E. J. Tackett

Tackett was a member of Junior Team USA in 2011 and 2013, and made Team USA in 2018. At the 2018 WBT World Men's Championships in Hong Kong (November 24–December 5), Tackett won two gold medals: Trios (with teammates Kyle Troup and Andrew Anderson) and All-Events.[3]

In the 2020 Weber Cup, Tackett was named MVP as Team USA defeated Team Europe, 23–18. After the European bowlers closed the gap to four points following an initial nine-point American lead, Tackett won his final two singles matches over Swede Jesper Svensson, including the clinching match.[4] Overall in the event, Tackett participated in 13 of 41 matches, going 3–2 in singles, 5–1 in doubles, and 1–1 in team.[5]

Tackett made four championship round appearances over the 2012–13 and 2014 seasons, but did not win a title. He was named the PBA Rookie of the Year for the 2012–13 season. His first PBA Tour title came on June 28, 2015 at the PBA Xtra Frame Lubbock Southwest Open.[6] Later in the 2015 season, Tackett qualified as the top seed for the PBA World Championship, but lost in the final match to Gary Faulkner Jr.[7]

Tackett had a highly successful 2016 season. He won his second career title on April 24 at the PBA Xtra Frame Storm Open.[8] He captured his third title (and first on U.S. television) on September 10 at the PBA Fall Swing Bear Open, also winning an additional $10,000 a day later in the non-title King of the Fall Swing event.[9] Tackett’s fourth PBA title came in the PBA Team Challenge in Las Vegas, NV on November 1. (This was the first PBA team event to award individual titles to the winning players.)[10] He then won his first PBA major and fifth title overall at the PBA World Championship, on December 11 in Reno, NV.[11] The four titles in 2016 helped E.J. earn PBA Player of the Year honors for the season. He is the third-youngest player (24) to be named Player of the Year, behind Billy Hardwick (1963) and Andrew Anderson (2018).[1][12] Tackett led the Tour in wins (4) and earnings ($168,290), and was third in Tour average (224.49).[1]

Tackett’s run of victories continued into 2017, as he won the season’s opening event on January 14 at the DHC PBA Japan Invitational. This was his sixth PBA Tour title.[13] On February 19 in Shawnee, Oklahoma, Tackett won his second major and seventh PBA title overall at the Fire Lake PBA Tournament of Champions.[14] Tackett continued his 2017 success with a win in the inaugural Main Event PBA Tour Finals on May 20. This invitational tournament featured the top eight players in PBA earnings from the start of the 2015 PBA Tour season through the 2017 USBC Masters. As the #2 seed, Tackett survived the round-robin and group stepladder matches, eventually defeating #1 seed Jason Belmonte in the three-game final. This was his third victory of 2017 and eighth title overall.[15] Although he did not have a win in any of the seven Storm PBA Xtra Frame events in 2017, Tackett finished with the most points over the duration of the series, earning a $20,000 bonus and the Storm Cup.[16] On November 19, Tackett won his ninth PBA title in the PBA Scorpion Championship, part of the World Series of Bowling in Reno, NV.[17] Tackett duplicated his four titles (one major) from the previous season while making a career-high nine championship round appearances, amassing 2017 earnings of over $220,000.

Tackett won his tenth PBA title on July 2, 2018 at the PBA Xtra Frame Parkside Lanes Open in Aurora, Illinois.[18] At age 25 years, 329 days, he is the fourth-youngest player in PBA history to reach the ten title plateau (behind Pete Weber, Mike Aulby and Wayne Webb).[19] Tackett won his 11th PBA title on July 29, 2018, teaming with female professional Liz Johnson to win the Storm PBA/PWBA Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles championship in Houston, Texas.[20] He won his 12th PBA title and third of the 2018 season at the FloBowling PBA Bear Open, held October 17–18 in Owasso, Oklahoma.[21] Tackett was announced as a finalist for the 2018 PBA Player of the Year award, but the award was given to Andrew Anderson.[12]

On January 6, 2019, Tackett won the World Bowling Tour Men's Finals, a non-title event in which the finalists are based on performance in global events throughout the previous season.[22] On July 21, 2019, Tackett won the Barbasol PBA Tour Finals for the second time in three seasons, earning his 13th PBA Tour title.[23]

Tackett qualified as the #1 seed for the finals of the 2020 PBA Players Championship, but lost the title match to Bill O'Neill by one pin, 233-232.[24]

Tackett has rolled 17 perfect 300 games in PBA competition through the 2019 season, and has over $870,000 in PBA earnings. He also owns nine PBA Regional Tour titles.[2]

* As of 7 January 2018

• 2012–13 PBA Rookie of the Year
• 2016 PBA Player of the Year

• Official website of the Professional Bowlers Association