LAS VEGAS (June 13, 2018) – Five-time PBA Tour champion Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, N.Y., averaged 239.5 in the third round to surge into the Suncoast PBA Senior U.S. Open presented by Storm lead Wednesday at the Suncoast Bowling Center.

With a 4,037 pinfall total (228 average) for 18 games after three rounds, the 51-year-old Shafer took a five-pin lead over defending champion Michael Haugen Jr. of Phoenix, who led after the first two rounds.

Trying for his first PBA50 Tour title on the tour for players 50 and over, Shafer bowled a 1,437 six-game pinfall in the third round with games of  258, 236, 247, 228, 276 and 192.

“Until today it seemed like I was starting the rounds making the wrong decisions and then had to scramble to make the adjustments I needed to make,” said Shafer, who was 17th after the first round and 10th after the second round. “Today, I had a good look right from the start so I was able to get in a comfort zone and play my ‘A’ game pretty much the whole round.

Shafer, who finished fifth earlier this season in the PBA50 Johnny Petraglia BVL Open presented by Brunswick for his career best PBA50 Tour finish, has been using a different ball on each lane for every pair of lanes he has bowled on since early in the first round.

“It’s a tool I like to use quite a bit because my wrist isn’t as strong as it used to be,” Shafer said. “Because of that, I can’t make as many adjustments as I used to with my hand position so I can make up for it by changing my equipment more often to get the desired ball reaction.”

Haugen, the 2017 PBA50 Rookie of the Year and the winner of the Johnny Petraglia BVL Open, bowled 1,263 in his third round with games of 241, 221, 183, 200, 183 and 235 to finish with 4,032 after three rounds.

PBA Hall of Famer and 2010 Senior U.S. Open winner Mark Williams of Beaumont, Texas, who was second after the first two rounds managed to hold on to third with a 3,998 pinfall for 18 games. He bowled 1,253 in the third round with games of 269, 178, 193, 197, 191 and 225.

“After that first game I really didn’t have a good feel until the end of the round,” the 60-year-old Williams said. “I was having a problem reading the lanes and not getting a good ball reaction for most of the round. But it’s all good. If I can be around the top five heading into match play I’d be happy with that.”

PBA50 Tour rookie Rolando Sebelen of the Dominican Republic finished the day in fourth with 3,964 and PBA Hall of Famer Parker Bohn III of Jackson, N.J., rounded out the top five with 3,933.

With one qualifying round remaining, the scramble is on for players to make the top 40 for Friday’s first match play round.

Other big movers in the third round were PBA Hall of Famers Brian Voss of Centennial, Colo., Venezuelan native Amleto Monacelli and Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla.

Voss, who was 17th after the second round moved up to seventh with a 3,915 pinfall, Monacelli moved from 19th to eighth and Duke vaulted from 40th to ninth.

Monacelli, along with hall of famer Pete Weber, who finished the day in 41st, are trying to become the Senior U.S. Open’s first three-time winner. Monacelli won back-to-back in 2012 and 2013 and Weber in 2015 and 2016.

After Thursday’s fourth and final six-game qualifying round, the field will be cut to the top 40 players for modified round-robin match play which will begin Friday at 8 a.m. PT.  After Friday’s second match play round at noon the top five players will be determined for the stepladder finals scheduled to begin at 4:15 p.m.

PBA’s online bowling channel Xtra Frame is providing start to finish coverage of the Senior U.S. Open.  For subscription and schedule information click on www.xtraframe.tv.

SUNCOAST PBA SENIOR U.S. OPEN

Presented by Storm

Suncoast Bowling Center, Las Vegas, Wednesday

THIRD ROUND (after 18 games)

1, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 4,037.
2, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 4,032.
3, ss-Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas, 3,998.
4, Rolando Sebelen, Dominican Republic, 3,964.
5, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 3,933.
6, ss-Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Twp., Mich., 3,930.
7, Brian Voss, Centennial, Colo., 3,915.
8, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 3,900.
9, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 3,876.
10, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 3,873.
11, Allan Sennevall, Sweden, 3,863.
12, n-Paul Fleming, Bedford, Texas, 3,855.
13, ss-Ron Mohr, Las Vegas, 3,847.
14, Todd Kjell, Roscoe, Ill., 3,846.
15, Eric Forkel, Henderson, Nev., 3,843.
16, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 3,841.
17, n-Steven Badovinac, Parker, Colo., 3,835.
18, Bob Learn Jr., Erie, Pa., 3,831.
19, (tie) n-Steven Smith, San Diego, and Ricky Schissler, Brighton, Colo., 3,820.
21, (tie) Sammy Ventura, Syracuse, N.Y., and Eddie Graham, Kettering, Ohio, 3,815.
23, Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 3,806.
24, Kimmo Lehtonen, Finland, 3,803.
25, ss-Rick Minier, Houston, 3,794.
26, Mike Kanada, Camarillo, Calif., 3,791.
27, ss-Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., 3,777.
28, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 3,767.
29, (tie) n,ss-Ben Hoefs, Mobile, Ala., and Robert Lawrence, Austin, Texas, 3,750.
31, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 3,745.
32, (tie) Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., and Jeff Johnson, Freeport, Ill., 3,743.
34, Pat Nolan, Japan, 3,737.
35, Noel Vazquez, Sacramento, Calif., 3,732.
36, Andrew Frawley, Australia, 3,724.
37, Keith Lesko, Prosper, Texas, 3,723.
38, Bo Goergen, Sanford, Mich., 3,718.
39, Mark Mazzulla, Brentwood, Calif., 3,696.
40, ss-Ted Staikoff, Black Hawk, S.D., 3,690.
41, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 3,683.
42, ss-Michael Lucente, Warren, Mich., 3,678.
43, ss-David Axon, Bellevue, Neb., 3,677.
44, ss-Toby Contreras, Lee's Summit, Mo., 3,655.
45, n-Paul Renteria, Henderson, Nev., 3,645.
46, Brian LeClair, Albany, N.Y., 3,644.
47, ss-John Petraglia, Jackson, N.J., 3,641.
48, n-Dave Cirigliano, Phoenix, 3,638.
49, (tie) Dennis Horan Jr., Oakley, Calif., and n-David Bolles, Stockton, Calif., 3,637.
51, Joseph Petrovich, Tracy, Calif, 3,635.
52, Troy Kendrick, Las Vegas, Nev., 3,625.
53, Wayne Garber, Modesto, Calif., 3,618.
54, Bryan Goebel, Shawnee, Kan., 3,611.
55, (tie) Peter Knopp, Germany, ss-Mike Dias, Lafayette, Colo., and ss-Paul McCordic, Sugar Land, Texas, 3,608.
58, Terry Metzner, Kentwood, Mich., 3,606.
59, (tie) ss-Junichi Yajima, Japan, and n-ss-Darwin Wimer, Mesquite, Nev., 3,604.
61, Hakan Fast, Sweden, 3,599.
62, n-Barry Zimmerman, Grand Forks, N.D., 3,595.
63, ss-Tom Carter, Columbus, Ohio, 3,592.
64, (tie) Olle Svenson, Lerum, Sweden, and Marty Deh, San Jose, Calif., 3,589.
66, Andrew Warren, Austin, Tex., 3,587.
67, (tie) Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., and Lennart Nyman, Sweden, 3,584.
69, ss-Christopher Keane, Cape Coral, Fla., 3,579.
70, n-Marv Sargent, Temecula, Calif., 3,575.
71, n-John Hricsina Jr., Las Vegas, 3,566.
72, Gary Faulkner, Norfolk, Va., 3,564.
73, (tie) David Allen, Las Vegas, and Tony Johnson, Canton, Ohio, 3,560.
75, ss-Don Blatchford, Santa Monica, Calif., 3,559.
76, Jan Larsen, Sweden, 3,558.
77, n-Bob Baer, Henderson, Nev., 3,554.
78, Scott Greiner, Sunrise Beach, Mo., 3,553.
79, Daniel Miyamoto, Mililani, Hawaii, 3,548.
80, n-Jimmie Pritts Jr., Mathuen, Mass., 3,546.
81, (tie) ss-Paul Mielens, Menomonie, Wis., and Brian Cooper, Henderson, Nev., 3,541.
83, n-Klaus Lischka, Germany, 3,531.
84, ss-Dale Traber, Cedarburg, Wis., 3,530.
85, (tie) ss-Warren Nelson, Hemet, Calif., and n-Joe Baca, Brentwood, Calif., 3,527.
87, (tie) ss-Brian Miller, Springfield, Ohio, and n-Tish Johnson, Colorado Springs, Colo., 3,523.
89, Christer Petersson, Gothenburg, Sweden, 3,521.
90, n-Dana Wright, St. Paul, Minn., 3,519.
91, ss-Edward Silva, Manteca, Calif., 3,509.
92, Darron Peters, Temecula, Calif., 3,506.
93, Doug O'Bryant, Ball Ground, Ga., 3,504.
94, Klas Thunberg, Sweden, 3,502.
95, n-John Marsala, St. Louis, 3,495.
96, n-Anthony Figuiera, Gardena, Calif., 3,494.
97, (tie) ss-Bruce Hall, Westborough, Mass., and Rob Rice, Sunnyside, Wash., 3,492.
99, (tie) ss-John Dudak, Orland Park, Ill., and Mike Mineman, St Louis, 3,490.
101, Warren Eales, Chandler, Ariz., 3,474.
102, ss-Skip Pavone, San Jose, Calif., 3,470.
103, ss-n-David Graber, Las Vegas, 3,469.
104, ss-Kerry Fulford, Ft. Worth, Texas, 3,458.
105, ss-Stan Winters, Simi Valley, Calif., 3,443.
106, ss-Crister Danielsson, Sweden, 3,439.
107, Tony Rodriguez Jr., Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., 3,438.
108, ss-John Parry, Oak Park, Calif., 3,429.
109, n-ss-Bill Oakes, Lawton, Okla, 3,428.
110, Jonny Hall, Sweden, 3,416.
111, Greg McDaniel, Kimball, Neb., 3,412.
112, Don Herrington, Ballston Lake, N.Y., 3,407.
113, (tie) ss-Lew Elting, Carlsbad, Calif., and ss-Russ Simmons, Fontana, Calif., 3,400.
115, ss-Randy Turner, Shallowater, Texas, 3,384.
116, n,ss-Ron Hosler, Englewood, Colo., 3,380.
117, Jon DeLaney, McKinney, Texas, 3,377.
118, ss-Don Lane, San Francisco, 3,376.
119, ss-James Storts, Westfield, Ind., 3,374.
120, ss-Henry Dawson, Elma, Wash., 3,372.
121, n-Dennis Klein, Phoenix, 3,367.
122, Doug Kempt, Arcadia, Calif., 3,358.
123, ss-Raymond Scrivens, Jr., Athens, Pa., 3,356.
124, n,ss-Paul Appling, Camarillo, Calif., 3,345.
125, n-Jeff Row, Humbolt, Ariz., 3,333.
126, ss-Ray Valdovino, Sacramento, Calif., 3,332.
127, n-Mike Yuwiler, Las Vegas, 3,328.
128, ss-Robert Donovan, Prattsville, N.Y., 3,317.
129, Timothy Regan, East Northport, N.Y., 3,299.
130, ss-Mike Schmid, St. Paul, Minn., 3,283.
131, ss-Steven Jansson, Barnes, Wis., 3,278.
132, Daniel Knafo, Valencia, Calif., 3,269.
133, n,ss-Robert Callari, Cordova, Tenn., 3,264.
134, n-Marty Hinton, Henderson, Nev., 3,259.
135, ss-Garry Blanton, Owensboro, Ky., 3,250.
136, ss-Rodney Garrick, San Francisco, 3,248.
137, Norm Spurlock, Kenner, La., 3,234.
138, n,ss-Jay Gneiting, Aberdeen, Idaho, 3,231.
139, n,ss-Nelson Sand, Maple Valley, Wash., 3,228.
140, Richard McNeill, Yorktown, Va., 3,220.
141, Charles Allen Jr., Pell City, Ala., 3,214.
142, John Kidwell, Indianapolis, Ind., 3,211.
143, Jon J.J. Jensen, Olympia, Wash., 3,195.
144, Ron Anderson, Canyon Country, Calif., 3,185.
145, Joe Beck, Montgomery, Ala., 3,179.
146, ss-Glen Nakagawa, Highland Village, Texas, 3,159.
147, ss-Ross McDonald, Las Vegas, Nev., 3,132.
148, n,ss-William Mcgee, Great Falls, Mont., 3,131.
149, Glenn Morgan, Carson City, Nev., 3,121.
150, Frank Paganelli, Las Vegas, Nev., 3,100.
151, ss-Steve Stein, Staten Island, N.Y., 3,095.
152, ss-Tim Pierce, Portland, Ore., 3,038.
153, John Austin Jr., League City, Texas, 2,985.
154, n,ss-Dale Knight, Las Vegas, 2,908.
155, ss-Galen Keas, Alda, Neb., 2,885.
156, n-Sean Couse, Henderson, Nev., 2,873.

n-non-member

ss-PBA60 player ages 60 and over