2023 PBA50 (AND PBA60) NATIONAL TOUR SCHEDULE

The 2023 PBA50 Tour schedule will feature the greatest bowlers in the world aged 50-and-over competing in 12 title events, including five major championships, from early June to the end of August, with a total purse of more than $1 million.

The Professional Bowlers Association also announced fans will be able watch every PBA50 Tour event start-to-finish, livestreamed on BowlTV.

Highlighting the season will be the first-ever PBA50 World Series of Bowling, at JAX60 in Jackson, Mich., July 15-23. The inaugural senior WSOB will feature four title events including the main-event PBA50 World Championship, which will boast a first-place prize of $25,000, the highest on the senior circuit in more than two decades.

Similar to the PBA Tour’s World Series, the PBA50 WSOB will have multiple oil pattern championship stages leading to the World Championship. 

Another exciting addition to the schedule finds the 2023 PBA50 Tour season concluding with the return of the PBA50 Tournament of Champions (TOC), at Orange Bowl Lanes in Lakeland, Fla., Aug. 26-30. Back for the first time this century, the PBA50 TOC and its $15,000 winner’s check will be open to PBA champions over the age of 50 who have won a PBA title of any kind in their careers from the PBA Tour and PBA50 Tour, including PBA and PBA50 Regional Tour titles.

Last season, legendary PBA Hall of Famer Parker Bohn III earned PBA50 Player of the Year honors, winning four titles and leading the Tour in points and earnings.

Lennie Boresch Jr. won the 2022 Senior U.S. Open, and the victory earned the 10-year PBA50 Tour veteran eligibility into the PBA Hall of Fame, based on his senior Tour accomplishments. Boresch was elected to the HOF by vote and will be inducted in March. 

Andres Gomez, the first Colombian to win a PBA Tour title, will cross the age 50 threshold on July 19, and is expected to compete.

In addition to Bohn and Boresch, PBA Hall of Famers Walter Ray Williams Jr., Chris Barnes, Pete Weber, Jason Couch, Amleto Monacelli, Ron Mohr, Tom Baker and Johnny Petraglia once again figure to be regulars on the PBA50 Tour.

Rounding out the major championships on the 2023 PBA50 Tour schedule are the USBC Senior Masters at Sam’s Town in Las Vegas, the Senior U.S. Open at Highland Park Lanes in Greeley, Colo. and the PBA50 Players Championship at Bowl America Dranesville in Virginia. The Players Championship finals and its record-high $20,000 first place prize will be contested on specially-installed lanes at the home of PBA50 player Bill Moore.

Other cities hosting 2023 PBA50 Tour regular events include Hammond, Ind., Morgantown, W.Va., The Villages, Fla., and Fort Myers, Fla.

The PBA50 Tour schedule will also allow for players to participate in the new PBA LBC National Championships at Bowlero Wauwatosa in Milwaukee, Wis. Depending on which division the PBA50 players choose to enter, the National Championships have a $25,000 first-place prize in the Open Classic division, and $5,000 first in the Men’s Senior Classic division. The top three finishers in the Open Classic division and winner of the men’s Senior Classic division will join winners in other divisions earning trips to the FOX Sports presentation of the PBA LBC National Championships Clash, and its $100,000 purse, from Bayside Bowl in Portland, Maine.

The PBA LBC National Championships will run on weekends from June 3-July 17, with June 24-25, July 1-2 and July 8-9 being ideal weekends for the touring PBA50 players to enter.

Two PBA50 Regional events will also be available along the way for touring players, July 24-26 in Wyoming, Mich.; and July 28-30 in Bowling Green, Ohio. Dozens more PBA50 Regionals around the country will be announced soon.

Two PBA60 National Tour events for players age 60-and-over are also on the schedule, including the season-opening USBC Super Senior Classic in Las Vegas, which will kick things off on May 31, prior to the Senior Masters. PBA60 Tour players will also travel to Ohio for the PBA60 Tristan’s T.A.P.S. Memorial Tournament at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl in July.

2023 PBA50 TOUR SCHEDULE RELEASED

May 31-June 4: USBC Super Senior Classic, Sam’s Town, Las Vegas (PBA60)
June 5-11: USBC Senior Masters, Sam’s Town, Las Vegas
June 14-19: Senior US Open, Highland Park Lanes, Greeley, Colo.
July 2-5 (rescheduled from July 4-7): PBA60 Tristan’s T.A.P.S. Memorial Tournament, Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl, Columbus, Ohio (PBA60)
July 10-13: PBA50 South Shore Classic, Olympia Lanes, Hammond, Ind.
July 15-23: PBA50 World Series of Bowling, JAX60, Jackson, Mich.
     July 16, 19: PBA50 Ballard Championship
     July 17, 20: PBA50 Monacelli Championship
     July 18, 21: PBA50 Petraglia Championship
     July 16-23: PBA50 World Championship
July 31 – August 3: PBA50 Morgantown Classic, Suburban Lanes, Morgantown, W.Va.
Aug. 6-10: Bud Moore PBA50 Players Championship, Bowl America Dranesville, Sterling, Va.
Aug. 14-18: PBA50 The Villages Classic, Spanish Springs Lanes, The Villages, Fla.
Aug. 20-23: PBA50 Fort Myers Classic, Lightning Strikes Bowling Lanes, Fort Myers, Fla.
Aug. 26-30: PBA50 Tournament of Champions, Orange Bowl Lanes, Lakeland, Fla.

PBA50 majors are bolded

PBA60 torunaments in RED, majors are italicized 

Current Race for Senior Player Feautures a Bunch of Jr.s

Heading into the Etonic PBA Senior U.S. Open at the Suncoast Bowling Center in Las Vegas June 3-8, the all-time leader in PBA Tour titles, Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr., holds a slim two-point lead in the 2012 PBA Senior Player of the Year race over “rookie” Bob Learn Jr. of Erie, PA.

After the first four tournaments of the season, Williams had 20 points in a Senior Tour race which awards 16, 8, 4, 2 and 1 points for first through fifth place finishes in standard events. The 47-time PBA Tour title winner earned 16 points for his third career Senior Tour win in the Senior Don Carter Memorial and two points each for fourth-place finishes in The Sun Bowl in the Villages and the Senior Mooresville Classic. Learn had 18 points, fellow “rookie” Lennie Boresch Jr. of Kenosha, WI, and PBA Hall of Famer Johnny Petraglia of Jackson, NJ, had 16 each, and Ron Profitt of Brookville, Ohio was fifth with 12.

During the first of two major championships, stakes will rise for the Senior U.S. Open where top-five point values increase to 24, 12, 8, 4 and 2 points. The same elevated points will apply to the USBC Senior Masters June 10-15 at South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas.

The Senior U.S. Open will be covered extensively by PBA’s exclusive online bowling channel, Xtra Frame, Monday-Friday, June 4-8, concluding with the four-player stepladder finals Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. Pacific). To enroll as an Xtra Frame subscriber, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame logo.

Reigning PBA Senior Player of the Year Ron Mohr of Eagle River, Alaska, will attempt to become the third two-time winner of the Senior U.S. Open, joining Wayne Webb (2008 and ‘09) and Tom Baker (2005 and ’06) as multiple winners. Mohr also finished second in the 2010 Senior U.S. Open.

Rookie Boresch Wins Opening PBA Tour Event

This week will be one not soon forgotten for Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Senior Tour rookie Lennie Boresch Jr. of Kenosha, Wis.

In his Senior Tour debut, Boresch defeated 2011 Senior Rookie of the Year Ricky Beck of Box Elder, S.D., 278-266, to win the PBA Senior Sun Bowl In The Villages presented by Storm Tuesday at Spanish Springs Lanes. Then, it’s on to Arlington, Texas, where Boresch will be inducted into the United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame on Thursday.

“This is a dream week and kind of weird the way it’s all playing out,” said Boresch, who just turned 50 on April 19 to become eligible for the Senior Tour. “I can’t believe it’s happening all so fast.”

In the championship match Beck struck on the first nine shots but opened in the 10th allowing an opening for Boresch who was able to string his last eight strikes to clinch the win.

“If he strikes on the first ball in the 10th it’s over but when he didn’t, I thought to myself, well, here’s my chance,” Boresch said.

Boresch is known for his success in PBA regional competition where he has won 25 PBA regional titles. His top finishes on the PBA national tour are a fifth and two sixth-place finishes. He also owns three USBC Open Championships titles.

“I was really hoping to just make the cut and get my feet wet out here,” Boresch said. “I still feel I can be competitive at a high level but never thought I’d win right out of the box on the Senior Tour.”

The road to the championship match wasn’t easy for Boresch, just squeaking out a win in the Round of 8 against Tom Carter of Rockford, IL, 2-1 in the three-game match. He then faced four-time Senior Player of the Year and PBA Hall of Famer Tom Baker of King, NC in the semifinal, winning that single-game match, 238-227. Coincidentally, Baker, who was trying for his 10th Senior Tour title, will also be inducted into the USBC Hall of Fame on Thursday.

“Tom is such a great bowler and I had to remind myself to stay cool, Boresch said. “But I kept telling myself to keep my footwork slow and just enjoy the experience.”

In the other semifinal match Beck squeaked by Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr., 258-257, to advance to the championship match.

The next stop for the Senior Tour will be the PBA Senior Don Carter Memorial Open presented by Ebonite April 28-May 2 at Carter Family Bowl in Winter Garden, Fla.

PBA SENIOR SUN BOWL IN THE VILLAGES PRESENTED BY STORM
Spanish Springs Lanes, The Villages, Fla., Tuesday
Final Results
Championship Match
Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis. ($7,500) def. Ricky Beck, Box Elder, S.D. ($4,000), 278-266.

Semifinal Round (one-game matches, losers earn $2,700)
Beck def. Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 258-257.
Boresch Jr. def. Tom Baker, King, N.C., 238-227.

Round of 8 (best-of-three games, losers eliminated, $1,700 each)
W.R. Willams def. Ron Mohr, Eagle River, Alaska, 2-1.
Beck def. Dale Eagle, Tavares, Fla., 2-0.
Boresch Jr. def. Tom Carter, Rockford, Ill., 2-1.
Baker def. Kenny Parks, Hammond, Ind., 2-1.

Round of 16 (best-of-five games, losers eliminated, $1,300 each)
Mohr def. Bob Learn Jr., Erie, Pa., 3-2.
W.R. Williams def. Johnny Petraglia, Jackson, N.J., 3-1.
Eagle def. Gary Hiday, Indianapolis, 3-1.
Beck def. Fred Kaczmarczyk, Martinez, Calif., 3-0.
Carter def. Peter Knopp, Germany, 3-1.
Boresch Jr. def. Randy Shewmake, Fort Worth, Texas, 3-0.
Kenny Parks def. Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Twp., Mich., 3-1.
Baker def. Joel Carlson, Omaha, Neb., 3-1.
Round of 24 (best-of-five games, losers eliminated, $1,150 each)
Learn def. Randy Robertson, Evansville, Ind., 3-2.
W.R. Williams def. Darryl Bower, Middletown, Pa., 3-2.
Eagle def. Don Blatchford, Santa Monica, Calif., 3-1.
Beck def. Paul McCordic, Sugarland, Texas, 3-2.
Knopp def. Brian Brazeau, Ocala, Fla., 3-1.
Shewmake def. Amletto Monacelli, Venezuela, 3-2.
Sullins def. Kent Wagner, Palmetto, Fla., 3-2.
Carlson def. Dale Traber, Cedarburg, Wis., 3-2.
Round of 32 (best-of-five games, losers eliminated, $1,025 each)
Robertson def. Brodowski, Hyde Park, N.Y., 3-1.
W.R. Williams def. Emilio Mora, Defiance, Ohio 3-2.
Eagle def. Chuck Richardson, The Villages, Fla., 3-1.
McCordic def. Neff, Homosassa Springs, Fla., 3-1.
Knopp def. Keith Sharp, Orlando, 3-0.
Monacelli def. Dave Sill, Titusville, Fla., 3-2.
Wagner def. Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas, 3-2.
Traber def. Bruce Hall, Los Altos Hills, Calif., 3-2.