LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, Fla., took his quest to become the first player in Professional Bowlers Association history to win both the U.S. Open and Senior U.S. Open titles into the match play finals of the PBA Senior U.S. Open presented by Suncoast at the Suncoast Bowling Center Thursday.
Behind games of 182, 235, 218, 225, 236, 227, 217, 244 and 218 for a nine-game 2,002 total during Thursday morning’s cashers’ round, Williams completed the 27-game qualifying portion of the tournament with 6,185 total pins. Williams took a 41-pin lead over Kevin Croucher of Grants Pass, Ore., into Thursday afternoon’s first eight-game match play round.
“I’m still throwing the ball well,” Williams said. “I worked on my timing with Mike Jasnau at the end of the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season and at Team USA training camp, I also worked with Rod Ross on my timing. After watching some videos, I realized it was pretty ugly, but since then I’ve been bowling good. I’m much more solid at line, much better balanced. It’s hard to make good shots when you’re not balanced. It’s not perfect yet, but it’s a lot better than it was.
“You always want to be as far up in the standings as you can get,” the 47-time PBA Tour title winner said. “I’d like to have a 200-300 pin lead, but I don’t have that. We still have a long way to go, but I’m just hoping I can keep throwing the ball well and win some matches. I’m looking forward to match play. I haven’t bowled round-robin match play for quite a while.”
Williams, the reigning PBA Senior Tour Rookie of the Year, won the PBA Tour’s U.S. Open titles in 1998 and 2003.
Also advancing to match play were reigning PBA Senior Player of the Year and two-time Senior U.S. Open winner Wayne Webb of Columbus, Ohio, in fourth place; 2009 Senior Player of the Year Ron Mohr of Eagle River, Alaska, in seventh place; defending Senior U.S. Open champion Mark Williams of Beaumont, Texas, in 17th, and two-time Senior U.S. Open winner Tom Baker of King, N.C., in 18th.
Webb and Baker are trying to become the first player to win the Senior U.S. Open three times.
All 24 players will return Friday for two additional eight-game round-robin match play blocks with the final block schedule for noon. At the conclusion of the final block, the top four bowlers will advance to the stepladder finals slated to begin at 3:30 Pacific.
The Senior U.S. Open winner takes home a $20,000 first prize and a berth into the Elite Round of the 2012 PBA Tournament of Champions.
2011 PBA SENIOR U.S. OPEN presented by Suncoast
Suncoast Bowling Center, Las Vegas, Nev., June 16
FOURTH ROUND (after 27 games, top 24 advance to round-robin match play)
1, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 6,185.
2, Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., 6,144.
3, Bo Goergen, Sanford, Mich., 6,047.
4, Wayne Webb, Columbus, Ohio, 6,000.
5, Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Township, Mich., 5,980.
6, Brian Voss, Alpharetta, Ga., 5,970.
7, Ron Mohr, Eagle River, Alaska, 5,919.
8, Eric Forkel, Las Vegas, 5,907.
9, John Chapman, Canada, 5,872.
10, Kerry Painter, Henderson, Nev., 5,855.
11, Hugh Miller, Seattle, 5,839.
12, Robert Harvey, Boise, Idaho, 5,784.
13, Barry Zimmerman Grand Forks, N.D., 5,778.
14, Dale Traber, Cedarburg, Wis., 5,772.
15, Kenny Parks, Hammond, Ind., 5,759.
16, Jim Murtishaw, Menifee, Calif., 5,739.
17, Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas, 5,718.
18, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 5,709.
19, Junichi Yajima, Japan, 5,704.
20, Ricky Beck, Box Elder, S.D., 5,687.
21, Marv Sargent, Temecula, Calif., 5,683.
22, Howard Partell, Las Vegas, 5,680.
23, Kent Wagner, Palmetto, Fla., 5,651.
24, David Axon, Bellevue, Neb., 5,646.
Did not advance (after 27 games):
25, Darryl Bower, Middletown, Pa., 5,639, $1,160.
26, Don Blatchford, Santa Monica, Calif., 5,630, $1,140.
27, Daniel Miyamoto, Mililani, Hawaii, 5,628, $1,120.
28, Ron Winger, Las Vegas, 5,621, $1,100.
29, Pete Thomas, Oklahoma City, Okla., 5,597, $1,080.
30, Steve Ferraro, Kingston, N.Y., 5,584, $1,070.
31 (tie), Noel Vazquez, Sacramento, Calif., and Henry Gonzalez, Colorado Springs, Colo., 5,578, $1,055.
33, Dale Eagle, Tavares, Fla., 5,576, $1,040.
34, Bill Nichols, Roseville, Calif., 5,561, $1,030.
35, Kerry Fulford, Brownwood, Texas, 5,555, $1,020.
36, Christopher Keane, New City, N.Y., 5,554, $1,010.
37, Mitchell Jabczenski, Novi, Mich., 5,550, $1,000.
38, Brian Brazeau, Ocala, Fla., 5,549, $990.
39, Roger Kossert, Lithia, Fla., 5,541, $985.
40, Russ Freeman, Antioch, Ill., 5,532, $980.
41, Don Moser, Murrieta, Calif., 5,526, $975.
42, Howard Loosbroock, Henderson, Nev., 5,511, $970.
43, Peter Knopp, Germany, 5,497, $965.
44, Jeff Jamison, Boulder City, Nev., 5,492, $960.
45, Michael Henry, Brunswick, Ohio, 5,487, $955.
46, Emilio Mora Sr., Defiance, Ohio, 5,479, $950.
47, Don Hicks, West Babylon, N.Y., 5,477, $945.
48, John Bennett, Clarkston, Mich., 5,461, $940.
49, Don Sylvia, Reno, Nev., 5,454, $935.
50, John Kirker, Taftville, Conn., 5,421, $930.
51, Karl Simonis, Mesa, Ariz., 5,408, $925.
52, Thomas Ream, Tampa, Fla., 5,400, $920.
53, Jim Moran, Las Vegas, 5,367, $915.
54, Jim Gordin, Modesto, Calif., 5,340, $910.
55, Terry Metzner, Kentwood, Mich., 5,331, $905.
56, Doug Kempt, Monrovia, Calif., 5,319, $900.