Nolan Hughes– PBA.com – Facebook Twitter Email
Through two rounds of qualifying in the PBA Players Championship, the fourth major of the 2025 season, 20-year-old Ethan Fiore sits atop the leaderboard at David Small’s JAX 60 in Jackson, Mich.
Dick Allen (+101) earned the final berth in Thursday’s advancer round in 86th place. Competition begins at 10 a.m. Eastern.
All qualifying rounds and match play rounds through Friday will be livestreamed on BowlTV.
The two-part championship round includes the prelims Saturday at 7 p.m. Eastern time on FS1 and the finals Sunday at noon ET on FOX.
ROUND 2 LEADERS
Fiore, a Tampa native, led the 172-player field with a total pinfall of 3,733 (+533) for his 16 games on the 37-foot Don Carter oil pattern.
Fiore said he keeps his focus on shot making and does not pay much, if any, attention to the scoring pace. His process-oriented mindset paid dividends in Reno when he made the PBA Mike Aulby Nevada Classic finals, and continues to pay off in Jackson.
“Like in Nevada when I made the show, there’s no pressure on me,” Fiore said. “I’m not really worried about making the show or doing anything; I’m worried about the very small picture. Everyone’s worried about making the show or making the next cut. I could care less whether I make the cut or not. I’m going to be here. I’m going to watch these guys, and I’m going to try and learn. If I get the glory of learning while I bowl, then it’s only a bonus.”
Dean Vargo, Patrick Dombrowski, Arturo Quintero and Ryan Barnes round out the top five after the first round of qualifying.
The 2023 champion, Kevin McCune, sits in sixth place while the 2019 champion, Anthony Simonsen, ranks 10th.
Defending champion Bill O’Neill sits in 16th place, one spot ahead of three-time PBA Players Championship winner Jason Belmonte.
WHAT’S NEXT
All 86 advancing players will bowl eight games on Thursday morning with the top half of the field competing in another eight-game round Thursday evening.
EJ Tackett, who won two of the season’s first three majors, did not make the cut. He finished in 110th place at +24.
The top 16 players after Thursday evening’s cashers round will qualify for round-robin match play.
Nine players will qualify for the two-part championship round. The prelims round, a stepladder featuring the fifth through ninth qualifiers, will air live Saturday, April 12 at 7 p.m. ET on FS1.
The winner will meet the top four qualifiers in Sunday’s championship round, airing live on FOX at noon ET.
Tickets to watch the PBA Players Championship are $15 for a daily pass, $40 for a weekly pass (all rounds through Friday) and $75 for both televised rounds. Contact David Small’s JAX 60 for more information.
Round 2 Leaders | 16 Games
- Ethan Fiore, 3,733 (+533)
- Dean Vargo, 3,689 (+489)
- Patrick Dombrowski, 3,610 (+410)
- Arutro Quintero, 3,604 (+404)
- Ryan Barnes, 3,589 (+389)
- Kevin McCune, 3,586 (+386)
- Sam Cooley, 3,577 (+377)
- Matt Ogle, 3,569 (+369)
- Jason Sterner, 3,565 (+365)
- Anthony Simonsen, 3,561 (+361)
Tournament Schedule
David Small’s JAX 60 | Jackson, Mich.
All times Eastern/local
Thursday, April 10 | BowlTV
10 a.m. — Advancers Round (eight games)
Top half of field advances
6 p.m. — Cashers Round (eight games)
Top 16 players advance
Friday, April 11 | BowlTV
11 a.m. — Match Play Round 1 (eight games)
6 p.m. — Match Play Round 2 (eight games)
5th-9th qualifiers players advance to prelims; 1st-4th qualifiers advance to finals
Saturday, April 12 | FS1
7 p.m. — Prelims (stepladder finals)
Winner advances to finals
Sunday, April 13 | FOX
12 p.m. — Finals (stepladder finals)
More information on the PBA Players Championship is available here.
