April 5, 2026 Nolan Hughes

For the second time during the 2026 PBA Tour powered by Go Bowling, a rookie emerged victorious.

Spencer Robarge defeated Chris Via, Packy Hanrahan, and top seed Ryan Barnes to win the Pilgrim’s PBA Ohio Classic.

Robarge claimed his first career PBA Tour title and the $30,000 top prize at Columbus Square Bowling Palace in Ohio.

Robarge joined Brandon Bonta, former college teammates at Wichita State University, as first-year players to win PBA Tour titles in 2026.

“It means the absolute world,” Robarge said. “I've always looked up to Earl Anthony. I always wanted to be like Earl. I don't have 43 titles. I don't have 10 majors, but I’ve got one, so I'll be okay.”

 

The title match against Barnes, another former college teammate of Robarge’s, came down to the final frame.

Robarge needed a strike and count to shut out Barnes. The two-handed southpaw missed on his first shot in the 10th frame, made the spare and got nine pins on the fill.

This set Barnes, the reigning Harry Golden PBA Rookie of the Year, up with an opportunity to strike twice and get nine pins for his first career title.

Barnes aced the first strike, but missed left on the second and left the 6-10. Robarge prevailed with a 236-228 victory.

 

EJ Tackett, the three-time reigning Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year, earned his way into the finals with final qualifying games of 289 and 280.

Neither of those scores would have been enough to take down Chris Via in the opening match of the stepladder finals.

Via converted a spare, then tallied 11 consecutive strikes to shoot 290. Three single-pin spares suppressed Tackett to 248.

Via, a Springfield native who now lives just outside of Columbus, started the second game strong as well. He fired six of seven strikes to start the match against the rookie Robarge, the No. 3 seed.

However, a massive open frame in the eighth — a four-count washout and missed spare — derailed Via’s momentum and gave Robarge all the margin he needed in a 236-218 win.

Robarge took care of the No. 2 seed, Packy Hanrahan, in the semifinal with a dominant performance. Hanrahan left four-single pins while Robarge was an 8-pin away from perfection, winning 279-214.

That win set up the battle between the former collegiate teammates, each desperate for a title.

 

Robarge is among the most accomplished players to join the PBA Tour in recent history.

He holds the record for the most 300 games (41) and 800 series (22) as a USBC youth bowler.

In high school, Robarge won the inaugural PBA Junior National Championship in 2021, then made the USBC Masters finals as an amateur a few weeks later.

At Wichita State, Robarge was named an All-American in all four seasons, including three first team nominations and two Most Valuable Player awards.

Robarge also helped the Shockers win the 2023 Intercollegiate Team Championship. That team’s entire starting lineup — Robarge, Barnes, Bonta, Alec Keplinger, and TJ Rock — are now full-time PBA Tour players.

Despite that (incomplete) list of accolades, Robarge said he was not sure if he belonged on the PBA Tour.

He does now.

 

The 2026 PBA Tour powered by Go Bowling continues with the Surfside PBA New York Classic in Rochester, N.Y.

Qualifying begins on Tuesday and the finals will air live on The CW on Sunday, April 12 at 1 p.m. ET.

Championship Round Matches

Match One: No. 4 Chris Via def. No. 5 EJ Tackett, 290-248
Match Two: No. 3 Spencer Robarge def. No. 4 Chris Via, 236-218
Match Three: No. 3 Spencer Robarge def. No. 2 Packy Hanrahan, 279-214
Championship: No. 3 Spencer Robarge def. No. 1 Ryan Barnes, 236-228

Final Standings
  1. Spencer Robarge, $30,000
  2. Ryan Barnes, $18,000
  3. Packy Hanrahan, $13,000
  4. Chris Via, $10,000
  5. EJ Tackett, $9,000

Complete standings are available here.