April 12, 2025 Nolan Hughes

Kevin McCune advanced to the finals of the PBA Players Championship, the fourth major of the 2025 season.

McCune climbed the preliminary round of the stepladder finals, defeating Nick Pate, Anthony Simonsen, Jason Sterner and Jason Belmonte at David Small's JAX 60 in Jackson, Mich.

The top four players — Ethan Fiore, Ryan Barnes, Alec Keplinger and Tim Foy Jr. — qualified for Sunday’s championship round.

McCune will meet Foy, who is his PBA Roth/Holman Doubles Championship partner, in the opening match of the championship round.

The championship round will air live Sunday, April 13 at 12 p.m. Eastern time on FOX.

The preliminary round featured the fifth through ninth qualifiers following 48 games of qualifying and round-robin match play.

McCune, the 2023 champion of the event, entered match play in second place but fell to the No. 9 seed during match play.

“It was very frustrating, especially because of the look I had,” McCune said. “The way the lanes transitioned in match play, I just did not figure it out quick enough. It was frustrating because of the position that I was in. That also probably helped a little bit today, because I was pissed off and using that anger as motivation.”

The 37-foot Don Carter oil pattern made it difficult for players to string high scores. That led to some players, including McCune, using safer gameplans.

“I'm just really trying to get to the pocket as much as I can without overdoing anything,” McCune said. “If I can get to the pocket, being able to use my speed and rev rate, I know I'm going to strike. So as long as I can get there, it will be alright.”

In his 2023 PBA Players Championship victory, McCune defeated Zac Tackett, EJ Tackett, Simonsen and Jakob Butturff. On Saturday, he took down Simonsen again before dethroning Belmonte in the final match.

“I think I belong out here,” said McCune, the youngest of the McCune’s three generations of PBA Tour champions. “I know I can beat anybody at any given time, just like anybody else does. If I don't believe that I shouldn't be here; if I don't think I can beat anybody, why am I bowling?”

McCune said he will apply the same mindset to Sunday’s finals, which features four players seeking to win their first career title.

“I’m going to treat them as if they're Belmo, EJ or Simo,” McCune said. “I don't care who you are, I'm gonna try to beat you. The name is irrelevant.”

In the opening match, McCune recovered from a Big Four leave in the opening frame with eight strikes in his next 10 shots to defeat Nick pate.

McCune rode that momentum into another decisive victory over Simonsen, 246-194.

The oil pattern’s transition caused McCune to struggle early against Sterner. However, McCune found a way to strike on his final four shots and force Sterner to strike in his 10th frame. Sterner failed to strike, leaving a 2-8.

In the preliminary round's final match, Belmonte struck on his first shot before leaving three consecutive 10-pins and splitting in the fifth frame. Meanwhile, McCune fired four straight strikes to take a commanding lead.

Belmonte tallied fives strikes from the seventh frame on, but it was too late. McCune advanced with a 243-210 win.

McCune will face his close friend and PBA Roth/Holman Doubles Championship partner, Tim Foy Jr., in the opening match of the championship round.

The finals will begin at noon ET on FOX.

Prelims Round Scores

Match One: No. 9 Kevin McCune def. No. 8 Nick Pate, 240-186
Match Two: No. 9 Kevin McCune def. No. 7 Anthony Simonsen, 246-194
Match Three: No. 9 Kevin McCune def. No. 6 Jason Sterner, 190-189
Match Four: No. 9 Kevin McCune def. No. 5 Jason Belmonte, 243-210

Championship Round Matches

Match One: No. 9 Kevin McCune vs. No. 4 Tim Foy Jr.
Match Two: winner vs. No. 3 Alec Keplinger
Match Three: winner vs. No. 2 Ryan Barnes
Championship: winner vs. No. 1 Ethan Fiore

More information on the PBA Players Championship is available here.