# PBA World Championship

The PBA World Championship is one of five major PBA (Professional Bowlers Association) bowling events. It is one of three PBA Tour major events that are open only to PBA members. (The U.S. Open and USBC Masters allow qualifying amateurs to enter.)
Prior to 2002, the tournament was called the PBA National Championship. The PBA National Championship was first contested on November 28, 1960, then called the First Annual National Championship; the winner was PBA Hall of Famer Don Carter. Tournament champions currently win the Earl Anthony Trophy, named in honor of the late PBA legend who won this title a record six times (1973–75 and 1981–83). The World Championship has occasionally offered a $100,000 top prize, and as much as $150,000 in 2020.

## Background

The National Championship and World Championship have been contested over the years using a variety of formats. Currently, the PBA World Championship format is different from normal PBA Tour events. Since the 2009–10 season, the initial qualifying scores for the World Championship have come from other stand-alone tournaments at the PBA World Series of Bowling, which celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2024. Thus, the current tournament is open to any PBA member who also enters the World Series of Bowling.
For the 2009–10 season, the PBA World Championship was part of the World Series of Bowling held in Allen Park, Michigan, and was contested in a split format. The qualifying rounds of the tournament were contested August 31 – September 4, with the televised finals being broadcast live on ESPN December 13, 2009. The PBA's second World Series of Bowling in 2010 was contested in Las Vegas, Nevada, and was again used as qualifying for the 2010–11 PBA World Championship. This time, the 60-game qualifying scores for the five "animal pattern" championships held at the World Series were used to determine the 8-bowler TV field for the PBA World Championship finals. The World Championship finals were televised live over three consecutive days (January 14–16, 2011), a PBA first.
Currently (as of the 2025 WSOB XII), combined scores from the 48 games of qualifying (12 games on each of four different "animal" oil patterns) determine the top 16 for the match play round of the PBA World Championship. These 16 players then bowl 15 games of roundrobin head-to-head match play, plus one position round match, on the Earl Anthony 43 oil pattern, which is named after the six-time winner of this event. Total pinfall from all 64 qualifying games, including 30 bonus pins for head-to-head match play wins, determines the five players that advance to the televised finals. The Earl Anthony 43 oil pattern is also used for the finals.

## World Champions
### 2024 event

The 2024 PBA World Championship was contested April 6–20 at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Michigan, with a live televised stepladder final on April 21. The tournament had a $503,200 prize fund. The top 35 players cashed, with the champion earning $100,000.
The number 4 seed E. J. Tackett defeated top seed Matt Russo 225–194 in the final match to successfully defend his 2023 PBA World Championship title. This was Tackett's 23rd PBA Tour title, fifth major, and the third World Championship title in his career.
| Match #1 | Match #1 | Match #1 | Match #2 | Match #2 | Match #2 | Match #3 | Match #3 | Match #3 | Championship Match | Championship Match | Championship Match |
| | | | | | | | | | 1 | Matt Russo | 194 |
| | | | | | | 2 | Jesper Svensson | 184 | 4 | E. J. Tackett | 225 |
| | | | 3 | Graham Fach | 202 | 4 | E. J. Tackett | 193 | | | |
| 4 | E. J. Tackett | 246 | 4 | E. J. Tackett | 213 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Eric Jones | 205 | | | | | | | | | |
* Prize Pool:
    1. E. J. Tackett (Bluffton, Indiana) – $100,000
    2. Matt Russo (Ballwin, Missouri) – $60,000
    3. Jesper Svensson (Sweden) – $45,000
    4. Graham Fach (Urbana, Ohio) – $35,000
    5. Eric Jones (Edmond, Oklahoma) – $30,000

### Past winners

| Season | Winner | Runner-up | Championship match score |
| 1960 | Don Carter | Ronnie Gaudern | 237.17–227.24 |
| 1961 | Dave Soutar | Morrie Oppenheim | 212.02–208.19 |
| 1962 | Carmen Salvino | Don Carter | 193.29–193.10 |
| 1963 | Billy Hardwick | Ray Bluth | 13541–13288 |
| 1964 | Bob Strampe | Ray Bluth | 13979–13721 |
| 1965 | Dave Davis | Jerry McCoy | 681–502 |
| 1966 | Wayne Zahn | Nelson Burton Jr. | 14006–13869 |
| 1967 | Dave Davis | Pete Tountas | 216–191 |
| 1968 | Wayne Zahn | Nelson Burton Jr. | 14182–13741 |
| 1969 | Mike McGrath | Bill Allen | 13670–13605 |
| 1970 | Mike McGrath | Dave Davis | 226–222 |
| 1971 | Mike Limongello | Dave Davis | 207–202 |
| 1972 | Johnny Guenther | Dick Ritger | 12986–12889 |
| 1973 | Earl Anthony | Sam Flanagan | 212–189 |
| 1974 | Earl Anthony | Mark Roth | 218–188 |
| 1975 | Earl Anthony | Jim Frazier | 245–180 |
| 1976 | Paul Colwell | Dave Davis | 191–191 (49-48 in two frame roll-off) |
| 1977 | Tommy Hudson | Jay Robinson | 206–200 |
| 1978 | Warren Nelson | Joseph Groskind | 219–199 |
| 1979 | Mike Aulby | Earl Anthony | 245–217 |
| 1980 | Johnny Petraglia | Gary Dickinson | 235–223 |
| 1981 | Earl Anthony | Ernie Schlegel | 242–237 |
| 1982 | Earl Anthony | Charlie Tapp | 233–191 |
| 1983 | Earl Anthony | Mike Durbin | 210–183 |
| 1984 | Bob Chamberlain | Dan Eberl | 219–191 |
| 1985 | Mike Aulby | Steve Cook | 253–211 |
| 1986 | Tom Crites | Mike Aulby | 190–184 |
| 1987 | Randy Pedersen | Amleto Monacelli | 233–222 |
| 1988 | Brian Voss | Todd Thompson | 246–185 |
| 1989 | Pete Weber | Dave Ferraro | 221–216 |
| 1990 | Jim Pencak | Chris Warren | 223–214 |
| 1991 | Mike Miller | Norm Duke | 218–214 |
| 1992 | Eric Forkel | Bob Vespi | 217–133 |
| 1993 | Ron Palombi Jr. | Eugene McCune | 237–224 |
| 1994 | Dave Traber | Dale Traber | 196–187 |
| 1995 | Scott Alexander | Wayne Webb | 246–210 |
| 1996 | Butch Soper | Walter Ray Williams Jr. | 226–210 |
| 1997 | Rick Steelsmith | Brian Voss | 218–190 |
| 1998 | Pete Weber | David Ozio | 277–236 |
| 1999 | Tim Criss | Dave Arnold | 238–161 |
| 2000 | Norm Duke | Jason Couch | 214–198 |
| 2001 | Walter Ray Williams Jr. | Jeff Lizzi | 258–204 |
| 2001–02 | Doug Kent | Lonnie Waliczek | 215–160 |
| 2002–03 | Walter Ray Williams Jr. | Brian Kretzer | 226–204 |
| 2003–04 | Tom Baker | Mika Koivuniemi | 246–239 |
| 2004–05 | Patrick Allen | Chris Loschetter | 235–210 |
| 2005–06 | Walter Ray Williams Jr. | Pete Weber | 236–213 |
| 2006–07 | Doug Kent | Chris Barnes | 237–216 |
| 2007–08 | Norm Duke | Ryan Shafer | 202–165 |
| 2008–09 | Norm Duke | Chris Barnes | 259–189 |
| 2009–10 | Tom Smallwood | Wes Malott | 244–228 |
| 2010–11 | Chris Barnes | Bill O'Neill | 267–237 |
| 2011–12 | Osku Palermaa | Ryan Shafer | 203–177 |
| 2012–13+ | Parker Bohn III | Jason Belmonte | 254–227 |
| 2012–13+ | Dominic Barrett | Sean Rash | 238–235 |
| 2014 | Mike Fagan | Wes Malott | 252–212 |
| 2015 | Gary Faulkner Jr. | E. J. Tackett | 216–178 |
| 2016 | E. J. Tackett | Tom Smallwood | 246–180 |
| 2017 | Jason Belmonte | Jesper Svensson | 238–225 |
| 2018 | Tournament not held in 2018 | Tournament not held in 2018 | Tournament not held in 2018 |
| 2019 | Jason Belmonte | Jakob Butturff | 236–227 |
| 2020 | Jason Belmonte | Anthony Simonsen | 213–190 |
| 2021 | Tom Daugherty | Jakob Butturff | 263–257 |
| 2022 | Kristopher Prather | Jason Sterner | 237–237 (10–6 in one-ball roll-off) |
| 2023 | E. J. Tackett | Jason Belmonte | 254–247 |
| 2024 | E. J. Tackett | Matt Russo | 225–194 |
+ Due to the 2012–13 "Super Season" running from November 2012 to December 2013, there were two PBA World Championship events: one in November 2012 and one in November 2013.