In his quest to become the first three-time winner of the United States Bowling Congress Senior Masters, Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Famer Tom Baker won all four of his winners bracket matches Thursday at Golden Pin Lanes.

Baker, of King, N.C., won his first two three-game matches against 2003 Senior Masters champion Dale Eagle, 674-638, and then followed with a 732-653 win over Bob Handley of Winter Park, Fla.

Baker had a scare in his third match winning a low-scoring battle against Scott Weston of Auburn, Mich., 526-518.

That was ugly," Baker said. "No matter what I did I couldn't find a shot. I was playing inside and if I through it out it would stay outside, if I kept it inside the ball would go high. The only thing I didn't try was an outside shot and I probably should have. Hopefully I've got the bad pair out of the way."

In the final winners bracket match Thursday evening, Baker defeated fellow hall of famer and 2000 Senior Masters champion Dave Soutar of Bradenton, Fla., 626-605.

"I made the adjustments in that match that I should have made in the previous match," Baker said. "I moved outside and was able to hit the pocket pretty consistently. But a win's a win."

Baker, who won the 2006 and 2007 Senior Masters, is a three-time PBA Senior Tour Player of the Year. As defending champion, he did not have to qualify and was seeded directly into match play.

From an original field of 260 entrants, the Senior Masters field is now down to 12 players, four in the winners bracket and eight in the losers bracket. Double-elimination match play continues on Friday beginning at 9 a.m. with the championship match scheduled for 4:30 p.m. The winner will earn a $16,000 first prize.

Sam Zurich is USBC Senior Masters Top Qualifier
Sam Zurich leads USBC Senior Masters second round qualifying
Californian amateur leads USBC senior masters first-round qualifying
Tom Baker ready to challenge for record third straight USBC Senior Masters title

Double-elimination three-game matches

Losers move to losers bracket

Sam Zurich, Grant, Fla. def. Kerry Painter, Henderson, Nev.,632-559
Rod Tramp, Porterville, Calif. def. George Lord, Mulberry, Fla., 602-593
Mike Lucente, Warren, Mich. def. Harry Sullins, Chesterfield, Mich., 631-600
Mark Van Meter, Albuquerque, N.M. def. Bobby Johnson, Chillicothe, Ohio, 609-548
Wayne Webb, Sacramento, Calif. def. Pete McCordic, Katy, Texas, 578-570
Norb Wetzel, Fond du Lac, Wis. def. Dale Cshuta, Wadsworth, Ohio, 582-517
Jerry Swank, Chouteau, Okla. def. Rudy Moreno, Reno, Nev., 600-562
Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas, def. Ken Hosp, Tucson, Ariz., 640-577
Henry Gonzalez, Colorado Springs, Colo. def. Rick Vittone, Tecumseh, Ontario, 607-568
Bob Harvey, Boise, Idaho def. Bob Brady, Santa Monica, Calif., 608-529
Keith Sharp, Orlando, Fla. def. Bob Chamberlain, The Villages, Fla., 563-506
Brian Brazeau, Ocala, Fla. def. Jeff Suma, Auburn Hills, Mich., 656-605
Joe Vito, San Antonio, Texas def. Tom Carter, Rockford, Ill., 614-565
Ken Parks, Hammond, Ind. def. Gary Hiday, Indianapolis, Ind., 529-516
Ziggy Czaja, Fontana, Calif. def. Terry Leong, Henderson, Nev., 510-509
Vince Mazzanti, Levittown, Pa. def. Mike Henry, Brunswick, Ohio, 641-621
Dave Soutar, Bradenton, Fla. def. Mitch Jabczenski, Novi, Mich., 669-520
Steve Ferraro, Kingston, N.Y. def. Sam Maccarone, Sewell, N.J., 634-569
Bob Handley, Winter Park, Fla. def. Ray Cobb, Highland, Calif., 698-579
Scott Weston, Auburn, Mich. def. Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., 658-634
Tom Baker, King, N.C. def. Dale Eagle, Tavares, Fla., 674-638
Johnny Petraglia, Manapalan, N.J. def. Dan Emmett, Las Vegas, 674-638
Keith Glasgow, St. Petersburg, Fla. def. Mike Dias, Lafayette, Colo., 591-588
Tim Kauble, Marion, Ohio def. Rohn Morton, Portland, Ore., 539-463
Ross Packard, San Jose, Calif. def. John Eiss, Oronoco, Minn., 564-539
Bobby Knipple, Long Beach, Calif. def. Mark Estes, Grapevine, Texas, 636-582
Hugh Miller, Marcos Island, Fla. def. Dewaine West, Temecula, Calif., 595-543
Dave Patchen, Oregon, Ohio def. Dennis Psaropoulos, Lake Worth, Fla., 600-565
Toby Contreras, Raytown, Mo. def. Marc Clyburn, Pittsburg, Calif., 704-590
Ron Winger, Las Vegas def. Shannon Starnes, Fort Worth, Texas, 610-556
Ron Mohr, Eagle River, Alaska def. Greg Waldon, Sun City West, Ariz., 701-473
Don Blatchford, Santa Monica, Calif. def. Gary Skidmore, Albuquerque, N.M., 585-570

Losers eliminated, finishing 49th-64th each earning $900

Starnes def. Painter, 671-522
Johnson def. Clyburn, 588-568
Moreno def. Jabczenski, 580-541
Csuhta def. Psaropoulos, 616-610
Hosp def. Dias, 571-558
Croucher def. Lord, 654-554
Leong def. Cobb, 704-520
Sullin def. Estes, 608-582
Waldon def. McCordic, 583-561
Chamberlain def. Morton, 562-541
Skidmore def. Hiday, 602-566
Eiss def. Vittone, 678-599
Emmett def. Suma, 578-574
West def. Carter, 586-531
Henry def. Eagle, 648-614
Brady def. Maccarone, 636-607

Losers move into losers bracket

Van Meter def. Zurich, 686-658
Swank def. Wetzel, 565-559
Tramp def. Williams, 609-607
Webb def. Lucente, 682-592
Sharp def. Harvey, 701-566
Parks def. Gonzalez, 660-558
Petraglia def. Miller, 640-623
Vito def. Brazeau, 586-562
Packard def. Blatchford, 658-566
Kauble def. Ferraro, 631-556
Baker def. Handley, 732-653
Weston def. Glasgow, 560-517
Soutar def. Patchen, 626-577
Contreras def. Winger, 632-561
Mohr def. Knipple, 582-532

Losers eliminated finishing 33rd-48th, each earning $1,000

Brazeau def. Starnes, 628-593
Johnson def. Harvey, 617-567
Moreno def. Gonzalez, 669-627
Csuhta def. Lucente, 585-485
Hosp def. Williams, 581-578
Croucher def. Zurich, 609-574
Leong def. Czaja, 522-512
Wetzel def. Henry, 605-583
Winger def. Sullins, 664-547
Waldon def. Glasgow, 539-519
Patchen def. Brady, 631-597
Handley def. Chamberlain, 680-625
Ferraro def. Skidmore, 572-560
Miller def. Eiss, 626-576
Knipple def. Emmett, 623-604
Blatchford def. West, 602-517

Losers move into losers bracket

Swank def. Van Meter, 618-589
Webb def. Sharp, 672-604
Packard def. Petraglia, 658-649
Mohr def. Kauble, 659-565
Baker def. Weston, 526-518
Soutar def. Contreras, 630-575
Mazzanti def. Tramp, 591-588
Parks def. Vito, 582-569

Losers eliminated finishing 25th-32nd, each earning $1,100

Brazeau def. Johnson, 683-602
Cshuta def. Moreno, 635-528
Croucher def. Hosp, 689-665
Leong def. Wetzel, 602-554
Winger def. Waldon, 565-485
Patchen def. Handley, 631-617
Blatchford def. Knipple, 618-532
Ferraro def. Miller 672-613

Losers eliminated finishing 17th-24th, each earning $1,200

Petraglia def. Csuhta, 645-600
Sharp def. Croucher, 579-562
Leong def. Van Meter, 603-588
Tramp def. Winger, 595-594
Weston def. Ferraro, 658-624
Vito def. Blatchford, 592-501
Kauble def. Patchen, 594-575
Brazeau def. Contreras, 600-596

Losers move into losers bracket

Baker def. Soutar, 626-605
Parks def. Webb, 584-542
Packard def. Mohr, 655-569
Mazzanti def. Swank, 594-525

Losers eliminated finishing 13th-16th, each earning $1,400

Leong def. Sharp, 632-604
Petraglia def. Brazeau, 672-571
Tramp def. Kauble, 580-525
Vito def. Weston, 600-559