Two-time 2009 winners Ron Mohr (left) of Eagle River, Alaska, and Dale Traber (right) of Cedarburg, Wis., head a field of the world's greatest PBA Senior Tour players who will visit Town and Country Lanes Aug. 15-18 for the inaugural PBA Senior Miller Lite Knockout Classic, presented by the Illinois State Bowling Proprietors Association.

With three tournaments remaining on the 2009 PBA Senior Tour schedule, the heat is rising in the PBA Senior Player of the Year race in a tournament with a new "knockout" format.

Mohr and Traber are the PBA Senior Tour's only two-time winners in 2009, but PBA Hall of Famers Johnny Petraglia of Jackson, N.J.; Wayne Webb of Sacramento, Calif., and Mark Williams of Beaumont, Texas – all 2009 title winners – also are in the Joliet field.

Through last week's Senior Decatur Open in Decatur, Ill. – won by first-time champion Steve Ferraro of Kingston, N.Y. – Webb was the Senior Tour's earnings leader with $34,700, $3,400 ahead of Traber. Mohr, however, was the tour's competition points leader by a slim margin over Webb.

Other Hall of Famers and celebrated PBA Senior Tour stars entered include four-time PBA Senior Player of the Year Tom Baker, King, N.C.; Bob Chamberlain, The Villages, Fla.; 11-time Senior Tour titlist Dale Eagle, Frisco, Texas; Dave Soutar, Bradenton, Fla., and Bill Spigner, Vernon Hills, Ill.

The Joliet stop will be the 10th of 12 events as the Senior Tour celebrates its 29th season.

Following official practice sessions and pro-ams Saturday, competition in the unique "knockout" event begins with eight-game qualifying blocks Sunday and Monday at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

The field will then be cut to the top 32 players who will advance to best-of-five match play beginning May 6 at 9 a.m. Depending upon the total number of entries, the field will be cut to 32, 40 or 48 players after qualifying for the "knockout" rounds on Tuesday.

The preliminary "knockout" rounds, starting at 8 a.m., feature three-game total pinfall competition among four players on a given pair of lanes, with the top two advancing. The last three-game round begins at 7 p.m. followed immediately by one-game semifinal and championship rounds.

2009 PBA Senior Tour Earnings Leaders (as of Aug. 11)
1, Wayne Webb, Sacramento, Calif., $34,700
2, Dale Traber, Cedarburg, Wis., $31,300
3, Ron Mohr, Eagle River, Alaska, $29,400
4, Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas, $27,400
5, Brian Voss, Kennesaw, Ga., $22,200
6, Dale Eagle, Frisco, Texas, $14,900
7, Brian Brazeau, Ocala, Fla, $14,650
8, Hugh Miller, Mercer Island, Wash., $14,600
9, John Petraglia, Jackson, N.J., $13,900
10, Steve Ferraro, Kingston, N.Y., $12,600

 

PBA Senior Miller Lite Knockout Classic Presented by the ILBPA

Town and Country Lanes, Joliet, Ill., Aug. 15-18, 2009

Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009
9-10 a.m. - A squad practice
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. - B squad practice
Pro-am squads to follow

Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009
9 a.m. - A squad qualifying (8 games)
4 p.m. - B squad qualifying (8 games)

Monday, Aug. 17, 2009
9 a.m. - B squad qualifying (8 games)
4 p.m. - A squad qualifying (8 games)
Cut to Miller Lite Knockout Classic finalists:
Top 48 if the field has 144 or more entries
Top 40 if there are 120-143 entries
Top 32 if there are 119 or fewer entries

Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2009 (Format for a field of 48)
Knockout Round One (three games, total pinfall):
8 a.m. – Qualifiers 33-48 bowl four per pair (top two advance)
Knockout Round Two (three games, total pinfall):
10 a.m. – Qualifiers 25-32 bowl four per pair (top two advance)
Knockout Round Three (three games, total pinfall):
Noon – Qualifiers 17-24 bowl four per pair (top two advance)
Knockout Round Four (three games total pinfall):
2 p.m. – Qualifiers 9-16 bowl four per pair (top two advance)
Knockout Round Five (three games total pinfall):
4 p.m. – Qualifiers 1-8 bowl four per pair (top two advance)
Knockout Round Six (three games, total pinfall):
7 p.m. – All advancing players bowl two per pair (top player per pair advances to Round Seven, following immediately)
Knockout Round Seven (one game):
Two bowlers per pair, winner advances to Round Eight
Knockout Round Eight (one game):
Two bowlers bowl for championship ($8,000 first prize)