Awards Races Loom Large Entering PBA50 Tour Season Finale
Players on the PBA50 Tour have begun their 2026 season finale in West Virginia.
The Johnny Petraglia BVL PBA50 Tournament of Champions presented by Pleasant Day Schools is underway at Suburban Lanes in Morgantown.
Qualifying rounds will be held at 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday and Thursday before a cut to the top 32 players.
After the advancers round on Friday morning, the top 16 players will move on to round-robin match play.
The five-player stepladder finals will be held Saturday, Aug. 8 at 6 p.m.
All rounds will be livestreamed on BowlTV.
Each of the PBA50 Tour player awards are determined by competition points.
Mike Machuga has placed a stranglehold on the Rookie of the Year race. He ranks ninth overall in points heading into the TOC.
The Player of the Year race, however, is far from over.
Tom Hess leads the field in points heading into the season finale. But Mika Koivuniemi, Tom Daugherty, and Chris Barnes each have a chance to surpass Hess in the TOC.
Hess, the 2021 PBA50 Player of the Year, has made a strong case for a second award with a tour-best three titles.
| Player | Points | Earnings | Events | Titles | Top-5 Finishes | Average Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Hess | 28,765 | $53,600 | 13 | 3 | 8 | 16.85 |
| Mika Koivuniemi | 26,120 | $51,900 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 8.92 |
| Tom Daugherty | 24,125 | $41,100 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 10.75 |
| Chris Barnes | 24,125 | $48,400 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 11.42 |
Hess and Koivuniemi control their own destiny as each would clinch Player of the Year with a title.
If Hess finished runner-up to Koivuniemi in the TOC, “Major Mika” would finish with a 355-point advantage and earn the award.
Daugherty and Barnes, who enter the TOC tied with 24,125 points, can usurp both players. Each of the two will each need a bit of help in order to bring home Player of the Year honors.
Each player would need a win to surpass Hess’ current point total. Additionally, they would each need Hess to finish in fourth place or worse.
The exact scenario of a Daugherty/Barnes win coupled with a Hess fourth-place finish would result in Daugherty/Barnes winning Player of the Year by a mere 10 points on the season.
The battle for PBA60 Player of the Year is even more crowded.
Amleto Monacelli holds pole position, but eight players are within striking distance.
| PBA60 Player | Points |
|---|---|
| Amleto Monacelli | 17,826 |
| Jack Jurek | 16,330 |
| Pete Weber | 16,128 |
| Brian LeClair | 16,045 |
| Chris Warren | 15,725 |
| Parker Bohn III | 14,855 |
| Ricky Schissler | 13,950 |
| Tom Adcock | 12,113 |
| John Burkett | 11,035 |
Standings for the PBA50 Tournament of Champions here.
