Top 20 PBA Bowlers 2023: #9 - Tommy Jones

Tommy Jones showcases his high backswing. Photo Credit: PBA Tour

He is no question a top 10 bowler on the tour right now, already has a spot in the PBA Hall of Fame, and is close friends with MLB superstar Mookie Betts. Tommy Jones is basically the coolest man on the planet.

Or at least the coolest man in the bowling world. Ever since Tommy Jones came onto the scene, he has been an absolute wrecking ball, denying top competitors the chance to win titles. 

In fact, it is the way Jones began his career that is arguably his most important feat. In his first 20 televised stepladder finals appearances, Tommy Jones won 12 of them. This pace does not just scream “future hall of famer”, it screams “potential GOAT.”

Tommy Jones’ hot hand has definitely cooled, as following his initial run of 12 titles, he has only captured eight more for a total of 20. Granted, his 20th win has got to be among his favourites, as he secured it bowling a perfect 300, just hours after his Hall of Fame induction.

Jones has no new titles since his Hall of Fame Classic perfect game, but that does not mean he has been quiet. 2021 was a bit of a down year for Tommy Jones, but he still finished within the top 15 in tour points, enough to qualify for the PBA Playoffs. This still was not enough for Jones, as he spent the offseason practicing for tournaments with fellow pro D.J. Archer and the man himself, Mookie Betts.

In 2022, Tommy Jones came right out the gate with a dominant overall performance in the Players’ Championship. He had the highest overall average in qualifying across all regions, and dominated the legend Norm Duke in the title match for the South region. Unfortunately for Jones, Graham Fach caught fire in their first round matchup for the finals, striking on the front nine of the match.

While the Players’ Championship saw an unfortunate ending for Tommy Jones, he moved forward from the disappointment, qualifying for the television stepladder for the Tournament of Champions. This also ended in disappointment however, as Jones was defeated in a roll-off against Shawn Maldonado.

Arguably Jones’ most successful stretch in 2022 was at the World Series of Bowling. Jones qualified in the 2 seed for both the World Championship and the Scorpion Championship. He was defeated in each, losing to Jason Sterner and Jason Belmonte respectively. Qualifying for any World Series event is difficult, with such a large field. To qualify for two of them is quite an accomplishment, even if Jones himself was likely disappointed in the outcome.

Tommy Jones concluded the national tour season with an epic running of the gauntlet at the PBA Playoffs. He knocked out top professionals left and right en route to making the finals. In the Championship series, he fell to Kyle Troup, but not after five intense back and forth matches.

With 2023 on the horizon, Tommy Jones looks to improve off of a successful previous season, with hopes of capturing his second title of the decade thus far. With the US Open, an event that he has always performed well in, on the horizon, we might see Jones achieve that goal early in the year.

2022 Stats:

Titles: 0 (20 career)

Highest Finish: 2nd (PBA Playoffs)

Tour Points: 16,735

Earnings: $170,475

Average: 221.34