Brian LeClair snags early lead at 2024 USBC Senior Masters
June 05, 2024
FULL STANDINGS
LAS VEGAS – Brian LeClair of Delmar, New York, averaged 257 for his opening round of qualifying on Tuesday and has the lead after the first day of competition at the 2024 United States Bowling Congress Senior Masters.
LeClair, a 59-year-old right-hander, never shot a game below 247 in his five-game qualifying block, posting games of 248, 276, 247, 248 and 269 at Sam’s Town Bowling Center. His closing 269 game allowed him to overtake Jason Couch of Clermont, Florida, by 29 pins in the first major championship of the 2024 Professional Bowlers Association50 season.
LeClair, who owns five PBA50 Tour titles, but none since 2019, had some confidence as he started on the “double burn” associated with C squad.
“I’ve always bowled good here, especially at the Senior Masters and especially on the double burn,” LeClair said. “The lanes, the way they are done for the Senior Masters, are way different from what we bowl on out on the PBA50 Tour. I’m very comfortable bowling in this tournament with the way the ratio of oil is from front to back. I can use my roll, which is a heavy roll, to my advantage. It just put me in a good place mentally coming in.”
Couch, a USBC and PBA Hall of Famer who owns four major titles on the PBA Tour, is seeking his first major win in PBA50 competition. He checks in with a total pinfall of 1,258, 13 pins ahead of fellow PBA Tour titlist Andres Gomez of Davie, Florida. Gomez had games of 268, 268 and 269 as part of his five-game total of 1,245.
Holding down the fourth spot is Jon Rakowski of Estero, Florida. Rakowski, who won his first PBA50 title last year, led A squad with a total pinfall of 1,235. His best game of the block was an opening 279 effort.
Rounding out the top five is Brian Dennis of Creedmoor, North Carolina, at 1,226. Dennis finished the round with a 267 game that was his best of the block.
LeClair came into this event feeling fresh both mentally and physically.
“I haven’t been bowling much,” LeClair said. “Yesterday was the first time I picked up a ball since I left the PBA50 event in Fort Myers (event ended May 15). Sometimes it’s just the case where all the thoughts you have in your mind just go away and you start fresh, and I think that was good for me.”
LeClair, who finished fifth in this event last year, is pleased with the way things have started, but also understands that it’s still early.
“With this format the only thing you can do is shoot yourself out of the tournament the first day,” LeClair said. “You’re not coming close to winning this tournament on the first day. It only helps you make the top 64, where I’ll have to figure out a way to have a good look on the fresh. The double burn doesn’t matter then.”
All 312 competitors at the 2024 USBC Senior Masters will bowl three five-game blocks over three days, and the top 63 will join defending champion John Janawicz of Winter Haven, Florida, in the tournament’s double-elimination bracket after 15 games.
Janawicz is currently tied for 51st and is guaranteed a spot in the bracket as the defending champion. He can improve his seeding through qualifying, but if he qualifies outside of the top 63, he will enter the bracket as the No. 64 seed.
Bracket matches will be contested in a three-game total-pinfall format, until the field is cut to the top five for the live stepladder finals Sunday, June 9, at 1 p.m. Eastern on BowlTV.
Since the stepladder will be broadcast on BowlTV, the top seed will have to be defeated twice in the true double-elimination format. The winner of the 2024 USBC Senior Masters will take home a major championship on the PBA50 schedule and the first-place prize of $20,000.
For scores and information about the 2024 USBC Senior Masters, visit BOWL.com/SeniorMasters.
LAS VEGAS – Brian LeClair of Delmar, New York, averaged 257 for his opening round of qualifying on Tuesday and has the lead after the first day of competition at the 2024 United States Bowling Congress Senior Masters.
LeClair, a 59-year-old right-hander, never shot a game below 247 in his five-game qualifying block, posting games of 248, 276, 247, 248 and 269 at Sam’s Town Bowling Center. His closing 269 game allowed him to overtake Jason Couch of Clermont, Florida, by 29 pins in the first major championship of the 2024 Professional Bowlers Association50 season.
LeClair, who owns five PBA50 Tour titles, but none since 2019, had some confidence as he started on the “double burn” associated with C squad.
“I’ve always bowled good here, especially at the Senior Masters and especially on the double burn,” LeClair said. “The lanes, the way they are done for the Senior Masters, are way different from what we bowl on out on the PBA50 Tour. I’m very comfortable bowling in this tournament with the way the ratio of oil is from front to back. I can use my roll, which is a heavy roll, to my advantage. It just put me in a good place mentally coming in.”
Couch, a USBC and PBA Hall of Famer who owns four major titles on the PBA Tour, is seeking his first major win in PBA50 competition. He checks in with a total pinfall of 1,258, 13 pins ahead of fellow PBA Tour titlist Andres Gomez of Davie, Florida. Gomez had games of 268, 268 and 269 as part of his five-game total of 1,245.
Holding down the fourth spot is Jon Rakowski of Estero, Florida. Rakowski, who won his first PBA50 title last year, led A squad with a total pinfall of 1,235. His best game of the block was an opening 279 effort.
Rounding out the top five is Brian Dennis of Creedmoor, North Carolina, at 1,226. Dennis finished the round with a 267 game that was his best of the block.
LeClair came into this event feeling fresh both mentally and physically.
“I haven’t been bowling much,” LeClair said. “Yesterday was the first time I picked up a ball since I left the PBA50 event in Fort Myers (event ended May 15). Sometimes it’s just the case where all the thoughts you have in your mind just go away and you start fresh, and I think that was good for me.”
LeClair, who finished fifth in this event last year, is pleased with the way things have started, but also understands that it’s still early.
“With this format the only thing you can do is shoot yourself out of the tournament the first day,” LeClair said. “You’re not coming close to winning this tournament on the first day. It only helps you make the top 64, where I’ll have to figure out a way to have a good look on the fresh. The double burn doesn’t matter then.”
All 312 competitors at the 2024 USBC Senior Masters will bowl three five-game blocks over three days, and the top 63 will join defending champion John Janawicz of Winter Haven, Florida, in the tournament’s double-elimination bracket after 15 games.
Janawicz is currently tied for 51st and is guaranteed a spot in the bracket as the defending champion. He can improve his seeding through qualifying, but if he qualifies outside of the top 63, he will enter the bracket as the No. 64 seed.
Bracket matches will be contested in a three-game total-pinfall format, until the field is cut to the top five for the live stepladder finals Sunday, June 9, at 1 p.m. Eastern on BowlTV.
Since the stepladder will be broadcast on BowlTV, the top seed will have to be defeated twice in the true double-elimination format. The winner of the 2024 USBC Senior Masters will take home a major championship on the PBA50 schedule and the first-place prize of $20,000.
For scores and information about the 2024 USBC Senior Masters, visit BOWL.com/SeniorMasters.