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Wikipedia / USBC Masters

The USBC Masters is a championship ten-pin bowling event conducted by the United States Bowling Congress. The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) began recognizing it as a title event in 1998, and it was designated one of the four majors in 2000. A PBA rule change in 2008 retroactively awarded a PBA title (and a major) to any Masters winners prior to 1998 who were PBA members at the time of the victory.

History

The tournament began in 1951 as the ABC Masters, conducted by the American Bowling Congress (ABC). The ABC merged with the WIBC and YABA to become the USBC in 2005, after which the tournament was renamed USBC Masters. The Masters began as an invitational event showcasing national and local bowling stars and has grown to become one of bowling's most prestigious events.

While the event has evolved over the years, its trademark qualifying and double-elimination match play format has remained largely unchanged. All bowlers compete in 15 games of qualifying, with the top 63 qualifiers joining the previous year's champion in the double elimination match play bracket. If the previous champion makes the top 63 or is unable to participate, the 64th-place qualifier is added. All head-to-head matches consist of three games, where the highest total pinfall wins. First-time losers during the match play rounds are not eliminated, but are instead placed into an elimination bracket, where they must survive all subsequent three-game matches to have a chance at making the championship finals.

Hundreds of competitors turn out for the Masters each year (a full field of 390 entered the 2026 event) with their sights set on a prize fund that has recently been as high as $457,000, including a $100,000 top prize.

The Masters is open to PBA members and any USBC member who meets average requirements. It has been part of the World Bowling Tour.

After the Masters in January 2004, the tournament was moved to the fall, resulting in two Masters events during calendar year 2004. (The first was part of the 2003–04 PBA season, and the second was part of the 2004–05 season.) Then in 2008, the tournament was moved back to the spring, which is why there was no Masters during 2008.

Masters facts

  • In 2007, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard became the first woman to bowl a perfect game in the USBC Masters.

  • Dick Hoover (1956–57), Billy Welu (1964–65), Jason Belmonte (2013–15) and Anthony Simonsen (2022–23) are the only four players to successfully defend a Masters title, with Belmonte being the only player of the four to win three times in a row.

  • Mike Aulby was the first player to win the Masters three times (1989, 1995, 1998).

  • Jason Belmonte was the first, and only, player to win the Masters four times (2013, 2014, 2015, 2017).

  • Hall of Famer Earl Anthony won his 43rd, and final, PBA Tour title at the 1984 ABC Masters.

  • Hall of Famer Ernie Schlegel, aged , won the 1996 Masters and became the tournament’s oldest winner.

  • Anthony Simonsen, aged , won the 2016 Masters and became the tournament's youngest winner, as well as the youngest to win a PBA major of any kind. With his back-to-back wins in 2022 and 2023, Simonsen joined Aulby and Belmonte as the only players to win at least three Masters titles.

Current Defending Champion

The current defending USBC Masters champion is David Krol.

2026 Event

The 2026 USBC Masters was held at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Michigan from March 22–28, with the televised stepladder final round on March 29. The tournament had a starting field of 390 bowlers and a $420,000 prize fund. The top 97 players (1:4) cashed, with the champion earning $100,000.

Fifth-seeded David "Boog" Krol climbed the ladder, eventually defeating top seed E. J. Tackett, 196–195, for his third PBA Tour title and first major.

Prize Pool:

  1. 1. David Krol (Nixa, Missouri) – $100,000

  2. 2. E. J. Tackett (Ossian, Indiana) – $50,000

  3. 3. Eric Jones (Edmond, Oklahoma) – $25,000

  4. 4. Jesper Svensson (Sweden) – $15,000

  5. 5. Matt Sanders (Evansville, Indiana) – $10,000

Past champions

Note: In May 2008, the PBA announced it was revising its all-time records to include PBA-era ABC Masters championships prior to 1998 as PBA titles (and majors), if the champion was a PBA member at the time.

References