Rob Stone, Kyle Troup and more: Pro bowling flexes its star power in Jupiter

JUPITER – Defending champion Kyle Troup defeated PBA Hall of Famer Tommy Jones in four games to win his second straight PBA Playoffs title Sunday at Bowlero Jupiter.

In a best-of-five finals match that started off tricky for both bowlers, Troup edged his experienced adversary, clinching his ninth career individual title in a continuation of his late-season return to form.

With FOX broadcaster Rob Stone calling the second game “a scorer’s paradise,” Troup at one point bowled seven straight strikes while Jones notched a "PBA six-pack."

Though Jones handed Troup his first loss in a 2022 playoff game in the third round, Troup’s switch to the reactive resin ball paid dividends in the fourth, helping the young bowler to successfully defend his title.

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Here are three takeaways from PBA Playoffs action:

1. Rob Stone's big year

FOX broadcasters Rob Stone and Randy Pedersen are tasked with giving viewers a positive experience back home.

Sitting behind the booth is to witness the foundation of the two broadcasters’ working relationship. Comedic gestures, expressions and professional knowledge are peppered in between strikes and spares to form an entertaining connection for fans new and old.

“It’s not even work when you cover an event with him,” Pedersen said about his work with Stone. “You never know what him and I are going to come up with and I think that’s what makes it so fun.”

The two have learned to expect the unexpected from each other, like when Pedersen called the outside of the lane “slicker than an otter’s pocket” at one point in the semifinals.

Stone laughed, and when it comes to comedy, it’s certainly a two-way street.

“We’ve had a great string of moments through the years where one of us has one hundred percent lost it, meaning we are in tears, we are laughing, our head is down, and our hand is on the mute button so that none of it goes over the air,” Stone said.

Stone also leads Fox's coverage of soccer and is a veteran of four World Cups. With Qatar set to host the 2022 World Cup in November, Stone's stop in Jupiter for the PBA Playoffs is only the start of an international sporting year.

“Sports is the original television and it’s the king of reality television,” Stone said. “It’s never going to go away. People want to be a part of it and they want to watch it in real time.

"We get to broadcast it in real time. People are inherently trusting you to hand over to them what this story is and what it means.”

2. Troup passes father for titles

In 3-1 match fashion, Troup overcame a third-game loss with a key adjustment to win his second straight WWE-style PBA Playoff belt.

“It was a lot of hard work this year, throughout the season,” Troup said. “Not my best performances, but I never gave up. The ultimate goal was to make the playoffs, and I did that. I started to find my game a little bit better. And I guess I’m pretty damn good in this building, too.”

Troup has one more match on the radar with the tour finals coming up in three weeks, which will give the 30-year-old bowler an opportunity to become eligible for the Hall of Fame.

But Troup says he will allow himself a moment to celebrate his success on Sunday first.

“This is a great capping to the official season,” he said. “I couldn't have asked for anything more. I accomplished a goal of defending a title, back-to-back, so I couldn’t have asked for a better ending.”

With the victory, Troup surpassed his father Guppy for the most titles in the family. Guppy was in Jupiter on Sunday to witness the moment.

“I’m the man of the household now. I’ve got nine titles. He’s got eight. There’s not too much more to say there,” Troup said with a laugh.

“It’s always a blessing to have him here to watch me win again. We’re going to enjoy the night together a little bit and then get back to work.”

3. Jones energized by best-ever playoff finish

Back against the wall, Jones bowled a near-flawless 279 score in the third game to hand Troup his only game loss in the playoffs.

Though it was Jones’ only win in the finals, the 43-year-old can look back on a career that has found its second wind after a brief hiatus from the sport.

“It was definitely a boost of confidence to get everything done and bowl the way I did this year,” he said. “It means a lot. I still love to do it and absolutely love to compete, especially in these arenas.”

In addition to numerous achievements in his 22-year career in the PBA, the Hall-of-Famer’s second place finish in the PBA playoff was his best to date – an accomplishment that will no doubt serve to propel him into next season.

“It’s good,” he said. “Obviously, it gives me some momentum going forward. It’s good to know we can still do it. We’ll keep the body in shape, keep bowling a little over the summer, and be ready for next season.”

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Rob Stone, Kyle Troup and more: PBA flexes its star power in Jupiter