March 4, 2026 Nolan Hughes

Through two rounds of the Go Bowling U.S. Open, Matt Sanders sits atop the major championship standings.

Sanders leads the field with a total pinfall of 3,536 (+336) for his first 16 games. He is averaging 221 across two different oil patterns.

Ethan Fiore and Tun Hakim, who each won their first career title last season, are tied for second place. They are competing together on B-squad.

Anthony Simonsen, who led the first round of qualifying, ranks fourth, while Michael Davidson rounds out the top five.

Jason Belmonte, pursuing an unprecedented second career Super Slams, is in sixth place. Belmonte has won each of the five PBA major championships, a feat matched only by Indianapolis’ own Mike Aulby.

A second U.S. Open title would make Belmonte the first to win every major twice, and place him on the doorstep of a third Super Slam.

 

Sanders, a native of Evansville, Ind., performing well in the U.S. Open is not uncommon. He has finished advanced to match play in each of the past three seasons. But his placement thus far in 2026 is noteworthy.

Because eight months ago, Sanders didn’t think he’d be able to bowl at all this season.

Sanders suffered a gruesome injury to his right leg in early July, which required surgery to repair a deep cut. In typical Sanders fashion, it’s been a slow, steady climb back to competitive form.

Merely taking the lanes an hour-long drive from his hometown of Columbus, Ind. would have been a success. Leading the tournament was out of the question until the moment he did.

“Probably not,” said Sanders when asked if he thought he could lead the U.S. Open a few months ago. “I didn't even know if I was going to bowl this year with how bad everything was, so I'm pretty excited to be here. Obviously, I feel comfortable in this place. I think that definitely helps. I've bowled really well in the U.S. Open the last several years. I made a TV show here. The comfortability of being close to home and getting a few tournaments under my belt before coming back, I think it all kind of lined up for me.”

 

Kyle Troup is pacing A-squad in ninth overall, averaging a hair under 215. Matt Ogle and defending champion EJ Tackett, sitting in 10th and 16th place, respectively, aren’t far behind.

C-squad will take the lanes first for the final eight-game qualifying round on Thursday at 8 a.m. ET, followed by A-squad at 1 p.m. and B-squad at 6 p.m.

With a 35-foot oil pattern and urethane equipment outlawed for this event, watching the third round of qualifying could be comparable to watching bowling through a time machine.

Several players, if not the majority, are expected to throw plastic bowling balls, which are typically only used on spare shots.

All qualifying and match play rounds will be livestreamed on BowlTV.

Only 32 players will remain in contention for the coveted green jacket following Thursday’s competition.

An eight-game round on a fourth and final oil pattern Friday morning will determine the 24 match play finalists.

Match play wraps up Saturday night, solidifying the five-player field for Sunday’s championship round.

The stepladder finals will air live at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 8 on The CW.

Tournament Schedule

Thursday, March 5 — Qualifying Round 3
8 a.m. — C-squad (eight games)
1 p.m. — A-squad (eight games)
6 p.m. — B-squad (eight games)

Friday, March 6
8 a.m. — Official practice session — Oil Pattern #4
10 a.m. — Advancers/Cashers Round (eight games)
5 p.m. — Match Play Round 1 (eight games)

Saturday, March 7
10 a.m. — Match Play Round 2 (eight games)
5 p.m. — Match Play Round 3 (eight games)

Sunday, March 8
4 p.m. — Championship Round on The CW