February 4, 2024 Nolan Hughes

When 32-year-old Kyle Troup qualified for the 2024 U.S. Open presented by GoBowling finals — which turned out to be perhaps the most accomplished collection of talent in PBA history — he was the lone finalist without a U.S. Open title to his name.

Not anymore.

After defeating EJ Tackett, Jason Belmonte and Anthony Simonsen in the championship round, Troup won the U.S. Open to capture his 11th career PBA Tour title, second career major championship and the $100,000 top prize.

From the moment the U.S. Open began, Troup had his sights on the green jacket. Troup wore all-green on the first day of qualifying with plans to wear the same outfit in the championship round on Sunday.

“I’m a firm believer in speaking things into existence,” Troup said. “I said I was going to wear green on Sunday to get my green jacket. One of my ball reps told me, ‘Winners take what they want and the losers wait for it.’ We took what we wanted today.”

The championship round at Indianapolis’ Royal Pin Woodland, the only venue to host all five PBA major championships, featured perhaps the most accredited group of finalists in PBA history. All five players — Troup, Simonsen, Belmonte, Tackett and fifth-seeded Bill O’Neill — boasted Hall-of-Fame-caliber résumés entering the finals.

They owned a combined 89 titles and 28 major titles — now 90 and 29, respectively, after Troup’s U.S. Open victory — and had won 10 of the past 11 Player of the Year awards.

Since 2015, Simonsen’s rookie season, the quintet has particularly dominated major championships. They have a combined 73 top-five finishes and 22 No. 1 seeds in 44 major championships; in only eight majors did one of the five players not finish in the top five.

After failing to make the first cut in his first seven tries at the U.S. Open, Troup finished 26th in 2021 and came within a single frame of winning the 2023 event, falling to Tackett in the title match.

“It is redemption now,” Troup said after his win. “I wasn't worried about that all week, but if I got the green jacket and the eagle, I knew the emotions were going to flow. This (has been) a long journey back, but it feels amazing. I'm a two-time major champion. I'm not just a one-hit wonder now in the majors.”

Troup made light work of the fourth of four brutal U.S. Open oil patterns. While his opponents averaged a combined 179, Troup never shot below 212.

“I felt like I saw the picture from the first shot of the first match. I kept telling myself ‘Quiet mind. Quiet body. Slow feet.’ Just like that,” Troup said.  “I never really worried about anybody else's ball reactions. I knew mine was great and that's all that mattered. I did know that Simonsen playing to the right was going to be tough for him — but he’s a freak. If he didn’t go split-split (to start the game), he’s right there with me.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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In the opening match, the defending champion Tackett outlasted O’Neill, who won the season-opening major in Wichita, with a slim 212-209 win.

O’Neill threw the first six strikes, but left consecutive five-count washouts on the left lane and only got a single pin on each spare attempt. O’Neill could have doubled in the 10th frame to win, but left a flat 10-pin on the second shot.

That set up a 2023 title match rematch between Tackett and Troup. After Troup was unable to shut out the defending champion, Tackett had an opportunity to double for the win — exactly what he did to win the 2023 event.

Tackett aced the first strike, but missed the headpin right on the second, allowing Troup to advance with a 212-200 victory.

The semifinal match between Troup and Belmonte, who sought to win a 16th major and become the first player to win all five majors twice, was never close.

Belmonte missed a 10-pin in the first frame, the split in the third and seventh frames. Troup cruised to a 229-157 win over the 15-time major champion.

“Well that was horrible,” Belmonte wrote on social media. “No excuses. Just didn’t do my job.”

While the other four players migrated left of the fifth arrow to hook the lane, Simonsen continued his gameplan of staying right of the third arrow in the title match.

“Every time this week that I moved left of 15 on this pattern, my look wasn't very good,” Simonsen said. “Obviously the first shot wasn't very good, but the second one definitely didn't have to split. I think if the shot in the fifth frame strikes, then it's a little different ballgame. I’d bowl the same game again and just see what happens.”

Simonsen had his sights set on becoming the youngest player to win six majors. Instead, Troup prevailed in the title match, clinching the 223-181 in his ninth frame.

Troup won his second career major in front of his father, Guppy, who finished as the U.S. Open runner-up 40 years ago.

“To win in front of Guppy is a blessing every time,” Troup said. “This also means I did something else that he didn't do. Gup, we have an eagle coming home now! This is a U.S. Open win for the whole Troup family.”

The 2024 PBA Tour continues Monday at Bowlero Mt. Prospect outside of Chicago.

Rounds 3-4 of the PBA Elite League will take place Monday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. Eastern. Qualifying for the PBA Illinois Classic begins Tuesday at 11 a.m. ET. All rounds will be livestreamed on BowlTV.

The PBA Illinois Classic finals will air Saturday, Feb. 10 at 8 p.m. Eastern on FS1.

U.S. Open Championship Round Scores

No. 4 EJ Tackett def. No. 5 Bill O’Neill, 212-209
No. 3 Kyle Troup def. No. 4 EJ Tackett, 212-200
No. 3 Kyle Troup def. No. 2 Jason Belmonte, 229-157
No. 3 Kyle Troup def. No. 1 Anthony Simonsen, 223-181

Final Standings

  1. Kyle Troup, $100,000
  2. Anthony Simonsen, $50,000
  3. Jason Belmonte, $25,000
  4. EJ Tackett, $15,000
  5. Bill O’Neill, $10,000

More information is available here.