LAS VEGAS (June 15, 2017) –  PBA50 Tour rookie Michael Haugen Jr., of Phoenix compiled a 9-3 match play record and averaged 225 for 12 games Thursday to move into the Suncoast PBA Senior U.S. Open presented by Storm lead at the Suncoast Bowling Center.

Bowling in his first season on PBA’s tour for players 50 and over after a nearly two-decade career on the PBA Tour where he won five titles including the 2008 PBA Tournament of Champions, Haugen finished with a 6,865 30-game pinfall total (including 30 bonus pins for each match win) to lead 20 players who advanced to Friday’s match play.

“I’ve been in this position before,” said Haugen, who finished second in the PBA Tour’s U.S. Open in 2003. “I just need to rely on my experience and hopefully catch a break at the right time and just believe good things will happen.

“This feels like the regular tour to me,” Haugen added. “It’s a demanding tournament with a lot of great bowlers so I don’t mind telling you that I’m pretty exhausted right now.”

Friday’s two six-game match play rounds will determine the top five players for the stepladder finals for the season’s final major set to start at 4 p.m. PT (7 p.m. ET).

Haugen got off to a strong start going 6-0 in Thursday morning’s first match play round and followed it up with a 3-3 record in the second round.

“The key for me has been to pay close attention to what my ball is doing and make the necessary equipment and lane adjustments,” he said. “Just keep trying to knock all the pins down the first time, and if not, knock down whatever is left on the second shot.”

So far this season Haugen has three top-five finishes with a best of third which came in the PBA50 Players Championship and the Pasco County Florida Open.

Haugen holds a 14-pin lead over qualifying leader Brian LeClair of Delmar, N.Y., in second with a 6,851 pinfall. LeClair, who has won two titles this season, also posted a 9-3 record in Thursday’s match play.

Rounding out the top five were three-time PBA50 Tour winner Bob Learn Jr. of Erie, Pa., who finished the day with a 7-5 record and 6,834 pinfall; PBA Hall of Famer Doug Kent of Newark, N.Y., 8-4, and 6,749 pinfall, and Andrew Frawley of Australia, 9-2-1, and 6,743 pinfall.

Two-time defending champion, PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber of St. Ann, Mo., advanced to Friday’s match play finishing 10th with a 6,640 pinfall. The 2015 and 2016 PBA50 Player of the Year posted a 7-5 match play record for the day.

Two-time Senior U.S. Open winner, PBA Hall of Famer Amleto Monacelli of Venezuela, bowled his second 300 game of the tournament in the second match play round. The 2012 and 2013 Senior U.S. Open winner, who finished the round in 12th with 6,572, defeated two-time PBA50 Player of the Year Ron Mohr of Las Vegas, 300-210, in the second game of the second match play round.

Both Weber and Monacelli are trying to become the Senior U.S. Open’s first three-time winner.

PBA Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Oxford, Fla., who won his second USBC Senior Masters title last week, also advanced to Friday’s match play finishing ninth with a 6-6 record and 6,656 pinfall.

All rounds of the tournament, including the stepladder finals, are streamed live exclusively on PBA’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel. To sign up for an Xtra Frame subscription, visit www.xtraframe.tv.

SUNCOAST PBA SENIOR U.S. OPEN 

Presented by Storm

Suncoast Bowling Center, Las Vegas, Thursday

FIFTH ROUND (after 30 games. Includes match play record and total pinfall including match win bonus pins. Top 20 advance to Friday’s match play)

1, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 9-3, 6,865.
2, Brian LeClair, Delmar, N.Y., 9-3, 6,851.
3, Bob Learn Jr., Erie, Pa., 7-5, 6,834.
4, Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., 8-4, 6,749.
5, Andrew Frawley, Australia, 9-2-1, 6,743.
6, Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Twp., Mich., 7-5, 6,721.
7, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 7-5, 6,714.
8, Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 9-2-1, 6,671.
9, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 6-6, 6,656.
10, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 7-5, 6,640.
11, Ted Staikoff, Black Hawk, S.D., 7-5, 6,637.
12, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 5-7, 6,572.
13, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 3-8-1, 6,564.
14, Eddie Graham, Centerville, Ohio, 6-6, 6,563.
15, Brian Voss, Centennial, Colo., 6-5-1, 6,559.
16, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 4-8, 6,515.
17, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 7-5, 6,480.
18, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 5-7, 6,476.
19, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 8-4, 6,449.
20, Ron Mohr, Las Vegas, 6-6, 6,445.

Did not advance
21, Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas, 6-6, 6,439, $1,400.
22, Tom Carter, Columbus, Ohio, 7-5, 6,400, $1,380.
23, n-Dave Cirigliano, Phoenix, 4-8, 6,376, $1,370.
24, John Burkett, Southlake, Texas, 7-5, 6,373, $1,360.
25, Joe Goldstein, San Bruno, Calif., 3-9, 6,372, $1,350.
26, Ricky Schissler, Brighton, Colo., 7-5, 6,368, $1,340.
27, Greg McDaniel, Kimball, Neb., 5-7, 6,338, $1,330.
28, Rick Minier, Houston, 4-8, 6,332, $1,320.
29, n-Paul Renteria, Henderson, Nev., 7-4-1, 6,328, $1,310.
30, Rick Steelsmith, Wichita, Kan., 5-7, 6,303, $1,300.
31, (tie) Robert Lawrence, Austin, Texas, 6-6, 6,284, and Ernie Segura Jr., Taylor, Mich., 5-7, 6,284, $1,285.
33, Don Blatchford, Santa Monica, Calif., 4-8, 6,278, $1,270.
34, n-Andrew Neuer, Lewisburg, Pa., 4-8, 6,275, $1,260.
35, Paul McCordic, Sugar Land, Texas, 7-5, 6,270, $1,250.
36, Sammy Ventura, Syracuse, N.Y., 5-7, 6,238, $1,240.
37, Olle Svenson, Lerum, Sweden, 3-9, 6,215, $1,230.
38, Peter Knopp, Germany, 5-6-1, 6,162, $1,220.
39, Willie Wells, Dallas, Texas, 5-7, 6,143, $1,210.
40, Tommy Martin, Olive Branch, Miss., 3-9, 5,960, $1,200.

FOURTH ROUND (after 24 games)

1, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 6-0, 5,430.
2, Brian LeClair, Delmar, N.Y., 4-2, 5,404.
3, Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Twp., Mich., 4-2, 5,348.
4, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 3-3, 5,334.
5, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 2-4, 5,318.
6, Ted Staikoff, Black Hawk, S.D., 6-0, 5,294.
7, Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., 4-2, 5,277.
8, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 4-2, 5,275.
9, Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 5-0-1, 5,258.
10, Andrew Frawley, Australia, 4-1-1, 5,254.
11, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 3-3, 5,218.
12, Bob Learn Jr., Erie, Pa., 2-4, 5,201.
13, Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas, 4-2, 5,195.
14, n-Dave Cirigliano, Phoenix, 3-3, 5,183.
15, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 4-2, 5,177.
16, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 2-4, 5,164.
17, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 3-3, 5,151.
18, Brian Voss, Centennial, Colo., 3-2-1, 5,144.
19, Joe Goldstein, San Bruno, Calif., 2-4, 5,139.
20, Rick Minier, Houston, 4-2, 5,136.
21, Rick Steelsmith, Wichita, Kan., 4-2, 5,124.
22, Tom Carter, Columbus, Ohio, 5-1, 5,123.
23, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 4-2, 5,121.
24, Greg McDaniel, Kimball, Neb., 3-3, 5,094.
25, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 1-5, 5,069.
26, Ricky Schissler, Brighton, Colo., 3-3, 5,058.
27, n-Andrew Neuer, Lewisburg, Penn., 2-4, 5,027.
28, (tie) Sammy Ventura, Syracuse, N.Y., 2-4, and Ernie Segura Jr., Taylor, Mich., 3-3, 5,024.
30, Ron Mohr, Las Vegas, 2-4, 5,022.
31, Olle Svenson, Sweden, 1-5, 5,012.
32, Eddie Graham, Centerville, Ohio, 0-6, 5,004.
33, John Burkett, Southlake, Texas, 3-3, 4,998.
34, Paul McCordic, Sugar Land, Texas, 3-3, 4,996.
35, Don Blatchford, Santa Monica, Calif., 2-4, 4,980.
36, n-Paul Renteria, Henderson, Nev., 2-3-1, 4,919.
37, Willie Wells, Dallas, Texas, 2-4, 4,898.
38, Robert Lawrence, Austin, Texas, 1-5, 4,873.
39, Peter Knopp, Germany, 2-4, 4,870.
40, Tommy Martin, Olive Branch, Miss., 1-5, 4,767.

300 games (1) – Amleto Monacelli

n-non-member