Belmo aims for first PBA Playoffs title
By Tenpin Bowling Australia
Following yet another successful Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) season, Australian superstar Jason Belmonte has qualified as the top seed for the upcoming KIA PBA Playoffs that get underway tomorrow.
The KIA PBA Playoffs see the top 16 ranked players from the 2022 PBA season enter an elimination bracket vying for the top $100,000USD first place prize.
The USBC Masters was the last chance for athletes to qualify for the Playoffs. Already clinching the top spot for the Playoffs before the event started, Belmonte fought bravely through the master’s event to finish tied in seventh place.
The boy from Orange, New South Wales, collected another four titles in 2022 while also extending his record major title tally to 14 in another stellar season. Finishing on 34,230 points, Belmonte dominated challengers finishing with over 8,000 more points than the second-ranked Anthony Simonsen.
After being introduced in 2019, the KIA PBA Playoffs are a relatively new event, and one Belmonte is yet to conquer. However, if he wins this year’s event, he will break a personal record of winning five titles in a single season for the first time in his career.
The round of 16 kicks off the event in the early hours of tomorrow morning, with the championship match broadcast scheduled for May 16. All the round of 16 matches will see a race to 2 points format—one point for the winner of each game. If players are tied at one point apiece, a 9th/10th frame roll-off is activated, with the winner awarded the deciding point.
The number one seed Belmonte sits on the left side of the KIA PBA Playoffs bracket. His first match will be against good friend and number 16 seed – Bill O’Neill. A previous champion of the KIA PBA Playoffs in 2020, O’Neill is one of three of the event’s previous winners to have a spot in this year’s bracket joining Kris Prather and Kyle Troup.
Other bowlers on the left-hand side of the bracket that are potential matchups for Belmonte on his quest to the Championship include –
- Sean Rash (8) v Kyle Troup (9)
- Dom Barrett (4) v Packy Hanrahan (13)
- Kris Prather (5) v Brad Miller (12)
Tenpin Bowling Australia wishes Jason the best of luck and high scoring on his quest for yet another PBA title.
The KIA PBA PLAYOFF BOWLERS
- Jason Belmonte – 34,230
- Anthony Simonsen – 26,195
- EJ Tackett – 24,660
- Dom Barrett – 22,790
- Kris Prather – 19,155
- Tommy Jones – 16,735
- Jakob Butturff – 14,396
- Sean Rash- 14,210
- Kyle Troup – 13, 392.5
- AJ Johnson – 13,375
- Kyle Sherman – 12,745
- Brad Miller – 12,535
- Packy Hanrahan – 12,392.5
- Jesper Svensson – 12,385
- Shawn Maldonado – 11,882.5
- Bill O’Neill- 11,625
Schedule (AEST)
Monday, April 11 – Round of 16 – 2:00 am AEST
No. 1 Jason Belmonte vs. No. 16 Bill O’Neill
No. 8 Sean Rash vs. No. 9 Kyle Troup
Monday, April 11 – Round of 16 – 4:00 am AEST
No. 4 Dom Barrett vs. No. 13 Packy Hanrahan
No. 5 Kris Prather vs. No. 12 Brad Miller
Sunday, April 17 – Round of 16 – 3:00 am AEST
No. 2 Anthony Simonsen vs. No. 15 Shawn Maldonado
No. 7 Jakob Butturff vs. No. 10 AJ Johnson
Monday, April 18 – Round of 16 – 8:00 am AEST
No. 3 EJ Tackett vs. No. 14 Jesper Svensson
No. 6 Tommy Jones vs. No. 11 Kyle Sherman
Monday, April 25 – Quarterfinals – 2:00am AEST
Winner of Belmonte/O’Neill vs. winner of Rash/Troup
Winner of Barrett/Hanrahan vs. winner of Prather/Miller
Monday, May 2 – Quarterfinals – 2:00 am AEST
Winner of Simonsen/Maldonado vs. winner of Butturff/Johnson
Winner of Tackett/Svensson vs. winner of Jones/Sherman
Monday, May 9 – Semi-Finals – 3:00 am AEST
Remaining four bowlers
Monday, May 16 – Championship – 4:00 am AEST
Remaining two bowlers
How to watch?
As always, FloBowling subscribers can catch the action on FloBowling here and stay up to date with the latest following the PBA here.
