Walter Ray Williams Jr.
Back On Winning Track With
PBA Senior Mark Roth
Allentown Open Victory


Professional Bowlers Association legend Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, Fla., won the PBA Senior Mark Roth Allentown Open Tuesday for his first tour win in more than a year.

Williams defeated 2009 Senior Player of the Year Ron Mohr of Eagle River, Alaska, 268-168, in the championship match at Playdrome Rose Bowl for his first senior title of the season and second of his Senior Tour career.

Williams left little doubt of the outcome by opening the championship match with eight consecutive strikes before leaving a 10 pin in the ninth frame. Mohr, trying for his second consecutive win this season having won the Senior Miller High Life Classic in Mooresville, N.C., three weeks ago, could never get anything going.

“I got off to a good start and Ron just couldn’t get lined up, especially on the right lane,” said the 51-year-old Williams. “I was able to play between the first and second arrow and just had a nice angle to the pocket and great ball reaction from there.”

In his Senior Tour debut, Williams won his first Senior Tour title in the Senior Miller High Life Classic in early May of 2010, shortly after earning a record seventh PBA Player of the Year crown at the conclusion of the 2009-10 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season.

After also going on to earn PBA Senior Rookie of the Year honors last year, it has been quite a dry spell for Williams, however. He experienced the worst PBA Tour season of his 28-year career in 2010-11 where his best finish was sixth. It ended a record streak of 17 seasons with at least one Tour win.

“I think the hard work I’ve put in the past couple of months has really paid off,” said the all-time leader in PBA Tour wins with 47. “I’m feeling very comfortable being able to make the adjustments I need to make and just bowling very well in general. You're going to have your good times and bad times but I’m very encouraged and confident going forward from here.”

Williams’ previous best Senior Tour finishes this season were second in the Sun Bowl In the Villages and third in the Senior Don Carter Open.

In the semifinals, Mohr defeated Hall of Famer and four-time Senior Player of the Year Tom Baker of King, N.C., 206-174, to advance to the championship match and Williams defeated Harry Sullins of Chesterfield Township, Mich., 238-192.

Williams is looking forward to the PBA Senior U.S. Open presented by the Suncoast June 12-17 at the Suncoast Bowling Center in Las Vegas, which is the next Senior Tour stop.

“I wish it was next week,” Williams said of the U.S. Open. “But, it gives me a couple weeks to get back to work on my game and relax a little bit.”

PBA SENIOR MARK ROTH ALLENTOWN OPEN
Playdrome Rose Bowl, Allentown, Pa.
Final Results

Championship Match
Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla. ($7,500) def. Ron Mohr, Eagle River, Alaska, ($4,000), 268-168.

Semifinal Round (losers earn $2,500)
Mohr def. Tom Baker, King, N.C., 206-174.
W.R. Williams def. Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Township, Mich., 238-192.

Round of 8 (best-of-three games, losers eliminated, $1,700 each)
Mohr def. Mike Henry, Brunswick, Ohio, 2-1.
Baker def. Dale Csuhta, Wadsworth, Ohio, 2-1.
W.R. Williams def. John Chapman, Canada, 2-0.
Sullins def. George Lord, Lakeland, Fla., 2-0.

Round of 16 (best-of-five games, losers eliminated, $1,300 each)
Henry def. Marc Lineberry, Camanche, Iowa, 3-1.
Mohr def. Wilbert Moorer, Dover, Del., 3-1.
Baker def. Ricky Beck, Box Elder, S.D., 3-1.
Csuhta def. Dennis Welshans, Watsontown, Pa., 3-0.
W.R. Williams def. Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas, 3-0.
Chapman def. Kent Wagner, Palmetto, Fla., 3-1.
Lord def. Sammy Ventura, Syracuse, N.Y., 3-1.
Sullins def. Patric Donaghue, Honeoye Falls, N.Y., 3-1.

Round of 24 (best-of-five games, losers eliminated, $1,100 each)
Moorer def. Sam Maccarone, Glassboro, N.J., 3-0.
Lineberry def. Bob Brady, Santa Monica, Calif., 3-0.
Beck def. Gale Voshell, Dover, Del., 3-2.
Welshans def. Bill Neumann, Renssalaer, N.Y., 3-2.
M. Williams def. Bill Henson, Westerville, Ohio, 3-1.
Chapman def. David Kneas, Annapolis, Md., 3-1.
Lord def. Darryl Bower, Mechanicsburg, Pa., 3-0.
Donaghue def. Jeff Schrum, Cherryville, N.C., 3-0.

Round of 32 (best-of-five games, losers eliminated, $1,000 each)
Moore def. Tim Kauble, Marion, Ohio, 3-2.
Lineberry def. Tom Lazaro, Allentown, Pa., 3-0.
Voshell def. Marty Berke, Allentown, Pa., 3-0.
Welshans def. Tommy Brodowski, New Hyde Park, N.Y., 3-2.
Hensen def. Mark Everette, Aliquippa, Pa., 3-0.
Kneas def. Terry Metzner, Kentwood, Mich., 3-0.
Lord def. Don Hicks, West Babylon, N.Y., 3-0.
Donaghue def. Emilio Mora, Defiance, Ohio, 3-2.