Walter Ray Williams Jr. (pictured left) of Ocala, Fla., continued his march toward becoming the first player in Professional Bowlers Association history to win both the U.S. Open and Senior U.S. Open titles Thursday, expanding his lead as the field of 24 match play finalists headed into Friday's final rounds of the PBA Senior U.S. Open presented by Suncoast at the Suncoast Bowling Center.

The 51-year-old Williams, a second-year PBA Senior Tour competitor, won six of his eight matches Thursday afternoon, averaging 237 for the round to finish with a 35-game total of 8,226 pins, including match play bonus pins, and building a 203-pin lead over two-time Senior U.S. Open winner Wayne Webb (right) of Columbus, Ohio.

While Williams is chasing his slice of U.S. Open history, Webb and Tom Baker (left) of King, N.C., are trying to become the first player to win the Senior U.S. Open three times. Webb won in 2008 and 2009. Baker, who was in 16th place after five rounds, won in 2005 and 2006.

Williams, the reigning PBA Senior Tour Rookie of the Year, won the PBA Tour's U.S. Open titles in 1998 and 2003. A 47-time PBA Tour title winner including eight majors, Williams is the only player in the field who also has won the national tour's U.S. Open.

"I'm still throwing the ball well," Williams said. "I had to migrate left a little tonight as the lane condition broke down, but it wasn't much – which was fine with me.

"There are no guarantees heading into tomorrow," the 47-time PBA Tour title winner said. "But I like what's going on. I'd be very happy to have to bowl only one game in the stepladder finals for the title."

Also in the hunt for the title are 2009 Senior Player of the Year Ron Mohr (left) of Eagle River, Alaska, in fourth place, and defending champion Mark Williams (right) of Beaumont, Texas, in ninth.

The remaining 24 players will return Friday for two additional eight-game round-robin match play rounds. After 51 games, the top four bowlers will advance to the stepladder finals at 3:30 p.m. Pacific.

The Senior U.S. Open winner takes home a $20,000 first prize and a berth into the Elite Round of the 2012 PBA Tournament of Champions.

All of Friday's action will be covered live on Xtra Frame, pba.com's exclusive video-streaming service.

 

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2011 PBA Senior U.S. Open - Fifth Round

Players with position, hometown and 35-game total including match play bonus pins.

1, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 6-2, 8,226
2, Wayne Webb, Columbus, Ohio, 6-2, 8,023
3, Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Township, Mich., 6-1-1, 7,997
4, Ron Mohr, Eagle River, Alaska, 6-2, 7,937
5, Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., 4-4, 7,911
6, Bo Goergen, Sanford, Mich., 5-3, 7,857
7, Dale Traber, Cedarburg, Wis., 5-3, 7,761
8, Brian Voss, Alpharetta, Ga., 2-6, 7,722
9, Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas, 4-3-1, 7,716
10, Kerry Painter, Henderson, Nev., 3-5, 7,702
11, Eric Forkel, Las Vegas, 2-6, 7,666
12, Howard Partell, Las Vegas, 7-1, 7,658
13, Barry Zimmerman, Grand Forks, N.D., 5-3, 7,657
14, John Chapman, Canada, 3-5, 7,600
15, Robert Harvey, Boise, Idaho, 5-3, 7,572
16, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 4-4, 7,554
17, David Axon, Bellevue, Neb., 4-4, 7,551
18, Kenny Parks, Hammond, Ind., 3-5, 7,539
19, Hugh Miller, Seattle, 2-6, 7,518
20, Ricky Beck, Box Elder, S.D., 4-4, 7,480
21, Junichi Yajima, Japan, 3-5, 7,465
22, Jim Murtishaw, Menifee, Calif., 2-6, 7,454
23, Kent Wagner, Palmetto, Fla., 2-6, 7,387
24, Marv Sargent, Temecula, Calif., 2-6, 7,348

Other Cashers (after 27 games):
25, Darryl Bower, Middletown, Pa., 5,639, $1,160
26, Don Blatchford, Santa Monica, Calif., 5,630, $1,140
27, Daniel Miyamoto, Mililani, Hawaii, 5,628, $1,120
28, Ron Winger, Las Vegas, 5,621, $1,100
29, Pete Thomas, Oklahoma City, Okla., 5,597, $1,080
30, Steve Ferraro, Kingston, N.Y., 5,584, $1,070
31 (tie), Noel Vazquez, Sacramento, Calif., and Henry Gonzalez, Colorado Springs, Colo., 5,578, $1,055
33, Dale Eagle, Tavares, Fla., 5,576, $1,040
34, Bill Nichols, Roseville, Calif., 5,561, $1,030
35, Kerry Fulford, Brownwood, Texas, 5,555, $1,020
36, Christopher Keane, New City, N.Y., 5,554, $1,010
37, Mitchell Jabczenski, Novi, Mich., 5,550, $1,000
38, Brian Brazeau, Ocala, Fla., 5,549, $990
39, Roger Kossert, Lithia, Fla., 5,541, $985
40, Russ Freeman, Antioch, Ill., 5,532, $980
41, Don Moser, Murrieta, Calif., 5,526, $975
42, Howard Loosbroock, Henderson, Nev., 5,511, $970
43, Peter Knopp, Germany, 5,497, $965
44, Jeff Jamison, Boulder City, Nev., 5,492, $960
45, Michael Henry, Brunswick, Ohio, 5,487, $955
46, Emilio Mora Sr., Defiance, Ohio, 5,479, $950
47, Don Hicks, West Babylon, N.Y., 5,477, $945
48, John Bennett, Clarkston, Mich., 5,461, $940
49, Don Sylvia, Reno, Nev., 5,454, $935
50, John Kirker, Taftville, Conn., 5,421, $930
51, Karl Simonis, Mesa, Ariz., 5,408, $925
52, Thomas Ream, Tampa, Fla., 5,400, $920
53, Jim Moran, Las Vegas, 5,367, $915
54, Jim Gordin, Modesto, Calif., 5,340, $910
55, Terry Metzner, Kentwood, Mich., 5,331, $905
56, Doug Kempt, Monrovia, Calif., 5,319, $900

300 game – Mark Williams