PBA50 Dayton Classic at a Glance
Where: Capri Lanes, 2727 South Dixie Drive, Kettering
Tournament schedule
Tuesday (8 games qualifying): 9 a.m. - A squad; 3 p.m. - B squad.
Wednesday (8 games qualifying): 9 a.m. - B squad; 4 p.m. - A squad
Thursday: 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – top 32 round robin match play (8 games); 1:30-5 p.m. – top 16 round robin match play (8 games); 7-8:30 p.m. – top 4 stepladder finals.
Field: 105+ bowlers 50-years-and-older
Former champions in the field: Johnny Petraglia, Hugh Miller, Steve Ferraro, Ron Mohr, Keith Sharp
Admission: $3 per day, $10 all-session pass
Information: 298-7411, Capri Lanes
After bowling his way to a historic win a year ago, PBA hall of fame bowler Johnny Petraglia will be right at home when he returns to Capri Lanes for the PBA50 Dayton Classic.
Petraglia became the first bowler in PBA history to win a PBA Tour or PBA50 Tour title in six different decades by winning the Dayton Classic last year. He also ended a three-year drought without a win by edging out reigning Senior Player of the Year Ron Mohr in the title match.
“It was a huge win for me, I probably got more responses from other bowlers and the media than I did for anything else I’ve ever done,” Petraglia said. “I can’t wait to get back. Ohio, for me, is almost like a second home. I have a lot of good friends there and I’ve had some big wins.”
There will also be a lot of good competition as the fifth stop on the PBA50 Tour, formerly the PBA Senior Tour, gets underway at Capri Lanes with practice sessions and a Pro-Am Monday. More than 100 bowlers are already on the roster.
“The field is so strong because so many of the guys who were and are great on the national tour just turned 50,” Petraglia said.
“Kids,” as Petraglia, 66, calls younger bowlers like Walter Ray Williams Jr. and Bob Learn Jr., have made the PBA50 field even stronger. One of the newcomers to the field is two-time PBA titlist Jack Jurek who will make his PBA50 debut at the Dayton Classic as will ESPN PBA Tour analyst Randy Pedersen.
“Now I know how old I am when I am calling guys who just turned 50 ‘kids,’ ” Petraglia said with a smile.
But it is sure is fun to defeat those “kids” as Petraglia can attest to. Winning is always the goal for the New Jersey bowler who has eight PBA50 Tour titles and 14 PBA Tour titles to his credit.
“When I start the week, that’s the only thing on my mind,” he said. “If it isn’t, it’s probably time to retire.”
About the Author