Rookie Brandon Bonta Rolls 300 to Win PBA Players Championship 2026

Under the lights at the International Training and Research Center, with a national television audience watching on the CW Network, rookie Brandon Bonta did something most bowlers only dream about. He rolled a perfect 300 game in the championship match of the 2026 PBA Players Championship — the season’s first major — to defeat one of the greatest players in the sport, EJ Tackett.

It wasn’t just a win. It was a historic moment. A No. 4 seed, in his first major championship match appearance, delivering 12 consecutive strikes to claim the title, a $10,000 perfection bonus, and a free game of bowling for fans across the country.

From the opening frame, Bonta looked locked in. Throwing the Storm Bionic and the Storm !Q Tour 78/U, he started with five consecutive strikes and never looked back. Tackett struck four times in his first six frames but trailed by 21 pins at the halfway point.

Then Bonta kept delivering. Six in a row. Seven. Eight. Nine. When Tackett couldn’t strike in the ninth frame, the outcome was sealed — but Bonta wasn’t finished. He completed all 12 strikes for a perfect game, earning the $10,000 bonus and unlocking a free game of bowling for fans across America.

For a rookie on the biggest stage of his young career, it doesn’t get better than that.

Match 1: Bonta (227) def. Spencer Robarge (173)

The opening match showed early nerves from both players. Bonta missed a single-pin spare in the second frame, while Robarge struggled with unconverted spares and splits in the third and fourth frames. Bonta settled in by the fourth frame, stringing together strikes to build a 26-pin lead. He maintained momentum the rest of the way while Robarge couldn’t generate consistent carry.

Ball choices played a key role on the dual oil pattern format — 50-foot Badger and 37-foot Viper. Bonta used a Roto Grip Transformer on the Badger pattern and switched to the Storm !Q Tour 78/U on Viper. Robarge relied on a Hammer Black Urethane on Viper and a Track Synthesis on Badger.

Match 2: Bonta (253) def. Jesper Svensson (216)

Both players came out firing with four-baggers to start. Bonta shot one slightly high, leaving a difficult 4-7-9 split. He nearly converted it, but the 4-pin slid just in front of the 9. Svensson had his own trouble — a missed 7-pin that opened the door for Bonta to surge ahead after the break. Entering the tenth frame with the lead, Bonta struck on his first shot to clinch the win.

Svensson threw the Storm !Q Tour 78/U on both oil patterns, while Bonta stuck with the same equipment setup that carried him through the opening match.

Semifinal: Bonta (247) def. Graham Fach (226)

Canada’s Graham Fach started with two strikes and two spares, but Bonta — the lone right-hander on the stepladder — used that to his advantage with clean boards and built an 11-pin lead through six frames. Bonta made a key ball change in the sixth frame, switching from the Roto Grip Transformer to the Storm Bionic Hybrid.

Fach applied pressure with strikes in the eighth and ninth, but Bonta answered with strikes in the ninth and tenth. Fach needed three in the tenth to force a tie, but a stone eight on his first shot ended the threat. Bonta closed it out and advanced to the championship match against Tackett.

The 2026 PBA Players Championship qualifying rounds at Bowlero Euless used a dual oil pattern format — the 50-foot Badger and the 37-foot Viper. The stepladder finals then moved to the International Training and Research Center for Sunday’s televised matches.

What stood out was how Bonta managed his equipment through the entire stepladder. He leaned on the Roto Grip Transformer for length on the Badger pattern and the Storm !Q Tour 78/U for control on the shorter Viper. When he needed to adjust during the semifinal, he brought in the Storm Bionic — a ball that clearly gave him the look he needed for the championship match and beyond.

The ability to read the lanes and make smart equipment changes at the right time is what separates good bowlers from championship-level competitors. Bonta’s ball choices throughout the day were a masterclass in matching equipment to conditions.

The PBA Tour stays busy. The next stop on the 2026 schedule is the Legendz PBA Pete Weber Missouri Classic, taking place February 24 through March 1 at Bowlero St. Peters in St. Peters, Missouri. The event opens with the seven-game Pre-Tournament Qualifier on Tuesday, February 24.

If Bonta’s Players Championship performance is any indication, the rookie class on the 2026 PBA Tour is going to make the rest of the season very interesting.

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