April 20, 2025 Nolan Hughes

On Easter Sunday, Jesper Svensson captured his second career major championship, winning the PBA Tournament of Champions powered by 1800 Tequila.

The top-seeded Svensson defeated Jakob Butturff in the title match, 221-197, to claim his 13th career PBA Tour title and the $100,000 top prize at historic AMF Riviera Lanes in Fairlawn, Ohio.

“I am extremely happy and relieved that I could pry this off,” Svensson said. “I felt like I've had a chance all week. It's been mine to grab. It's always tough coming down to the very last game, anything can really happen. I feel like those are the moments where I haven't been at my best in the past. I was today, so that was awesome.”

Svensson earned the top seed through 42 games of qualifying and match play on the 40-foot Don Johnson oil pattern.

The Swede did the same in 2018 — the year the TOC returned to AMF Riviera Lanes for the first time since 1994 — but fell to Matt O’Grady in the title match.

Svensson said he felt this week would end on a more positive note very early on.

“I had a feeling,” Svensson said. “When you're bowling against the best players in the world, there are very, very small things (that make the difference). Tim Mack gave me a little point to think about as far as my physical game. It clicked, and I felt like myself from 10 years ago.”

In 2016, Svensson became the youngest player to win the TOC at 20 years and 357 days.

Nine years later, he became the fifth southpaw to win the TOC at AMF Riviera Lanes, joining Earl Anthony, Dave Davis, Steve Cook and Johnny Petraglia.

Butturff almost recreated Jason Belmonte’s 2023 TOC triumph, climbing the stepladder after starting as the No. 6 seed in Saturday’s prelims.

Butturff defeated Kevin McCune in the opening match, earning a bit of revenge from the 2023 PBA Players Championship title match.

The southpaw continued his climb by defeating EJ Tackett in the second match, 196-190.

Tackett sought to become the second player to win three majors in a single season, the second player to win the Triple Crown twice and the first player to win the Triple Crown in a single season.

Butturff took down Graham Fach in an eventful semifinal match, 234-182, to set up a title match bout with Svensson.

Svensson started the title match with four strikes, while Butturff didn’t muster a strike until the fifth frame. The Swede cruised along to a 221-197 victory.

Both Butturff and Svensson clinched berths in the PBA Playoffs by virtue of their strong TOC performances. They will meet Tackett, Andrew Anderson, Jason Belmonte, Fach, Tim Foy Jr., Chris Via, Ethan Fiore, Anthony Simonsen, Ryan Barnes and Kyle Troup in the postseason title event.

Svensson’s victory also propelled Storm to the top seed in the PBA Elite League: Battle of the Brands presented by Beatbox.

Motiv, who held the top seed since February’s U.S. Open, dropped to the No. 2 seed while Brunswick seized the third seed.

900 Global, Roto Grip, Hammer, Ebonite and DV8 will compete in the prelims round on Saturday, April 26.

More information on the PBA Tournament of Champions powered by 1800 Tequila is available here.

Championship Round Matches

Match One: No. 6 Jakob Butturff def. No. 4 Kevin McCune, 231-215
Match Two: No. 6 Jakob Butturff def. vs. No. 3 EJ Tackett, 196-190
Match Three: No. 6 Jakob Butturff def. vs. No. 2 Graham Fach, 234-182
Championship: No. 1 Jesper Svensson def. No. 6 Jakob Butturff, 221-197

Final Standings
  1. Jesper Svensson, $100,000
  2. Jakob Butturff, $50,000
  3. Graham Fach, $30,000
  4. EJ Tackett, $20,000
  5. Kevin McCune, $15,000