The 2024 PBA Tour Finals are set to take place this weekend at Steel City Bowl & Brews in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Yesterday, the top eight point earners from the 2023 and 2024 PBA Tour seasons competed in two groups, vying for the best positions heading into Sunday's stepladder finals.
PBA Tour Finals Group 1 Highlights
Marshall Kent emerged victorious in Group 1, showcasing a remarkable comeback. Despite a rocky start with a 178 in Game 2, Kent rebounded with an impressive 269, securing the top qualifying spot. He then defeated Bill O’Neill in the seeding match, 248-186, to clinch the No. 1 seed.
Bill O’Neill finished just two pins behind Kent with a total pinfall of 445. EJ Tackett and Jakob Butturff struggled to keep up, finishing with 429 and 410, respectively. Tackett and Butturff earned the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds for Sunday's stepladder.
Group 1 Scores:
Marshall Kent: 447 (178, 269)
Bill O'Neill: 445 (216, 229)
EJ Tackett: 429 (203, 226)
Jakob Butturff: 410 (190, 220)
Seeding Match:
Kent defeated O’Neill, 248-186
PBA Tour Finals Group 2 Highlights
In Group 2, Anthony Simonsen led the qualifying rounds with a total pinfall of 484, but it was Jason Belmonte who secured the top seed. Belmonte, finishing the qualifying rounds tied with Packy Hanrahan at 441, won a one-ball roll-off to advance to the seeding match. He then defeated Simonsen, 274-214, firing the front eight strikes and almost achieving his fourth televised perfect game.
Simonsen settled for the No. 2 seed, followed by Hanrahan and Kyle Troup, who scored 441 and 420, respectively.
Group 2 Scores:
Anthony Simonsen: 484 (240, 244)
Jason Belmonte: 441 (236, 205) (defeated Hanrahan in a roll-off)
Packy Hanrahan: 441 (228, 213)
Kyle Troup: 420 (223, 197)
Seeding Match:
Belmonte defeated. Simonsen, 274-214
The Group 1 and Group 2 stepladders will commence at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Central European Time, respectively, on CBS Sports Network. The champions from each group will compete in the final match at 12 p.m., featuring the Race-to-Two format.
