The PBA World Championship is one of five major PBA (Professional Bowlers Association) bowling events. It is one of three PBA Tour major events that are open only to PBA members. (The U.S. Open and USBC Masters allow qualifying amateurs to enter.)

Prior to 2002, the tournament was called the PBA National Championship. The PBA National Championship was first contested on November 28, 1960, then called the First Annual National Championship; the winner was PBA Hall of Famer Don Carter. Tournament champions currently win the Earl Anthony Trophy, named in honor of the late PBA legend who won this title a record six times with a pair of threepeats (1973–75 and 1981–83). The World Championship has offered a $100,000 top prize in multiple seasons, and as much as $150,000 in 2020.

Background The National Championship and World Championship have been contested over the years using a variety of formats. Currently, the PBA World Championship format is different from normal PBA Tour events. Since the 2009–10 season, the initial qualifying scores for the World Championship have come from other stand-alone tournaments at the PBA World Series of Bowling, which celebrated its 17th anniversary in 2026. Thus, the current tournament is open to any PBA member who also enters the World Series of Bowling.

For the 2009–10 season, the PBA World Championship was part of the World Series of Bowling held in Allen Park, Michigan, and was contested in a split format. The qualifying rounds of the tournament were contested August 31 – September 4, with the televised finals being broadcast live on ESPN December 13, 2009. The PBA's second World Series of Bowling in 2010 was contested in Las Vegas, Nevada, and was again used as qualifying for the 2010–11 PBA World Championship. This time, the 60-game qualifying scores for the five "animal pattern" championships held at the World Series were used to determine the 8-bowler TV field for the PBA World Championship finals. The World Championship finals were televised live over three consecutive days (January 14–16, 2011), a PBA first.Vint, Bill. "O'Neill Wins Top Berth for PBA World Championship." Article at www.pba.com on October 29, 2010.

Currently (as of the 2026 WSOB XVII), combined scores from the 40 games of qualifying (10 games on each of four different "animal" oil patterns) determine the top one-third of the WSOB field that move on to the PBA World Championship Advancers round. After 10 more games on the Earl Anthony 42 oil pattern, which is named after the six-time winner of this event, the top 16 move on to the match play round. These 16 players then bowl 15 games of roundrobin head-to-head match play, plus one position round match. Total pinfall from all 50 qualifying games, plus the 16 match play games (including 30 bonus pins for head-to-head match play wins), determines the nine players that advance to the televised semifinals. The semifinals is a play-in round for the 5–9 seeds to determine the fifth bowler who will join the top four from match play in the televised finals. The Earl Anthony 42 oil pattern is also used for match play, semifinals and finals.

World Champions 2026 event The 2026 PBA World Championship held qualifying and match play May 1–6 in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. The live televised play-in round and stepladder finals were then held on June 13 in Allen Park, Michigan. The tournament had a $495,450 prize fund. The top 40 players cashed, with the champion earning $100,000.

A five-player stepladder format was used for the final round. Top-seeded E. J. Tackett defeated fifth seed Zach Wilkins in the final match, 188–181, to successfully defend his 2025 PBA World Championship title and gain an unprecedented four-peat in this event. This was Tackett's 28th PBA Tour title, eighth major, and the fifth World Championship title in his career.

Prize Pool: 1. E. J. Tackett (Bluffton, Indiana) – $100,000 2. Zach Wilkins (Barrie, Ontario, Canada) – $60,000 3. Chris Via (Blacklick, Ohio) – $40,000 4. Bill O'Neill (Langhorne, Pennsylvania) – $30,000 5. Kris Prather (Plainfield, Illinois) – $25,000

*Wilkins qualified as the No. 7 seed, but moved up to the No. 5 seed by winning his three matches in the play-in stepladder. In the 4–5 match, he defeated Kris Prather on the second ball of a sudden death roll-off.

Past winners Season Winner Runner-up Championship match score 1960 Don Carter Ronnie Gaudern 237.17–227.24 1961 Dave Soutar Morrie Oppenheim 212.02–208.19 1962 Carmen Salvino Don Carter 193.29–193.10 1963 Billy Hardwick Ray Bluth 13541–13288 1964 Bob Strampe Ray Bluth (2) 13979–13721 1965 Dave Davis Jerry McCoy 681–502 1966 Wayne Zahn Nelson Burton Jr. 14006–13869 1967 Dave Davis (2) Pete Tountas 216–191 1968 Wayne Zahn (2) Nelson Burton Jr. (2) 14182–13741 1969 Mike McGrath Bill Allen 13670–13605 1970 Mike McGrath (2) Dave Davis 226–222 1971 Mike Limongello Dave Davis (2) 207–202 1972 Johnny Guenther Dick Ritger 12986–12889 1973 Earl Anthony Sam Flanagan 212–189 1974 Earl Anthony (2) Mark Roth 218–188 1975 Earl Anthony (3) Jim Frazier 245–180 1976 Paul Colwell Dave Davis (3) 191–191 (49-48 roll-off) 1977 Tommy Hudson Jay Robinson 206–200 1978 Warren Nelson Joseph Groskind 219–199 1979 Mike Aulby Earl Anthony 245–217 1980 Johnny Petraglia Gary Dickinson 235–223 1981 Earl Anthony (4) Ernie Schlegel 242–237 1982 Earl Anthony (5) Charlie Tapp 233–191 1983 Earl Anthony (6) Mike Durbin 210–183 1984 Bob Chamberlain Dan Eberl 219–191 1985 Mike Aulby (2) Steve Cook 253–211 1986 Tom Crites Mike Aulby 190–184 1987 Randy Pedersen Amleto Monacelli 233–222 1988 Brian Voss Todd Thompson 246–185 1989 Pete Weber Dave Ferraro 221–216 1990 Jim Pencak Chris Warren 223–214 1991 Mike Miller Norm Duke 218–214 1992 Eric Forkel Bob Vespi 217–133 1993 Ron Palombi Jr. Eugene McCune 237–224 1994 Dave Traber Dale Traber 196–187 1995 Scott Alexander Wayne Webb 246–210 1996 Butch Soper Walter Ray Williams Jr. 226–210 1997 Rick Steelsmith Brian Voss 218–190 1998 Pete Weber (2) David Ozio 277–236 1999 Tim Criss Dave Arnold 238–161 2000 Norm Duke Jason Couch 214–198 2001 Walter Ray Williams Jr. Jeff Lizzi 258–204 2001–02 Doug Kent Lonnie Waliczek 215–160 2002–03 Walter Ray Williams Jr. (2) Brian Kretzer 226–204 2003–04 Tom Baker Mika Koivuniemi 246–239 2004–05 Patrick Allen Chris Loschetter 235–210 2005–06 Walter Ray Williams Jr. (3) Pete Weber 236–213 2006–07 Doug Kent (2) Chris Barnes 237–216 2007–08 Norm Duke (2) Ryan Shafer 202–165 2008–09 Norm Duke (3) Chris Barnes (2) 259–189 2009–10 Tom Smallwood Wes Malott 244–228 2010–11 Chris Barnes Bill O'Neill 267–237 2011–12 Osku Palermaa Ryan Shafer (2) 203–177 2012–13+ Parker Bohn III Jason Belmonte 254–227 2012–13+ Dominic Barrett Sean Rash 238–235 2014 Mike Fagan Wes Malott (2) 252–212 2015 Gary Faulkner Jr. E. J. Tackett 216–178 2016 E. J. Tackett Tom Smallwood 246–180 2017 Jason Belmonte Jesper Svensson 238–225 2018 Tournament not held in 2018 2019 Jason Belmonte (2) Jakob Butturff 236–227 2020 Jason Belmonte (3) Anthony Simonsen 213–190 2021 Tom Daugherty Jakob Butturff (2) 263–257 2022 Kristopher Prather Jason Sterner 237–237 (10–6 roll-off) 2023 E. J. Tackett (2) Jason Belmonte (2) 254–247 2024 E. J. Tackett (3) Matt Russo 225–194 2025 E. J. Tackett (4) Jason Belmonte (3) 242–222 2026 E. J. Tackett (5) Zach Wilkins 188–181

+ Due to the 2012–13 "Super Season" running from November 2012 to December 2013, there were two PBA World Championship events: one in November 2012 and one in November 2013.

References

External links PBA site