Mike Edwards of Tulsa, Okla. (pictured left), made it through the double-elimination match-play bracket undefeated to win the 2012 United States Bowling Congress Senior Masters on Friday.

Edwards, competing in his second PBA Senior Tour event, won the title with a 701-691 victory over Hugh Miller (right) of Mercer Island, Wash., at the South Point Bowling Center. The victory gave Edwards a payday of $16,000 as he finished on top of the field of 283 of the top bowlers age 50 and older in the world.

"This is validation to let me know that I'm legitimately back because I have had a rough year and a half," said Edwards, who won seven matches en route to the title. "My father died five months ago, and I really lost my passion for bowling. I hope that the Senior Tour will revitalize my career, especially now that I've won a major."

Edwards, who turned 50 in December, sat and watched as Miller finished the championship match. Needing all three strikes in the 10th frame to win by one pin, Miller struck on his first shot and then left a 6 pin. In the double-elimination format, even had Miller won the match, the two would have bowled a second championship match.

"Sitting on the bench to win has never happened to me," said Edwards, who has been a PBA member since 1981 and won his lone PBA Tour title in 1994. "It didn't hit me for a second, and I had to add up the score again real quick. I don't think it has sunk in yet."

Miller, a seven-time winner on the PBA Tour and two-time Senior PBA Tour winner, defeated USBC Hall of Famer Amleto Monacelli (left) of Venezuela, 634-571 for the right to take on Edwards for the title. The loss gave Monacelli a third-place finish in his Senior Masters debut.

Two-time Senior Masters champion and 69-year-old Gary Dickinson (above right) of Edmond, Okla., fell short in his bid to become the first player to win the event three times. Dickinson lost to Monacelli, 771-538, to finish fourth.

Christer Danielsen (left) of Sweden and Charlie Tapp (right) of Portage, Mich., who were eliminated by Dickinson and Monacelli in the eight round of the Loser Bracket, tied for fifth place.

The PBA Senior Tour moves to Brentwood, Calif. for the PBA Senior Northern California Classic presented by Track June 17-20 at Harvest Park Bowl.

 

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2012 USBC Senior Masters Match Play

Double elimination, three-game matches decided by total pinfall

Loser Bracket Round 6

Losers eliminated, earn $1,900.

Larry Popp, Marion, Ohio, def. Tom Carter, Rockford, Ill., 645-514
Crister Danielsson, Sweden def. Pete Thomas, Oklahoma City, 690-658
Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., def. Paul Appling, Camarillo, Calif., 703-614
Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela def. Mike Dias, Lafayette, Colo., 662-639

 

Winners Bracket Round 4

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

Hugh Miller, Mercer Island, Wash., def. Gary Dickinson, Edmond, Okla., 637-545
Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., def. Charlie Tapp, Portage, Mich., 738-670

 

Loser Bracket Round 7

Losers eliminated, earn $2,400.

Danielsson def. Popp, 670-585
Monacelli def. Williams, 724-676

 

Loser Bracket Round 8

Losers eliminated, tie for fifth, earn $3,400.

Dickinson def. Danielsson, 646-562
Monacelli def. Tapp, 707-608

 

Winners Bracket Round 5

Winner advances to championship match. Loser move to losers bracket.

Edwards def. Miller, 620-603

 

Loser Bracket Round 9

Loser eliminated, finishes fourth, earns $4,600.

Monacelli def. Dickinson, 771-538

 

Loser Bracket Round 10

Winner advances to championship match. Loser eliminated, finishes third, earns $6,000.

Miller def. Monacelli, 634-571

 

Championship

Winner earns $16,000; Loser finishes second, earns $8,000.

Edwards def. Miller, 701-691.