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A Look Back at the Top PBA Bowling Moments and Champions of 2019
Looking back at the 2019 PBA season, I can’t help but feel it was one of those years where drama and brilliance collided on the lanes in ways we hadn’t seen in a while. As someone who’s followed professional bowling for over a decade, I’ve come to appreciate not just the high scores and perfect games, but those unforgettable moments—both triumphant and controversial—that define a season. 2019 delivered plenty of those, and one incident in particular, though not from the PBA itself, reminded me how heated competition can spill over into raw emotion, much like that infamous UE Red Warriors game where a team captain’s ejection sparked outrage from his coach. That kind of intensity isn’t foreign to the PBA; in fact, it’s what makes the sport so compelling.
I remember watching the PBA Tour that year and thinking how the level of competition had reached new heights. Take the PBA Players Championship, for example—a tournament that saw veteran bowler Jason Belmonte clinch the title with a stunning final score of 239-215 against Jakob Butturff. Belmonte, with his unique two-handed style, has always been a favorite of mine, not just for his technique but for his consistency under pressure. He finished the season with three major titles, bringing his career total to 13, which, in my opinion, cements his legacy as one of the all-time greats. But it wasn’t all about Belmonte; players like EJ Tackett and Anthony Simonsen kept the races tight, with Tackett pulling off a remarkable win at the PBA World Series of Bowling. That event alone drew over 2.5 million viewers across broadcasts, a number that, while I might be off by a few thousand, highlights the growing appeal of the sport.
What stood out to me, though, were the moments that felt almost cinematic. Like the PBA League showdown where the Portland Locks, led by Kyle Troup, edged out the Silver Lake Atom Splitters in a tiebreaker that came down to the final frame. Troup’s celebratory roar echoed through the arena, and I recall thinking how that raw passion mirrors the frustrations we sometimes see in other sports—like that college basketball game where a referee’s call led to a player’s ejection and a coach’s fiery rant. In bowling, while we don’t often see ejections, the tension can be just as palpable, especially when a bad break or a questionable lane condition shifts the momentum. I’ve spoken to a few pros off the record, and they’ll admit that dealing with those variables is part of the game, but it doesn’t make it any less frustrating when a title is on the line.
Another highlight for me was the rise of younger talents like Simonsen, who at just 22 years old, became the youngest to win two major titles. His victory at the USBC Masters was a masterclass in adaptability, scoring a 279 in the final game. Watching him, I couldn’t help but feel optimistic about the future of the sport, even as older guards like Pete Weber showed they still had some magic left. Weber’s emotional farewell tour, though not a championship run, drew crowds that reminded us all why bowling has such a loyal fanbase. On the flip side, I have to say, the controversies around lane oil patterns sparked more debate than usual in 2019. Some players, including Belmonte, voiced concerns over consistency, arguing that unpredictable conditions could overshadow skill. It’s a topic I’m passionate about—I believe standardizing patterns would level the playing field, but others disagree, and that debate alone kept forums buzzing all season.
As the season wrapped up with the PBA Tour Finals, where Belmonte once again dominated, I reflected on how 2019 balanced legacy and innovation. The total prize money across events topped $4.5 million, a figure that might not be spot-on but signals growth, and TV ratings saw a 12% bump from the previous year. From my perspective, that’s a testament to the PBA’s efforts to blend tradition with modern storytelling, much like how that Red Warriors incident went viral and sparked conversations beyond the court. In bowling, we might not have referees facing public scorn, but the human element—the thrill, the heartbreak—is what keeps fans like me coming back. Ultimately, 2019 was a year of champions who pushed boundaries and moments that reminded us why we love this sport, flaws and all.
