For the past 7 years, the NDBowlTV Masters has developed a reputation of being a brutal, low scoring grind type of tournament. The 8th annual Masters was no different. Bowling on the 2026 USBC Masters Pattern, players were forced to navigate a variety of obstacles. From close to 36 mls of oil, to a built in speed bump near the gutter, to a breakdown that didnt involve urethane. The 2026 NDBowlTV Masters will also go down as the first adult scratch tournament held on the new Brunswick Boost String Pinsetters at North Hill Bowl.
The difficult conditions were evident early on as the entire field finished minus in the 8 game qualifying block. Leading the way was Peyton Sumners with a 1578 total. The cut to the top 16 was Jeremiah Smith at 1397 which will go down as the lowest cut score in NDBowlTV Masters history.
On Sunday, the top 16 players returned for bracket play. This season, the Masters featured a revised bracket format. The new format featured a double elimination bracket that included a 4 for 3 elimination round similar to the USBC Masters. After 3 rounds, Matt Smallin and Dawson Unrath were the final two players undefeated. The two would face off in a match to determine the top 2 seeds on NDBowlTV. Smallin would get the best of Unrath to claim the top spot in the finals.
In the elimination bracket, Ryan Selk, Josh Kragh, Trysten Climer, and Jeremiah Smith were the final 4 standing. The 4 players would bowl a single game on the same pair of lanes with the lowest score finishing in 6th while the top 3 scores filled out the final 3 seeds in the stepladder finals.
NDBowlTV Results
Selk def Kragh, 259-153
Selk def Smith, 186-173
Unrath def Selk, 224-150
Smallin def Unrath, 199-130
You can watch the entire show HERE
Smallin mastered the 2026 USBC Masters Pattern and the new string pinsetters to take home his second career NDBowlTV Masters Title (2019). For his efforts, Smallin earned the $1000 top prize plus a paid entry into the 2027 USBC Masters next spring.
Thank you to Jeff, Rory, Renee and the entire crew at North Hill Bowl for hosting the event and contributing $2500 to the prize fund. The turnout this season was the lowest in 8 years at the NDBowlTV Masters and changes could be on the horizon as it pertains to the future of this event. Shout out to everyone who has made the trip to Minot over the years to compete on tough conditions. Time will tell what comes next for the Masters.