Friday, May 8, 2009

PBA Senior Sun Bowl at The Villages

The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Senior Tour returns to The Villages, FL, for the fourth stop of the 2009 PBA Senior Tour season. A field of approximately 120 of the world’s top senior bowlers, ages 50 and older, will compete in the PBA Senior Sun Bowl in The Villages at Spanish Springs Lanes May 9-13.

The PBA Senior Tour revisits The Villages after a nine-year absence. In 2000, The Villages hosted the PBA Senior World Championship won by Roger Workman. In 1999, The Villages hosted three events - The Villages Senior World Championship won by Dale Eagle; The Villages Senior Invitational won by Norb Wetzel, and The Villages Senior Tournament of Champions won by Dave Soutar.

Eagle, of Tavares, FL, ended a four-year drought by winning the PBA Senior Mooresville Miller High Life Classic on Wednesday for his 11th career title, tying him with Gene Stus for third on the all-time Senior Tour win list.

Several players named to PBA’s all-time 50 greatest players list as part of the organization’s 50th anniversary celebration will compete at The Villages including Hall of Famers Johnny Petraglia, Jackson, NJ; Tom Baker, King, NC; Dave Soutar, Bradenton, FL, 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 Villages debut as a Senior Tour competitor.

Other notables in the field are PBA Hall of Famers Mark Williams, Beaumont, TX, who finished second in the Mooresville Miller High Life Classic; Roy Buckley, Westerville, Ohio and Ron Mohr of Eagle River, Alaska, who won the first two PBA Senior Tour events this season.

The Sun Bowl format will take on a new look with all bowlers competing in six-game qualifying blocks on May 10, 11 and 12. After 18 games, the top 32 players will advance to round-robin match play beginning May 13. Match play continues all day on May 13 with the four-player stepladder finals scheduled for 7 p.m. Eastern. Practice and pro-ams will take place on May 9.

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