Jason Belmonte

Jason Belmonte
Belmonte during the 2019 PBA World Championship
Personal information
NicknameBelmo
Born (1983-07-29) 29 July 1983 (age 41)
Orange, New South Wales, Australia
Years active2000–present
Height178 cm (5 ft 10 in)
SpouseKimberly Shapter
Children4
Sport
CountryAustralia
SportTen-pin bowling
LeaguePBA, WBT
Turned pro2008
Achievements and titles
World finals1 European Bowling Tour
1 World Tenpin Masters
1 WBT
1 AMF World Cup
National finals31 PBA Tour (15 majors)
7x PBA Player of the Year
Medal record
Representing  Australia
Bowling
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
World Tenpin Bowling Championships 4
World Youth Bowling Championships 3 1
Asian Youth Bowling Championships 3 1 1
Total 6 2 5
World Tenpin Bowling Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2006 Busan Doubles
Bronze medal – third place 2006 Busan Masters
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Abu Dhabi Trios
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Abu Dhabi Team
World Youth Tenpin Bowling Championships
Gold medal – first place 2006 Berlin Team
Gold medal – first place 2004 Guam Singles[1]
Gold medal – first place 2004 Guam All Events
Silver medal – second place 2004 Guam Masters

Jason Belmonte AM (born 29 July 1983) is an Australian professional ten-pin bowler. He plays on the PBA Tour in the United States[2] and in world events. He is known for being one of the first bowlers to gain media attention for using the two-handed approach style to deliver his shot. He has won 31 PBA titles (seventh most all-time), including a record 15 major championships; he is only one of eight bowlers in PBA tour history to achieve 30 wins, making him the only 30-time winner in PBA Tour history who is not currently a member of the PBA Hall of Fame (he has yet to meet the 20 years on Tour requirement).

Belmonte is one of two bowlers in PBA history to have won the Super Slam, winning all five PBA major titles (the other being Mike Aulby). He is the all-time leader in both USBC Masters and PBA Tournament of Champions titles, winning each event four times. He is also the only three-time winner of the PBA Players Championship.

Belmonte has been named PBA Player of the Year seven times, tying the record previously set by Walter Ray Williams Jr.[3] Belmonte accumulated $1 million (USD) in career PBA earnings faster than any player in history (131 tournaments), surpassed the $1.5 million mark PBA earnings during the 2019 season, and eclipsed $2 million in PBA earnings during the 2022 season. Belmonte has at least 27 career 300 games in PBA Tour events through 2023, including the PBA's 21st nationally televised 300 in 2012,[4] as well as the 34th nationally televised 300 over ten years later in 2022.[5] He rolled another televised 300 game in the 2023 PBA Tour Finals to become the only player in PBA history with three televised perfect games.[6] His accolades have him ranked on several lists as one of the greatest bowlers of all time, if not the greatest.[7][8][9]

Belmonte is perhaps the most well-marketed bowler of all time, owing in part to his popularisation of two-handed bowling. He is a member of the Storm,[10] 3G Shoes and Vise Grips pro staffs. Storm has collaborated with Belmonte to develop the "Signature" line of bowling balls, which bear the Belmo nickname and silhouette logo.[11]

He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2022 Queen's Birthday Honours for significant service to tenpin bowling at the elite level.[12]

  1. ^ "8th WTBA World Youth Bowling Championship". ABF-Online. Asian Bowling Federation.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference PBA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Hughes, Nolan (4 November 2022). "JASON BELMONTE WINS RECORD-TYING SEVENTH CHRIS SCHENKEL PBA PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD". pba.com. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  4. ^ Vint, Bill (15 January 2012). "Finland's Osku Palermaa Becomes First International Player to Win PBA World Championship, First Two-Hander to Win PBA Major Title". Professional Bowlers Association. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
  5. ^ Hughes, Nolan (5 June 2022). "BELMONTE CONCLUDES HISTORIC SEASON WITH TOUR FINALS VICTORY". pba.com. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  6. ^ Hughes, Nolan (25 June 2023). "KYLE TROUP WINS 10TH CAREER TITLE AT PBA TOUR FINALS". pba.com. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  7. ^ "Top 6 Best Men's Bowlers of All Time". rookieroad.com. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  8. ^ Burr, Brendan (1 October 2022). "Jason Belmonte: The unrecognised champion". theinnersanctum.com. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  9. ^ Hughes, Nolan (26 October 2019). "The Legend of Jason Belmonte Transcends Bowling". cantlosehughes.com. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  10. ^ "Storm Bowling - Athletes". stormbowling.com. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  11. ^ "Storm Trend (bowling ball)". stormbowling.com. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  12. ^ "Mr Jason Belmonte". It's an Honour. Retrieved 12 June 2022.