PBA 2009 Senior Tour Kicks Off in Michigan

Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) and newly-elected United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Hall of Famer John Petraglia heads a field of approximately 120 of the world’s top professional senior bowlers who will kick off the 2009 PBA Senior Tour season in the PBA Senior Jackson Open April 18-21 at Airport Lanes in Jackson, Michigan.

Petraglia, a 14-time Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour and six-time Senior Tour champion, defeated Hugh Miller, 226-213, in the championship match of last season’s Jackson Open for his first Senior Tour title since 2001.

“I had a bunch of seconds since then so it was nice to win again,” said the 61-year-old Petraglia after last year’s win.”

Among the notables scheduled to compete in Jackson are several other players and Hall of Famers named to the PBA’s all-time 50 greatest players list as part of the organization’s 50th anniversary celebration. They include: Tom Baker, King, NC; Dave Soutar, Bradenton, FL; Steve Cook, Granite Bay, CA, and Wayne Webb, Sacramento, CA. In his first year of eligibility, 24-time PBA Tour titlist and Hall of Famer Brian Voss of Alpharetta, GA, will make his Senior Tour debut in Jackson.

Other notables in the field are PBA Hall of Famers Mark Williams, Beaumont, TX; Roy Buckley, Westerville, OH and 10-time Senior Tour champion Dale Eagle, Tavares, FL.

The Jackson stop will be the first of 12 events held throughout the spring and summer as the Senior Tour celebrates its 29th season.

Competition begins with eight-game qualifying blocks on April 19-20 at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. The field will then be cut to the top 32 players who will advance to best-of-five match play beginning April 21 at 9 a.m. Match play continues all day on April 21 with the Round of 8 and championship rounds scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Practice and pro-ams will take place on April 18.

The Senior Tour summer 2009 schedule will include three majors – the USBC Senior Masters, the PBA Senior U.S. Open and the new PBA Senior World Championship – along with nine standard events.

New stops for the 2009 season include: the PBA Senior Mooresville Miller High Life Classic at George Pappas Victory Lanes in Mooresville, NC; the PBA Senior Sun Bowl in The Villages at Spanish Springs Lanes in The Villages, FL; the Senior Miller Lite Knockout Classic presented by the Illinois State Bowling Proprietors Association in Joliet, IL; the PBA Senior Dick Weber Open at Royal Scot Golf & Bowl in Lansing, Mich., and the PBA Senior World Championship Aug. 30-Sept. 4 at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, MI.

The tour includes four tournaments in April and May, three in June and final five in August and early September. For individual tournament schedules, visit the Senior Tour section on pba.com.