Troup and Simonsen Cruise into PBA Playoffs Quarterfinals

Erikas Jansonas
May 4
2 min read

Kyle Troup during PBA Playoffs Round 1 match at Thunderbowl Lanes celebrating strike — Kyle Troup | Picture credit: Professional Bowlers Association (PBA)

The 2025 PBA Playoffs are officially underway, and two familiar names are already making moves. Anthony Simonsen and Kyle Troup both picked up convincing wins in Round 1, securing their spots in the quarterfinals.

Simonsen faced 20-year-old Ethan Fiore at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Michigan. He showed no mercy, winning in straight games with scores of 258-200 and 230-158. The format for the Playoffs is Race-to-Two, and Simonsen didn’t give Fiore much room to fight back. The lane conditions added another challenge for the players, with a 37-foot oil pattern on the left lane and a 44-foot pattern on the right.

Fiore recently made headlines by becoming one of the youngest major champions in PBA history, but this time, Simonsen’s experience and accuracy gave him the edge. Simonsen now moves on to face the number one seed, EJ Tackett, in the quarterfinals. Tackett has been dominating the PBA Tour for the past few seasons, so Simonsen will need to stay sharp if he wants to keep advancing.

Kyle Troup, the only bowler in this year’s field who has already won the PBA Playoffs—and he’s done it twice—also came out strong. He defeated Tim Foy Jr. 2-0, clinching Game 1 with a clutch double in the 10th frame and following it up with a front-six strike run to control Game 2.

Troup hasn’t had the strongest season overall, but he found his rhythm on the Strobl Arena lanes. He credited some recent wins for building his confidence, and now he’s hoping to turn that momentum into another deep Playoffs run. In the quarterfinals, he’ll meet Graham Fach, the top-ranked left-hander this season.

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This year’s PBA Playoffs includes the top 12 bowlers in points. Tackett leads the pack with an impressive 34,690 points—more than the second and third-ranked players combined. Tackett, Andrew Anderson, Jason Belmonte, and Graham Fach all earned byes to the quarterfinals due to their high rankings.

Round 1 continues on Sunday evening with two more exciting matchups: Jesper Svensson vs. Jakob Butturff and Chris Via vs. rookie Ryan Barnes. The quarterfinals take place next weekend, followed by the semifinals on May 18. The Playoffs will wrap up with a live championship match on May 24, using a Race-to-Three format.