Lansing, Mich. - 8/19/2009


Pressure in the chase for Professional Bowlers Association Senior Player of the Year honors continues to mount as the 50-and-older generation invades Royal Scot Golf and Bowl in Lansing, Mich., Aug. 22-26, for the PBA Senior Dick Weber Open, the next-to-last event of the 2009 campaign.

In addition to competing for a stunning crystal trophy honoring the memory of one of the greatest bowlers in history, the Senior Dick Weber Open will be the final contest leading into the new PBA Senior World Championship Aug. 30-Sept. 4 at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Mich.

The field in Lansing will feature Senior Player of the Year candidates Ron Mohr of Eagle River, Alaska, and Dale Traber of Cedarburg, Wis., both two-time winners in 2009, as well as PBA Hall of Famer Wayne Webb of Sacramento, Calif., who took over the Senior Tour earnings and points leads for 2009 with his third-place finish in the Senior Miller Lite Knockout Classic in Joliet, Ill., Tuesday.

Fellow Hall of Famers Johnny Petraglia of Jackson, N.J. and Mark Williams of Beaumont, Texas, also have notched 2009 victories and rank among the Senior Tour’s top 10 this season.

Also entered are two other Hall of Famers who were named to the PBA’s all-time 50 greatest players list last season: reigning four-time PBA Senior Player of the Year Tom Baker, King, N.C., who is looking for this first title of the year, and Dave Soutar, Bradenton, Fla.

The event begins with practice and pro-am squads on Saturday. Competition gets underway with eight-game qualifying blocks Sunday and Monday at 10 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. The field will then be cut to a minimum of 53 players (depending upon number of entries) who will advance to another eight-game qualifying round Tuesday at 10 a.m. The top 24 then advance to round-robin match play Tuesday at 6 p.m., and Wednesday at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The championship will be decided in a five-player stepladder final Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

2009 PBA SENIOR TOUR EARNINGS LEADERS (As of Aug. 18)
1, Wayne Webb, Sacramento, Calif., $37,900
2, Dale Traber, Cedarburg, Wis., $32,450
3, Ron Mohr, Eagle River, Alaska, $30,750
4, Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas, $29,100
5, Brian Voss, Kennesaw, Ga., $22,200
6, Hugh Miller, Seattle, $17,600
7, Brian Brazeau, Ocala, Fla., $15,700
8, Dale Eagle, Frisco, Texas, $14,900
9, Johnny Petraglia, Jackson, N.J., $14,600
10, Tom Baker, King, N.C., $13,920

PBA SENIOR DICK WEBER OPEN
Royal Scot Golf and Bowling, Lansing, Mich., Aug. 22-26, 2009

Saturday, Aug. 22
8 am. - A Squad practice
11 a.m. - B Squad practice
Pro-am squads to follow

Sunday, Aug. 23
10 a.m. - A Squad, 8 games qualifying
3:15 p.m. - B Squad, 8 games qualifying

Monday, Aug. 24
10 a.m. - B Squad, 8 games qualifying
3:15 p.m. - A Squad, 8 games qualifying
Cut to the cashers (top 1/3 up to 160 entries or top 1/4 with more than 160 entries, with a minimum of 53)

Tuesday, Aug. 25
10 a.m. – All cashers, 8 games qualifying
Cut to top 24
6 p.m. – Top 24, 8 games round-robin match play

Wednesday, Aug. 26
9 a.m. – Top 24, 8 games round-robin match play
2 p.m. – Top 24, 8 games round-robin match play
Cut to the top 5
7:30 p.m. - Stepladder finals