TOKYO – In a matchup of two of the hottest bowlers this season on the PBA Tour, Jason Belmonte defeated Jakob Butturff on Sunday to win the 2019 DHC PBA Japan Invitational.

Belmonte needed a spare with count in the final frame to secure the victory and buried a perfect strike to defeat Butturff, 224-213, at Tokyo Port Bowl and claim his fourth title of the 2019 PBA season and 22^nd overall.

The victory was Belmonte’s first in Japan and also helped him strengthen his grip on the 2019 PBA Player of the Year race, adding a fourth title to a collection that already includes two majors.

Butturff led wire-to-wire this weekend, shooting 297 in the first game of qualifying, and leading the field by nearly 300 pins heading into the stepladder finals. He averaged 233.11 for 28 games yet leaves Japan with a second-place finish.

“I’ve traveled to Japan to bowl for 15 years, and I’ve never won,” Belmonte said. “Winning in front of the Japanese crowd means a lot. I’m very honored. Jakob bowled incredible all week. I feel for the leaders. It’s unfortunate to dominate a tournament and then lose it all in one game.”

In the title bout, Belmonte left three 10 pins in the first five frames but was able to build up a slight lead when Butturff left and missed the bucket in the second frame.

The match remained close throughout but a pair of seven pins in the eighth and ninth frames kept Butturff from really putting any pressure on Belmonte.

In the semifinal, Belmonte took down Japanese national team member Takuya Miyazawa, 227-189. After Miyazawa started the match with back-to-back 2-4-8-10 splits for opens, Belmonte built a big lead and never looked back.

Belmonte got out of the gates quick in the second match of the stepladder against Chris Barnes, striking on his first three shots and eventually winning 245-220. Barnes held tough throughout, however, but a 3-6-10 leave in the eighth frame kept Barnes from building a lead.

In the final frame, Barnes needed to strike out to put maximum pressure on Belmonte. He got the first strike but then left the Big Four on his second shot. Belmonte just needed a mark to win and tossed a strike.

In the opening match of the stepladder, Barnes took down defending champion Dom Barrett, 253-222. Needing nine pins on his first shot in the final frame to lock up the win, Barnes went high on a shot that could have split but carried it to advance.