Two-time champion and United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer Gary Dickinson (pictured left) of Edmond, Okla., headlines a group of four players who made it through Thursday's opening day of the double-elimination match-play bracket unbeaten at the 2012 USBC Senior Masters.

Dickinson won four matches Thursday at the South Point Bowling Center and needs to win three more to become the first player in Senior Masters history to win the event three times. The 69-year-old also won the event in 1997 and 2004.

Heading into this year's Senior Masters, Dickinson said he had modest expectations, only hoping to advance to the bracket and maybe win a match or two. Instead, he won four matches, including grinding out a 638-602 win over Paul Appling of Camarillo, Calif., in his final match of the day.

"I haven't been bowling a lot and my expectations coming here were to get a good check and go home," said Dickinson, an eight-time champion on the PBA Tour and 12-time winner on the Senior PBA Tour. "I've been very fortunate in my matches, but that's what the Senior Masters is about - bowling good but being fortunate in your draw."

Dickinson is one of five players to win multiple Senior Masters titles in his career, and he's the only two-time champion left in the field.

"I feel like I'm bowling good enough that I have a chance to win again," Dickinson said. "Going undefeated today means I just have to bowl well tomorrow and win a couple matches."

Joining Dickinson in the winners bracket as undefeated players Thursday are Hugh Miller (left), Mercer Island, Wash., Mike Edwards (right), Tulsa, Okla., and Charlie Tapp (below left), Portage, Mich.

Eight players still remain in the elimination portion of the bracket, including Hall of Famers Amleto Monacelli (right) of Venezuela and Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, Fla.

Competition resumes Friday at 8 a.m. Pacific. The championship match is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. Pacific. Each round of the double-elimination match-play bracket consists of three-game matches with the winner determined by total pinfall. The Senior Masters champion will earn $16,000, and the total prize pool is $119,000.

Bowling fans can watch every round of the Senior Masters live on BOWL.com's BowlTV. For more information on the event click here.

 

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2012 USBC Senior Masters Match Play

Double elimination, three-game matches decided by total pinfall

Opening Match Play Round

Winners remain in winners bracket. Losers move to losers bracket.

(64) Sam Ventura, Syracuse, N.Y., def. (1) Lennie Boresch, Kenosha, Wis., 727-669
(33) Terry Leong, Henderson, Nev., def. (32) Don Hicks, W. Babylon, N.Y., 550-506
(17) Arturo Hernandez, Venezuela, def. (48) Todd Kjell, Roscoe, Ill., 565-546
(49) Hugh Miller, Mercer Island, Wash., def. (16) Barry Zimmerman, Grand Forks, N.D., 667-604
(9) Ron Mohr, Eagle River, Alaska, def. (56) Don Patterson, Lakewood, Colo., 644-563
(41) Brian Cooper, Fresno, Calif., def. (24) Isaac Amkie, Mexico, 685-572
(40) Jim Gordin, Modesto, Calif., def. (25) Max Shellabarger, Layton, Utah, 550-531
(8) Mike Dias, Lafayette, Colo., def. (57) Noel Vazquez, Sacramento, Calif., 769-567

(5) Ricky Beck, Box Elder, S.D., def. (60) Donald R. Robinson, Houston, 597-587
(28) Gary Dickinson, Edmond, Okla., def. (37) John Dudak, Orland Park, Ill., 642-579
(21) Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., def. (44) Eric Forkel, Henderson, Nev., 713-711
(12) Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas, def. (53) Tim Ruelle, Racine, Wis., 669-567
(52) Paul Appling, Camarillo, Calif., def. (13) Brian Brazeau, Ocala, Fla., 706-620
(20) Bryan Goebel, Shawnee, Kan., def. (45) Peter Knopp, Germany, 678-608
(29) Joel Carlson, Omaha, Neb., def. (36) Warren Nelson, Plummer, Idaho, 585-574
(4) Tom Baker, King, N.C., def. (61) Dean Jones, McKinney, Texas, 735-555

(3) Crister Danielsson, Sweden, def. (62) Michael Chzanowski, Shepard, Mich., 690-476
(35) Larry Popp, Marion, Ohio, def. (30) Marc Lineberry, Camanche, Iowa, 692-621
(19) Bob Learn Jr., Erie, Pa., def. (46) John Bennett, Clarkston, Mich., 638-618
(14) David Axon, Bellevue, Neb., def. (51) Jerry Calvin, Thousand Oaks, Calif., 626-577
(11) Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., def. (54) Dave Shaw, Sun Prairie, Wis., 563-539
(43) Wayne Webb, Grove City, Ohio, def. (22) Mark McCreary, Livermore, Calif., 691-565
(38) Roger Kossert, Lithia, Fla., def. (27) Bill Nichols, Roseville, Calif., 702-614
(6) Harry Sullins, Chesterfield, Mich., def. (59) Paul McCordic, Sugarland, Texas, 621-604

(58) Kenny Parks, Hammond, Ind., def. (7) Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 696-649
(26) Tom Carter, Rockford, Ill., def. (39) David Chew, Brentwood, Calif., 651-643
(23) Bob Kelly, Dayton, Ohio, def. (42) Rick Minier, Houston, 613-587
(55) Charles Moore, Redding, Calif., def. (10) Ron Winger, Las Vegas, 597-596
(50) Pete Thomas, Oklahoma City, def. (15) Kerry Painter, Henderson, Nev., 742-679
(47) Charlie Tapp, Portage, Mich., def. (18) Dale Traber, Cedarburg, Wis., 637-606
(31) Dale Eagle, Laguna Miguel, Calif., def. (34) Marv Sargent, Temecula, Calif., 727-638
(2) Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., def. (63) Les Shirwindt, Las Vegas, 696-565

 

Winners Bracket Round 1

Winners remain in winners bracket. Losers move to losers bracket.

Ventura def. Leong, 726-664
Miller def. Hernandez, 659-555
Mohr def. Cooper, 674-588
Dias def. Gordin, 714-642
Dickinson def. Beck, 659-618
Croucher def. M. Williams, 706-704
Appling def. Goebel, 715-712
Carlson def. Baker, 707-697

Danielsson def. Popp, 593-555
Axon def. Learn, 649-646
Edwards def. Webb, 660-644
Sullins def. Kossert, 721-523
Carter def. Parks, 661-644
Moore def. Kelly, 699-605
Tapp def. Thomas, 682-611
W.R. Williams def. Eagle, 772-726

 

Loser Bracket Round 1

Losers eliminated, earn $900.

Boresch def. Hicks, 750-662
Vazquez def. Shellabarger, 564-562
Zimmerman def. Kjell, 703-603
Patterson def. Amkie, 640-620
Robinson def. Dudak, 654-543
Nelson def. Jones, 750-608
Forkel def. Ruelle, 660-566
Knopp def. Brazeau, 648-647

Lineberry def. Chzanowski, 549-520
McCordic def. Nichols, 633-618
Bennett def. Calvin, 628-492
McCreary def. Shaw, 696-629
Monacelli def. Chew, 698-625
Shirwindt def. Sargent, 714-627
Minier def. Winger, 642-622
Painter def. Traber, 754-670

 

Loser Bracket Round 2

Losers eliminated, earn $1,000.

Learn def. Boresch, 777-769
Webb def. Vazquez, 729-717
Popp def. Zimmerman, 652-637
Patterson def. Kossert, 697-682
Kelly def. Robinson, 614-596
Thomas def. Nelson, 697-597
Forkel def. Parks, 714-627
Eagle def. Knopp, 726-566

Hernandez def. Lineberry, 627-617
Cooper def. McCordic, 715-631
Leong def. Bennett, 781-741
Gordin def. McCreary, 594-557
Monacelli def. M. Williams, 831-669
Goebel def. Shirwindt, 688-636
Minier def. Beck, 690-680
Painter def. Baker, 725-624

 

Winners Bracket Round 2

Winners remain in winners bracket. Losers move to losers bracket.

Miller def. Ventura, 667-619
Dias def. Mohr, 696-688
Dickinson def. Croucher, 615-501
Appling def. Joel Carlson, 792-615
Danielsson def. Axon, 638-637
Edwards def. Sullins, 748-610
Carter def. Moore, 692-646
Tapp def. W.R. Williams, 770-764

 

Loser Bracket Round 3

Losers eliminated, earn $1,100.

Webb def. Learn, 701-622
Popp def. Patterson, 629-561
Thomas def. Kelly, 698-589
Forkel def. Eagle, 677-632
Hernandez def. Cooper, 639-572
Gordin def. Leong, 660-577
Monacelli def. Goebel, 643-579
Painter def. Minier, 671-636

 

Loser Bracket Round 4

Losers eliminated, earn $1,200.

Webb def. Croucher, 705-662
Popp def. Carlson, 581-579
Thomas def. Ventura, 700-659
Forkel def. Mohr, 727-666
W.R. Williams def. Hernandez, 690-590
Moore def. Gordin, 685-651
Monacelli def. Sullins, 670-668
Painter def. Axon, 722-583

 

Winners Bracket Round 3

Winners remain in winners bracket. Losers move to losers bracket.

Miller def. Dias, 803-661
Dickinson def. Appling, 638-602
Edwards def. Danielsson, 719-694
Tapp def. Carter, 617-557

 

Loser Bracket Round 4

Losers eliminated, earn $1,500.

Popp def. Webb, 687-666
Thomas def. Forkel, 682-661
W.R. Williams def. Moore, 746-574

Monacelli def. Painter, 792-733