Mitch Beasley Leads Day One at 2024 PBA50 Tournament of Champions
Fairlawn, Ohio – The number seven was revolving around Mitch Beasley Monday during the first day of qualifying at the 2024 PBA50 Tournament of Champions. Inside the historic AMF Riviera Lanes Beasley finished his final three games with a 777 series after shooting games of 267, 264 and 246.
Seven years ago, in Shawnee, Okla., he led the first round of qualifying at the 52nd FireLake PBA Tournament of Champions. The year prior, he came up short of winning the Tournament of Champions after losing to 20-year-old Jesper Svensson, 226-177 in the championship match.
Injuries over recent years have limited Beasley's time on the lanes. Dealing with back procedures and neck fusions left him wondering at times if he would ever be healthy enough again to throw it well and compete for titles.
“My neck had been bad for about 15 years before I had surgery on it. It kept getting worse and started cutting all the nerves off to my left side. I lost most of the feeling in it,” he recalled. “I had to have surgery, or I was going to lose my left arm. Right now, it is such a relief to feel normal.”
He feels better than he has in the past five to six years. That showed as the Tennessee native averaged 234.25 over eight games on the 40-foot Don Johnson oil pattern.
“It has been a long time since I struck that much, so it was very enjoyable,” the 55-year-old said. “It is a relief to see the pins falling like they used to again. It has been very frustrating to not throw the ball like I want to, so now it is great to feel normal again and not being in constant pain.”
“I used to watch the Tournament of Champions when I was in the Air Force. It is very nice to come in and know all of the history that is here from the different years. It is special to lead in a special place like this.”
Beasley holds a 62-pin lead over Mika Koivuniemi. They are followed by Tom Adcock, Tom Hess and Walter Ray Williams Jr., rounding out the top five.
The 66-player field will bowl eight final games of qualifying starting at 10 a.m. Eastern on Tuesday.
The top 32 bowlers will move into the Advancers Round on Wednesday as all pins carry over.
After the first round, the cutline is Jeff Johnson at +11.
Watch the final day of qualifying on BowlTV.
Top 10 PBA50 Tournament of Champions standings:
- Mitch Beasley, 1,874 (+274)
- Mika Koivuniemi, 1,812 (+212)
- Tom Adcock, 1,795 (+195)
- Tom Hess, 1,778 (+178)
- Walter Ray Williams Jr., 1,776 (+176)
- Pete McCordic, 1,752 (+152)
- Jon Rakoski, 1,751 (+151)
- Andrew Neuer, 1,748 (+148)
- Bill Rowe, 1,745 (+145)
- Allan Pomatto, 1,744 (+144)