Patraglia Wins PBA Titles in Six Decades With Dayton Win

Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Hall of Famer Johnny Petraglia became the first player in PBA history to win a national tour or senior tour title in six decades by winning the PBA Senior Dayton Classic presented by Roto Grip Thursday at Capri Lanes.

Petraglia, who won his eighth career Senior Tour title, also ended a three-year
drought without a win by defeating reigning Senior Player of the Year Ron Mohr of Eagle River, Alaska, 220-204, in the title match.

Petraglia, who was the top seed for the finals, started strong with the first
three strikes but then ran into trouble in the fourth frame throwing a 4-6-7-10
split.  He threw another split (3-7) in the seventh frame but was able to close
out the match with four strikes and a nine-count which was enough to beat Mohr who was also struggling.

“When I threw that first split it surprised me because I thought it was going to
be a strike,” said the 65-year-old Petraglia, whose last Senior Tour title came
in the 2009 Sun Bowl In The Villages. “Frankly, I was a little lost at that
point. I really didn’t make an adjustment until after that second split when I
moved right on the approach, threw it a little farther left on the lane and
trusted that it would come back and it did.

“I guess some things are meant to happen,” he added. “Ron was having trouble on the left lane leaving three 10-pins which meant if I could get back to striking
I could still win the match.”
Overall, Petraglia and fellow PBA legend Dick Weber both have PBA titles in six
decades, however, Weber’s longevity mark includes a PBA regional title.
Petraglia also owns 14 PBA Tour titles, winning his first at a national tour
stop in Ft. Smith, AR, in 1966 at the age of 19.

“I guess it shows how old I am,” Petraglia said jokingly after achieving the
milestone. “But this is very special to me because it’s part of history and
makes it all worth it. “You know at my age, I was wondering if it was going to happen,” he said. “There are so many great Senior Tour players and there are more great bowlers from the regular Tour who are becoming eligible so it doesn’t get any easier. Another thing that makes it special is that there are some guys that might be able to tie this record in the coming years but probably not going to break it.”

In the semi-final match, Mohr, trying for his first title of the season and
eighth of his career, defeated Ron Profitt of Brookville, Ohio, 238-222, to
advance to the title match.  In the opening match, Profitt defeated last week’s
Senior Mooresville Classic winner Bob Learn Jr. of Erie, PA, 243-217.  Learn
beat Profitt in the championship match of that tournament, 203-196, for his
first Senior Tour title.
The Senior Tour takes a two-week break before the Senior U.S. Open June 3-8 at the Suncoast Bowling Center in Las Vegas. The season’s first major will be
streamed live in its entirety on bowling’s online bowling channel Xtra Frame. 
Subscription information is available by visiting www.xtraframe.tv.
PBA SENIOR DAYTON CLASSIC PRESENTED BY ROTO GRIPCapri Lanes, Kettering, Ohio, Thursday

FINAL STANDINGS
1, Johnny Petraglia, Jackson, N.J., one game, 220, $8,000.
2, Ron Mohr, Eagle River, Alaska, two games, 442, $4,500.
3, Ron Profitt, Brookville, Ohio, two games, 465, $3,000.
4, Bob Learn Jr., Erie, Pa. one game, 217, $2,500.

PLAYOFF RESULTS
Match One - Profitt def. Learn, 243-217; Semifinal Match – Mohr def. Profitt,
238-222; Championship Match – Petraglia def. Mohr, 220-204.

MATCH PLAY RESULTS
(Includes match play record, total pinfall and money earned. Top four advanced
to stepladder finals)

1,  Johnny Petraglia, Jackson, N.J., 12-4, 7,982.
2,  Ron Mohr, Eagle River, Alaska, 7-8-1, 7,924.
3,  Bob  Learn Jr., Erie, Pa., 9-4-3, 7,909.
4,  Ron Profitt, Brookville, Ohio, 9-7, 7,873.
5,  Darryl  Bower, Middletown, Pa., 10-6, 7,820, $2,000.
6,  Dale  Traber, Cedarburg, Wis., 10-4-2, 7,813, $1,800.
7,  Lennie  Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 5-11, 7,797, $1,700.
8,  Jeff Schrum, Cherryville, N.C., 10-5-1, 7,782, $1,600.
9,  Hugh  Miller, Seattle, 6-9-1, 7,767, $1,500.
10, Roy  Buckley, New Albany, Ohio, 10-6, 7,736, $1,450.
11, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 10-6, 7,706, $1,400.
12, Bo Goergen, Sanford, Mich., 6-10, 7,654, $1,380.
13, Sammy Ventura, Syracuse, N.Y., 5-11, 7,625, $1,360.
14, Mike  Dias, Lafayette, Colo., 9-7, 7,604, $1,340.
15, Marc Lineberry, Camanche, Iowa, 6-10, 7,578, $1,320.
16, Mark Everette, Aliquippa, Pa., 6-9-1, 7,499, $1,300.

Failed to advance to second match play round
17, Kenny Parks, Hammond, Ind., 3-5, 5,586, $1,200.
18, Paul McCordic, Sugar Land, Texas, 3-5, 5,580, $1,180.
19, Brian Cooper, Visalia, Calif., 5-3, 5,568, $1,160.
20, Charlie  Tapp, Kalamazoo, Mich., 5-2-1, 5,555, $1,140.
21, (tie) Tom Carter, Rockford, IL, 4-3-1, & John  Shreve Sr., Elyria, OH, 1-6-1, 5,539, $1,110.
23, Harry  Sullins, Chesterfield Twp, Mich., 3-5, 5,536, $1,080.
24, Ernie Segura Jr., Taylor, Mich., 5-3, 5,518, $1,070.
25, James Souder, Greeneville, Tenn, 5-3, 5,505, $1,060.
26, Arturo Hernandez, Venezuela, 4-4, 5,495, $1,050.
27, (tie) Peter Knopp, Germany, 5-3-0,  and Mark  Williams, Beaumont, TX, 2-6, 5,492, $1,035.
29, Dale  Eagle, Tavares, Fla., 2-6, 5,462, $1,020.
30, Wayne  Webb, Columbus, Ohio, 3-5, 5,454, $1,010.
31, Dave  Soutar, Bradenton, Fla., 4-4, 5,321, $1,010.
32, William Keenan, Jr., Orlando, Fla., 2-6, 5,302, $1,000.
300 Games -  Daryl Bower

Will Ron Mohr Dominate For 2012 Senior PBA Tour Season?

For reigning Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Senior Player of the Year Ron Mohr, his domination during the 2011 season will be a tough act to follow in 2012, but he’s up to the challenge. 

Mohr, of Eagle River, Alaska, will begin defense of his 2011 Senior Player of the Year title when the 2012 Senior Tour season begins April 21-24 with the Sun Bowl In The Villages presented by Storm at Spanish Spring Lanes. 

Mohr won a record-tying four titles in the 10 PBA Senior Tour events he entered in 2011, supported by a 67-30 record in his head-to-head matches and an equally impressive qualifying record. 

In 10 tournaments, Mohr was the leading qualifier twice, No. 2 twice and he qualified lower than seventh only one time. In what was probably his worst event in 2011, after finishing in 77th place after the first eight qualifying games in the Senior Decatur (Ill.) Open, Mohr moved up 53 places over the next eight games to make the cut to match play by four pins, qualifying 24th. 

“I’m really fighting the notion that it was a career year and can’t be repeated,” Mohr said. “But on the other hand it’s unrealistic to expect to have a year like that again.” 

In addition to his four titles – including his first major championship in the Senior U.S. Open – Mohr finished out of the top four only one time. He was second twice, third twice, fourth and had a 13-place finish in Decatur. The only tournament he didn’t enter was the USBC Senior Masters which he missed in order to attend a family wedding. 

“The real expectation is that over time things even out but I’ve kept a winning attitude and feel as well prepared if not better than last year going into this season,” he said. “Last year was something I never expected and I admit I had a lot of things go my way. I just need to keep that winning attitude and let everything else take care of itself.” 

Tom Baker (2006), Bob Glass (2001), Dale Eagle (1999) and Pete Couture (1998) also had four-title seasons, but only Baker’s was in a comparable number of events (nine). 

In 2006, Baker finished second, third, fifth, seventh and 24th in his other five events. Eagle won four times in a 15-tournament schedule while Glass and Couture won their titles in 14-event seasons. No one had a perfect 11-for-11 cashing record in 2011, but of the nine players who cashed in 10 events, Mohr, Baker, Peter Knopp and Henry Gonzalez were 10-for-10 while Walter Ray Williams Jr., Harry Sullins, Mike Henry, Kenny Parks and Eagle cashed in 10 of 11 events. 

The only statistical category where Mohr fell short was in scoring average which was led by Williams with a Senior Tour record 229.56 and Mohr finished second with 225.98. Defending champion Sullins of Chesterfield, Mich., defeated Williams, 248-239, to win last year’s Sun Bowl In The Villages for his second career Senior Tour title.