PBA Hall of Famer Amleto Monacelli didn’t let a few open frames keep him from averaging 241 to take the first round lead Monday in the PBA50 Northern California Classic presented by MOTIV.

Monacelli led the first round with a 1,933 eight-game pinfall total bowling games of 256, 279, 232, 236, 223, 245, 224 and 238 at Harvest Park Bowl.

“I had a lot of open frames including a few pocket 7-10s (splits) but I didn’t let it bother me,” said Monacelli, who has worked extensively on his mental game the past two seasons. “I’ve learned to bowl through those moments and just keep focused on the adjustments I need to make.”

The 20-time PBA Tour and seven-time PBA50 Tour titlist also credited adjustments to his delivery which have improved his physical game.

“This year I’ve been working on keeping my shoulders more square to the line,” said the 2015 Northern California Classic winner. “I know it doesn’t look like I could do that but I need to work on using a straighter line and still keep the rotation (on the ball) so that I can improve my pin carry.”

This season Monacelli has three top-10 finishes with a best of fourth in the Johnny Petraglia BVL Open.

Monacelli holds a 19-pin lead over Brian Kretzer of Dayton, Ohio, who finished the round in second with 1,914, followed by Brian Cooper of Henderson, Nev., 1,899; two-time PBA50 Player of the Year Ron Mohr of Las Vegas, 1,885, and Kenny Parks of Hammond, Ind., rounding out the top five with 1,858.

Defending champion Noel Vazquez of Sacramento, Calif., finished the first round in eighth with a 1,800 pinfall.

After Tuesday’s second round the top 16 players will advance directly into Wednesday’s match play rounds with an additional eight players advancing to match play after a cashers round Wednesday morning.

The Northern California Classic is being covered live by PBA’s online bowling channel Xtra Frame. For subscription and schedule information visit www.xtraframe.tv.

PBA50 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CLASSIC

Presented by MOTIV

Harvest Park Bowl, Brentwood, Calif., Monday

FIRST ROUND

(after 8 games)

1, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 1,933.
2, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 1,914.
3, Brian Cooper, Henderson, Nev., 1,899.
4, ss-Ron Mohr, Las Vegas, 1,885.
5, ss-Kenny Parks, Hammond, Ind., 1,858.
6, Andrew Frawley, Australia, 1,830.
7, Rob Rice, Sunnyside, Wash., 1,807.
8, Noel Vazquez, Sacramento, Calif., 1,800.
9, Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Twp., Mich., 1,785.
10, Mike Keough, Stockton, Calif., 1,782.
11, Dennis Horan Jr., Oakley, Calif., 1,776.
12, Bryan Goebel, Shawnee, Kan., 1,761.
13, ss-n-Paul Appling, Camarillo, Calif., 1,750.
14, ss-Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., 1,740.
15, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 1,731.
16, Bob Learn Jr., Erie, Pa., 1,730.
17, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 1,720.
18, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 1,719.
19, ss-Dale Eagle, Twin Falls, Idaho, 1,717.
20, (tie) ss-John Dudak, Orland Park, Ill., and Scott Hansel, Stockton, Calif., 1,710.
22, ss-Skip Pavone, San Jose, Calif., 1,703.
23, ss-Hugh Miller, Mercer Island, Wash., 1,701.
24, ss-Willie Wells, Arlington, Texas, 1,696.
25, Doug Kempt, Arcadia, Calif., 1,691.
26, ss-Mike Dias, Lafayette, Colo., 1,690.
27, ss-Tom Baker, King, N.C., 1,688.
28, (tie) Joseph Petrovich, Tracy, Calif, and ss-Don Blatchford, Santa Monica, Calif., 1,685.
30, Marty Deh, San Jose, Calif., 1,678.
31, (tie) Brian LeClair, Delmar, N.Y., and Craig Miller, Tracy, Calif., 1,675.
33, ss-Patrick King, Yankton, S.D., 1,674.
34, ss-Jim Hageman, San Jose, Calif, 1,668.
35, (tie) ss-Warren Nelson, Hemet, Calif., and ss-n-Dennis Jones, Fremont, Calif., 1,665.
37, ss-Tom Carter, Columbus, Ohio, 1,653.
38, Joe Goldstein Sr., San Bruno, Calif., 1,650.
38, ss-Steven Jansson, Barnes, Wis., 1,650.
40, Terry Metzner, Kentwood, Mich., 1,647.
41, n-Joe Baca, Elk Grove, Calif., 1,627.
42, ss-Steve Davis, Manteca, Calif., 1,626.
43, Peter Knopp, Germany, 1,623.
44, n-Scott Luba, Dublin, Calif., 1,618.
45, ss-Edward Silva, Manteca, Calif., 1,609.
46, n-Al Bella, Pittsburg, Calif., 1,607.
47, Dave Dayton, Reno, Nev., 1,605.
48, ss-Nick Morgan, Sacramento, Calif., 1,603.
49, ss-Ty Dawson, Sunnyvale, Calif., 1,597.
50, Kevin Foley, Reno, Nev., 1,594.
51, (tie) ss-Stan Winters, Simi Valley, Calif., and Rick Meneley, Santa Maria, Calif., 1,591.
53, (tie) Mark McCreary, Livermore, Calif., and Rodney Garrick, San Francisco, 1,590.
55, n-Don Sutherland, San Jose, Calif., 1,589.
56, ss-Eddie Katz, Lakewood, Calif., 1,587.
57, Mark Mazzulla, Brentwood, Calif., 1,585.
58, ss-Ted Staikoff, Black Hawk, S.D., 1,582.
59, Juergen Siemers, Brentwood, Calif., 1,580.
60, (tie) Don Herrington, Ballston Lake, N.Y., and David Bolles, Stockton, Calif., 1,572.
62, John Burkett, Southlake, Texas, 1,566.
63, Glenn Morgan, Carson City, Nev., 1,563.
64, Pete Thomas, Oklahoma City, Okla., 1,542.
65, Christopher Keane, Cape Coral, Fla., 1,541.
66, ss-Tim Pierce, Portland, Ore., 1,536.
67, ss-Dale Traber, Cedarburg, Wis., 1,527.
68, ss-Timothy Bell, Sacramento, Calif., 1,525.
69, Sammy Ventura, Syracuse, N.Y., 1,524.
70, n-Steven Soto, Port Orchard, Wash., 1,521.
71, Joe Beck, Montgomery, Ala., 1,519.
72, n-Troy Silfies, Pine Grove, Calif., 1,516.
73, Rick Francis, Linden, Calif., 1,510.
74, (tie) ss-Gerald Calvin, Thousand Oaks, Calif., and ss-Larry Galloway, Lakewood, Calif., 1,504.
76, ss-n-John Dorsett, Concord, Calif., 1,501.
77, ss-Steve Stein, Staten Island, N.Y., 1,478.
78, ss-Paul Mielens, Menomonie, Wis., 1,473.
79, ss-Lew Elting, Carlsbad, Calif., 1,470.
80, ss-Jim Gordin, Modesto, Calif., 1,453.
81, ss-Bill Hewlett, Las Vegas, 1,434.
82, ss-Mark Fennell, Seattle, 1,420.
83, ss-James Storts, Westfield, Ind., 1,416.
84, ss-Fred Cole, Visalia, Calif., 1,406.
85, Mike Watson, Grass Valley, Calif., 1,387.
86, ss-Mike Saraiva, Napa, Calif., 1,350.
87, ss-Don Lane, San Francisco, 1,322.
88, Francesco Favaloro, Brentwood, Calif., 1,271.
89, ss-Galen Keas, Alda, Neb., 1,267.
90, ss-Dan Sasaki, Richmond, Calif., 996.

300 games (1) – Brian Cooper

n-non-member

ss-PBA60 players ages 60 and over