PBA Communications

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. – Bob Learn Jr., the winner of five PBA Tour titles including the 1999 U.S. Open, topped a field of 32 players who advanced to match play Tuesday in the PBA Senior Don Carter Memorial Open presented by Ebonite at Carter Family Bowl.

Learn, a rookie on the Senior Tour, led after third round qualifying with a 4,072 18-game pinfall total (226.2 average) to hold a six-pin lead over Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, Fla. whose father passed away Tuesday morning as a result of a lengthy illness. Learn had games of 248, 182, 204, 258, 267 and 238 in Tuesday’s third round.

“I got off to a good start in the first round and bowled better than I anticipated in the second and had a feeling this would be my best round,” said the 50-year-old Learn. “Bowling the last squad today the lanes were really hooking which is right in my wheelhouse. I was able to play way inside where I feel very comfortable playing.”

Learn was the third different leader in as many days in qualifying and as a result of finishing in the top eight earned two byes for Wednesday’s match play rounds.

“Basically we’re starting over for match play,” Learn said. “Since I won’t have to bowl until late in the afternoon, I’ll go over to the center early and watch some of the early rounds and hope that I can gain some knowledge of the lanes and how they’ll play.”

The news of Williams’ father’s passing Tuesday no doubt weighed heavy on his mind but the Hall of Famer persevered to hold on to second after qualifying and will also benefit from a two-round bye in match play.

Williams, the PBA Tour’s all-time titles leader (47) and a two-time Senior Tour winner finished with a 4,066 18-game pinfall (225.8 average) and had games of 237, 193, 238, 176, 247 and 245 in Tuesday’s round.

“My dad had been ill for some time and was in hospice for the last week and a half or so,” Williams said, “but my family is here and we’re all supporting each other so we’re getting through it together. We’ll miss him – he was a great man and a big bowling fan.”

Williams, who finished fourth in last week’s Senior Sun Bowl In The Village to open the 2012 season, had to make a few more adjustments Tuesday but still manage to average 222.6 for the final qualifying round. He took a cue from fellow Hall of Famer Mark Williams to get a better line to the pocket.

“I started out playing right of third arrow but was still having a little trouble getting lined up like I needed to,” W.R. Williams said. “I noticed that Mark was playing inside and getting a good reaction so I thought, well, I’ll move inside and throw a little slower and it worked which surprised me a little bit.”

Rounding out the top eight were second round leader Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 4,045; Bo Goergen, Sanford, Mich., 3,972; Paul McCordic, Sugar Land, Texas, 3,960; 2011 Senior Rookie of the Year Ricky Beck, Box Elder, S.D., 3,958; Ron Profitt, Brookville, Ohio, 3,957, and first round leader Tim Kauble, Marion, Ohio, 3,956.

Match play rounds begin Wednesday morning. Round of 8 and championship rounds getting underway at 7 p.m. ET.

PBA SENIOR DON CARTER MEMORIAL OPEN PRESENTED BY EBONITE
Carter Family Bowl, Winter Garden, Fla., Tuesday

THIRD ROUND RESULTS
(18 games)

Top 32 advance to Wednesday’s match play
a-indicates amateur
ss-indicates super senior out of the regular prize list cashing for $700

1, Bob Learn Jr., Erie, Pa., 4,072.
2, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 4,066.
3, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 4,045.
4, Bo Goergen, Sanford, Mich., 3,972.
5, Paul McCordic, Sugar Land, Texas, 3,960.
6, Ricky Beck, Box Elder, S.D., 3,958.
7, Ron Profitt, Brookville, Ohio, 3,957.
8, Tim Kauble, Marion, Ohio, 3,956.
9, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 3,924.
10, Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Twp., Mich., 3,900.
11, Bryan Goebel, Shawnee, Kan., 3,876.
12, Kent Wagner, Palmetto, Fla., 3,872.
13, Peter Knopp, Germany, 3,861.
14, Brian Brazeau, Ocala, Fla., 3,856.
15, Brian Cooper, Visalia, Calif., 3,839.
16, Dale Eagle, Tavares, Fla., 3,836.
17, Keith Sharp, Orlando, Fla., 3,829.
18, Christopher Keane, New City, N.Y., 3,819.
19, Sammy Ventura, Syracuse, N.Y., 3,816.
20, Ron Dixon, Boynton Beach, Fla., 3,810.
21, Ron Mohr, Eagle River, Alaska, 3,805.
22, Larry Popp, Marion, Ohio, 3,797.
23, Tony Majcher, Rolling Meadows, Ill., 3,795.
24, Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas, 3,790.
25, Kenny Parks, Hammond, Ind., 3,786.
26, Steve Lickliter, Beckley, W. Va., 3,765.
27, Dave Bernhardt, Romeo, Mich., 3,747.
28, Larry Lichstein, Ft. Myers, Fla., 3,744.
29, Randy Shewmake, Ft. Worth, Texas, 3,723.
30, Henry Gonzalez, Colorado Springs, Colo., 3,708.
31, Dave Sill, Titusville, Fla., 3,704.
32, Bill Henson, Westerville, Ohio, 3,696.
Bill Henson defeated Todd Kjell 237-167 in one-game roll-off to advance

Did Not Advance
33, Todd Kjell, Roscoe, Ill., 3,696, $900.
34, Arturo Hernandez, Venezuela, 3,693, $900.
35, Steve Stein, Staten Island, N.Y., 3,686, $900.
36, Mike Dias, Lafayette, Colo., 3,685.
37, ss-Michael Henry, Brunswick, Ohio, 3,684, $700.
38, (tie) Gary Hiday, Indianapolis, and Roger Kossert, Lithia, Fla., 3,680.
40, Tom Carter, Rockford, Ill., 3,670.
41, Bob Handley, Winter Park, Fla., 3,655.
42, Charlie Toney, Oak Hill, W.Va., 3,646.
43, (tie) Dennis Lane, Kingsport, Tenn., and George Patel, England, 3,644.
45, Steve Ferraro, Kingston, N.Y., 3,638.
46, Terry Metzner, Kentwood, Mich., 3,637.
47, ss-Pete Couture, Titusville, Fla., 3,623, $700.
48, ss-Emilio Mora Sr., Defiance, Ohio, 3,616, $700.
49, (tie) Bruce Hall, Los Altos Hills, Calif., and ss-Steve Neff, Homosassa Springs, Fla., 3,609, $700.
51, ss-Sal Bongiorno, Hollywood, Fla., 3,605, $700.
52, Gary Lambert, Orlando, Fla., 3,603.
53, ss-Bob Pazur, Venice, Fla., 3,602, $700.
54, Don Blatchford, Santa Monica, Calif., 3,600.
55, Larry Barwick, Wauchula, Fla., 3,599.
56, Mike Anthony, Mason, Ohio, 3,593.
57, (tie) Keith Glasgow, St. Petersburg, Fla., and Bob Chamberlain, The Villages, Fla., 3,583.
59, Daniel Miner, East Moline, Ill., 3,566.
60, Frank Gallo Jr., Jacksonville, Fla., 3,565.
61, Jim Burch, Columbus, Ohio, 3,561.
62, John Petraglia, Jackson, N.J., 3,545.
63, Thomas Young, Houston, 3,544.
64, William Keenan, Jr., Orlando, Fla., 3,532.
65, George Lord, Lakeland, Fla., 3,529.
66, Vince Mazzanti Jr., Levittown, Pa., 3,525.
67, Garry Blanton, Owensboro, Ky., 3,518.
68, Steve Fuhrman, Fort Worth, Texas, 3,516.
69, Ron Garr, Ridgedale, Mo., 3,514.
70, Phil Gessner, Spring, Texas, 3,506.
71, Dave Soutar, Bradenton, Fla., 3,500.
72, Kerry Fulford, Brownwood, Texas, 3,492.
73, Ernie Schlegel, Vancouver, Wash., 3,484.
74, a-Chuck Richardson, The Villages, Fla., 3,445.
75, Lee Rucker, Fort Myers, Fla., 3,442.
76, Vince Honeycutt, Buford, Ga., 3,416.
77, Mark Scime, Winter Garden, Fla., 3,388.
78, Thomas Ream, Tampa, Fla., 3,372.
79, Michael Truitt, Orland Park, Ill., 3,357.
80, Danny Gould, Palm Bay, Fla, 3,344.
81, Jim Lesiuk, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., 3,337.
82, Frank Manley Jr., Fletcher, N.C., 3,322.
83, Howard Frostman, Washburn, Wis., 3,314.
84, Andy Anderson, Falls Church, Va., 3,308.
85, Tom Kennedy, Shepherdsville, Ky., 3,303.
86, Dan Howsmon, Lutz, Fla., 3,299.
87, Angel Zugarramurdi, Venezuela, 3,280.
88, Randy Niehaus, Rockford, Ill., 3,272.
89, James Souder, Greeneville, Tenn., 3,267.
90, Peter Brainard, Tampa, Fla., 3,263.
91, Tom Howison, Chillicothe, Ohio, 3,251.
92, Bob Andersen, Forest City, N.C., 3,250.
93, Brian DiCicco, Ridgefield, Conn., 3,248.
94, Bobby Dunn, Augusta, Ga., 3,244.
95, Bruce Himschoot, Sanford, Fla., 3,237.
96, Timothy Bates, Orlando, Fla., 3,232.
97, Rod Michael, Florissant, Mo., 3,222.
98, Nick Panicaro, Naples, Fla., 3,214.
99, a-Miguel Varela, Venezuela, 3,204.
100, Donald Breihan, Columbia, S.C., 3,197.
101, Miguel Ventura, Kississmee, Fla., 3,180.
102, Rolando Sebelen, Dominican Republic, 3,160.
103, Ray Randall, Dearborn, Mich., 3,130.
104, a-Rick Bucceri, Deltona, Fla., 3,100.
105, Larry O'Neill, Alexandria, Va., 3,030.
106, Edward Kramarcik Sr., Lake Mary, Fla., 2,133 (WD).