Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Koivuniemi Extends Lead After
Suncoast PBA Senior U.S. Open Second Round
Defending champion extends lead despite 174 and 190 games in second round

LAS VEGAS (June 11, 2019) – No matter how good of a run a player is on in the Suncoast PBA Senior U.S. Open presented by Storm, the specter of bowling a bad game – or more than one – is always looming.

Defending champion Mika Koivuniemi managed to overcome 174 and 190 games in the second round of the 2019 Senior U.S. Open at the Suncoast Bowling Center Tuesday to extend his lead finishing with a 2,781 12-game pinfall (231 average).

The Hall of Famer holds a commanding 166-pin lead over last year’s Senior U.S. Open runner-up Brian Kretzer in second with a 2,615 pinfall.

Koivuniemi, a 14-time Go Bowling! PBA Tour titlist who won the 2018 Senior U.S. Open for his first title on the tour for players 50 and over, salvaged a 1,316 pinfall in the second round with games of 243, 223, 174, 210, 276 and 190.

“When you are making good shots, you must take advantage by bowling the big game because you can lose so much ground with a bad game,” said Koivuniemi, who owns three PBA Tour major titles including the 2001 U.S. Open. “You want to be able to control the pocket and I wasn’t able to do that in the 174 game.

“I was hitting the pocket consistently in the 276 and 190 game but the results weren’t the same,” the 52-year-old Koivuniemi continued. “You just keep calm and stay adjustable to the situation.

“For me, it comes down to if I’m throwing the ball well, I feel confident that I can control the pocket,” he added. “Getting the ball to the pocket is something you can control – what happens once the ball hits the pins is something you can’t control. If I’m not throwing the ball well, it can go anywhere.”

Kretzer, the 2018 PBA50 Cup winner, bowled 1,331 in the second round with games of 249, 252, 205, 222, 199 and 204 to jump from 16th after the first round to second.                                 

“I’m kind of in conservative mode when it comes to the Senior U.S. Open,” said the 53-year-old Kretzer, who lost to Koivuniemi 259-237 in last year’s title match. “I don’t plan on big numbers – I look at 215 as my goal every game and if I can string some strikes for a big game that’s great.”

PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber vaulted from 31st after the first round to tie for third thanks to a 1,361 pinfall with games of 187, 258, 221, 259, 200 and 236 in the second round finishing 13-pins behind Kretzer with 2,602. Weber is tied with Norway’s Tore Torgersen.

Weber, a two-time Senior U.S. Open winner, along with fellow Hall of Famers and two-time winners Amleto Monacelli and Tom Baker are trying to become the first three-time Senior U.S. Open champion.

Monacelli, the winner of  the recent USBC Senior Masters for his fifth PBA50 major title, finished the day in 11th with 2,549 and Baker is in 22nd with 2,511. 

The Senior U.S. Open is streamed live in its entirety by PBA’s streaming partner FloBowling. For subscription and schedule information visit www.flobowling.com.

Qualifying continues Wednesday and Thursday with six-game rounds at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. PT. The field will then be cut to the top 38 players for match play which will begins Friday at 8 a.m.  After Friday’s second match play round at noon, the top five players will be determined for the stepladder finals scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.

SUNCOAST PBA SENIOR U.S. OPEN
Presented by Storm
Suncoast Bowling Center, Las Vegas, Tuesday

SECOND ROUND (after 12 games)
1, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 2,781.
2, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 2,615.
3, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 2,602.
3, n-Tore Torgersen, Norway, 2,602.
5, Rolando Sebelen, Dominican Republic, 2,580.
6, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 2,575.
7, n-Steven Smith, San Diego, 2,569.
8, n-Don Moser, Menifee, Calif., 2,567.
9, Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 2,560.
10, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 2,555.
11, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 2,549.
12, n-Ron Nelson Jr., Bridgeview, Ill., 2,547.
13, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 2,542.
14, Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., 2,539.
15, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 2,537.
16, Kimmo Lehtonen, Finland, 2,535.
17, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 2,529.
18, ss-Ron Mohr, Las Vegas, 2,518.
19, Bob Learn Jr., Erie, Pa., 2,516.
20, ss-Michael Lucente, Warren, Mich., 2,514.
21, Dennis Horan Jr., Oakley, Calif., 2,513.
22, ss-Tom Baker, King, N.C., 2,511.
23, Blaine Weninger, Happy Valley, Ore., 2,496.
24, Brian LeClair, Albany, N.Y., 2,480.
25, Daniel Miyamoto, Mililani, Hawaii, 2,475.
26, ss-Junichi Yajima, Japan, 2,470.
27, Martin Bedford, Gasport, New York, 2,469.
28, Steve Hoskins, New Port Richey, Fla., 2,460.
29, Greg Thomas, Irmo, S.C., 2,455.
30, ss-Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., 2,452.
31, (tie) n-Barry Zimmerman, Grand Forks, N.D., Paul Fleming, Fort Worth, Texas, and Jeff Johnson, Freeport, Ill., 2,448.
34, Robert Lawrence, Austin, Texas, 2,446.
35, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 2,442.
36, (tie) Wayne Garber, Modesto, Calif., and Tony Johnson, Canton, Ohio, 2,439.
38, Joe Goldstein Sr., San Bruno, Calif., 2,437.
39, Steven Badovinac, Parker, Colo., 2,432.
40, ss-Don Blatchford, Santa Monica, Calif., 2,426.
41, Eric Forkel, Henderson, Nev., 2,425.
42, (tie) Randy Peterson, Carrington, N.D., and Bob Rosenau, Redding, Calif., 2,420.
44, ss-John Dudak, Orland Park, Ill., 2,411.
45, (tie) Michael Duran, Banning, Calif., and Noel Vazquez, Sacramento, Calif., 2,407.
47, (tie) Jay Hess, Gotha, Fla., and Doug Kempt, Arcadia, Calif., 2,404.
49, ss-Widmar Vargas, Sun City Center, Fla., 2,403.
50, Robert Brown, Cody, Wyo., 2,400.
51, Brian Menini, Brookfield, Mo., 2,398.
52, ss-Skip Pavone, San Jose, Calif., 2,391.
53, ss-Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas, 2,388.
54, Ricky Schissler, Brighton, Colo., 2,383.
55, Tommy Martin, Millington, Tenn., 2,380.
56, Greg McDaniel, Kimball, Neb., 2,379.
57, Stoney Baker, Canton, Ga., 2,376.
58, Todd Kjell, Roscoe, Ill., 2,374.
59, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 2,372.
60, Joseph Petrovich, Tracy, Calif, 2,369.
61, (tie) Mark Mazzulla, Brentwood, Calif., and ss-Henry Dawson, Elma, Wash., 2,367.
63, Bryan Goebel, Shawnee, Kan., 2,364.
64, (tie) ss-Joe Salvemini, Colorado Springs, Colo., and n-James Wallace, Hicksville, N.Y., 2,363.
66, ss-Edward Silva, Manteca, Calif., 2,361.
67, Peter Knopp, Germany, 2,355.
68, (tie) n-Steven Jeeves, England, ss-John Petraglia, Manalapan, N.J., and Todd Haney, Boiling Springs, S.C., 2,354.
71, ss-Dale Traber, Cedarburg, Wis., 2,348.
72, ss-Jeff Mann, Clearlake Oaks, Calif., 2,340.
73, ss-Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Twp., Mich., 2,332.
74, Gary Faulkner, Norfolk, Va., 2,315.
75, (tie) Bill Watson, Monroe, Ohio, and Rob Rice, Sunnyside, Wash., 2,310.
77, Richard Strath, Schenectady, N.Y., 2,301.
78, Pat Nolan, Japan, 2,300.
79, n-Troy Silfies, Northglenn, Colo., 2,297.
80, ss-Jerry Sikora, Huron, S.D., 2,294.
81, ss-Darryl Bower, Middletown, Pa., 2,293.
82, n-David Waswo, Lees Summit, Mo., 2,292.
83, (tie) ss-Warren Nelson, Hemet, Calif., and Bill Vannoy, Lexington, S.C., 2,291.
85, n-Bob Baer, Henderson, Nev., 2,290.
86, (tie) Gary Alstott, Washington, Ill., and ss-Paul Mielens, Menomonie, Wis., 2,286.
88, John Dougherty III, Fort Walton Beach, Fla., 2,282.
89, (tie) ss-Christopher Keane, Cape Coral, Fla., and Jon DeLaney, McKinney, Texas, 2,277.
91, n,ss-Bill Oakes, Lawton, Okla, 2,275.
92, ss-Mike Dias, Lafayette, Colo., 2,265.
93, n-John Hricsina Jr., Las Vegas, 2,263.
94, ss-Rick Minier, Houston, 2,262.
95, Scott Greiner, Sunrise Beach, Mo., 2,253.
96, n-Dana Wright, St. Paul, Minn., 2,250.
97, ss-Gary Kammes, Winfield, Ill., 2,245.
98, n-Jerry Johnson Jr., Las Vegas, 2,238.
99, Mark Abraham, Lansing, Mich., 2,233.
100, ss-Sammy Ventura, Syracuse, N.Y., 2,225.
101, ss-Russ Simmons, Fontana, Calif., 2,209.
102, Rick Francis, Linden, Calif., 2,207.
103, ss-Tom Carter, Columbus, Ohio, 2,206.
104, John Marsala, St. Louis, Mo., 2,205.
105, Carlos Denot, Mexico, 2,202.
106, Timothy Banks, Rosamond, Calif., 2,199.
107, ss-Steven Jansson, Barnes, Wis., 2,198.
108, Brian McMahon, Boca Raton, Fla., 2,194.
109, n,ss-Ron Hosler, Englewood, Colo., 2,192.
110, Michael Smith, Centenniel, Colo., 2,187.
111, (tie) n-Rolly Sebelen, Dominican Republic, and Joe Beck, Montgomery, Ala., 2,184.
113, Paul LeMond, Jasper, Ind., 2,183.
114, ss-James Storts, Westfield, Ind., 2,182.
115, n-Darwin Wimer, Mesquite, Nev., 2,178.
116, Rodney Remmers, Moore, Texas, 2,176.
116, n,ss-Robert Callari, Cordova, Tenn.., 2,176.
118, ss-Takeo Sakai, Japan, 2,175.
119, ss-Thomas Sliwinski, Reynoldsville, Pa., 2,171.
120, n-Paul Renteria, Henderson, Nev., 2,168.
121, n,ss-Paul Appling, Camarillo, Calif., 2,165.
122, Tony Rodriguez Jr., Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., 2,164.
123, n-Jim Montgomery, Byron, Ill., 2,163.
124, ss-Julius Mickel, Omaha, Neb., 2,162.
125, n-Michael Mellick, Whittier, Calif., 2,161.
126, n,ss-David Graber, Las Vegas, 2,156.
127, n-Vic Karbowski, Sommerton, Ariz., 2,154.
128, n-Linda Walbaum, Brighton, Colo., 2,147.
129, ss-Stan Winters, Simi Valley, Calif., 2,138.
130, Carl West, San Jose, Calif., 2,131.
131, Tom Sellers, Barstow, Calif., 2,119.
132, ss-Terry Metzner, Kentwood, Mich., 2,116.
133, Jack Wofford, Flagstaff, Ariz., 2,115.
134, n-Steven Atkinson, Hollywood Park, Texas, 2,106.
135, ss-Ross McDonald, Las Vegas, Nev., 2,103.
136, n-Jeff Atkins, Hot Springs Village, Ark., 2,101.
137, ss-Brian Miller, Springfield, Ohio, 2,081.
138, (tie) ss-Glen Nakagawa, Highland Village, Texas, and Cephas Hensley, Jonesboro, Tenn., 2,066.
140, ss-Don Lane, San Francisco, 2,063.
141, n,ss-Dale Knight, Las Vegas, 2,041.
142, n-Tish Johnson, Colorado Springs, Colo., 2,020.
143, ss-Robert Walters, North Las Vegas, Nev., 2,019.
144, n-Charles Allen Jr., Pell City, Ala., 2,018.
145, ss-Galen Keas, Alda, Neb., 1,998.
146, n,ss-Robert Reeder Jr., Bellefonte, Pa., 1,977.
147, ss-Garry Blanton, Owensboro, Ky., 1,959.
148, Don Herrington, Ballston Lake, N.Y., 2,201.
149, n,ss-John Shreve Sr., Sheffield Village, Ohio, 2,089.
150, n-Billy Bundza, Tucson, Ariz., 2,078.

n - non-member
ss – PBA60 players ages 60 and over

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