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Defending Champion Amleto Monacelli Takes

First Round Lead in PBA50 Northern California Classic

BRENTWOOD, Calif. (May 28, 2018) – Defending champion Amleto Monacelli began his PBA50 NorthernCalifornia Classic presented by MOTIV title defense by averaging 237.6 to take the first round lead Monday at Harvest Park Bowl.

The PBA Hall of Famer bowled a 1,901 eight-game pinfall total with games of 211, 225, 247, 278, 220, 194, 280 and 246 to take a 57-pin lead over three-time PBA50 Tour titlist Hugh Miller of Mercer Island, Wash., who finished the round with 1,844.

Monacelli beat Miller in the title match of the 2017 Northern California Classic, 229-198, to win his eighth PBA50 Tour title.

“I had to concentrate on throwing the ball soft but not too soft,” Monacelli said of his first round, “I had to be careful not to muscle the ball down the lane because Iwouldn’t be able to get the ball reaction I wanted.

“It was important that I observed what the lanes were doing rather than trying to force the ball to do something that wouldn’t be successful,” the 20-time PBA Tour winner added.

The Venezuelan is coming off sixth and seventh place finishes in the last two PBA50 Tour tournaments and feels his game is where it needs to be to make a run at successfully defending his title.

“The last two tournaments I’ve only been a few good shots away from making the finals,” Monacelli said. “If I stay relaxed and continue to make a good read from the lanes it should be another good tournament for me.”

Rounding out the top five after the first round were four-time PBA Tour winner Dennis Horan, Oakley, Calif., 1,830; two-time PBA Tour winner Warren Nelson, Hemet, Calif., 1,821, and Skip Pavone, San Jose, Calif., 1,801.

The entire field returns for another eight-game qualifying round Tuesday which begins at 8 a.m. PT. Wednesday’s cashers and match play rounds will also begin at 8 a.m. After match play the top five players will be determined for the stepladder finals at 6:30 p.m.

Fans can catch all the PBA50 Northern California Open action on PBA’s online bowling channel Xtra Frame. Visit www.xtraframe.tv for subscription and schedule information.

PBA50 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CLASSIC

Presented by MOTIV

Harvest Park Bowl, Brentwood, Calif., Monday

FIRST ROUND (after eight games)

1, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 1,901.
2, ss-Hugh Miller, Mercer Island, Wash., 1,844.
3, Dennis Horan Jr., Oakley, Calif., 1,830.
4, ss-Warren Nelson, Hemet, Calif., 1,821.
5, ss-Skip Pavone, San Jose, Calif., 1,801.
6, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 1,779.
7, Andrew Warren, Austin, Tex., 1,753.
8, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 1,752.
9, James Hansen, Anchorage, Alaska, 1,732.
10, n-Scott Luba, Dublin, Calif., 1,730.
11, ss-Ron Mohr, Las Vegas, 1,724.
12, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 1,719.
13, ss-Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., 1,700.
14, n-David Bolles, Stockton, Calif., 1,697.
15, Rory Peterson, Sacramento, Calif., 1,692.
16, (tie) Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., and Tony Johnson, Canton, Ohio, 1,690.
18, (tie) Mark Mazzulla, Brentwood, Calif., and Greg McDaniel, Kimball, Neb., 1,681.
20, ss-Ray Valdovino, Sacramento, Calif., 1,672.
21, n,ss-Joe Salvemini, Yuba City, Calif., 1,668.
22, ss-Edward Silva, Manteca, Calif., 1,666.
23, Joseph Petrovich, Tracy, Calif, 1,664.
24, n-George Aboud, San Jose, Calif., 1,652.
25, (tie) Mark McCreary, Livermore, Calif., and ss-John Dudak, Orland Park, Ill., 1,643.
27, Todd Kjell, Roscoe, Ill., 1,639.
28, ss-Alan Sabin, Winston, Ore, 1,634.
29, ss-Mitchell Vernon, Olympia, Wash., 1,633.
30, Noel Vazquez, Sacramento, Calif., 1,629.
31, ss-Rodney Garrick, San Francisco, 1,625.
32, ss-Tom Carter, Columbus, Ohio, 1,618.
33, n-Joe Baca, Brentwood, Calif., 1,609.
34, Rob Rice, Sunnyside, Wash., 1,605.
35, Bob Learn Jr., Erie, Pa., 1,600.
36, ss-Paul Mielens, Menomonie, Wis., 1,599.
37, Don Herrington, Ballston Lake, N.Y., 1,597.
38, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 1,590.
39, n,ss-Michael Clark, Sacramento, Calif., 1,580.
40, ss-Kevin Foley, Reno, Nev., 1,578.
41, Marty Deh, San Jose, Calif., 1,577.
42, ss-Jim Gordin, Modesto, Calif., 1,575.
43, Craig Miller, Tracy, Calif., 1,574.
44, ss-Paul Herrera, San Jose, Calif., 1,570.
45, Keith Lesko, Prosper, Texas, 1,567.
46, Bob Newman, Pacifica, Calif., 1,566.
47, (tie) Doug Kempt, Arcadia, Calif., and n,ss-Dennis Jones, Fremont, Calif., 1,564.
49, Wayne Garber, Modesto, Calif., 1,563.
50, Mike Keough, Stockton, Calif., 1,560.
51, n-Steven Soto, Port Orchard, Wash., 1,557.
52, ss-Patrick King, Yankton, S.D., 1,556.
53, ss-Mike Dias, Lafayette, Colo., 1,550.
54, ss-Eddie Katz, Lakewood, Calif., 1,543.
55, ss-n-Paul Appling, Camarillo, Calif., 1,535.
56, ss-Henry Dawson, Elma, Wash., 1,534.
57, (tie) ss-James Storts, Westfield, Ind., and ss-Christopher Keane, Cape Coral, Fla., 1,533.
59, (tie) Sammy Ventura, Syracuse, N.Y., and ss-Stan Winters, Simi Valley, Calif., 1,527.
61, ss-n-Gip Lentine, Chino, Calif., 1,520.
62, ss-n-Phillip Spruill, San Francisco, 1,516.
63, ss-Don Blatchford, Santa Monica, Calif., 1,514.
64, ss-Ted Staikoff, Black Hawk, S.D., 1,511.
65, Warren Eales, Chandler, Ariz., 1,506.
66, n-Troy Silfies, Pine Grove, Calif., 1,504.
67, n,ss-Gary Talbert, Northridge, Calif., 1,494.
68, n-Warren King, San Jose, Calif., 1,484.
69, n-Mark Benavidez, No Highlands, Calif., 1,475.
70, ss-Duane Wilson, Brentwood, Calif., 1,472.
71, Ed Floyd, Santa Clara, Calif., 1,466.
72, ss-Steven Jansson, Barnes, Wis., 1,462.
73, n,ss-John Dorsett, Concord, Calif., 1,456.
74, ss-Don Lane, San Francisco, 1,453.
75, (tie) ss-Tim Pierce, Portland, Ore., and ss-Steve Ford, Seaside, Ore., 1,451.
77, ss-n-Richard Winther, Fairbanks, Alaska, 1,449.
78, Jim Horan, Mountain View, Calif., 1,438.
79, Joe Beck, Montgomery, Ala., 1,436.
80, Glenn Morgan, Carson City, Nev., 1,412.
81, ss-Jim Hageman, San Jose, Calif, 1,385.
82, ss-James Skaife, Antioch, Calif., 1,381.
83, ss-Steve Davis, Manteca, Calif., 1,355.
84, Daniel Knafo, Valencia, Calif., 1,339.
85, n-Dennis Blake, Torrance, Calif., 1,314.
86, ss-Galen Keas, Alda, Neb., 1,298.

n-non-member

ss-PBA60 players ages 60 and over

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