May 19, 2023 Nolan Hughes

This weekend, five of the season’s premier talents convene on Bowlero Jupiter in Florida.

EJ Tackett, Jason Belmonte, Anthony Simonsen, Jakob Butturff and Kevin McCune will compete in the PBA Super Slam Cup presented by Bowlero to crown a champion among champions and award a $100,000 top prize.

The five superstars earned their spot in this non-title event through their excellence in major championships this season.

Tackett, Belmonte, Simonsen and McCune each won a major title this season; Tackett, in fact, won two.

At the PBA World Championship presented by Pabst Blue Ribbon, the top three finishers were Tackett, Belmonte and Simonsen — who had each already secured their spots in the Super Slam Cup. Therefore, Butturff earned the nomination as the fourth-place finisher.

Here’s what you need to know:

Players to Watch

EJ Tackett

Season stats: 15 events, 41,200 points, $372,450 in earnings, 227.12 average, 446 games, 5 titles, nine top-five finishes, 10 top-10 finishes, 11 top-25 finishes

How he got here: Tackett won the 2023 U.S. Open presented by Go Bowling!

Tackett earned the No. 1 seed in four of five majors this season — each of his top seeds requiring at least 42 games of qualifying — a feat that has never been accomplished before.

In the season’s opening event, the 30-year-old doubled in the 10th frame to defeat Kyle Troup. The victory just 90 miles from his hometown fulfilled his childhood dream, completed the Triple Crown and instilled the confidence that catapulted a season for the ages.

Two months and change later, Tackett doubled in the 10th to win another major, marking a career-high fifth title of the season so far. His near-$375,000 in earnings put Troup’s record of $496,900 in jeopardy — especially if Tackett can add $100,000 to his total this weekend.

Jason Belmonte

Season stats: 15 events, 23,180 points, $204,625 in earnings, 220.63 average, 437 games, 1 title, three top-five finishes, seven top-10 finishes, 11 top-25 finishes

How he got here: Belmonte won the 2023 PBA Tournament of Champions.

Belmonte hasn’t commanded the Tour like he has throughout most of the last decade-plus, but has showcased a flair for the dramatic in 2023. At the TOC, he completed a remarkable comeback after sitting in 58th place after the first round of qualifying — a comeback he spoke into existence.

The 39-year-old almost polished off another near-impossible comeback at the PBA World Championship. He surged from 12th place to fourth during match play, then winning three matches to reach the championship where Tackett ended his run.

Belmonte’s 220.63 average ranks fifth on Tour (behind Tackett, Simonsen, Butturff and Santtu Tahvanainen) and he’s the only player other than Tackett to bowl for two major titles.

Anthony Simonsen

Season stats: 15 events, 36,265 points, $298,700 in earnings, 225.08 average, 488 games, 2 titles, 11 top-five finishes, 14 top-10 finishes, 14 top-25 finishes

How he got here: Simonsen won the USBC Masters.

Simonsen finished in the top four at all five majors this season, a PBA record, but his superb title defense at the Masters was his finest performance. After cruising through qualifying, Simonsen won five consecutive three-game matches to reach the championship round. He then fired a 34-strike, 845 series to lock up the No. 1 seed.

In the title match, Simonsen fired 243 without putting up a sweat to win his second consecutive Masters title and third of his career. The win made Simonsen, who turned 26 in January, the first player to win five major championships before the age of 30.

Beyond his top-four finishes in each major, Simonsen has not finished worse than 10th in a single tournament. His 11 top-five finishes (78.5% of singles events) are the most on Tour. His 488 games are the most on Tour by 42 games — the entirety of TOC qualifying.

Simonsen’s consistency is perhaps encapsulated by the PBA Cheetah Championship at the Guaranteed Rate PBA World Series of Bowling XIV: Tackett won the title, his then-fourth of the season, while Simonsen posted his second-worst finish of the season... eighth place.

Jakob Butturff

Season stats: 14 events, 20,450 points, $146,050 in earnings, 223.92 average, 404 games, 1 title, seven top-five finishes, eight top-10 finishes, 11 top-25 finishes

How he got here: Butturff finished fourth at the PBA World Championship presented by Pabst Blue Ribbon. Since the top three finishers (Tackett, Belmonte and Simonsen) had already secured spots in the PBA Super Slam Cup, Butturff earned the PBA Super Slam Cup berth.

The southpaw may be the only player among the five without a major title in 2023, but the 29-year-old has been near the top of his game this season. Butturff ranks third on Tour in average and fourth in points.

Since the Masters in early April, Butturff has not finished lower than eighth place, racking up four of six championship round appearances. He beat Tackett for the PBA Scorpion Championship crown, but fell to McCune in the finals of the PBA Players Championship presented by Snickers.

Kevin McCune

Season stats: 14 events, 14,357 points, $116,200 in earnings, 213.22 average, 377 games, 1 title, one top-five finish, one top-10 finish, six top-25 finishes

How he got here: McCune won the 2023 PBA Players Championship presented by Snickers.

McCune’s Players Championship win made the McCunes the first three-generation family of PBA Tour champions. Moreover, he beat three of his four upcoming opponents (Tackett, Simonsen and Butturff) on television en route to claiming the historic title.

The 24-year-old’s nonchalance played a large role in his ability to dethrone the game’s best. He’ll look to continue slaying dragons this weekend in Jupiter.

Format

On Saturday, a pair of seeding rounds will determine the lineup for Sunday’s stepladder finals. The players will first bowl a single game together on the TV pair, though the game will not be televised.

In the afternoon, players will bowl a single game by themselves, airing live on FS1 at 2 p.m. The unique setup provides an opportunity for greater insight and storytelling. Parts of the first preliminary game may be aired during the show.

Sunday’s finals (2 p.m. on FOX) will feature a traditional five-player stepladder format.

Tournament Schedule

Saturday, May 20 | FS1
2 p.m. ET — Preliminary round 

Sunday, May 21 | FOX
2 p.m. ET — Stepladder finals

More information on the PBA Super Slam Cup is available here.