LINCOLN, Neb. – Anthony Simonsen earned the top seed Saturday night for the U.S. Open stepladder finals and all five players on the show have a compelling storyline attached to them.

There was little doubt Simonsen would earn the top seed in the final round as he finished match play with a 19-4-1 record and 56-game total of 13,186 (+1,986), a 225.02 average, at Sun Valley Lanes.

Simonsen earned the top seed by more than 350 pins over second seed Jason Belmonte, who finished with a 15-9 record and a total of 12,824 (+1,624). Dick Allen grabbed the third seed, Chris Via the fourth and amateur Perry Crowell IV the fifth seed.

RESULTS: U.S. Open Match Play Round 3

“I don’t think I’ve been in that situation before,” Simonsen said of having a big lead. “It definitely makes things a little easier. It almost feels like it was a little more grueling not having to keep pressing. You start to lose a little bit of adrenalin and you’re like, ‘wow, I’m tired.’ It was a good day on the lanes and fortunate to be where I’m at.”

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The stepladder finals will take place Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern live on FOX (United States) and FloBowling (international) and all five players have interesting nuggets to talk about.

Simonsen, who at 23 is already the youngest to win two majors, can become the youngest three-time major champion with a win. It would also give him eight career titles.

The only major Belmonte has never won is the U.S. Open and with a win he would complete the Triple Crown (U.S. Open, PBA Tournament of Champions and PBA World Championship), the Grand Slam (Triple Crown plus USBC Masters) and the Super Slam (Grand Slam plus Players Championship). The only other player in PBA history to complete the Super Slam is Mike Aulby.

Allen has not only never won a major title, he has never even made an appearance in the championship round of a major. He’ll eliminate that asterisk from his resume just by taking to the lanes Sunday.

Via is in his fourth year on the PBA Tour and has yet to break through until now. He’ll make his television debut after just over three years of full-time competition on tour.

Crowell is the first amateur to make a U.S. Open show since Osku Palermaa in 2004 and will be the crowd favorite. He went to nearby Midland University where he was a standout collegiate player.

Regardless of which one of the five players goes the distance and wins the green jacket, one thing is for sure. We will have our third different major champion of the season to go along with Kris Prather (TOC) and Bill O’Neill (Players).