Krol Claims Indiana Classic, HBO's 'Born to Bowl' Debuts

The PBA tour wrapped up another dramatic week in Fort Wayne, while HBO's long-awaited bowling documentary finally hit the airwaves. Plus, we're celebrating a massive week for BAiO with 50 new alleys added to the platform.

🎳 On the Lanes

Boog Krol emerged from a nail-biting finish to claim the PBA Indiana Classic title. The two-hander from Missouri averaged 243 across 36 games to earn the top seed, then held his nerve in Sunday's stepladder finals. Joining Krol in the championship round were Marshall Kent, Timmy Tan, Ryan Barnes, and hometown favorite EJ Tackett — who was looking for his third Indiana title but came up short.

The "Players" format made for incredible drama right down to the final qualifying game, with just pins separating the top five spots. Krol's 267 in his final game vaulted him from third to first, while Tackett's clutch 255 secured his spot in the show.

📣 Industry News

The biggest story off the lanes? HBO's documentary series "Born to Bowl" debuted March 16, giving bowling unprecedented mainstream exposure. The five-part series from A24 follows Kyle Troup, Anthony Simonsen, EJ Tackett, Cameron Crowe, and Jason Belmonte as they chase glory on the PBA Tour. With Liev Schreiber narrating and Ben Stiller executive producing, this could be the visibility boost bowling has been waiting for.

Meanwhile, the 2026 USBC Open Championships continue in Reno, with a Texas squad called "Easy $$$$" living up to their name by taking the Classified Team lead with 2,562. John Litzelfelner of Missouri also made history, rolling his second career 300 at the tournament — making him just the 45th bowler to accomplish multiple perfect games at the Open Championships.

🛒 New Gear

Quiet week on the gear front — nothing major dropped, though 16 new bowling balls are available for 2026 if you're looking to upgrade your arsenal.

📍 New on BAiO

Huge week for the platform! We added 50 new alleys including Fraser Star Lanes (Fraser, MI), Premier Lanes (New Baltimore, MI), River Bend Bowling (Corunna, MI), Crystal Lanes (Crystal Falls, MI), and dozens more across Michigan. We also launched three new city guides: Best Bowling in San Antonio, TX, Best Bowling in Dallas, TX, and Best Bowling in Las Vegas, NV.

📊 Stat of the Week

Holly Lanes in Fenton, MI takes the crown for best new alley added this week. With a stellar 4.7/5 Google rating backed by 325 reviews, this isn't just hype — people genuinely love this place. When you're beating our platform average of 4.3 by that margin with triple-digit review volume, you know you're doing something right.