By BILL SNIER
FAIRLAWN — For Mitch Beasley, “just to feel normal feels great.”
The 55-year-old Clarksville, Tenn., right-hander, who owns one career PBA title and 24 regional crowns, had the right game plan and the right equipment during the opening eight-game qualifying round of the PBA50 Tournament of Champions.
Beasley, who has battled neck and back problems that go back nearly 15 years, finished with 1,874 total pinfall (234.25 average) to take a 62-pin lead Monday at AMF Riviera Lanes — the first time the senior version of the TOC has been held at the historic center.
“I had a pretty good game plan and a pretty good idea of how they were going to break down,” said Beasley, whose lone PBA title came in the 2016 Chameleon Championship. “I drilled a few balls the last couple of weeks to give me more options on different patterns.
“The ones I drilled up matched up beautifully … they didn’t overhook or overskid. And I was able to save two games when I needed to. Once I got a feel for things, I had a really good read and could see the ball motion really well and made some good choices.”
Mika Koivuniemi, a 57-year-old right-hander and native of Finland now living in Traverse City, Mich., stands second with 1,812, followed by super senior Tom Adcock (1,795) and new PBA Hall of Famer Tom Hess (1,778). Walter Ray Williams Jr., the PBA’s all-time titles winner (47), sits fifth (1,776).
After battling neck problems for years, Beasley faced a decision after putting off surgery.
“The doctors told me it was either fuse it or lose it,” Beasley said, eventually having his first surgery in May 2022. “I had three discs fused in my neck.”
He still has a lack of feeling in his left arm and bicep. After the original surgery, he missed nearly a year of bowling. But trying to come back, he also caused some back problems that eventually will lead to more surgery to repairs discs “about five or six years down the line.”
“When you hurt so bad for so long, just feeling normal is great,” said Beasley, who had one of the surgeries down just two weeks prior to the start of the PBA50 Tour in May.. “It has taken awhile for the bowling to come back as I get healthier. But you do a lot of bad things when you’re hurt, and I’ve slowly been working out my bad habits on Tour.”
Beasley, who has bowled in 13 events this season and ranks 30th on the PBA50 points list, used a Reality, IQ78, Absolute Power and DNA Coil throughout the day.
“The lanes were different at the high end .. the oil pushed a little quicker,” Beasley said. “I’m probably going to bring in a couple of more balls to have more options in Game 2 through 4 tomorrow. I want to have more options for later in the day depending on how others are playing the lanes.”
CHASING BEASLEY
Koivuniemi said the shot was “very close to what I saw in practice” Sunday.
“It’s not easy out there. It seems easy for a few frames, but there’s a transition happening all the time,” the bowler, nicknamed “Major Mika” due to his performances in major tournaments, said. “You couldn’t afford even small mistakes. But it was the same for everyone.
“It’s challenging and you have to make good shots. But that’s the way I like it.”
Koivuniemi, who had just two games under 200, said the key is to keep bowling to his level — which he has done the past several weeks on the PBA50 Tour.
“The last few weeks, I’m bowling like I used to,” Koivuniemi said. “I think that will be good enough to make the cut.”
Williams, a 64-year-old Oxford, Fla., right-hander, has used a two-handed delivery in the past. He did it again Monday after the fourth frame of Game 7.
“The lanes started breaking down a little bit and it looked like the guys who were hooking the ball were getting a good reaction,” Williams said. “I threw a couple of shots that went to the pocket and I threw a couple that didn’t. So I thought I would give it a try.”
It worked for 225 in Game 7, but it got tougher in Game 8.
“Game 8 I was pretty fortunate,” Williams said. “I threw a bunch of bad shots and I was fortunate to get to 190 (196).
“When I wasn’t throwing it where I needed to be, it wasn’t good. That’s why I went to two-handed.”
CSUHTA IN RUNNING DESPITE PAIN
The top area player in the field is 68-year-old Wadsworth right-hander Dale Csuhta, who stands 16th with 1,694 after getting as high as ninth.
And it comes despite battling left-knee pain.
“I’ve had a torn meniscus for about 20 years. I called the doctor and he gave me some pills and for about two weeks it felt great,” Csuhta said. “(Sunday) I got up hurting and then after we practiced, it hurt real bad. I didn’t know if I could even bowl today.”
But after taking a few ibuprofen, he gave it a try with the help of a knee brace and was able to survive the round.
“Right now, it feels like someone stabbed me with a knife,” Csuhta said. “But it wasn’t too bad when I was (bowling). A couple of times it gave out on me, but it hurts more when I’m just standing.”
Armed with more ibuprofen, Csuhta plans to return for Day 2 of qualifying Tuesday.
“I’ll come in with the same game plan, but I might try a couple of different balls in practice to see the reaction,” Csuhta said. “When I got it right it didn’t want to hook, but when I got it left it hooked.
“I tried to go with more of a stronger ball and play straighter with more speed to keep it in play. It worked well for three or four games. But once they started hooking, I had to migrate in and not get it too wide. I tend to lose my carry sometimes when I begin fishing around.”
BACK AT RIVIERA
Williams doesn’t even remember how Riviera used to be before the center went to synthetic lanes after the TOC’s first run ended in 1994.
“I know I had two good tournaments here, but it is what it is,” said Williams, with winning the TOC being the only major PBA event missing from his résume. “Today, my ball reaction wasn’t bad, and hopefully I can have more of that.”
Koivuniemi likes the updates to the center and seeing the PBA TOC banners inside Riviera.
“No matter how many changes they make, they’re not going to change the history of this place,” Koivuniemi said. “It’s a special place to bowl.”
Csuhta bowls league at Riviera and calls his experience “fun.”
“This is the Tournament of Champions and you have to be a champion to bowl this,” Csuhta said. “I didn’t know how I was going to do. You just never know if the knee goes.”
Beasley, while he was learning to bowl while serving in the U.S. Air Force, watched the TOC on television as a spectator.
“This place,” Beasley said, “is just special.”
NOTEBOOK
WEBER AMONG MISSING: While several former TOC champions chose not to bowl the PBA50 version of the event, among the missing is Hall of Famer and crowd favorite Pete Weber. An incident between Weber and another player occurred during the PBA50 Petraglia Championship. When PBA50 Tournament Director Toby Contreras confronted Weber about the incidents, Weber told him he was quitting and withdrew from the event. Contreras said Monday that he thought Weber would return, for the is event, but he was informed by Weber that he was done for the season. Contreras was unclear as to whether the PBA would have anything else to say on the incident. Weber was the most recent member of the PBA 50 Tour to win the regular TOC, taking the title in 2013. Koivuniemi won in 2011.
NOTEBOOK: Left-hander Jason Couch, who owns three TOC titles, is 35h after the opening round in the 65-player field. After a slow start, he shot 692 over his final three games to move up. … Andrew Neuer is the lone left-hander among the top 32 players after Round 1 on the Don Johnson 40 oil pattern. … Among other area players, former Canton resident Tony Johnson sits 36th (1,604), with Jeff Johnson holding down the final cut spot at 1,611. Ashtabula’s Dave Johnson is 43rd along with Streetsboro’s John Kertis at 1,579. … Players will bowl eight more qualifying games Tuesday before the field is cut to the top 32 for Wednesday’s advancers’ round. Admission is free for Tuesday’s qualifying round, starting at 10 a.m., and the advancers’ round Wednesday. Admission will be $10 for match play and Thursday’s action. … High game of the day came from Allan Pomatto, who shot 296 in Game 6. … Brian Nicodemus withdrew late Sunday to produce the 65-player field, which includes only champions from the regular PBA, PBA50 and regional tours. .. John Janawicz, the PBA50 Rookie of the Year and favorite for Player of the Year with five wins this season, is 39th with 1,588.