Chris Warren Wins Second USBC Senior Masters Title
Las Vegas, Nevada – Chris Warren’s trophy room is full, but his wife already has the perfect spot for the 2026 USBC Senior Masters trophy he won on Sunday. It will go next to his 1990 ABC Masters trophy — his first major championship — and his 2018 USBC Senior Masters trophy.
“I tell people I am the luckiest man in the world. There is nobody luckier than me. It has always been that way my whole life,” Warren said. “I am lucky and fortunate that I get to do what I love to do and what I want to do. Most people don’t have that option.”
“This is a great accomplishment. It puts me with a few other gentlemen who have won the Senior Masters twice,” the 62-year-old added. “This was my third opportunity. I led in 2022, but Dino Castillo beat me twice.”
It was a successful annual trip for Warren, his brothers Butch and Michael, along with Warren’s son, Christopher, who helped his dad as a ball rep with his equipment choices.
“When you are surrounded by your family, you want to perform. It is always good to have a second set of eyes that know how you bowl. Christopher grew up his whole life watching me bowl and just like me watching him, I can tell him what is going on,” Warren said. “We plan this trip every year. Christopher just graduated from the University of North Texas, so this is his second year to be out here with us.”
“My wife, who supports me totally. My sisters, my brothers, without them, none of this is possible for me,” Warren added. “They have stood by me through good times, bad times and hopefully they have enjoyed the good times.”
The siblings bowling trip begins at the USBC Super Senior Classic and rolls into the Senior Masters. It’s something they look forward to. They sport the same jerseys each day which always represent their Japanese heritage. That included his jersey on Sunday featuring cherry blossoms, which are his mother’s favorite.
“They ask me about the Hall of Fame. You know that would be great for my family,” Warren said. “For my family, that would mean so much to them.”
During Warren’s practice shots prior to the championship match against Dan Knowlton, Warren tried to find a ball that mirrored what Knowlton and Amleto Monacelli had done on the lanes before him.
“If we were bowling on a fresh condition then I get to carve up whatever I want to carve up. But when we are not and they are throwing dull bowling balls that changes the condition. I am trying to find what angles are going to be beneficial,” Warren said. “The bowling ball I planned on using, that I had the most success with, didn’t roll properly and was going to leave me in a bad situation.”
Warren started the match with three straight 10-pins then made a ball change. With the right ball and execution, Warren was off and running. He struck in frames four through nine. Knowlton was in the pocket from the start. After a double, Knowlton picked up a 10-pin then threw five strikes in a row.
Stepping up in the ninth frame, Knowlton converted back-to-back single pin spares and struck on his final shot for 247. Needing a double and count for the win, Warren struck on his first shot. His next delivery crumbled the pocket with the 4-pin standing before it eventually fell down. Warren got eight on his last shot for 256. He collected the $20,000 first-place prize and another memorable trip with the guys.
“My wife really wants me to go bowl more. People ask me why I don’t bowl more; I make a good living in my pro shop helping other people. That is more important to me,” Warren said. “I love to bowl, don’t get me wrong, and I love competition. But I bowl for trophies.”
Warren also wanted to thank the junior bowlers at Sam’s Town and their coaches who served as ball caddies for the USBC Super Senior Classic and the USBC Senior Masters.
In the opening match, left-hander Kevin Jenkins made his first-ever PBA50 stepladder finals appearance. He began with a double before a 3-7 split for an open in the third frame. His opponent, two-time USBC Masters champion Amleto Monacelli struck and made a 7-pin before throwing eight straight strikes on the way to a 268 game. Jenkins followed his open with three strikes then picked up the 3-10 split. He went on to shoot 223.
Next up for Monacelli was another lefty in Brian Hoffman. Hoffman started with three strikes then back-to-back spares. Monacelli continued his striking ways. He used a different ball on each lane and delivered a perfect 300 game. On his final shot, he raised his arms straight up in the air to celebrate. Hoffman finished with seven straight strikes for 268.
In the semifinal match, Knowlton started with a spare and five straight strikes. Monacelli opened up with a split, picked up a spare and struck three times. After making a 7-pin in the sixth frame, Monacelli failed to convert the 3-10 split. Knowlton made the 2-8 then the 9-pin in frames seven and eight. Knowlton finished with three strikes and nine for 256. Monacelli ended his tournament with four strikes over the last three frames for 204.
“Give credit to Dan and Amleto, they bowled extremely well,” Warren said. “Everybody bowled extremely well. You knew it was going to take 250 to win today. We all knew.”
Next up for the PBA50 Tour is the Firelake Classic beginning June 12 in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
MATCH SCORES:
Match 1: Monacelli def. Jenkins 268-223
Match 2: Monacelli def. Hoffman 300-268
Match 3: Knowlton vs. Monacelli 256-204
Championship match: Warren def. Knowlton 256-247
FINAL STANDINGS:
- Chris Warren, $20,000
- Dan Knowlton, $12,000
- Amleto Monacelli, $9,000
- Brian Hoffman, $7,500
- Kevin Jenkins, $6,000
Complete results from the 2026 USBC Senior Masters are available here.