March 29, 2022 Jef Goodger

 

Qualifying for the final major of the season begins today at 11 a.m. ET

 

The USBC Masters begins today at Gold Coast Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Qualifying for the final major of the PBA Tour season and last chance for players to qualify for the Kia PBA Playoffs begins at 11 a.m. ET live on BowlTV and simulcast on FloBowling. The stepladder finals will air live on FOX Broadcast Channel Sunday, April 3 at 1 p.m. ET.

Path to the Kia PBA Playoffs

The USBC Masters is the last chance for players to solidify their spots or get in to the Kia PBA Playoffs. The 16 players with the most competition points following the USBC Masters will be seeded into the Kia PBA Playoffs, which begin April 10 live on FS1.

Jason Belmonte already clinched the top seed and several other players are already locked in, but with 7,500 points available to the winner of the Masters, it’s technically possible anyone currently ranked 82nd or higher could qualify for the Playoffs. That 82nd player, Tim Foy Jr., would need an absurd number of bad things to happen to other people, but it is possible.

Take a look at the latest Path to the Kia PBA Playoffs entering the USBC Masters.

Defending Champion Thomas Larsen

One of the players hoping to make a huge jump into the Kia PBA Playoffs is defending Masters champion Thomas Larsen, who defeated Svensson in the championship match last season. Larsen’s best finish so far this season was 20th in the Kia PBA Tournament of Champions and, if he can repeat as Masters champion, might be able to sneak into the Playoffs. He’s currently 52nd in points.

Three Chase Grand Slam

Dom Barrett makes a trio of players attempting to complete the Grand Slam (PBA Tournament of Champions, PBA World Championship, U.S. Open and USBC Masters) at the Masters. With his win earlier this season in the Kia PBA Tournament of Champions, Barrett joins fellow Triple Crown winners Chris Barnes and Pete Weber in pursuit of the Grand Slam, which has only been completed three times in PBA history. Mike Aulby, Norm Duke and Jason Belmonte have accomplished the feat.

Weber, who retired from full-time competition last season, is competing in an effort to complete the Grand Slam. Barnes has been the No. 1 seed three times in the USBC Masters but finished second each time. Barrett, who already owns two titles this season including the most recent—THE STORM CUP: PBA Colorado Springs Open—is at his best and will bring plenty of confidence into the Masters.

Belmonte Hopes to Snap Masters Drought

The USBC Masters—once considered Belmonte’s event when he won it three times in a row and four times in five years—has eluded him since his win in 2017. He’s won every other major at least once since his last Masters win, making the major in which he’s the most prolific double as the major he hasn’t won in the longest time. If he can win this year, he’ll be the first player ever to win the Masters five times. It would also be the fifth win of the season for Belmonte, a feat the 29-time PBA Tour champion (14 majors) has yet to accomplish in his career.

USBC Masters Winners Since 2011

2011 – Tom Hess
2012 – Mike Fagan
2013 – Jason Belmonte
2014 – Jason Belmonte
2015 – Jason Belmonte
2016 – Anthony Simonsen
2017 – Jason Belmonte
2018 – Andrew Anderson
2019 – Jakob Butturff
2020 – not held
2021 – Thomas Larsen

About the PBA

The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) is the world’s preeminent organization dedicated to the sport of bowling and its professional competition, with thousands of members and millions of fans throughout the world. The PBA plays host to bowling’s biggest tournaments from the PBA Tour, PBA Regional Tour, and PBA50 Tour. In 2020, the PBA launched PBA Jr., a club for elite youth bowlers under the age of 17 and the PBA Pinsiders, a membership for fans of the sport. For more information, please visit PBA.com.