June 14, 2023 Nolan Hughes

The 2023 PBA50 Tour heads just north of the Mile High City for the second tournament and major of the season. The Senior U.S. Open begins on Thursday at Highland Park Lanes in Greeley, Colo.

Emotions may run high this week for defending champion Lennie Boresch Jr. The Wisconsin native captured his fifth career PBA50 title and second major at this event last season, which made him eligible for the PBA Hall of Fame.

Five months later, PBA Commissioner Tom Clark welcomed Boresch into the PBA’s royal family.

Boresch, who finished as the runner-up in the 2023 season-opening USBC Senior Masters, will begin his title defense on the 39-foot Aulby pattern on A-squad Thursday morning.

The 137-player field will bowl 18 games of qualifying between Thursday and Saturday. Pinfall will carry over as the top 24 players advance to round-robin match play.

Four six-game match play rounds on Sunday and Monday will determine the five finalists for the stepladder finals, beginning at 9 p.m. ET on Monday night.

As Tom Hess returns to northern Colorado, his confidence should be as high as the Rocky Mountain altitude.

Hess won the PBA50 Highland Park Lanes Open last season. He averaged 233 — five pins per game more than the next-best player — en route to winning his third career PBA50 title.

Runner-up Tom Adcock, Michael Haugen Jr., Chris Barnes and Carlos Denot also made the stepladder finals in Greeley last year.

All rounds of the Senior U.S. Open will be livestreamed on BowlTV. The champion will receive $15,000.

Players to Watch

A-squad: Brad Angelo, Mitch Beasley, Parker Bohn III, Lennie Boresch Jr., Dino Castillo, Jason Couch, Tom Hess

B-squad: Michael Haugen Jr., John Janawicz, Tish Johnson, Jack Jurek, Chris Warren, Pete Weber, Walter Ray Williams Jr.

C-squad: Tom Adcock, Chris Barnes, Bryan Goebel, Brian Kretzer, Brian LeClair, Troy Lint, Amletto Monacelli

The full roster is available here.

2023 Senior U.S. Open Schedule

Highland Park Lanes | Greeley, Colorado
All times listed in Eastern

Thursday, June 15
11 a.m. — A-squad qualifying (six games)
2:30 p.m. — B-squad qualifying (six games)
6 p.m. — C-squad qualifying (six games)

Friday, June 16
11 a.m. — B-squad qualifying (six games)
2:30 p.m. — C-squad qualifying (six games)
6 p.m. — A-squad qualifying (six games)

Saturday, June 17
11 a.m. — C-squad qualifying (six games)
2:30 p.m. — A-squad qualifying (six games)
6 p.m. — B-squad qualifying (six games)
Top 24 players advance; pinfall carries over

Sunday, June 18
Noon — Match play Round 1 (six games)
5 p.m. — Match play Round 2 (six games)

Monday, June 19
Noon — Match play Round 3 (six games)
5 p.m. — Match play Round 4 (six games)
Top five players advance to stepladder finals
9 p.m. — Stepladder finals

More information on the Senior U.S. Open is available here.