SEATTLE, WA (October 13) – The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Seniors have gathered in Jackson, Michigan, at Airport Lanes for the most prestigious senior event of the year, the PBA Senior National Championship. The PBA Senior “major” will be contested Saturday, October 13, through Thursday, October 18.

Defending champion, Bob Glass, of Lawrence, Kansas, is looking for his fourth win of the year and his sixth overall PBA title. It was last year’s win in Jackson that made Glass the leading candidate and eventual recipient of the 2000 PBA Senior Player of the Year Award.

Making his rookie debut on the Senior Tour this year is PBA Hall of Famer Mark Roth. Roth, who is known throughout the world as the man who revolutionized the sport of bowling, turned 50 in early April. The four-time PBA Player of the Year (1997-79, ’84), who was recently voted by fans in a pba.com poll as having the most powerful strike ball, owns 34 PBA titles, second only to Earl Anthony (41). Almost immediately after joining the seniors, Roth won his first PBA senior title in Seattle, Washington, which was his fourth senior event.

Also on the roster for this year’s event is PBA Hall of Famers Pete Couture, Dave Davis, Larry Laub, George Pappas, Johnny Petraglia, Mark Roth and Dave Soutar. Local favorites include Mel Wolf, of Jackson, Michigan, Charles Sitko, of Jackson, Michigan, Ray Randall, of Dearborn, Michigan, 10-time PBA senior titleholder Gene Stus, of Taylor, Michigan, Adren Mellberg, of Jackson, Michigan, and the seniors’ most recent winner Bob Chamberlain, of Auburn Hills, Michigan.

The event, which is the second-to-last event of the year for the seniors, is the seniors’ longest running event (1981 – 1991; 1995 – 2001) and has been contested at Airport Lanes since 1995. The major will consist of a 56-game format. There will be three rounds of qualifying consisting of eight-game blocks. Following the first 24 games, the field will be cut to the top 1/4 of the field. An additional eight-game round of qualifying will be bowled. The top 24 will advance to match play competition with three eight-game rounds. The top five following the 56 games will procede to the stepladder finals to vie for the title.

Complete tournament schedule listed below: (All times local)

What:

PBA Senior National Championship

Where:

Airport Lanes
3502 Wildwood Ave
Jackson, MI 49202
(517) 783-2711

When:

Saturday, October 13 through Thursday, October 18

Qualifying:

Mon., Oct. 15:
B squad bowls 8 games at 9:00 a.m.
C squad bowls 8 games at 1:30 p.m.
A squad bowls 8 games at 6:00 p.m.

Tues., Oct. 16:
C squad bowls 8 games at 9:00 a.m.
A squad bowls 8 games at 1:30 p.m.
B squad bowls 8 games at 6:00 p.m.

(CUT TO TOP 1/4 OF THE FIELD)

Wed., Oct. 17:
Top 1/4 bowls 8 games at 10:00 a.m.

(CUT TO TOP 24)

Match play:

Wed., Oct. 17:
Top 24 bowl 8 games of match play at 6:15 p.m.

Thurs., Oct. 18:
Top 24 bowl 8 games of match play at 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

(CUT TO TOP 5)

Championship Round Finals:

Thurs., Oct. 18:
Five-man stepladder finals beginning at 8:00 p.m.