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Defending champion Santtu Tahvanainen passes Anthony Simonsen to lead 2026 Groupon PBA Illinois Classic as top 32 advance

JEFF RICHGELS | Posted: Wednesday, March 11, 2026 11:00 pm
Defending champion Santtu Tahvanainen passes Anthony Simonsen to lead 2026 Groupon PBA Illinois Classic as top 32 advance
Defending champion Santtu Tahvanainen leads the 2026 Groupon PBA Illinois Classic heading into the cashers round. Photo by PBA.
The 2025 PBA Owen’s Illinois Classic wasn’t even held in the same bowling center as the 2026 Groupon PBA Illinois Classic is being held in, and the lane pattern has changed, so defending champion Santtu Tahvanainen leading qualifying this year has nothing to do with those things. Whatever the reason, Tahvanainen led the 96-player field through the 16 games of qualifying Tuesday and Wednesday with a 3,882 total, a 242.63 average on this year’s Carmen Salvino 43 lane pattern....