 11,850 points, earns $10,000
- Dom Barrett, 9,880, $5,000
- Jesper Svensson, 7,690, $4,000
- EJ Tackett, 7,380, $3,000
- Nick Pate, 7,310, $3,000