PBA Senior Tour Kicks Off April 17th.

The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Senior Tour kicks off its 30th season April 17-20 in Dayton, Ohio, when more than 100 of the world’s top senior professional bowlers compete in the PBA Senior Dayton Classic at Capri Lanes.

Returning to Dayton will be defending champion Ron Mohr of Eagle River, Alaska, who used last year’s Dayton event as a springboard in earning his first Senior Player of the Year honor. Mohr defeated PBA Hall of Famer and Senior Tour “rookie” Brian Voss of Alpharetta, GA, 211-206, in the championship match. It was Mohr’s second title of the season after winning the opening event the previous week in Jackson, MI. Later in the season he won his third title at the Senior Dick Weber Open in Lansing, Mich.

“I’m really looking forward to Dayton because not only did I win there last year but I bowled my first Senior Tour event there in 2008 and did quite well. That was a real confidence booster for me,” the 54-year-old Mohr said. “It seems like it has been forever since last season, so I’m anxious to get back out there and prove last year wasn’t a fluke.”

Mohr, who enters his third season on the Senior Tour, was recently voted Alaska Bowler of the Year for 2009 and has been nominated for the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame which will conduct its selection process later this year. Among other notable players scheduled to compete in Dayton are PBA Hall of Famers Johnny Petraglia, two-time Senior U.S. Open champion Wayne Webb, four-time Senior Player of the Year Tom Baker and Ohio native Roy Buckley.

Also competing will be former Senior Players of the Year Dale Eagle and Bob Chamberlain, 2009 PBA Senior World Champion Harry Sullins and local favorite Bob Kelly of Dayton, the 2006 Senior Rookie of the Year. 

Special features scheduled for Dayton will include an appearance by Hall of Famer Carmen Salvino, who along with Petraglia will team up for a trick shot exhibition and Q & A session at 3:30 p.m. on April 17. The two bowling legends will then compete in an exhibition match with Dayton professional women stars Shannon Pluhowsky and Linda Kelly.

For the third consecutive year, Capri Lanes will offer a $50,000 bonus if a 300 game is bowled in the championship match.

Competition begins with eight-game qualifying blocks on April 18-19 at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern. The field will then be cut to the top 32 players who will advance to best-of-five match play beginning April 20 at 9 a.m. Match play continues all day on April 20 with the Round of 8 and championship rounds scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Practice and pro-ams will take place on April 17.

The Senior Dayton Classic also will be one of at least three Senior Tour and several regional events featured on PBA.com’s Xtra Frame in the coming months. The 2010 schedule will include twomajors, the PBA Senior U.S. Openpresented by the Suncoast and the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Senior Masters, which will be conducted June 6-11 and June 13-18, respectively, in Las Vegas. Webb will be looking to win his third consecutive Senior U.S. Open title while Dale Traber hopes to defend his USBC Senior Masters win.