Patrick Dombrowski captured his first career PBA title and the green jacket at the 2026 Go Bowling U.S. Open last week, edging Anthony Simonsen by two pins in a dramatic title match at Royal Pin Woodland.
Tournament Snapshot
The 2026 Go Bowling U.S. Open ran March 1–8 at Royal Pin Woodland in Indianapolis, featuring 108 competitors on some of the season’s most demanding patterns. Bowlers were chasing a $100,000 first-place check, the iconic green jacket, and one of the most prestigious major titles in the sport.
All qualifying and match-play blocks were contested on multiple oil patterns before shifting to a final pattern for the last rounds, with every game streamed on BowlTV and the stepladder aired live on The CW. Surviving the format required 56 games across five days just to reach the TV show, underscoring how brutal the lane conditions were from start to finish.
Stepladder Finalists
The stepladder at Woodland showcased a balanced mix of proven stars and breakthrough stories:
- No. 1 seed: Anthony Simonsen, Las Vegas; making his fifth straight U.S. Open TV finals at Woodland after another powerhouse week.
- No. 2 seed: Patrick Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio; riding a 17–7 match-play record into his career-defining opportunity.
- No. 3 seed: Chris Via, Blacklick, Ohio; just two pins behind Dombrowski after 56 games, reminding everyone of his 2021 U.S. Open win.
- No. 4 seed: Tim Foy Jr., Seaford, Delaware; 11–12–1 in match play but scoring high enough to secure a middle rung on the ladder.
- No. 5 seed: Andrew Anderson, Holly, Michigan – back on the U.S. Open show after being the 2025 top seed, looking to convert this year’s chance into a major win.
Every one of these players logged at least 56 games in the building before Sunday’s TV finals, a workload that rewarded repeatability, spare shooting, and the ability to control launch angles under pressure. For bowling users trying to model their own physical and mental approach, this ladder is a masterclass in versatility, lane mapping, and staying patient when the scoring pace is low.
Path To The Title Match
The week began with an eight-game pre-tournament qualifier on Sunday, feeding into three days of 24 total qualifying games on three different patterns before the first cut from 108 down to 36. Those 36 bowlers then bowled an additional eight-game block on the final pattern, which was used for all remaining rounds, including match play and the stepladder.
Match play consisted of 24 games with bonus pins awarded for wins, making it crucial not just to score but to beat the player on the pair. Dombrowski’s 17–7 match-play mark was a big factor in his climb to the No. 2 seed, while Simonsen used another vintage Woodland performance to lock up the top spot and yet another shot at U.S. Open history.
Championship Match Breakdown
The title match between Dombrowski and Simonsen turned into exactly what you expect from a U.S. Open: lower scoring, tight angles, and every shot magnified. Dombrowski opened with a double and grabbed an early five-pin lead through two frames, setting the tone that nine-spares and simple execution would be enough to put pressure on the top seed.
Momentum swung back and forth from there. Simonsen left a pocket 7–10 in the third, then Dombrowski immediately gave pins back by leaving the 4–6–7–9–10 on his next shot, shrinking the margin. As the game tightened late, Simonsen again faced a pocket 7–10 on his final shot when he needed a strike to force a roll-off, handing Dombrowski a 197–195 victory and his first career PBA title.
For league and tournament bowlers, this match is a prime example of how “ugly” games can still be winning games on demanding patterns – controlling the pocket and avoiding splits mattered more than striking at will. The fact that a major hinged on a couple of pocket 7–10s shows how small adjustments at the arrows and downlane can decide an entire week’s work.
Final Standings and Payouts
The U.S. Open’s prize fund topped $275,000, with the top of the ladder taking home the biggest checks. Here’s how the TV finalists finished:
| PLACE | BOWLER | HOMETOWN | SEED | PRIZE |
| 1st | Patrick Dombowski | Parma, Ohio | 2 | $100,000 and a green jacket. |
| 2nd | Anthony Simonsen | Las Vegas, Nevada | 1 | $50,000 |
| 3rd | Chris Via | Blacklick, Ohio | 3 | $25,000 |
| 4th | Tim Foy Jr. | Seaford, Delaware | 4 | $15,000 |
| 5th | Andrew Anderson | Holly, Michigan | 5 | $10,000 |
Beyond the TV finalists, cash spots extended deep into the field, rewarding those who could grind out 40+ games on the various patterns even if they fell short of match play. With the U.S. Open co-hosted by the United States Bowling Congress and the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America, the event again delivered on its reputation as the sport’s toughest test.
Takeaways
For bowlers and fans, a few key lessons jump off the stat sheet from this year’s U.S. Open:
- Pattern versatility wins. Being able to control your ball motion on four different patterns over the week – not just your favorite house shot – is critical at every level.
- Spare shooting is a separator. Dombrowski’s ability to stay clean and avoid big-count open frames kept him alive even when the pocket got tricky.
- Mental game matters most. Simonsen’s fifth straight U.S. Open show and Dombrowski’s composure in his first title match are reminders that routine and mindset are as important as rev rate.
If you track your own multi-block league or tournament performance inside the SpareTime Bowling app, this U.S. Open is a perfect benchmark: think in terms of how you manage transitions, protect your makeable spares, and keep your scoring pace competitive across different conditions, not just on your best pair. As the season continues, expect many of these names to show up on top of other majors, but for 2026, the green jacket belongs to Dombrowski and a week at Woodland that bowlers will talk about for a long time.