RENO, Nev. – Chris Via isn’t an emotional guy, but you could see it in his eyes even if he wasn’t trying to show it. A weight had been lifted.

Via defeated Jakob Butturff, 214-213, in a heart-stopping championship match to finally win his first PBA Tour title, claiming the coveted 2021 U.S. Open at the National Bowling Stadium.

“It honestly feels just like a weight lifted off my shoulders,” Via said. “I’ve been so close in this last year, year and a half, making a lot of shows and putting myself in a position to win. It just feels really, really good to finally do it.”

After making the show at five of the past seven majors, it was finally Via’s time to hoist the trophy. With this win, not only did he get a massive trophy with an eagle on it, he also got a green jacket.

Just like his other appearances on those major shows, this was no walk in the park. The championship match came down to the very last shot.

Via had a chance to secure the victory himself with nine, spare, strike in the final frame. Instead, he came up light and left the 2-8. He made it and struck, forcing Butturff to throw three in the 10^th frame to tie.

Butturff got the first one, sent a wicked messenger to take out the seven pin on the second shot but wasn’t up to the task on the third shot. He pulled the ball high and left a two pin to lose by one.

In the semifinal, 18-year-old rookie Anthony Neuer stole the show in a 257-203 loss to Butturff.

The match wasn’t especially close from the start but the drama came in the seventh frame when Neuer went high, the four pin fell late and he left the 7-10 split.

The hard-throwing lefty popped the 10 pin into the pit, off the ball and it smashed into the seven pin for just the fourth 7-10 split conversion in PBA Tour history on television.

Mark Roth first accomplished the feat in 1980 and it happened twice in 1991 when John Mazza and Jess Stayrook did it. Neuer’s name is now on that exclusive list.

Neuer was able to advance relatively easily against Cristian Azcona, 236-200, in the second match of the show.

Neuer left a seven pin in the first frame and then rattled off six of the next seven strikes to take a big lead was never really challenged.

Azcona went high in the fourth frame and left the 4-10 split for an open. In the seventh he left and missed the 3-6-10 to all but end his day.

In the opening match of the show, Azcona came up clutch down the stretch has he defeated Jason Sterner, 258-256.

Needing a double and nine pins for the shutout, Azcona punched out to secure the win. In the end, a 2-4-5 leave by Sterner in the fifth frame on a triple cost him valuable count.

With the conclusion of the season’s final major, the field is now set for next weekend’s PBA Super Slam, which will feature the five major champions.

Kyle Troup, Francois Lavoie, Tom Daugherty, Thomas Larsen and Via will compete in the event on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. on FOX (U.S.) and FloBowling (international).