Kyle Troup Wins First Major Title at PBA Players Championship

Top seed Kyle Troup bowled a 257 game to win the PBA Players Championship for his first career major title, defeating third seed Dick Allen in the championship match. Troup’s seventh overall PBA Tour title earned him a PBA record-tying $250,000 first-place prize.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” said Troup. “Hard work pays off. I felt very confident in my ball reaction and the angle I was playing. I didn’t really feel nervous at all. I stayed focused and the pressure and the nerves kind of went away.”

Like Troup, Allen was also seeking his first career major title. Allen defeated Tom Smallwood and François Lavoie to get to the championship match, then took an early lead over Troup.

“I had two misses in the first four frames,” said Troup. “There can be some thoughts going through my head like, oh no, what’s going on here? But I just told myself to keep my mind forward and my eyes forward. Keep working, keep pushing, believe in yourself.”

When Allen left a 10-pin in the seventh frame, giving Troup a one-pin advantage, Troup knew the outcome was in his hands.

“I try not to pay attention to the score and just make the best shot I can make,” said Troup. “But I knew once I had that advantage and I could strike out to win, the only thing I was thinking was you don’t hope to win, you expect to win. I expected Dick Allen to strike out and force me to strike out, so I was expecting to have to throw all of them.”

In the ninth frame, Allen left a 7-10 split, easing the burden on Troup. Troup struck in his half of the ninth, then clinched the title with a strike in the 10th frame.

Troup was the top seed throughout every round of the PBA Players Championship. He led all East Region qualifiers through 28 games of qualifying to earn the top seed in the East Region Finals, in which he defeated Michael Davidson to advance to the PBA Players Championship Finals. Then, he led the three-game, total-pinfall seeding round held last night, rolling a 741 series to clinch a spot in the title match.

“After I won the region, I went home and relaxed for a couple days,” said Troup. “Then it was time to buckle down. Keep competing. Keep practicing. A lot of self-talk and self-belief. I knew I had to go to work to take this next step in my career.”

By earning his seventh career title and first major, Troup also qualifies for the first spot in the PBA Super Slam, which will feature all five 2021 major winners and air April 18 on FOX Broadcast Channel.

PBA Players Championship Final Standings

Bowlero Jupiter – Jupiter, Fla.

1. Kyle Troup, earns $250,000
2. Dick Allen, $130,000
3. François Lavoie, $80,000
4. Tom Smallwood, $60,000
5. Anthony Simonsen, $50,000

Match Scores

Match 1 – No. 4 Smallwood def. No. 5 Simonsen, 278-225
Match 2 – No. 3 Allen def. No. 4 Smallwood, 216-195
Match 3 – No. 3 Allen def. No. 2 Lavoie, 244-227
Match 4 – No. 1 Troup def. No. 3 Allen, 257-212

Perfect Your League Bowling Bag Setup

The Ultimate Guide to Perfecting Your League Bowling Bag Setup As a league bowler, having [...]

2 Comments

06
Nov

Columbia 300 Ricochet Pearl Review & Analysis Guide

The Return of a Legend: Columbia 300 Ricochet Pearl Bowling Ball The Columbia 300 Ricochet [...]

1 Comments

05
Nov

DV8 Bowling Heckler Review & Analysis Guide

DV8 Heckler: The Asymmetric Revolution for No-Thumb Bowling The DV8 Heckler bowling ball is a [...]

05
Nov

Ebonite Real Time Review & Analysis Guide

Ebonite Real Time: A Mid-Performance Marvel The Ebonite Real Time bowling ball is an exciting [...]

05
Nov

Track Theorem Pearl Ball Review & Analysis Guide

Track Theorem Pearl: An Enhanced Bowling Experience The Track Theorem Pearl bowling ball is a [...]

1 Comments

05
Nov

Hammer Anger Review & Analysis Guide

Introducing the Hammer Anger Bowling Ball: A Mid-Performance Powerhouse The Hammer Anger is a new [...]

05
Nov

Hammer Effect Tour Review & Analysis Guide

Introduction to the Hammer Effect Tour Introducing the Hammer Effect Tour, a revolutionary bowling ball [...]

1 Comments

05
Nov

2024 BowlersMart Holiday Gift Guide

2024 BowlersMart Holiday Gift Guide   Discover the Best Bowling Gifts Finding the perfect gift [...]

05
Nov