Hugh Miller of Seattle won the Professional Bowlers Association Senior South Shore Open presented by DV8 Thursday for his third career Senior Tour title and in the process became a contender for Senior Player of the Year heading into the final tournament of the Senior Tour season.

Miller (pictured with Jason Sands, South Shore Sports, left, and Mike Kozy, Olympia Lanes GM, right) defeated 2007 Senior U.S. Open winner Rick Minier (right) of Houston, 198-172, in the championship match to move into second on the Senior Player of the Year points list, 12 points behind Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. Williams hoped to clinch the honor in Hammond but failed to earn any points after being eliminated in the second round of match play.

The Senior Tour season wraps up with the Senior Decatur (Ill.) Open presented by Brunswick Aug. 12-14 at Spare Time Lanes, which will be covered live in its entirety by PBA.com's online bowling channel Xtra Frame.

"I was kind of a long shot but wasn't really mentioned as a contender so I kind of used that as a motivator," said Miller, who earned 16 Player of the Year points for his win. "When Walter Ray wasn't able get any points I thought let's win this thing and the race is on."

In the semifinal match Miller, also a seven-time PBA Tour winner, defeated 2012 USBC Senior Masters winner Mike Edwards (left) of Tulsa, 237-177, to advance to the title match. In the other semifinal, Minier defeated Hall of Famer and four-time Senior Player of the Year Tom Baker (right) of King, N.C., 220-205.

Miller did not bowl the first three tournaments of the season but finished second in the Senior Northern California Classic and Senior Masters which put him in Player of the Year contention.

"I've had a pretty good season considering I didn't bowl the first three tournaments," said Miller, who finished second in Hammond in 2008. "I've adopted a new philosophy of bowling a little more aggressively and not giving away the pocket. It seems to be working so I thought why not go for it."

Edwards, who was awarded fourth in the tournament, earned two Player of the Year points to stay in the race in third, 14 points behind Williams.

 

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PBA Senior South Shore Open presented by DV8

Olympia Lanes in Hammond, Ind. (Aug. 6-9, 2012)

Championship Match
Hugh Miller, Seattle ($7,500) def. Rick Minier, Houston ($4,000), 198-172

Semifinal Round (losers earn $2,700)
Minier def. Tom Baker, King, N.C., 220-205
Miller def. Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 237-177

Round of 8 (best-of-three games, losers eliminated, $1,700 each)
Edwards def. Bob Learn Jr., Erie, Pa., 2-0
Miller def. Jeff Richgels, Madison, Wis., 2-0
Minier def. Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Twp., Mich., 2-0
Baker def. Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas, 2-0

Round of 16 (best-of-five games, losers eliminated, $1,300 each)
Edwards def. Ron Mohr, Eagle River, Alaska, 3-1
Learn def. Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 3-2
Sullins def. Wayne Webb, Columbus, Ohio, 3-1
Richgels def. Ron Winger, Las Vegas, 3-1
Miller def. Ron Profitt, Brookville, Ohio, 3-0
Minier def. Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 3-2
M. Williams def. Dennis Lane, Kingsport, Tenn., 3-1
Baker def. Paul McCordic, Sugar Land, Texas, 3-2

Round of 24 (best-of-five games, losers eliminated, $1,150 each)
Monacelli def. Sammy Ventura, Syracuse, N.Y., 3-2
Mohr def. Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 3-2
Winger def. Dale Csuhta, Wadsworth, Ohio, 3-0
Miller def. Mike Dias, Lafayette, Colo., 3-0
Sullins def. Charlie Tapp, Kalamazoo, Mich., 3-0
Minier def. Johnny Petraglia, Jackson, Mich., 3-2
Lane def. Jim Knoblauch, Waukesha, Wis., 3-1
McCordic def. Robert Flaws, Chicago Ridge, Ill., 3-0

Round of 32 (best-of-five games, losers eliminated, $1,050 each)
Lane def. Doug Spicer, Canton, Mich., 3-0
Petraglia def. Dave Bernhardt, Romeo, Mich., 3-0
Sullins def. Patrick King, Yankton, S.D., 3-1
Dias def. Kenny Parks, Hammond, Ind., 3-1
Winger def. Don Sylvia, Reno, Nev., 3-0
Mohr def. John Chapman, Canada, 3-1
Ventura def. Dave Sill, Titusville, Fla., 3-0
McCordic def. Chris Keene, New City, N.Y., 3-0