After a single 10-game qualifying round, Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Oxford, Fla., averaged 245.6 Sunday to emerge as the top qualifier heading into match play for the PBA50 Lucas Magazine Classic at Lane Glo Bowl in New Port Richey, Florida.

In the opening tournament of the 2018 PBA50 Tour season, Williams, an 11-time PBA50 Tour winner, finished with a 2,456 pinfall total to edge out 2017 PBA50 Rookie of the Year Michael Haugen Jr. (left) of Phoenix, who finished in second with 2,451.

Williams (right and above), the PBA Tour’s all-time titles leader with 47 wins, had games of 258, 265, 205, 229, 279, 238, 240, 269, 226 and 247.

“The biggest change I had to make was when I went to a more aggressive ball in the fourth game,” said the 58-year-old Williams.

“Even though it was a long block, the pace of bowling was good. As long as I kept throwing the ball firm and maintained good (ball) speed I could keep throwing the ball from the outside which is where I have the best results.”

Williams, who finished third in the recent Port Property Management PBA Xtra Frame Shootout in Maine, is hoping for his first PBA50 Tour title since winning the USBC Senior Masters in June of 2017.

“I had the Senior Masters win last year but wasn’t really happy with the season other than that,” Williams added. “I’ve been bowling pretty well recently and just want to keep it going.”

Williams won the PBA Bowlers Discount Eastern Open regional tournament in Maryland a week ago for his 107th overall career PBA title.

Haugen, the winner of the 2017 Suncoast PBA Senior U.S. Open, had games of 257, 204, 212, 211 231, 278, 258, 243, 299 and 258 for his 10 games in the qualifying round.

“I’m coming in with a simpler is better mentality,” said Haugen, the winner of five titles on the regular PBA Tour. “Right now, I only have two balls with me and I’m going back to old school by making the most of my adjustments with speed and hand positions. It’s what we grew up doing and that’s what was working for me, especially in the last half of the round.”

Haugen is coming off a win in the PBA50 Sarasota South Open regional tournament which ended Friday.

Rounding out the top five were five-time PBA Tour winner Ryan Shafer (right), Horseheads, N.Y., 2,410; Sammy Ventura (left), Norwich, N.Y., 2,393, and two-time tour winner Warren Nelson (below right), Hemet, Calif. 2,391.

Competition continues Monday with a cashers’ round at 8:30 a.m. ET followed by the first round of match play at noon. After the second match play round at 3 p.m., the top five players will be determined for the stepladder finals at 7 p.m.

Fans can catch all the action on PBA’s online bowling channel Xtra Frame. For subscription and schedule information click here.

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PBA50 Lucas Magazine Classic – First Round Results

Players with position, hometown and 10-game total. Positions 1-24 advance to match play. Positions 25 through 44 plus eight PBA60 players (positions 45-52) advance to cashers round to determine eight additional match play spots. ss-indicates PBA60 players, n-indicates non-member.

1, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 2,456
2, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 2,451
3, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 2,410
4, Sammy Ventura, Norwich, N.Y., 2,393
5, Warren Nelson, Hemet, Calif., 2,391
6, Bob Learn Jr., Erie, Pa., 2,386
7, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 2,373
8, John Burkett, Southlake, Texas, 2,372
9, Kenny Parks, Hammond, Ind., 2,356
10, Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas, 2,339
11, Mark Sullivan, Indianapolis, 2,338
12, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 2,337
13, Danny Clark, New Palestine, Ind., 2,330
14, Don Breeden, Clive, Iowa, 2,320
15, Eddie Graham, Centerville, Ohio, 2,313
16, Jeff Bellinger, Columbia, S.C., 2,312
17, Lee Brosius, Ashburn, Va., 2,309
18, n-Warren Eales, Chandler, Ariz., 2,303
19, Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 2,299
20, James Hansen, Anchorage, Alaska, 2,298
21, Ralph Brunt Jr., Jensen Beach, Fla., 2,283
22, Ron Mohr, Las Vegas, 2,277
23, Brian LeClair, Albany, N.Y., 2,273
24, John Donovan, Melbourne, Fla., 2,250
25, Sam Maccarone, Williamstown, N.J., 2,244
26, Mike Mineman, St Louis, Mo., 2,234
27, Todd Haney, Boiling Springs, S.C., 2,230
28, Jim Pitts, Elmira, N.Y., 2,220
29, John Dudak, Orland Park, Ill., 2,219
30, Keith Lesko, Prosper, Texas, 2,216
31, Bill Watson, Monroe, Ohio, 2,212
32, Dale Traber, Cedarburg, Wis., 2,201
33, Joel Carlson, Omaha, Neb., 2,197
34, Gary Faulkner, Norfolk, Va., 2,196
35, Patrick King, Yankton, S.D., 2,191
36, William Peters, Dayton, Ohio, 2,186
37, James Knoblauch, Waukesha, Wis., 2,184
38, Harry Alchin III, Madeira Beach, Fla., 2,182
39, Doug Becker, Clermont, Fla., 2,175
40, George Litwin, Miami, 2,169
41, Christopher Keane, Cape Coral, Fla., 2,167
42, Tony Johnson, Canton, Ohio, 2,164
43, Jeff Schrum, Cherryville, N.C., 2,162
44, Kimmo Lehtonen, Finland, 2,160

45, ss-Henry Dawson, Elma, Wash., 2,155
46, ss-Mike Dias, Lafayette, Colo., 2,120
47, ss-Ray Valdovino, Sacramento, Calif., 2,136
48, ss-Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Twp., Mich., 2,106
49, ss-Fred Ferreira, Kings Park, N.Y., 2,085
50, ss-Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., 2,084
51, ss-Steve Bova, Massapequa, N.Y., 2,077
52, ss-John DiSantis, Wilmington, Del., 2,072

Missed Cut:
53, Glenn Smith, New York, 2,159
54, Gary Alstott, Washington, Ill., 2,153
55, Paul LeMond, Jasper, Ind., 2,151
56, Todd Kjell, Roscoe, Ill., 2,147
57, James Deplanche, Taylor, Mich., 2,135
58, n-Dennis Rakauskas, Apopka, Fla., 2,121
59, Peter Knopp, Germany, 2,120
60, Craig Auerbach, Sunrise, Fla., 2,118
61, Bryan Goebel, Shawnee, Kan., 2,117
62, Dave Han, Birmingham, Ala., 2,114
63, Rolando Sebelen, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 2,108
64, John Dougherty, Fort Walton Beach, Fla., 2,099
65, David Taylor, Largo, Fla., 2,098
66, (tie) Terry Metzner, Kentwood, Mich., and Marty Berke, Allentown, Pa., 2,097
68, David Bleggi, Jacksonville, N.C., 2,092
69, Doug O’Bryant, Ball Ground, Ga., 2,086
70, Widmar Vargas, Riverview, Fla., 2,070
71, (tie) Jerry Brunette Jr., Naples, Fla., and Ted Staikoff, Black Hawk, S.D., 2,069
73, John Conroy, Mahopac, N.Y., 2,068
74, Michael Mikolajczyk, Boothwyn, Pa., 2,065
75, (tie) Tom Carter, Columbus, Ohio, and John Hough, Naples, Fla., 2,063
77, Charlie Toney, Oak Hill, W.Va., 2,060
78, Doug Henry, Columbus, Ind., 2,057
79, Steve Kenyon, Dade City, Fla., 2,050
80, Ken Fishman, Lutz, Fla., 2,049
81, Jon DeLaney, McKinney, Texas, 2,046
82, Timothy Martin, Harrisville, R.I., 2,043
83, James Campbell, Clearwater, Fla., 2,039
84, Rick Francis, Linden, Calif., 2,038
85, Mike Hastings, Millsboro, Del., 2,035
86, (tie) James Storts, Westfield, Ind., and Michael Craig, Westerville, Ohio, 2,034
88, John Gant, Medford, Mass., 2,033
89, Bo Goergen, Sanford, Mich., 2,020
90, Steven Putnam, Warner Robins, Ga., 2,018
91, George Patel, England, 2,016
92, Darin Hays, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 2,007
93, Steven DiMartino, Upper Saddle River, N.J., 2,002
94, Michael Byers, Charleston, S.C., 1,999
95, David Martin, Chesapeake, Va., 1,991
96, n-John Chovanec, Sugarland, Tex., 1,976
97, (tie) Barry Clare, Bayside, N.Y., and C.K. Moore, Gulf Breeze, Fla., 1,975
99, Glenn Morgan, Carson City, Nev., 1,955
100, Paul McCordic, Sugar Land, Texas, 1,953
101, Steven Jansson, Barnes, Wisc., 1,947
102, Scott Greiner, Sunrise Beach, Mo., 1,946
103, Jimmy Jean, Kathleen, Ga., 1,942
104, Brian Miller, Springfield, Ohio, 1,930
105, Tony Rodriguez Jr., Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., 1,922
106, Bob Kelly, Dayton, Ohio, 1,920
107, (tie) Pete Arruda, Gilbert, S.C., and Michael Truitt, New Port Richey, Fla., 1,910
109, Arthur O’Connor, Middle Village, N.Y., 1,901
110, Frank Gallo Jr., Jacksonville, Fla., 1,899
111, ss-Steve Calyore, Naples, Fla., 1,897
112, Darryl Dempsey, Pinellas Park, Fla., 1,882
113, Ken Shealy, Myrtle Beach, S.C., 1,881
114, Don Blatchford, Santa Monica, Calif., 1,877
115, Timothy Regan, East Northport, N.Y., 1,874
116, Louis Alessi, Clearwater, Fla., 1,864
117, Michael Vella, Bellport, N.Y., 1,861
118, David Sanders, Blythewood, S.C., 1,859
119, Lucien Casagrande, Canada, 1,844
120, Johnny Wilson, Colorado Springs, Colo., 1,832
121, Thomas Ream, Tampa, Fla., 1,821
122, William Keenan Jr., Orlando, Fla., 1,820
123, John Austin Jr., League City, Texas, 1,812
124, Greg Kemp, Conroe, Texas, 1,811
125, Timothy Bates, Orlando, Fla., 1,806
126, Bill Henson, Westerville, Ohio, 1,803
127, Lew Elting, Carlsbad, Calif., 1,781
128, Robert Donovan, Prattsville, N.Y., 1,709
129, Doug Evans, Bayonet Point, Fla., 1,706
130, ss-John Thomas, Fort Myers, Fla., 1,675
131, Rich Schubert, Cornith, Texas, 1,573

300 games (3) – Lennie Boresch Jr., Ryan Shafer and Ralph Brunt Jr.