THE VILLAGES, Fla. (April 26, 2019) – PBA Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. defeated reigning PBA50 Player of the Year Michael Haugen Jr. 278-243 in the title match to win the PBA50 National Championship presented by Spanish Springs Lanes and Radical Friday for his second consecutive PBA50 Tour title of the season and third career PBA50 Tour major title.

Down by nine pins in the fourth frame, Williams reeled off eight strikes in a row to win the match. After starting with four strikes in a row, Haugen ran into trouble in the fifth frame when he left the 3-10 split, made the spare, but then opened in the sixth after leaving the 3-6 which gave Williams the opening he needed.

“I was a little concerned because he (Haugen) had such a good ball reaction,” said Williams, who is the all-time PBA Tour titles leader with 47 wins. “We both play a similar angle to the pocket, so I was watching him pretty closely in the first three matches. We both got off to a good start, but he ran into trouble in the middle of the match and fortunately I was able to keep striking.”

Williams dominated Friday’s match play rounds to earn the top seed for the finals posting a 12-4 record and 8,479 34-game pinfall total (including bonus pins) outdistancing fellow hall of famer No. 2 qualifier Norm Duke by 337 pins.

The win also was Williams’ 13th of his career on the tour for players 50 and over which moved him into sole possession of second on the all-time list behind John Handegard who tops the list with 14 wins.

“After this win I feel like the record is definitely in sight,” said Williams, who won the 2014 and 2017 USBC Senior Masters for his other PBA50 major titles. “Over the past year I’ve been feeling like I’m bowling decent but just not getting the results. Now I feel like I’m at the top of my game and can get the job done when I need to, but you never know when you’ll win again.”

Williams’ first win of the season came in last week’s season-opening Johnny Petraglia BVL Open presented by Lucas Magazine and Brunswick where he beat finals top qualifier Sammy Ventura of Syracuse, New York, 288-205, in the title match.

As the No. 4 qualifier for the finals, Haugen, trying for his second major and fourth career PBA50 Tour win, came out of the gate strong with a 287-251 win over No. 5 qualifier, 2017 PBA50 Player of the Year Brian LeClair of Albany, New York, and then beat hall of famer and eight-time PBA50 Tour winner Amleto Monacelli, who qualified third for the finals, 277-237, to advance to the semifinal match against Duke.

Haugen then managed to beat Duke, who was trying for his third major and sixth career title, in a hard-fought semifinal match, 214-206, to advance to the title match.

The PBA50 Tour heads to Mooresville, North Carolina for the PBA50 Mooresville Open presented by the Mooresville Convention & Visitors Bureau and Storm at Victory Lanes and Entertainment Center April 28-May 1.

Fans can catch all the action via PBA’s online streaming partner FloBowling. Visit www.flobowling.com for subscription and schedule information.

PBA50 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 

Presented by Spanish Springs Lanes and Radical

Spanish Springs Lanes, The Villages, Fla., Friday

Final standings:

1, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., $10,000.

2, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, $5,500.

3, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., $4,000.

4, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, $3,000.

5, Brian LeClair, Albany, N.Y., $2,500.

Stepladder Results:

Match One – Haugen def. LeClair, 287-251.

Match Two – Haugen def. Monacelli, 277-237.

Semifinal – Haugen def. Duke, 214-206.

Championship – Williams def. Haugen, 278-243.

FIFTH ROUND RESULTS (after 34 games. Top five advance to stepladder finals. Includes match play record and total pinfall with bonus pins)

1, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 12-4, 8,479.
2, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 9-7, 8,142.
3, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 11-5, 8,132.
4, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 10-5-1, 8,108.
5, Brian LeClair, Albany, N.Y., 12-4, 8,070.
6, Mark Sullivan, Indianapolis, 8-7-1, 8,066, $2,000.
7, ss-Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Twp., Mich., 8-8, 8,047, $1,900.
8, ss-Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., 8-8, 7,998, $1,850.
9, Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 8-7-1, 7,956, $1,800.
10, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 7-9, 7,915, $1,750.
11, ss-Dale Csuhta, Wadsworth, Ohio, 10-6, 7,910, $1,700.
12, ss-Darryl Bower, Middletown, Pa., 8-8, 7,869, $1,680.
13, ss-Sammy Ventura, Syracuse, N.Y., 8-8, 7,760, $1,660.
14, ss-John Petraglia, Jackson, N.J., 4-12, 7,757, $1,640.
15, Paul Fleming, Ft. Worth, Texas, 7-8-1, 7,741, $1,620.
16, Chris Collins, Myrlte Beach, S.C., 6-8-2, 7,694, $1,600.

FOURTH ROUND RESULTS (after 26 games. Top 16 advance to second match play round.  Includes match play record and total pinfall with bonus pins)

1, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 6-2, 6,368.
2, ss-Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., 5-3, 6,208.
3, ss-Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Twp., Mich., 6-2, 6,201.
4, Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 4-3-1, 6,183.
5, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 4-4, 6,158.
6, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 6-2, 6,086.
7, ss-Darryl Bower, Middletown, Pa., 5-3, 6,082.
8, ss-Sammy Ventura, Syracuse, N.Y., 5-3, 6,050.
9, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 4-4, 6,043.
10, ss-John Petraglia, Jackson, N.J., 3-5, 6,020.
10, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 4-3-1, 6,020.
12, Mark Sullivan, Indianapolis, 2-6, 6,004.
13, Brian LeClair, Albany, N.Y., 5-3, 5,999.
14, ss-Dale Csuhta, Wadsworth, Ohio, 5-3, 5,990.
15, Paul Fleming, Ft. Worth, Texas, 5-2-1, 5,951.
16, Chris Collins, Myrlte Beach, S.C., 4-3-1, 5,936.

Did not advance:
17, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 4-4, 5,916, $1,450.
18, ss-Christopher Keane, Cape Coral, Fla., 5-2-1, 5,912, $1,440.
19, ss-Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas, 3-4-1, 5,908, $1,430.
20, Rory Peterson, Jacksonville, Fla., 5-3, 5,907, $1,420.
21, Ralph Brunt Jr., Jensen Beach, Fla., 3-5, 5,879, $1,410.
22, ss-Tom Baker, King, N.C., 2-6, 5,876, $1,400.
23, ss-George Gomez, Orlando, Fla., 4-4, 5,863, $1,390.
24, Gary Alstott, Washington, Ill., 2-6, 5,854, $1,380.
25, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 1-7, 5,822, $1,370.
26, Bob Learn Jr., Erie, Pa., 4-4, 5,813, $1,360.
27, Darin Hays, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 3-5, 5,808, $1,350.
28, ss-Ron Mohr, Las Vegas, 3-5, 5,774, $1,340.
29, Rick Francis, Linden, Calif., 4-4, 5,763, $1,330.
30, Joe Fulner III, Belleview, Fla., 4-4, 5,738, $1,315.
30, ss-Henry Dawson, Elma, Wash., 3-5, 5,738, $1,315.
32, n,ss-Roger Bowker, Ocala, Fla., 2-6, 5,667, $1,300.

n-non-member

ss-PBA60 players ages 60 and over