Pete Weber Classic Championship Sunday: Field Set as Knowles, Fach, Larsen, Stippich and Russo Advance

The stepladder final field is set for the PBA pete weber Classic at Bowlero St. Peters, outside St. Louis, with Justin Knowles, Graham Fach, Thomas Larsen, Hayden Stippich and Matt Russo advancing to Championship Sunday. The five-player stepladder will decide the title in a live final scheduled for Sunday, March 1 at 4 p. m. ET (3 p. m. CT).

Pete Weber Classic stepladder: Seed-by-seed snapshot

Justin Knowles secured the No. 1 seed and earned a one-round bye after qualifying fourth overall with a 229. 50 average in qualifying. The 34-year-old Michigan native reached the top spot by defeating AJ Chapman and Matt Russo in match play, putting himself a single game away from his first career PBA Tour title.

Graham Fach took the No. 2 seed for the stepladder, continuing a strong early-season stretch after a standout performance the prior week. Fach climbed from a 10th-place qualifying position through match play wins over Eric Jones, Packy Hanrahan and Tom Smallwood. His Round of 24 stretch included an exceptional four-game average north of 281 on lanes 29-30, the same pair that will be used for Sunday’s championship round.

Denmark’s Thomas Larsen secured the No. 3 seed by edging past EJ Tackett in a full seven-game match. Larsen described the outcome as a surprise and attributed the victory to playing his own game rather than trying to mirror his opponent’s style.

Hayden Stippich won the battle for the No. 4 slot, defeating tour roommate Anthony Neuer after earlier match play wins over Richie Teece and Jason Belmonte. The 25-year-old Pennsylvania native acknowledged the long grind of the day and the toll it took, but his results pushed him into the stepladder. Matt Russo rounds out the five-player field, advancing to Championship Sunday alongside the other four competitors.

What to watch on Championship Sunday in the Pete Weber Classic

Lane assignment and recent match-play lanes loom large: lanes 29-30 have been the site of some of the tournament’s most dominant performances and will host the championship pair for the final. Graham Fach’s recent high-scoring stretch on that pair makes him a storyline to follow if he can carry that comfort into the stepladder.

Justin Knowles’ path is straightforward: with the top seed and a one-game advantage in the final structure, he needs a single victory in the stepladder format to capture his first PBA Tour title. For the other four players, each brings distinct momentum from match play — whether it was Thomas Larsen’s upset of a high-profile opponent in a seven-game duel or Stippich’s run through tough rivals after a long day.

Earlier rounds of this event produced notable performances across the board. A separate phase of the tournament saw a top match-play leader post a high 18-game pinfall and strong averages on the 45-foot Dick Weber oil pattern, and multiple left-handed players earned byes through the Round of 24. Those developments shaped the field that remains in contention heading into the weekend.

This stepladder in the pete weber Classic sets up a compact, high-stakes Sunday where lane familiarity, recent form and the ability to close under pressure will determine the champion. The finalists arrive with varied routes to the show, making the final block of matches unpredictable and compelling for viewers and competitors alike.

Schedule note: match-play continuation and stepladder timing earlier in the event followed midday and evening sessions; the championship round will be decided in the live final at the time noted above. Further changes to the schedule are possible, and results may evolve beyond this update.