Tom Baker (pictured left) of King, N.C., captured his first Professional Bowlers Association Senior Tour title in three years Tuesday, defeating Dale Csuhta of Wadsworth, Ohio, 237-181, to win the PBA Senior Pepsi Open at Spare Time Lanes.

Baker, a PBA Hall of Famer and four-time Senior Player of the Year, earned $8,000 and denied Csuhta's bid for his first Senior title. Csuhta earned $4,500 for second.

Baker, who won his ninth career Senior Tour title, has struggled after winning four consecutive PBA Senior Player of the Year awards and credited a change from a five-step to a six-step delivery in last week's stop in Hammond, Ind., for giving his game new life.

"I was watching Pete Weber bowling at a trade show in York, Pa., recently and I noticed he used a six-step delivery and thought I need to change something, so why not try it?" said the 55-year-old Baker. "I fell into it naturally and I could tell immediately the improvement it was making in my timing.

"I knew I had a timing and release problem but I didn't know exactly how to correct it," he added. "I think going to the six steps was the answer."

Baker's last Senior Tour win came in the Senior Dick Weber Invitational in August of 2007. His nine Senior titles ties Bob Glass (pictured left) and Pete Couture for fifth on the all-time Senior titles list. John Handegard (right) is the leader with 14.

"When I first came out on the Senior Tour, those first few wins came easy," Baker added. "But after bowling both the senior and regular tour it might have had a negative effect after awhile. Hopefully I've got it straightened out now."

In the semifinal matches, Baker defeated Patric Donaghue of Honoeye Falls, N.Y., 231-201, and Csuhta defeated Senior Player of the Year contender Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, Fla., 268-237.

Two other Senior Player of the Year contenders – Wayne Webb (pictured left) of Columbus, Ohio and Mark Williams (right) of Beaumont, Texas – were eliminated in the Round of 24 and Round of 16, respectively.

Heading into the Jackson, Mich., Senior Open – the final event of the 2010 season - Webb leads in Senior Player of the Year points with 48. Williams Jr. has 36 and Mark Williams has 32. Senior Player of the Year points are awarded only to the top four finishers: 16 points for first, 8 for second, 4 for third and 2 for fourth.

Webb will win his first Senior Player of the Year title in Jackson if he finishes in third place or higher, regardless of where Williams Jr. or Mark Williams finish. If Williams Jr. wins in Jackson, he can overtake Webb if Webb finishes fourth or lower.

If Mark Williams wins in Jackson, he would pass Williams Jr. and could tie Webb if Webb finishes out of the top four. But Webb would win the tiebreaker, which is overall points for the season, if he finishes 13th or higher.

Williams Jr. (pictured left), who earlier won the 2009-10 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour Player of the Year award for a record seventh time, could become the first bowler in history to win PBA Player of the Year, PBA Senior Player of the Year and PBA Senior Rookie of the Year honors in the same year.

The 2010 PBA Senior Tour finale gets underway Sunday at Airport Lanes in Jackson, Mich., and ends Tuesday, Aug. 24. Final day coverage of the event will be available on pba.com's Xtra Frame video service.

 

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PBA Senior Decatur Open

Spare Time Lanes in Decatur, Ill. (August 14-17, 2010)

Championship Match
Tom Baker, King, N.C. ($8,000) def. Dale Csuhta, Wadsworth, Ohio ($4,500), 237-181

Semifinal Round (losers earn $3,000)
Baker def. Patric Donaghue, Honeoye Falls, N.Y., 231-201
Csuhta def. Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 268-237

Round of 8 (best of three games, losers eliminated, $1,700 each)
Donaghue def. Henry Gonzalez, Colorado Springs, Colo., 2-1
Baker def. Patrick King, Yankton, S.D., 2-0
Williams Jr. def. Bob Faragon, Schenectady, N.Y., 2-0
Csuhta def. John Forst, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2-1

Round of 16 (best of five games, losers eliminated, $1,300 each)
Donaghue def. Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas, 3-2
Gonzalez def. Bob Brady, Santa Monica, Calif., 3-1
King def. Darryl Bower, Middletown, Pa., 3-0
Baker def. Marc Lineberry, Camanche, Iowa, 3-1
Williams Jr. def. Mike Dias, Lafayette, Colo., 3-1
Faragon def. Michael Tryniski, Fulton, N.Y., 3-1
Csuhta def. Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Township, Mich., 3-0
Forst def. Kerry Painter, Henderson, Nev., 3-1

Round of 24 (best of five games, losers eliminated, $1,150 each)
Donaghue def. Larry Popp, Marion, Ohio, 3-2
Brady def. Dale Traber, Cedarburg, Wis., 3-1
Bower def. Wayne Webb, Columbus, Ohio, 3-2
Lineberry def. Dave Patchen, Oregon, Ohio, 3-2
Dias def. Robert Harvey, Boise, Idaho, 3-2
Tryniski def. Warren Blankenship, Ardmore, Okla., 3-0
Csuhta def. Charlie Tapp, Kalamazoo, Mich., 3-0
Forst def. Emilio Mora, Defiance, Ohio, 3-2

Round of 32 (best of five games, losers eliminated, $1,050 each)
Donaghue def. Harv Pallas, Stevensville, Mich., 3-2
Traber def. George Lord, Lakeland, Fla., 3-0
Bower def. Christopher Keane, New City, N.Y., 3-2
Patchen def. Bobby Johnson, Chillicothe, Ohio, 3-1
Dias def. John Dudak, Orland Park, Ill., 3-2
Blankenship def. Kent Wagner, Palmetto, Fla., 3-1
Tapp def. Ron Profitt, Brookville, Ohio, 3-0
Mora def. Johnny Petraglia, Jackson, N.J., 3-2