Neuer holds first-round lead at 2026 USBC Senior Masters
June 03, 2026
Andy Neuer of Milton, Pennsylvania, led Tuesday's opening-round of qualifying at the 2026 USBC Senior Masters, which is taking place at Sam's Town Bowling Center in Las Vegas. Neuer averaged 254.8 for his five games in Round 1, including a 300 in Game 4 and 299 during Game 5.
FULL RESULTS
LAS VEGAS – Andy Neuer of Milton, Pennsylvania, knows how to put up big games. After all, the 60-year-old left-hander has recorded more than 300 perfect games during United States Bowling Congress competition.
On Tuesday, Neuer nearly achieved perfection during back-to-back games, rolling 300 during Game 4 of C Squad qualifying and following it up with 299 in Game 5 to close out Day 1 of competition at the 2026 USBC Senior Masters, which is being contested at Sam’s Town Bowling Center in Las Vegas.
Before shooting 300 and 299, Neuer opened his set with scores of 203, 229 and 243, which allowed him to finish Round 1 with a five-game total of 1,274 (a 254.8 average). That was good enough to put Neuer in first place in the 306-player field after Day 1 of qualifying at this year’s tournament.
Joining Neuer in Tuesday’s opening-round top five were Parker Bohn III of Jackson, New Jersey (1,260); Michael Machuga of Erie, Pennsylvania (1,252); Steve Kloempken of Pleasant View, Utah (1,217); and Tom Hess of Granger, Iowa (1,212).
Terry Taylor of Bedford, Texas (1,159); Anthony Crews of Sebring, Florida (1,146), and C.K. Moore of Paris, Texas (1,133), finished Round 1 tied for 39th, 59th and 72nd place, respectively.
But despite finishing a bit further down the leaderboard, each member of the trio joined Neuer in recording perfect games during their opening qualifying blocks at Sam’s Town on Tuesday.
Defending champion Tom Daugherty of Riverview, Florida, finished the first round in 91st place with 1,117. He will try to improve his position during the final two days of qualifying, but even if Daugherty qualifies outside the top 63, he will still be seeded into the tournament’s match-play bracket as the No. 64 seed.
That would mean a first-round matchup against the qualifying leader, which, for now, is Neuer. But Neuer isn’t focusing on retaining the top seed; he’ll be happy as long as he has a spot in the bracket.
“This format is a little different because you just have to make the top 64; there’s no big advantage being first because pins don’t carry over,” Neuer said. “So, I’m just going to keep making one shot at a time and taking things as they come. Still, it’s nice to have some room to work with.”
Neuer appeared to have all the room he needed during the final two games of Tuesday’s opening round on the double-burn version of this year’s 45-foot Senior Masters oil pattern, striking on 23 of 24 deliveries.
Despite having achieved perfection hundreds of times during his stellar career, according to Neuer, shooting 300 never gets old.
“Every 300 is still very special, and this one was even more meaningful because of my daughter bowling 300 at the Queens,” said Neuer, referring to the perfect game his daughter Alexis Runk (née Neuer) authored during match play at the 2026 USBC Queens in Las Vegas on May 17. “For her to shoot one there and for me to put up 300 now at the Senior Masters, it’s extra nice.”
Neuer hopes to keep the nice feelings intact and the momentum building during the final two qualifying rounds, and he thinks wise equipment choices might play a role in that.
“I’ll probably adjust some surfaces,” Neuer said. “My son laid me out some balls for the next two squads, so hopefully they’ll fill the gaps that I need if I move forward.”
Neuer and the rest of this year’s field will bowl two more five-game qualifying blocks, one on Wednesday and the final one on Thursday. Then, the top 63 will join Daugherty in the tournament’s double-elimination bracket.
Bracket matches will be contested in a three-game total-pinfall format on Friday and Saturday until the field is cut to the top five for the live stepladder finals, which will take place on Sunday 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 tournament’s true double-elimination format. The winner of the 2026 USBC Senior Masters will take home a major championship on the PBA50 schedule and the first-place prize of $20,000.
CLICK HERE for scores and information about the 2026 USBC Senior Masters.
FULL RESULTS
LAS VEGAS – Andy Neuer of Milton, Pennsylvania, knows how to put up big games. After all, the 60-year-old left-hander has recorded more than 300 perfect games during United States Bowling Congress competition.
On Tuesday, Neuer nearly achieved perfection during back-to-back games, rolling 300 during Game 4 of C Squad qualifying and following it up with 299 in Game 5 to close out Day 1 of competition at the 2026 USBC Senior Masters, which is being contested at Sam’s Town Bowling Center in Las Vegas.
Before shooting 300 and 299, Neuer opened his set with scores of 203, 229 and 243, which allowed him to finish Round 1 with a five-game total of 1,274 (a 254.8 average). That was good enough to put Neuer in first place in the 306-player field after Day 1 of qualifying at this year’s tournament.
Joining Neuer in Tuesday’s opening-round top five were Parker Bohn III of Jackson, New Jersey (1,260); Michael Machuga of Erie, Pennsylvania (1,252); Steve Kloempken of Pleasant View, Utah (1,217); and Tom Hess of Granger, Iowa (1,212).
Terry Taylor of Bedford, Texas (1,159); Anthony Crews of Sebring, Florida (1,146), and C.K. Moore of Paris, Texas (1,133), finished Round 1 tied for 39th, 59th and 72nd place, respectively.
But despite finishing a bit further down the leaderboard, each member of the trio joined Neuer in recording perfect games during their opening qualifying blocks at Sam’s Town on Tuesday.
Defending champion Tom Daugherty of Riverview, Florida, finished the first round in 91st place with 1,117. He will try to improve his position during the final two days of qualifying, but even if Daugherty qualifies outside the top 63, he will still be seeded into the tournament’s match-play bracket as the No. 64 seed.
That would mean a first-round matchup against the qualifying leader, which, for now, is Neuer. But Neuer isn’t focusing on retaining the top seed; he’ll be happy as long as he has a spot in the bracket.
“This format is a little different because you just have to make the top 64; there’s no big advantage being first because pins don’t carry over,” Neuer said. “So, I’m just going to keep making one shot at a time and taking things as they come. Still, it’s nice to have some room to work with.”
Neuer appeared to have all the room he needed during the final two games of Tuesday’s opening round on the double-burn version of this year’s 45-foot Senior Masters oil pattern, striking on 23 of 24 deliveries.
Despite having achieved perfection hundreds of times during his stellar career, according to Neuer, shooting 300 never gets old.
“Every 300 is still very special, and this one was even more meaningful because of my daughter bowling 300 at the Queens,” said Neuer, referring to the perfect game his daughter Alexis Runk (née Neuer) authored during match play at the 2026 USBC Queens in Las Vegas on May 17. “For her to shoot one there and for me to put up 300 now at the Senior Masters, it’s extra nice.”
Neuer hopes to keep the nice feelings intact and the momentum building during the final two qualifying rounds, and he thinks wise equipment choices might play a role in that.
“I’ll probably adjust some surfaces,” Neuer said. “My son laid me out some balls for the next two squads, so hopefully they’ll fill the gaps that I need if I move forward.”
Neuer and the rest of this year’s field will bowl two more five-game qualifying blocks, one on Wednesday and the final one on Thursday. Then, the top 63 will join Daugherty in the tournament’s double-elimination bracket.
Bracket matches will be contested in a three-game total-pinfall format on Friday and Saturday until the field is cut to the top five for the live stepladder finals, which will take place on Sunday 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 tournament’s true double-elimination format. The winner of the 2026 USBC Senior Masters will take home a major championship on the PBA50 schedule and the first-place prize of $20,000.
CLICK HERE for scores and information about the 2026 USBC Senior Masters.