Graham Fach Wins Third Career Title at PBA Pete Weber Missouri Classic
Under the bright lights at Bowlero St.
Peters, Canada’s Graham Fach continuedhis strong start to the 2026 PBA Tour season.
In his second consecutive television appearance, this time he went all the way.
second consecutive television appearance Fach captured the PBA Pete Weber Missouri Classic for his third career PBATour title, receiving the trophy from the legend himself - Pete Weber.
In the championship match, Fach defeated Justin Knowles to claim the $30,000top prize.
With the victory, he becomes just the third player to lift the PeteWeber trophy, joining Anthony Simonsen and EJ Tackett.
Anthony Simonsen EJ Tackett Fach stayed with the Hammer Black Pearl Urethane for the entire final, just as hehad in the semifinal, while Knowles used the Roto Grip Transformer and Storm!Q Tour A.I.
Fach was more consistent throughout the match, striking four times in hisfirst five shots and steadily increasing the pressure on Knowles.
He gave awaynothing, leaving no room for mistakes, and eventually secured a dominant269-239 victory.
Here’s how the remaining stepladder finals unfolded at the PBA Pete WeberMissouri Classic.
Hometown Hope Rolls On In the opening match, No.
5 seed Matt Russo, a New Jersey native now based inSt.
Louis, entered the stepladder finals as the hometown contender.
He faced25-year-old rookie Hayden Stippich, who was making his first career PBA Tourtelevision appearance after defeating Richie Teece, Jason Belmonte, andAnthony Neuer to reach the show.
Russo started strong, opening with five consecutive strikes while using theMotiv Supra and Motiv Pride Liberty.
Stippich began with a strike using theEbonite Game Breaker 5, but went Brooklyn in the second frame and then failedto convert a spare in the third.
That early mistake gave Russo a clearadvantage.
After the commercial break, Stippich responded with three straight strikes tostay within reach.
However, a 3-7 split in the ninth frame ended his chances.
Russo closed out the match 238-203 to advance and face No.
3 seed ThomasLarsen of Denmark, the only right-handed player in the stepladder finals.
Denmark's Domination In the second stepladder match, No.
3 seed Thomas Larsen took on Matt Russo.Larsen secured his spot on the show after a seven game victory over EJ Tackettin the Round of 8.
The Danish bowler, who won the 2021 USBC Masters, openedthe match with five consecutive strikes while using the 900 Global Venomanceand Storm Ion Max.
Russo struggled early.
He left a 2-4-6-7-10 split in the second frame and wasunable to convert it.
At the time, he was using a Motiv Supra with addedpolish.
The open frame gave Larsen an early advantage.
Russo then switchedback to a more matte Motiv Supra and responded with several strikes, but hestill trailed by 45 pins heading into the television break.
After the break, both players exchanged strikes.
However, an unfortunate breakfor Russo in the eighth frame ended his comeback attempt.
Larsen closed outthe match with a 246-191 win and advanced to the PBA Pete Weber MissouriClassic semifinal to face Canada’s Graham Fach, who returned to the stepladderfinals for the second consecutive week after finishing third at the PBAPlayers Championship.
A Clash of Groundbreakers Canada’s first PBA Tour title winner, Graham Fach, who had averaged over 281on the television pair earlier in the week, stormed into the semifinal withauthority.
He opened with five consecutive strikes and quickly built an earlylead after Denmark’s Thomas Larsen failed to convert a spare in the secondframe.
Fach entered the commercial break with a commanding 33-pin advantage.
After the break, Fach continued striking and extended his lead, brieflyflirting with perfection before a stone 9 pin in the ninth frame ended his 300hopes.
Using Hammer Black Pearl Urethane throughout the match, Fach defeated Larsen268-235 to advance to the championship match against Justin Knowles.
The PBA Pete Weber Missouri Classic marked the second PBA Tour event of theseason.
The tour now heads to Royal Pin Woodland in Indianapolis, Indiana, forthe season’s second major, the U.S.
Open, which begins Tuesday, March 3, at 8a.m..
