Butturff Advances to Lefty-Dominated Championship Round at PBA Tournament of Champions

Jacob Butturff throwing a bowling ball on the lanesadvancing to the championship round of PBA Tournament of Champions — Jacob Butturff | Picture credit: Professional Bowlers Association (PBA)

Jakob Butturff is heading to the final day of the PBA Tournament of Champions after a strong run through the prelims stepladder finals on Saturday at AMF Riviera Lanes in Fairlawn, Ohio.

The left-hander rolled two solid games to earn his spot in Sunday’s championship round, where he’ll face Kevin McCune in the opening match. The finals will air live on FOX at 3 p.m. ET.

For the spot in the Championship Round, Butturff defeated Keven Williams 278–247 in the final match of the prelims. He started with eight strikes in a row and never gave Williams a chance to catch up.

Prelims Match Results

Match 1: Matt Sanders def. Packy Hanrahan, 223–208
Match 2: Matt Sanders def. AJ Johnson, 223–146
Match 3: Jakob Butturff def. Matt Sanders, 234–221
Final: Jakob Butturff def. Keven Williams, 278–247

Matt Sanders had a great run, winning two matches before falling just short against Butturff. In his final game, Sanders needed a double in the 10th to win, but his first shot missed wide.

Sunday’s Championship Round Matchups

Match 1: Jakob Butturff vs. Kevin McCune
Match 2: Winner vs. EJ Tackett
Match 3: Winner vs. Graham Fach
Championship Match: Winner vs. top seed Jesper Svensson

With several stars in the lineup — including Tackett going for a third major title this season — Sunday promises to be one of the most exciting finishes of the year.