June 7, 2025 Nolan Hughes

Eight of the PBA Tour’s top stars convened at Steel City Bowl & Brews in Bethlehem, Pa. for the season’s final televised PBA Tour title. 

Players qualified for the Tour Finals as the top-eight point earners during the 2024 and 2025 PBA Tour seasons.

During Saturday’s positioning rounds, EJ Tackett, Bill O’Neill, Kyle Troup and Graham Fach comprised Group 1, while defending champion Anthony Simonsen, Jason Belmonte, Andrew Anderson and Marshall Kent competed in Group 2. The groups were based on their point totals.

In each group, all four players bowled two games simultaneously. The left lane featured the 46-foot Petraglia oil pattern, while the right lane had the 40-foot Monacelli pattern.

After two games, the third and fourth qualifiers earned the No. 3 and No. 4 seed for Sunday’s group stepladder. The top two qualifiers bowled a one-game match to determine the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds.

Tackett and Fach paced Group 1 qualifying before the righty bested the lefty in the seeding match to earn the top seed for Sunday’s stepladder.

In Group 2, Anderson set the tone with 279 in his first game, later prevailing over Kent to earn the top seed.

The group stepladders will begin at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Eastern, respectively, on Sunday, followed by a Race-to-Two championship match between the winners of each group at 9 p.m. ET. All matches will air live on CBS Sports Network

Group 1

Tackett sprinted to a 31-pin advantage in the first game, firing 266. O’Neill started strong with six consecutive strikes, but opened two of his final four frames to drop behind a surging Fach. Troup struck three times to start and end his game, but also had two open frames in between.

Tackett overcame a slow start to secure one of the advancing positions. Meanwhile Fach started Game 2 with five strikes in a row as O’Neill and Troup continued to apply pressure. Fach managed to stave off the right-handers, advancing with 460 to O’Neill’s 452 and Troup’s 450. 

In Game 3, Tackett seized full control and cruised to a 258-211 victory over Fach.

Troup will face O’Neill in the opening match of Sunday’s Group 1 stepladder with the winner meeting Fach. The winner will then face Tackett in a Race-to-Two match.

Group 1 Positioning Round Scores

  1. EJ Tackett — 488 (266, 222)
  2. Graham Fach — 460 (235, 225)
  3. Bill O’Neill — 452 (219, 233)
  4. Kyle Troup — 450 (204, 246)

Tackett def. Fach, 258-211

Group 1 Stepladder: Sunday at 5 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network

Group 2

Anderson dominated Group 2 from start to finish, firing a 10-strike 279 in their first game to take a 56-pin advantage. He added 206 to easily advance.

Kent, Belmonte and Simonsen were all within 10 pins of each other after the first game, but Kent distanced himself with 235 in Game 2.

Belmonte and Simonsen, the two past champions of the group, struggled throughout the evening. The future PBA Hall of Famers will meet in the opening match on Sunday night.

The winner of the two-handed match will meet Kent, followed by a Race-to-Two showdown with Anderson.

Group 2 Positioning Round Scores

  1. Andrew Anderson — 485 (279, 206)
  2. Marshall Kent — 452 (217, 235)
  3. Jason Belmonte — 411 (223, 188)
  4. Anthony Simonsen — 404 (213, 191)

Anderson def. Kent, 193-191

Group 2 Stepladder: Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network

Championship match: Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network