November 21, 2023 Professional Bowlers Association

The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) announces the nominees for the 2023 Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year award, which recognizes the best player during the 2023 PBA Tour.

Listed in alphabetical order, here are the nominees for the 2023 Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year award: Jason Belmonte, Jakob Butturff, Packy Hanrahan, Kevin McCune, Matt Ogle, Anthony Simonsen, EJ Tackett, and Kyle Troup.

To qualify for the ballot, a player must have won at least one PBA Tour title and ranked among the top-10 earners during the calendar year. Any player with multiple titles during the year is automatically added to the ballot.

All PBA members are invited to vote for the 2023 PBA Player of the Year and Rookie of Year awards here.

A breakdown of the nominees for the 2023 Harry Golden PBA Rookie of the Year can be found here.

Winners for all 2023 player awards, including the Tony Reyes Community Service and Steve Nagy Sportsmanship awards, will be announced during the week of Dec. 4.

2023 Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year Award Nominees

Jason Belmonte — Australia

Title (1): PBA Tournament of Champions
Other notes: Runner-up at World Championship (lost to EJ Tackett); Won Super Slam Cup (non-title event); Shot televised 300 game at Tour Finals (first player with three TV 300 games in title events)

The seven-time and reigning Player of the Year finished third in points (23,180), earnings ($338,825), and fourth in average (221.02). Belmonte’s eight top-10 and 13 top-25 finishes in 17 events were also top four on Tour.

Belmonte’s improbable comeback at the Tournament of Champions marked his lone title of the season. He nearly brought home a second major title at the World Championship, in a similar come-from-behind fashion, but fell in the final frame to Tackett.

Jakob Butturff — Tempe, Ariz.

Title (1): PBA Scorpion Championship
Other notes: Runner-up at PBA Players Championship presented by Snickers (lost to Kevin McCune)

Butturff led all left-handers and finished third overall on Tour in average (223.43), third in top-10 finishes (9), fourth in points (20,450) and fourth in earnings ($175,125).

After a midseason lull, he notched seven consecutive top-eight finishes from the Cheetah Championship through the Tour Finals. During that stretch, he tallied his first title since 2019 at the Scorpion Championship.

Packy Hanrahan — Wichita, Kan.

Titles (2): PBA Kokomo Classic, Roth/Holman Doubles Championship (with Mitch Hupé)

Three players won multiple titles in 2023: Tackett, Simonsen, and Packy Hanrahan. In a breakout season of his own, the two-handed lefty bested Ogle to win the Kokomo Classic, then dominated the Roth/Holman Doubles Championship with Mitch Hupé to tally Hanrahan's first two career titles.

Despite a slow start to the 2023 campaign, Hanrahan ranked fourth on Tour in top-five finishes (5), sixth in points (16,060) and ninth in earnings ($98,100).

Kevin McCune — Munster, Ind.

Title (1): PBA Players Championship presented by Snickers

The 2022 Rookie of the Year runner-up scoffed at the idea of a sophomore slump. McCune ranked sixth on Tour in earnings ($141,300) and eighth in points (14,357). 

McCune took down Zac and EJ Tackett, Simonsen, and Butturff to capture his Players Championship crown. That win made the McCunes the first three-generation PBA Tour champion family, as Kevin followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, Don, and father, Eugene.

Matt Ogle — Louisville, Ky.

Title (1): Shark Championship
Other notes: Runner-up at Kokomo Classic (lost to Packy Hanrahan) and Roth/Holman Doubles Championship (lost to Packy Hanrahan and Mitch Hupé with partner Sean Rash); Finished 2nd at PBA SKILL Ball Challenge (non-title event; lost to Dom Barrett)

A true breakout season, in which he captured his first career singles title and second overall, resulted in Ogle’s first appearance on the Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year ballot. The 39-year-old ranked fifth on Tour in points (16,995) and seventh in earnings ($114,200). He racked up four top-five and nine top-25 finishes in his 13 title events.

Ogle’s season could have been even greater had title matches in Indiana (against Packy Hanrahan) and Delaware (against Hanrahan and Mitch Hupé) gone in his favor.

Anthony Simonsen — Las Vegas

Titles (3): PBA Wichita Classic, USBC Masters, Storm PBA/PWBA Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles (with Danielle McEwan)
Other notes: Finished top-10 in all 17 events; Finished top-4 in all five majors; Runner-up at Jackson Classic (lost to EJ Tackett)

The 26-year-old reached new heights during the 2023 season. He finished top 10 in all 17 title events, leading the Tour in games (508), top-five finishes (13), top-10 finishes (17), top-25 finishes (17), and cashes (17). He ranked second in points (36,265), earnings ($347,500) and titles (3).

Perhaps the strongest way to exemplify Simonsen’s excellence is by his lowlights: His lowest finish of the season was 10th at the Springfield Classic; his lowest major finish was fourth at the U.S. Open and Players Championship.

The highlight of Simonsen’s season came during his second consecutive USBC Masters triumph, which included a 34-strike 845 series to clinch the No. 1 seed and a new match-play record with a 250.4 average for his 18 games.

EJ Tackett — Bluffton, Ind.

Titles (5): U.S. Open presented by Go Bowling!, PBA Shawnee Classic, PBA Jackson Classic, PBA Cheetah Championship, PBA World Championship presented by Pabst Blue Ribbon
Other notes: Earned No. 1 seed at four majors (first player to achieve this feat in PBA history); Runner-up at TOC (lost to Jason Belmonte) and Scorpion Championship (lost to Jakob Butturff); Shot televised 300 game at Super Slam Cup Finals (non-title event)

The 2016 Player of the Year turned in the best season of his career thus far. Tackett led the Tour in points (41,200), earnings ($458,450), average (227.18), titles (5), major titles (2), and runner-up finishes (2). 

Tackett earned the No. 1 seed in four of five major championships this season — the U.S. Open, Tournament of Champions, World Championship and Players Championship — becoming the first player in PBA history to accomplish that feat.

All in all, Tackett won five titles during the 2023 campaign, beginning with a Triple Crown-clinching victory at the U.S. Open presented by Go Bowling!

Kyle Troup — Taylorsville, N.C.

Title (1): PBA Tour Finals
Other notes: Runner-up at U.S. Open (lost to EJ Tackett)

The 2021 Player of the Year ranked fifth on Tour in earnings ($145,400) and 12th in points, while notching five top-five and 10 top-25 finishes in 17 title events. 

Troup’s Tour Finals title in June — which brought his career total to 10 titles and made him PBA Hall of Fame-eligible — and U.S. Open runner-up finish highlighted his 2023 season.

Voting is now open to PBA members here. The 2023 Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year award winner will be announced during the week of Dec. 4.

Past Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year Winners

Jason Belmonte, 2022
Kyle Troup, 2021
Jason Belmonte, 2020
Jason Belmonte, 2019
Andrew Anderson, 2018
Jason Belmonte, 2017
EJ Tackett, 2016
Jason Belmonte, 2015
Jason Belmonte, 2014
Jason Belmonte, 2013

Complete list of Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year award winners