January 26, 2024 Nolan Hughes

PBA stars poised to make history in 2024 U.S. Open presented by GoBowling

EJ Tackett arrived at Royal Pin Woodland in Indianapolis last season teeming with motivation. 

Motivated to win in front of family, friends and fellow Hoosiers. Motivated to avenge his 2022 title match collapse. Motivated to complete the PBA’s Triple Crown (PBA Tournament of Champions, PBA World Championship and U.S. Open).

To say Tackett left fulfilled would be an egregious understatement. He doubled in the 10th frame to defeat Kyle Troup to manifest Tackett’s lifelong dream.

“I tried to play it off, but… this is it, man. This is it,” Tackett said after the win. “To get up and do it, throw a double for the U.S. Open like I’d practiced so many times when I was 12 years old, to finally come through, is just unbelievable.”

The reigning PBA Player of the Year begins his title defense this week as the 2024 U.S. Open presented by GoBowling returns to Indianapolis.

The U.S. Open, featuring a $100,000 top prize, will be the second event of the 2024 PBA tour season. Bill O'Neill won the season-opening PBA Players Championship presented by Snickers.

The finals will air Sunday, Feb. 4 at 4 p.m. Eastern on FOX. Tickets are available here.

Storylines

If Tackett was the most motivated player in last year’s field, Jason Belmonte was a close second. The 40-year-old Australian could enter uncharted territory with a title this week.

With his 2020 U.S. Open title, Belmonte earned wins of all five major championships, joining Indy’s own Mike Aulby as the lone members of the Super Slam club.

Belmonte has no plans of stopping there: 48 games and a stepladder finals are the only obstacles standing in his way of winning a second Super Slam. Belmonte has won the PBA Tournament of Champions and USBC Masters four times each and owns three PBA World Championship and PBA Players Championship titles as well.

Where two of the sport’s titans have succeeded, Anthony Simonsen is never far behind. The 27-year-old could become the youngest player to win six career majors.

Simonsen has won two majors at Royal Pin Woodland. He became the youngest player to win a major at the 2016 USBC Masters, then the youngest to win three with this 2022 U.S. Open victory. He finished fourth in last season’s U.S. Open.

Players to Watch

While the only active, full-time players with four or more major victories are the aforementioned Belmonte, Simonsen and Tackett, Bill O’Neill seeks to join the club after winning the season-opening PBA Players Championship presented by Snickers for his third career major title.

François Lavoie, another three-time major champion, aims to win a third green jacket. Only Pete Weber (five), Don Carter and Dick Weber (four) and Dave Husted (three) have accomplished that feat.

Kris Prather can become the 10th Triple Crown winner with a U.S. Open win. He finished 16th in his first attempt at the crown last season.

Last year’s televised nine-player stepladder finals introduced bowling fans to three new faces. Justin Knowles nearly climbed the first ladder to reach the finals; Frank Snodgrass’ performance later earned him a spot on the Waco Wonders championship squad; and Finland’s Tomas Käyhkö established himself as the latest uber-talented European to make waves in the United States.

All three return in 2024 hoping to win their first career PBA Tour titles.

Format

Competition begins on Monday, following Saturday's pre-tournament qualifier and Sunday's practice sessions. Squads will complete eight-game qualifying rounds at 8 a.m., 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Eastern on Monday through Wednesday.

After three eight-game rounds on three different oil patterns, the field will be trimmed to the top 36 players following Wednesday’s competition. Thursday's fourth round of qualifying, which will feature a fourth oil pattern to be used for the duration of the tournament, will determine the 24 match play advancers.

The top five players following 24 games of round-robin match play across Thursday evening and Friday will advance to the televised finals, airing live Sunday, Feb. 4 at 4 p.m. Eastern on FOX.

All rounds will be livestreamed on BowlTV.

More information, including a detailed schedule and tournament roster, is available here.

U.S. Open Schedule

Royal Pin Woodland | Indianapolis, IN

All times Eastern

Monday, Jan. 29 | Qualifying Round 1 (eight games)
8 a.m. — A-squad
1 p.m. — B-squad
6 p.m. — C-squad

Tuesday, Jan. 30 | Qualifying Round 2 (eight games)
8 a.m. — B-squad
1 p.m. — C-squad
6 p.m. — A-squad

Wednesday, Jan. 31 | Qualifying Round 3 (eight games)
8 a.m. — C-squad
1 p.m. — A-squad
6 p.m. — B-squad
Top 36 players advance

Thursday, Feb. 1 | Qualifying and Match Play (eight games)
8 a.m. — practice session
10 a.m. — Qualifying Round 4
Top 24 players advance
5 p.m. — Match Play Round 1

Friday, Feb. 2 | Match Play
10 a.m. — Match Play Round 2
5 p.m. — Match Play Round 3
Top five players advance to stepladder finals

Saturday, Feb. 3
4 p.m. on FS1 — PBA Elite League Round 2 Matches — Tickets
Waco Wonders vs. Motown Muscle; Portland Lumberjacks vs. New Jersey KingPins

Sunday, Feb. 4
4 p.m. on FOX — U.S. Open Finals — Tickets