Perserverance Makes Champion: This Champion is Named Anthony Simonsen

2026 Groupon PBA Illinois Classic: Anthony Simonsen's Epic Comeback Victory

The 2026 Groupon PBA Illinois Classic delivered edge-of-your-seat action at David Small’s Victory Lanes in Decatur, Illinois, where Anthony Simonsen captured his 17th PBA title in a thrilling championship match. This $200,000 event tested 96 of the world's top pros on the demanding 43-foot Carmen Salvino oil pattern, blending precision line play with late-breakdown adaptability, a perfect lesson for bowlers honing their skills.

Qualifying Rounds: Setting the Stage
Qualifying spanned four days (March 10-13), with bowlers tackling 16 games to determine the top 32 cashers. Defending champion Santtu Tahvanainen dominated early, posting a blistering 3,882 pinfall total (242.63 average), including multiple 270+ games that showcased his signature two-handed power on the heavy oil head. Anthony Simonsen sat second at 3,865 (241.56 avg), with EJ Tackett (3,850) and Matt Ogle rounding out the top four; the cut line hovered around 3,600, eliminating several big names who struggled with carrydown in the later blocks.

The Carmen Salvino pattern is a long, flat pattern with minimal backend reaction that rewards inside-line players who can hold pocket through 40 feet before transitioning outside. Standouts like Shawn Maldonado (top 10) and Brandon Runk posted monster games, including Simonsen's near-perfect 299 opener.

Match Play: Grinding to the Finals
The top 32 entered cashers advanced to the cashers rounds (8 games of match play on March 14), where bonus pins (30 per win) amplified every matchup. Simonsen surged ahead, sweeping Round of 16 foes with back-to-back 300s and 299s against Runk, averaging 250+ to claim the No. 1 seed entering stepladders. Tahvanainen held steady in second, while Tackett's veteran poise shone in tight games, including a 258-247 win over Ogle that featured clutch 4-6 spares.

Breakdowns hit hard mid-match: early inside lines "bumped" by the sixth frame, forcing pros to loft spares and move right. Maldonado's dark horse run ended in the Round of 8, but not before a 279 upset over a seed favorite.

Stepladder Finals: High-Stakes Drama

Live on The CW March 15, the stepladders packed non-stop tension over the 43-foot beast:

• No. 5 vs. No. 4: Matt Ogle edged Shawn Maldonado 268-258, striking out the 10th after Maldonado's open 9th frame left him shaker-racking a 10-pin.
• No. 3 vs. Winner: EJ Tackett dismantled Ogle 258-224, capitalizing on Ogle's critical 3-10 split miss in the 7th frame, and the same old vintage Tackett messenger conversions sealed it.​
• Semifinal: Tahvanainen overpowered Tackett 247-185, stringing seven strikes while Tackett fought messenger splits on the dry backend.
• Championship: Simonsen avenged his U.S. Open heartbreak, firing 11 straight strikes (eight in a row to open) for 290 against Tahvanainen's gritty 279 response. Simonsen's $30K win marked sweet revenge on the Finn he'd lost to in 2025.​