Bowlers Journal International - April 2008 - (Page 50)

STATE OF THE SENIORS BY DENNIS BERGENDORF HEY, OZIO & BAKER: YOU HAVE COMPANY The strongest rookie class in years threatens to tip the balance of power. WE'RE ONLY A COUPLE OF WEEKS away from a 2008 PBA Senior Tour fraught with high drama (thanks to an influx of still-youthful Hall of Famers) and disappointment (last year’s 13-stop schedule having been slashed by more than one-fourth, and most of the events still paying just $8,000 for first place). On the plus side is the talent. Senior superstars Tom Baker and David Ozio Soutar, Ernie Schlegel, a still-healthy Bob Glass, and bowling’s equivalent of the Energizer Bunny, Dale Eagle. One huge difference is that a lot of the greybeards five or ten years ago had, to a certain extent, come out of retirement to join their half-century-old counterparts. Many of the new breed of seniors have simply stepped over from regular (or, in senior parlance, JIM DRESSEL The Senior Tour's paddock will be populated this summer by Randy Lightfoot (right), but not by Marshall Holman. Lightfoot is part of a very strong "rookie" class prepping for the 2008 Senior circuit. won’t find having it their way quite as easy this summer — not with Randy Lightfoot, Wayne Webb, Harry Sullins, Mark Williams and Ted Hannahs in the locker rooms and on the lanes. “The competition is getting so much tougher,” sighs Baker. “When I started, there weren’t as many real stars.” Don’t get the idea that the Senior Tour was bereft of talent when “Bakes“ burst on the scene back in 2005. In winning the first of three consecutive Senior Player of the Year honors, he had to whip the likes of Ozio, Dave 50 bowlers journal international APRIL 2008 “kids”) competition. While Baker is one-of-a-kind — competing both as a senior and an exempt bowler — a few others have been doing quite well against the twist-‘emup set. Williams has been a mainstay in the Southwest Region, entering some 100 events since leaving the big Tour, and winning “about a half-dozen.“ The 1985 Firestone Tournament of Champions winner was seventh on this season’s Southwest points list with one event to go (topping Tour veterans Rick Lawrence, David Traber and Lonnie Waliczek). Webb, too, has been active, hitting some Regionals, in which he frequently makes it to the pay window. He finished 14th in points in 2006-07 in the West Region and just missed the top 50 this year. He also beat more than 150 players at the PBA Denny's World Championship, missing a check by only 45 pins. At the Senior season opener in Dayton, Ohio, it’s conceivable that the Round of 8 could be comprised of eight members of the PBA Hall of Fame — and that’s just fine with Baker. “These are the guys I bowled with 20 years ago. I’m looking forward to bowling with them again.” But is there a danger that an all-star Round of 8 at Dayton would scare away some of the Senior circuit's lesser lights? John Weber, who has been the PBA’s Director of Regional and Senior Tours for two years, doesn’t think so. He’s excited about so many stars coming on board at one time, and believes that the marquee value should help him attract sponsors. While it will be a star-studded Tour, the seniors will likely be missing a few pretty big names. Johnny Petraglia has been unable to tour full-time because of career commitments. Mark Roth, who did hit 10 of the 13 stops last year, is said to be mulling employment opportunities that will likely keep him home. Marshall Holman will be MIA because he just doesn’t have the fire. “I gave it everything-plus, and I just got burned out,” he explains. “The travel became so much of a burden.” The Medford Meteor turned 50 at roughly the same time as Baker, but felt absolutely no desire to hit the road again. “When I started doing TV in 1996, my skills had already eroded,” he says. “It would have taken a huge commitment to get back to the point

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Bowlers Journal International - April 2008

Bowlers Journal International - April 2008 Contents Leading Off Letters Bowlitically Incorrect Calendar Par Bowling The Coach Frame of Mind Inside Line The Truth Be Bowled Tournaments Pro Bowling PBA Bayer Classic PBA Pepsi Championship PBA Don Johnson Classic Regional Roundup Cover Story Up Close Senior Tour The USBC Move USBC Convention Pattern Play Anniversary Flashback Time Capsule Media Beat No Holes Barred Shop Talk Spotlight Marketplace Hall Marks Profit Prophet Advertisers' Index Classified Advertising Intelligencer Business Calendar Business People Strikes Me

Bowlers Journal International - April 2008

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