In the first major of the 2018 PBA50 Tour season, Brian Kretzer of Dayton, Ohio, averaged 238 after Wednesday’s first round to lead the PBA50 National Championship presented by Spanish Springs Lanes and Radical at Spanish Springs Lanes in The Villages, Florida.

After a slow start with games of 209 and 200, Kretzer found the lane conditions to be more favorable as the round progressed finishing strong with games of 257, 263, 275 and 226 for a 1,430 pinfall total.

“I started out playing straight down the lane but then the shot gradually moved inside and for me that is really in my wheelhouse,” said the 51-year-old Kretzer (pictured right and above), who owns one PBA Tour title. “I was able to throw it slow with a lot of hook and that’s my “A” game.”

Kretzer is coming off a 2017 season in which his best finish was third in the PBA50 Northern California Classic.

“I’m coming out here ready to go this season,” Kretzer added. “I’m especially looking forward to the next two rounds here because there will already be some play on the lanes from the earlier rounds. If I can play inside, that’s ideally where I want to be.”

Kretzer holds a 21-pin lead over PBA Hall of Famer and 2017 PBA50 Players Championship winner Bryan Goebel (left) of Shawnee, Kan., in second with a 1,409 pinfall total. Goebel had games of 237, 211, 236, 237, 228 and 260.

Rolando Sebelen (right) of the Dominican Republic and Steve Kenyon of Dade City, Fla., were tied for third place with 1,407. Rounding out the top 5 was George Gomez of Orlando, Fla., with 1,400.

PBA Hall of Famers Pete Weber (left) and Norm Duke (below right) finished the first round in seventh and eighth, respectively. Weber bowled a 1,382 pinfall for his six games and Duke bowled 1,377. Weber, a 10-time PBA50 Tour titlist is coming off a disappointing 2017 season with a best finish of ninth. Duke won the PBA50 Race City Open for his fourth PBA50 Tour title.

The 171-player field returns for six-game qualifying rounds Thursday and Friday beginning at 9 a.m. ET after which the top 32 players will be determined for Saturday’s first round of match play at 9 a.m. After the first round of match play the top 16 players will advance to the second match play round at 2 p.m. which will determine the top five players for the stepladder finals at 7 p.m.

All rounds of the tournament, including the stepladder finals, are streamed live exclusively on PBA’s online bowling channel Xtra Frame. For subscription and schedule information click here.

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PBA50 National Championship – First Round Results

Players with position, hometown and 6-game total; ss indicates PBA60 players ages 60 and over, n-non-member

1, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 1,430
2, Bryan Goebel, Shawnee, Kan., 1,409
3, (tie) Rolando Sebelen, Dominican Republic, and
Steve Kenyon, Dade City, Fla., 1,407
5, George Gomez, Orlando, Fla., 1,400
6, ss-Christopher Keane, Cape Coral, Fla., 1,398
7, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 1,382
8, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 1,377
9, Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 1,373
10, Gary Alstott, Washington, Ill., 1,369
11, (tie) Eddie Graham, Kettering, Ohio, and
ss-Mike Dias, Lafayette, Colo., 1,360
13, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 1,347
14, ss-John Petraglia, Jackson, N.J., 1,344
15, (tie) n, ss-Mark Scime, Winter Garden, Fla., and
ss-Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas, 1,339
17, ss-Don Blatchford, Santa Monica, Calif., 1,335
18, ss-Jeff Bellinger, Columbia, S.C., 1,333
19, Todd Kjell, Roscoe, Ill., 1,328
20, Joe Scarborough, Charlotte, N.C., 1,327
21, (tie) Gary Faulkner, Norfolk, Va., and
John Burkett, Southlake, Texas, 1,326
23, ss-Ron Mohr, Las Vegas, 1,325
24, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 1,323
25, Brian LeClair, Albany, N.Y., 1,322
26, James Campbell, Clearwater, Fla., 1,315
27, n-Don DuPree, Fort Walton Beach, Fla., 1,312
28, Peter Knopp, Germany, 1,310
29, n-Dennis Rakauskas, Apopka, Fla., 1,305
30, (tie) Doug Becker, Clermont, Fla., and
ss-Lew Elting, Carlsbad, Calif., 1,304
32, Ricky Schissler, Brighton, Colo., 1,301
33, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 1,300
34, John Conroy, Mahopac, N.Y., 1,299
35, Joel Carlson, Omaha, Neb., 1,296
36, ss-Sam Maccarone, Williamstown, N.J., 1,295
37, Craig Auerbach, Sunrise, Fla., 1,294
38, ss-Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Twp., Mich., 1,292
39, (tie) Michael Craig, Westerville, Ohio,
John Donovan, Melbourne, Fla., and
ss-John Dudak, Orland Park, Ill., 1,291
42, ss-John Gant, Medford, Mass., 1,290
43, Mark Sullivan, Indianapolis, 1,288
44, (tie) ss-Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., and
Charlie Toney, Oak Hill, W.Va., 1,287
46, Randy Rose, Davenport, Fla., 1,286
47, (tie) ss-Lee Brosius, Ashburn, Va., and
Bo Goergen, Sanford, Mich., 1,278
49, Tony Rodriguez Jr., Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., 1,273
50, (tie) Dave Sill, Titusville, Fla., and
ss-Tom Carter, Columbus, Ohio, 1,272
52, (tie) ss-Bob Kelly, Dayton, Ohio, and
n-John Hough, Naples, Fla., 1,268
54, Jimmy Jean, Kathleen, Ga., 1,264
55, ss-Ted Staikoff, Black Hawk, S.D., 1,262
56, Sammy Ventura, Norwich, N.Y., 1,257
57, Don Breeden, Clive, Iowa, 1,256
58, ss-Kenny Parks, Hammond, Ind., 1,254
59, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 1,253
60, ss-Henry Dawson, Elma, Wash., 1,250
61, Harry Alchin III, Madeira Beach, Fla., 1,246
62, (tie) Stoney Baker, Canton, Ga., and
Tommy Martin, Millington, Tenn., 1,245
64, Ernie Segura Jr., Taylor, Mich., 1,242
65, ss-Tommy Brodowski, New Hyde Park, N.Y., 1,241
66, ss-n-Dennis Psaropolus, Lake Worth, Fla., 1,238
67, n-Corbett Austin, North Ogden, Utah, 1,237
68, (tie) n-John Stronka, Davie, Fla., and
n-Rich Garner, Hudson, Fla., 1,231
70, Pete Arruda, Gilbert, S.C., 1,229
71, Greg Kemp, Conroe, Texas, 1,228
72, (tie) Scott Greiner, Sunrise Beach, Mo.,
Bob Learn Jr., Erie, Pa., and
Timothy Martin, Harrisville, R.I., 1,227
75, ss-Larry Gross, Ocala, Fla., 1,226
76, Richard Morgan, Grand Island, Fla., 1,224
77, ss-Warren Nelson, Hemet, Calif., 1,223
78, James Deplanche, Taylor, Mich., 1,221
79, Alan Wilson, Martinsville, Ind., 1,220
80, Robert Lawrence, Austin, Texas, 1,217
81, Kevin Williams, Brooksville, Fla., 1,216
82, David Taylor, Largo, Fla., 1,214
83, ss-Mike Schmid, St. Paul, Minn., 1,213
84, ss-Don Sylvia, Port Orange, Fla., 1,212
85, (tie) ss-Bruce Hall, Westborough, Mass., and
Ralph Brunt Jr., Jensen Beach, Fla., 1,208
87, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 1,205
88, (tie) n-Rick Pittman, Fruitland Park, Fla., and
Rick Francis, Linden, Calif., 1,204
90, (tie) ss-James Storts, Westfield, Ind., and
Glenn Smith, New York, 1,202
92, (tie) Bill Watson, Monroe, Ohio, and
ss-Nick Panicaro, Ocala, Fla., 1,200
94, Darin Hays, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 1,199
95, Norm Spurlock, Kenner, La., 1,197
96, Timothy Regan, East Northport, N.Y., 1,196
97, ss-n-John Pullen, Oyster Bay, N.Y., 1,194
98, ss-Brian Miller, Springfield, Ohio, 1,190
99, Tony Johnson, Canton, Ohio, 1,189
100, ss-Dale Traber, Cedarburg, Wis., 1,183
101, (tie) n-Dave Van Riet, Summerfield, Fla., and
Jon DeLaney, McKinney, Texas, 1,181
103, Michael Byers, Charleston, S.C., 1,179
104, ss-John DiSantis, Wilmington, Del., 1,177
105, n-Michael Owen, Gainesville, Fla., 1,176
106, (tie) Don Herrington, Ballston Lake, N.Y., and
ss-Chuck Best, Buda, Texas, 1,175
108, ss-Steven Jansson, Barnes, Wis., 1,174
109, n-Lester See, Yulee, Fla., 1,171
110, Terry Metzner, Kentwood, Mich., 1,169
111, ss-Steven Grotowski, Ft Lauderdale, Fla., 1,168
112, Mike Mineman, St Louis, Mo., 1,167
113, n-ss-Michael Dioguardo, Patchogue, N.Y., 1,163
114, Jerry Brunette Jr., Naples, Fla., 1,162
115, Darryl Dempsey, Pinellas Park, Fla., 1,158
116, ss-William Banks, Laurel Hill, N.C., 1,156
117, ss-Louis Alessi, Clearwater, Fla., 1,155
118, Danny Clark, New Palestine, Ind., 1,154
119, (tie) Marty Berke, Allentown, Pa., and
ss-Jeff Schrum, Cherryville, N.C., 1,152
121, ss-Mike Hastings, Millsboro, Del., 1,151
122, Tim Hartley, Englewood, Ohio, 1,149
123, ss-William Peters, Dayton, Ohio, 1,145
124, James Hansen, Anchorage, Alaska, 1,141
125, ss-Frank Gallo Jr., Jacksonville, Fla., 1,136
126, Mike Keough, Stockton, Calif., 1,135
127, John Austin Jr., League City, Texas, 1,133
128, ss-Chuck Richardson, The Villages, Fla., 1,131
129, Barry Clare, Bayside, N.Y., 1,128
130, (tie) Doug O’Bryant, Ball Ground, Ga., and
n,ss-Patrick Trudeau, St. Petersburg, Fla., 1,124
132, Johnny Wilson, Colorado Springs, Colo., 1,123
133, Mal Williams, Jr, Greensboro, N.C., 1,120
134, ss-David Goldenberg, Holtsville, N.Y., 1,118
135, ss-Ken Waters, Kingsport, Tenn., 1,116
136, Glenn Morgan, Carson City, Nev., 1,115
137, George Patel, England, 1,114
138, ss-Rich Giragosian, The Villages, Fla., 1,110
139, Todd Haney, Boiling Springs, S.C., 1,102
140, Ken Fishman, Lutz, Fla., 1,101
141, ss-Bill Henson, Westerville, Ohio, 1,100
142, (tie) Joe Fulner III, Belleview, Fla., and
ss-Thomas Ream, Tampa, Fla., 1,098
144, ss-Timothy Bates, Orlando, Fla., 1,097
145, (tie) Wayne Bolin, Lumberton, N.C., and
ss-David Martin, Chesapeake, Va., 1,095
147, David Bleggi, Jacksonville, N.C., 1,093
148, ss-Widmar Vargas, Riverview, Fla., 1,089
149, ss-James Knoblauch, Waukesha, Wis., 1,088
150, ss-Larry Helton, Bolingbrook, Ill., 1,082
151, ss-Ray Valdovino, Sacramento, Calif., 1,081
152, ss-Steve Bova, Massapequa, N.Y., 1,079
153, (tie) ss-Paul McCordic, Sugar Land, Texas, and
John Kidwell, Indianapolis, Ind., 1,078
155, Michael Vella, Bellport, N.Y., 1,073
156, ss-Dennis Thomas, Navarre, Fla., 1,070
157, ss-Jim Pitts, Elmira, N.Y., 1,067
158, ss-Peter Brainard, Tampa, Fla., 1,063
159, ss-Dave Schultz, Summerfield, Fla., 1,048
160, ss-Larry Williams, St. Augustine, Fla., 1,045
161, ss-Bob Chamberlain, The Villages, Fla., 1,044
162, Bill Ursillo, Bluffton, SC, 1,043
163, ss-Robert Donovan, Prattsville, N.Y., 1,037
164, ss-Rich Schubert, Cornith, Texas, 1,034
165, ss-Lindell Woolard, Tallahassee, Fla., 1,031
166, ss-Dowell Milliken, Lake Grove, N.Y., 1,022
167, ss-Stephen Lippman, Palm Harbor, Fla., 1,020
168, ss-Fred Ferreira, Kings Park, N.Y., 1,007
169, ss-Mark Nance Sr., Grove City, Ohio, 986
170, ss-Daniel Kelso, New Fairfield, Conn., 983
171, ss-n-Joseph Woznicki, Lakeland, Fla., 974

300 games (1) – Joe Scarborough.