Collegiate bowler AJ Johnson (pictured left) of Oswego, Illinois, went undefeated in the double-elimination match-play bracket to earn the top seed for Sunday's televised finals of the 2015 United States Bowling Congress Masters.

The two-time Team USA member defeated two-time PBA Player of the Year Jason Belmonte (right) of Australia, 665-664, in a three-game match to determine the top seed for the stepladder finals, which will air at 1 p.m. Eastern live on ESPN.

Johnson, who is in his senior year at McKendree, was college bowling's most valuable player last season. He survived six matches this week without a loss at The Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley in Green Bay, Wis., to claim the top seed.

"This is unreal because I grew up watching this tournament every year on TV and kept saying that I'd be there one day," said Johnson, who is looking to become the first amateur bowler since 2002 to win the Masters. "To be here and not only be the No. 1 seed but just make it to the finals is absolutely unreal."

Belmonte will look to make history from the No. 2 seed as he will try to become the first player in the 64-year history of the Masters to win the tournament three consecutive years.

"I'm very ecstatic to be able to have the opportunity to win this tournament three times in a row," said Belmonte, who won five matches before dropping the top-seed match to Johnson. "I've won as the top seed and as the No. 5 seed, so I'm OK if I have to go through all the other numbers to win."

Rounding out the TV finals will be Mike DeVaney (left) of Winchester, California, Pete Weber (right) of St. Ann, Missouri, and Martin Larsen, Sweden.

DeVaney won the four-player final elimination match with a 632 series to earn the No. 3 seed for the finals. Weber was second with 611 to take the fourth seed, and Larsen (left) was third with 610 to take the No. 5 seed. Canada's Francois Lavoie shot 580 and was eliminated.

Weber survived the elimination bracket to give himself a chance for his first career Masters title. Weber, who has 37 career Professional Bowlers Association titles including 10 majors, would win the PBA's Grand Slam with a victory this week and become just the third player in history to accomplish the feat, joining Mike Aulby and Norm Duke.

The Grand Slam is made up of the four majors on the PBA Tour - the USBC Masters, PBA Tournament of Champions, U.S. Open and the PBA National/World Championship.

The Masters, which features a first-place prize of $50,000, is a major event on the PBA Tour and is part of the World Tenpin Bowling Association World Bowling Tour.

For more information on the Masters, including live scoring, here.

 

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2015 USBC Masters - Match Play Results

Double-elimination, three-game matches decided by total pinfall.

Winners Bracket Round Two

Winners remain in winners bracket. Losers move to losers bracket.

(49) Francois Lavoie, Wichita, Kan., def. (1) Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 684-642
(8) Matt Gasn, Laurel, Md., def. (24) Zeke Bayt, Henderson, Nev., 665-565
(12) A.J. Johnson, Oswego, Ill., def. (5) Andrew Anderson, Holly, Mich., 637-635
(45) Martin Larsen, Sweden, def. (61) Dan MacLelland, Saginaw, Mich., 665-626

(3) Chad Roberts, Reynoldsburg, Ohio, def. (19) Matthew O'Grady, Matawan, N.J., 678-612
(59) Mike DeVaney, Winchester, Calif., def. (11) Austin Boulds, Creal Springs, Ill., 642-568
(10) Jason Belmonte, Australia, def. (26) Tom Baker, King, N.C., 704-620
(15) Anthony Lavery-Spahr, Pasadena, Texas, def. (31) Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 594-585

Losers Bracket Round Four

Winners remain in losers bracket. Losers eliminated, earn $2,500.

Anderson def. (32) Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 652-614
(30) Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., def. MacLelland, 674-507
Weber def. (4) John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 649-628
(52) Dom Barrett, England def. Bayt, 685-630

Wodka def. (56) Rob Edwards, Vancouver, Wash., 630-586
(25) Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., def. Baker, 695-690
(44) Chad Nelson, Owatonna, Minn., def. Boulds, 661-609
O'Grady def. (28) Robert Smith, Moorpark, Calif., 723-657

 

Winners Bracket Round Three

Winners remain in winners bracket. Losers move to losers bracket.

Lavoie def. Gasn, 690-531
Johnson def. Larsen, 683-652
DeVaney def. Roberts, 733-696
Belmonte def. Lavery-Spahr, 681-555

 

Losers Bracket Round Five

Winners remain in losers bracket. Losers eliminated, earn $3,000.

Anderson def. Blanchard, 623-619
Weber def. Barrett, 695-679
Angelo def. Wodka, 647-559
Nelson def. O'Grady, 631-613

 

Winners Bracket Round Four

Winners remain in winners bracket. Losers move to losers bracket.

Johnson def. Lavoie, 669-627
Belmonte def. DeVaney, 602-594

 

Losers Bracket Round Six

Winners remain in losers bracket. Losers eliminated, earn $3,500.

Anderson def. Lavery-Spahr, 613-582
Weber def. Roberts, 763-619
Larsen def. Angelo, 663-658
Nelson def. Gasn, 618-590

 

Winners Bracket Round Five

Winner earns No. 1 seed for Sunday's ESPN finals; loser is No. 2 seed.

Johnson def. Belmonte, 665-664

Losers Bracket Round Seven

Winners remain in losers bracket. Losers eliminated, earn $4,500.

Weber def. Anderson, 645-580
Larsen def. Nelson, 631-582

 

Losers Bracket Round Seven

Three highest scores advance to ESPN finals, high score is No. 3 seed, second high is No. 4, third high is No. 5, lowest score is eliminated, earns $6,000.

DeVaney 632, Weber 611, Larsen 610, Lavoie 580 (eliminated).