Jason Belmonte (pictured left and above at the 2015 PBA Team Challenge) again proved why he's considered the best bowler in the world by battling back from a 38-pin deficit to remain undefeated at the 2016 United States Bowling Congress Masters.

The three-time defending champion struck on five of his last six shots, including a clutch double in the 10th frame, to defeat Kristopher Prather (right) of Milton, Florida, 669-666, and now is two wins away from locking up a spot in the USBC Masters stepladder finals for the fourth consecutive year.

The 2016 Masters features a total prize fund of $295,000 and is a major event on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour. The finals will be broadcast live on ESPN on Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern, with $50,000 and the coveted Masters trophy going to the winner.

Belmonte, who made history last year by becoming the first bowler to win the Masters three consecutive times, is 3-0 this year and one of eight bowlers remaining in the winners bracket at Woodland Bowl.

A fill-ball epiphany after his second game against Prather pointed Belmonte in the right direction, and his fate then came down to execution.

"When I threw the fill ball and saw the way it hooked off the spot, I knew there was a big game out there, but I'd have to execute and get the pins to fall my way," said Belmonte, who defeated Missy Parkin and Aaron Lorincz earlier Friday.

"When you're down 38, you don't have a lot of room for error. I don't know Kris too well, but I can see he's a shotmaker. You never want to give your opponent a chance, so getting the double in the 10th was huge. It also was a big confidence boost."

Belmonte will be back on the lanes Saturday at 9 a.m. Eastern to take on 10-time PBA Tour champion Wes Malott (left) of Pflugerville, Texas, in a rematch of the 2013 Masters title tilt. The Australian two-hander won that match 258-245 to claim his first Masters victory.

Other winners bracket matches scheduled for Friday morning include 2014 Masters runner-up EJ Tackett (right) of Huntington, Indiana, against 19-year-old recent PBA Tour champion Anthony Simonsen of Princeton, Texas; Team USA member Marshall Kent of Yakima, Washington, against Tom Daugherty of Riverview, Florida, and Canada's Dan MacLelland against Tim Foy Jr. of Seaford, Delaware.

Eight bowlers still remain in the elimination bracket, and they, too, will be back on the lanes at Woodland Bowl on Saturday at 9 a.m. Eastern.

The list of competitors in the elimination bracket includes, two-time Masters champion Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Oxford, Florida, Josh Blanchard of Mesa, Arizona, Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, New York, Chris Loschetter of Avon, Ohio, Houston's Shawn Maldonado, Brandon Novak of Chillicothe, Ohio, Sweden's Martin Larsen and Prather.

All competitors this week bowled 15 games of qualifying, before a cut was made to the top 63, who joined Belmonte in the double-elimination match-play bracket. All rounds of the Masters are being covered live on Xtra Frame, the PBA's online bowling channel.

 

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2016 USBC Masters - Match Play Round 1 Results

Double-elimination, three-game matches decided by total pinfall. Winners remain in winners bracket. Losers move to elimination bracket

Match Play Bracket (PDF file)

(1) Jason Belmonte, Australia, def. (64) Missy Parkin, Laguna Hills, Calif., 613-507
(33) Aaron Lorincz, Belleville, Mich., def. (32) Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 636-557
(17) Kristopher Prather, Milton, Fla., def. (48) J.R. Raymond, Saginaw, Mich., 663-649
(16) John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., def. (49) Erin McCarthy, Omaha, Neb., 704-590

(56) Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., def. (9) Clara Guerrero, Pflugerville, Texas, 615-589
(41) Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, def. (24) Francois Lavoie, Wichita, Kan., 675-636
(25) Alex Aguiar, Dartmouth, Mass., def. (40) Miguel Lopez, Wichita, Kan., 624-567
(57) Bob Learn Jr., Lake Worth, Fla., def. (8) Jon Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., 645-602

(5) Anthony Simonsen, Princeton, Texas, def. (60) AJ Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 714-601
(28) Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., def. (37) Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 647-588
(21) Matt Ogle, Louisville, Ky., def. (44) Dan Bock, Albert Lea, Minn., 604-526
(53) Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill., def. (12) Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 673-564

(13) E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., def. (52) Greg Ostrander, Freehold, N.J., 737-555
(45) Steve Harman, Indianapolis, def. (20) Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 590-490
(29) Joe Bailey, Doylestown, Ohio, def. (36) Scott Norton, Mission Viejo, Calif., 609-593
(4) Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., def. (61) Tommy Dakouvanos, Belford, N.J., 620-565

(3) Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., def. (62) Stuart Williams, Phoenix, 714-604
(30) Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., def. (35) Greg Young, Viera, Fla., 591-508
(19) Nick Kruml, Downers Grove, Ill., def. (46) Martin Larsen, Sweden, 702-686
(14) Shawn Maldonado, Houston, def. (51) Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., (one-ball roll-off after 633 tie)

(11) Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., def. (54) Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 578-560
(22) Josh Blanchard, Mesa, Ariz., def. (43) Sam Cooley, Australia, 638-561
(27) Anthony Pepe, East Elmhurst, N.Y., def. (38) Nicholas Pate, Inner Grove Heights, Minn., 694-514
(6) Chris Via, Springfield, Ohio, def. (59) Jonathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 635-610

(58) Mike Machuga, Erie, Pa., def. (7) Osku Palermaa, Finland, 617-588
(26) Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, def. (39) Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio, 648-628
(42) Tim Foy Jr., Seaford, Del., def. (23) Patrick Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio, 616-539
(55) Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., def. (10) Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 705-606

(15) Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, def. (50) Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 653-601
(18) David Simard, Canada, def. (47) Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 591-526
(34) Nathan Bohr, Austin, Texas, def. (31) Jason Poli, Waukee, Iowa, 606-445
(2) Dan MacLelland, Canada, def. (63) Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 756-613

 

Winners Bracket Round Two

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

Belmonte def. Lorincz, 714-655
Prather def. Szczerbinski, 635-605
Malott def. WR Williams Jr., 699-661
Aguiar def. Learn, 661-653

Simonsen def. O'Neill, 612-605
Buss def. Ogle, 635-552
Tackett def. Harman, 696-655
Smallwood def. Bailey, 668-572

Daugherty def. Ciminelli, 689-609
Maldonado def. Kruml, 621-616
Kent def. Blanchard, 713-565
Via def. Pepe, 717-698

Machuga def. Loschetter, 657-629
Foy def. Troup, 668-659
Simard def. Hess, 642-604
MacLelland def. Bohr, 742-651

 

Losers Bracket Round Two

Winners remain in losers bracket. Losers eliminated, earn $1,600.

Kulick def. Parkin, 541-538
Lopez def. Van Hees, 684-662
McCarthy def. Raymond, 597-581
Guerrero def. Lavoie, 649-604

Angelo def. Johnson, 669-614
Norton def. Dakouvanos, 725-673
Haugen def. Bock, 647-634
Russell def. Ostrander, 609-598

S. Williams def. Young, 725-687
Pate def. Bower, 651-620
Larsen def. Allen, 682-657
Cooley def. Newell, 706-564

Novak def. Palermaa, 618-578
Edwards def. Poli, 688-488
Beasley def. Dombrowski, 686-613
Barnes def. Monacelli, 673-609

 

Winners Bracket Round Three

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

Belmonte def. Prather, 669-666
Malott def. Aguiar, 556-538
Simonsen def. Buss, 699-649
Tackett def. Smallwood, 612-574

Daugherty def. Maldonado, 656-631
Kent def. Via, 637-577
Foy def. Machuga, 596-560
MacLelland def. Simard, 713-570

 

Losers Bracket Round Three

Winners remain in losers bracket. Losers eliminated, earn $1,800.

Kulick def. Kruml, 597-535
Blanchard def. Lopez, 687-658
Ciminelli def. McCarthy, 594-537
Pepe def. Guerrero, 620-600

Angelo def. Troup, 633-621
Hess def. Norton, 730-609
Loschetter def. Haugen, 692-662
Bohr def. Russell 609-527

Szczerbinski def. S. Williams, 677-631
WR Williams Jr. def. Pate, 672-594
Larsen def. Lorincz, 611-583
Learn def. Cooley, 587-577

Novak def. Ogle, 592-526
Edwards def. Harman, 587-569
Beasley def. O'Neill, 614-566
Barnes def. Bailey, 600-550

 

Losers Bracket Round Four

Winners remain in losers bracket. Losers eliminated, earn $2,150.

Blanchard def. Kulick, 654-590
Ciminelli def. Pepe, 643-612
Angelo def. Hess, 682-619
Loschetter def. Bohr, 697-621

WR Williams Jr. def. Szczerbinski, 714-656
Larsen def. Learn, 659-559
Novak def. Edwards, 642-627
Beasley def. Barnes, 722-656

 

Losers Bracket Round Five

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

Blanchard def. Buss, 635-587
Ciminelli def. Smallwood, 596-532
Prather def. Angelo, 650-621
Loschetter def. Aguiar, 604-596

WR Williams Jr. def. Simard, 761-588
Larsen def. Machuga, 658-524
Novak def. Via, 692-627
Maldonado def. Beasley, 652-595