Haines wins 2025 USBC Masters for first PBA Tour title
March 30, 2025
Gary Haines of Babylon, New York, poses with the trophy after winning the 2025 USBC Masters, which was contested at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Michigan. Haines topped Anthony Simonsen of Las Vegas, 192-186, during the second game of the championship match during Sunday's stepladder finals, which was broadcast live on FOX from Thunderbowl's famed Strobl Arena.
MATCH-PLAY BRACKETS
QUALIFYING RESULTS
ALLEN PARK, Michigan – Going into a fight, everyone has a plan…until they get punched in the face.
Gary Haines of Babylon, New York, had a plan going into Sunday’s stepladder finals at the 2025 United States Bowling Congress Masters, which was being contested in the famed Strobl Arena inside Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Michigan, and broadcast live on FOX.
Since, as the tournament’s No. 1 seed and lone undefeated bowler, he would have to be beaten twice in order to be denied the title, Haines planned to use Game 1 to get comfortable so that he could be at his best during Game 2.
Although that plan was great in theory, the 36-year-old left-hander had a tough time putting it into practice; nevertheless, he rolled with the punches, countered as best he could and delivered his best shots of the day when he needed them most to defeat Anthony Simonsen of Las Vegas, 192-186, during the second game of the championship match to win the 2025 USBC Masters title.
In addition to the $100,000 first-place prize, Haines also collected his first Professional Bowlers Association Tour title and major championship.
Simonsen, who was thwarted in his bid to join Australia’s Jason Belmonte as just the second player in history to win four Masters titles, took home $50,000 for the runner-up finish.
Although Haines conceded that the capacity crowd inside Strobl Arena and the thousands watching at home on national TV didn’t get to see him at his best, he was still proud of the effort he put forth to reach the winner’s circle.
“Clearly, this was just my week,” Haines said. “I couldn’t have thrown it any worse for 18 frames, but I threw two of the best shots of my life at the end there.”
The shots Haines was referring to were a no-doubt strike in the ninth frame and a high-flush 10 pin on the first ball in the 10th.
From a scoring standpoint, the strike in the ninth was very meaningful as it gave Haines a double heading into the 10th frame. That meant that as long as he could pick up a mark and four pins in the last frame, he’d win the match and title.
But that ninth-frame strike will be remembered for something far bigger than its impact on the final score.
Right before Haines stepped up to bowl that frame, he called a time out, walked toward the back of the settee area and leaned over to kiss his wife, who was sitting in the front row alongside other members of their family.
Seemingly rejuvenated after the brief exchange of affection, Haines stepped up and delivered what was probably his best shot of the day.
Afterward, he explained that it was actually his ball rep who suggested he stop in midst of the chaos to share that moment with his wife.
“Dino Castillo was like ‘dude, we need to loosen you up; just call a time out and go over and kiss your wife,’” Haines said. “He wanted me to do it before the eighth frame, but I didn’t. After I threw it really bad in the eighth and got away with a Brooklyn, I figured I might as well give it a shot. What’s the worst that could happen? Clearly, it did something, and I know that’s going to mean a lot to us both because that’s something that’s going to be on TV for the rest of our lives.”
Another thing that will endure for the rest of his life is Haines’ status as a Masters champion. After several near misses at various tournaments throughout his bowling career, Haines was ecstatic to have notched his breakthrough victory at such a prestigious event.
“I’ve finished second so many times,” Haines said. “I have five runner-up finishes at PBA regionals, I have three second-place finishes at the Long Island Masters and I have a few NEBA (New England Bowlers Association) runner ups as well. I’m always there, and, this week, finally, someone was like ‘this guy finally needs a win.’ Hopefully, this rolls into more success and being more comfortable even in the small stuff.”
Haines still plans to bowl plenty of the small stuff as, despite Sunday’s Masters victory, he doesn’t have any immediate plans to take a run at bowling full time on the PBA Tour.
“I don’t think you’re going to see me out here any more than you already would have,” Haines said. “The guys that are out here do it for a living. It would make no sense for me to come out here and think, all of a sudden, I’m going to be the best in the world. I’m not, and you saw that for 18 frames today. I still have a long way to go to try to beat these guys week in and week out.”
Although Haines was probably selling himself a bit short, Simonsen definitely got the better of him for at least the first 10 frames.
Simonsen used an opening turkey and seven strikes in total to top Haines by a score of 207-172 during the opening game of the championship match.
One game earlier, Simonsen took advantage of two late opens to get past this year’s Masters qualifying leader, Bill O’Neill of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, by a score of 189-176.
O’Neill started Sunday’s telecast by besting Justin Knowles of Okemos, Michigan, 202-195.
For their third- and fourth-place finishes, O’Neill and Knowles took home $25,000 and $15,000, respectively.
The duo advanced to the stepladder after surviving Saturday’s Elimination Bracket Finals, which was broadcast live on FS1.
The 2025 Masters began on March 24 with a sold-out field of 390 bowlers and was contested on a 44-foot lane pattern designed specifically for the event. All qualifying and match-play rounds leading up to the two telecasts were broadcast live on BowlTV.
For more information on the USBC Masters, CLICK HERE.
MATCH-PLAY BRACKETS
QUALIFYING RESULTS
ALLEN PARK, Michigan – Going into a fight, everyone has a plan…until they get punched in the face.
Gary Haines of Babylon, New York, had a plan going into Sunday’s stepladder finals at the 2025 United States Bowling Congress Masters, which was being contested in the famed Strobl Arena inside Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Michigan, and broadcast live on FOX.
Since, as the tournament’s No. 1 seed and lone undefeated bowler, he would have to be beaten twice in order to be denied the title, Haines planned to use Game 1 to get comfortable so that he could be at his best during Game 2.
Although that plan was great in theory, the 36-year-old left-hander had a tough time putting it into practice; nevertheless, he rolled with the punches, countered as best he could and delivered his best shots of the day when he needed them most to defeat Anthony Simonsen of Las Vegas, 192-186, during the second game of the championship match to win the 2025 USBC Masters title.
In addition to the $100,000 first-place prize, Haines also collected his first Professional Bowlers Association Tour title and major championship.
Simonsen, who was thwarted in his bid to join Australia’s Jason Belmonte as just the second player in history to win four Masters titles, took home $50,000 for the runner-up finish.
Although Haines conceded that the capacity crowd inside Strobl Arena and the thousands watching at home on national TV didn’t get to see him at his best, he was still proud of the effort he put forth to reach the winner’s circle.
“Clearly, this was just my week,” Haines said. “I couldn’t have thrown it any worse for 18 frames, but I threw two of the best shots of my life at the end there.”
The shots Haines was referring to were a no-doubt strike in the ninth frame and a high-flush 10 pin on the first ball in the 10th.
From a scoring standpoint, the strike in the ninth was very meaningful as it gave Haines a double heading into the 10th frame. That meant that as long as he could pick up a mark and four pins in the last frame, he’d win the match and title.
But that ninth-frame strike will be remembered for something far bigger than its impact on the final score.
Right before Haines stepped up to bowl that frame, he called a time out, walked toward the back of the settee area and leaned over to kiss his wife, who was sitting in the front row alongside other members of their family.
Seemingly rejuvenated after the brief exchange of affection, Haines stepped up and delivered what was probably his best shot of the day.
Afterward, he explained that it was actually his ball rep who suggested he stop in midst of the chaos to share that moment with his wife.
“Dino Castillo was like ‘dude, we need to loosen you up; just call a time out and go over and kiss your wife,’” Haines said. “He wanted me to do it before the eighth frame, but I didn’t. After I threw it really bad in the eighth and got away with a Brooklyn, I figured I might as well give it a shot. What’s the worst that could happen? Clearly, it did something, and I know that’s going to mean a lot to us both because that’s something that’s going to be on TV for the rest of our lives.”
Another thing that will endure for the rest of his life is Haines’ status as a Masters champion. After several near misses at various tournaments throughout his bowling career, Haines was ecstatic to have notched his breakthrough victory at such a prestigious event.
“I’ve finished second so many times,” Haines said. “I have five runner-up finishes at PBA regionals, I have three second-place finishes at the Long Island Masters and I have a few NEBA (New England Bowlers Association) runner ups as well. I’m always there, and, this week, finally, someone was like ‘this guy finally needs a win.’ Hopefully, this rolls into more success and being more comfortable even in the small stuff.”
Haines still plans to bowl plenty of the small stuff as, despite Sunday’s Masters victory, he doesn’t have any immediate plans to take a run at bowling full time on the PBA Tour.
“I don’t think you’re going to see me out here any more than you already would have,” Haines said. “The guys that are out here do it for a living. It would make no sense for me to come out here and think, all of a sudden, I’m going to be the best in the world. I’m not, and you saw that for 18 frames today. I still have a long way to go to try to beat these guys week in and week out.”
Although Haines was probably selling himself a bit short, Simonsen definitely got the better of him for at least the first 10 frames.
Simonsen used an opening turkey and seven strikes in total to top Haines by a score of 207-172 during the opening game of the championship match.
One game earlier, Simonsen took advantage of two late opens to get past this year’s Masters qualifying leader, Bill O’Neill of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, by a score of 189-176.
O’Neill started Sunday’s telecast by besting Justin Knowles of Okemos, Michigan, 202-195.
For their third- and fourth-place finishes, O’Neill and Knowles took home $25,000 and $15,000, respectively.
The duo advanced to the stepladder after surviving Saturday’s Elimination Bracket Finals, which was broadcast live on FS1.
The 2025 Masters began on March 24 with a sold-out field of 390 bowlers and was contested on a 44-foot lane pattern designed specifically for the event. All qualifying and match-play rounds leading up to the two telecasts were broadcast live on BowlTV.
For more information on the USBC Masters, CLICK HERE.