All He Needed Was a Kiss: Gary Haines Wins 2025 USBC Masters

Gary Haines and Anthony Simonsen | Picture credit: Professional Bowlers Association

Before the ninth frame, Gary Haines shared a quick kiss with his wife, then delivered his best shot of the night to secure his first PBA Tour title—and his first major championship by winning 2025 USBC Masters. In a thrilling two-match battle, Haines overcame one of the world’s top bowlers, Anthony Simonsen, with a final score of 192-186.

The first stepladder finals match featured a showdown between yesterday's Elimination Bracket advancers—Bill O'Neill and the crowd favorite, Michigan native Justin Knowles.

Knowles started strong with a strike, instantly energizing the crowd. As the match headed into the commercial break, he remained flawless on the left lane but struggled on the right from the very beginning. In the second frame, he left an 8-10 split, and later, the left-handed two-hander missed left, failing to hit the headpin. Meanwhile, O'Neill opted for a more aggressive angle than the day before, using his Ebonite Game Breaker 5. While he had better pin carry, controlling the ball proved more difficult. A costly 4-7-10 split in the sixth frame left him trailing Knowles by just five pins as they entered the break.

After the break, Knowles continued with two strikes and a spare but missed left again in the ninth frame, leaving a 1-3-4-6-7 split. He failed to convert it, losing the advantage he had built throughout the match. Meanwhile, O'Neill finally found his rhythm on both lanes, moving further left and reducing his speed. He delivered two crucial strikes in the eighth and ninth frames. In the tenth, he left a stone-nine, but by then, the match was already sealed. O'Neill advanced with a 202-195 victory.

Now just three games away from his fourth career major title, O'Neill faced Anthony Simonsen—the bowler aiming for his fourth USBC Masters title, which would tie him with Jason Belmonte. Simo, battling a lingering back injury that had held him back this season, hadn’t made as many stepladder finals as he would have liked—making his appearance in the USBC Masters finals even more special. He started strong, delivering quality shots with his Storm Alpha Crux, resulting in three strikes over the first four frames. Meanwhile, O'Neill fought back with three strikes of his own until the fifth frame, where a missed shot to the left left him with a 3-4-7 split, handing the advantage to Simonsen. Before the break, the 28-year-old two-hander added a spare and a strike, extending his lead to 16 pins.

After the break, O'Neill came back strong with a double, applying some pressure on his opponent. Whether it was the pressure or an execution error, Simo followed with two spares, allowing O'Neill to regain the lead. However, the lead was short-lived. First, O'Neill missed right on the right lane, leaving a costly 2-10 split in the eighth frame. Then, on the left lane, he missed again, resulting in another split. Simonsen responded with another spare, which was enough to secure the win. He advanced with a final score of 189-176.

In the first championship match, Simonsen faced off against Gary Haines. The New Yorker had finished 149th in the 2023 USBC Masters and 395th in 2024. But this year, he didn’t lose a single match play game, earning the No. 1 seed—which meant Simonsen had to win twice to claim his fourth USBC Masters title.

To start the match, Simonsen switched to a Storm Phaze II and opened with a triple. Meanwhile, Haines kept the game close with two strikes and two spares in his first four frames. The two bowlers continued exchanging strikes and spares up to the eighth frame, with Simo maintaining the lead thanks to his opening triple.

Momentum seemed to shift in the eighth frame when Simonsen missed a spare, cutting his lead to just seven pins. But Haines made two costly errors in the ninth and tenth frames, allowing Simonsen to secure a 207-172 victory—forcing a decisive second game for the title.

For the title, the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Neither bowler could strike on the right lane, forcing both to focus on making easy spares. But in the fourth frame, Haines made a costly mistake, missing a 2-4-7 spare. A strike on the left lane could have relieved some pressure, but he struggled there as well, handing the lead to Simonsen.

However, the 16-time PBA Tour champion couldn’t convert a 4-9 split in the fifth frame, trimming his lead to just four pins. Ball reps urged Haines to move further right, but he didn’t listen. He felt more comfortable staying left—even though his ball kept going Brooklyn, as long as it resulted in a strike, he was safe.

Before the ninth frame, Haines gave his wife a quick kiss and finally delivered a crucial pocket strike on the left lane, reclaiming the lead.

Simo started the tenth frame with a strike but followed it with just four pins, finishing at 186. With Haines needing only a mark to secure the win, he converted a spare and added eight pins, sealing the victory with a final score of 192-186.

Haine's win earned him $100,000, and marked his first career PBA Tour title.

2025 USBC Masters Stepladder Finals Scores:

• Match 1: No. 3 seed Bill O'Neill - No. 4 seed Justin Knowles, 202-195

• Match 2: No. 3 seed Bill O'Neill - No. 2 seed Anthony Simonsen, 176-189

• Championship Match 1: No. 2 seed Anthony Simonsen - No. 1 seed Gary Haines, 207-172

• Championship Match 2: No. 2 seed Anthony Simonsen - No. 1 seed Gary Haines, 186-192