COLUMBUS, Ohio - Defending champion Wayne Webb of Grove City, Ohio, is one of four players still unbeaten after the first day of double-elimination match-play bracket competition at the 2011 United States Bowling Congress Senior Masters.

Webb won four matches Thursday and needs to win three more to successfully defend the title he won last year in Las Vegas. This year's event is being held in a bowling center named after him - Wayne Webb's Columbus Bowl.

The USBC Hall of Famer survived a scare in his final match of the night, falling behind by 36 pins in the three games, total pins match against Charlie Tomey of Spartanburg, S.C., before rallying down the stretch to take a 636-632 victory.

"Today's my birthday and I didn't lose a match - that's pretty incredible," said Webb, a 20-time winner on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour who turned 54 on Thursday. "I thought Tomey had me. I had nothing out there and he had a little bit of a look, but I figured out a way to strike enough to beat him."

Also unbeaten Thursday was USBC Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, Fla., Dale Traber of Cedarburg, Wis., and Chris Fedden of Albany, N.Y.

The winners bracket resumes play at Noon Eastern on Friday with Webb taking on Williams in a re-match of last year's championship match. Fedden will take on Traber for the right to stay in the winners bracket.

A total of 12 other players are still alive in the losers bracket with hopes of winning the title but face a long road to get to the championship match, scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. Eastern on Friday live on BOWL.com.

The winner of this year's Senior Masters will earn $14,000 and the total prize pool is more than $110,000.

2011 USBC SENIOR MASTERS
At Wayne Webb's Columbus Bowl, Columbus, Ohio Thursday's results

MATCH PLAY
Double elimination, three-game matches decided by total pinfall (Name/hometown followed by three-game pinfall total)

OPENING MATCH PLAY ROUND
(Winners remain in winners bracket. Losers move to losers bracket)

(1) Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., def. (64) Robert Michaux, Detroit, 553-522
(33) Dale Csuhta, Wadsworth, Ohio, def. (32) Mikie Lucente, Warren, Mich., 627-626
(17) Dale Traber, Cedarburg, Wis., def. (48) Ray Johnson, Battle Creek, Mich., 610-535
(49) Keith Sharp, Orlando, Fla., def. (16) Gary Skidmore, Albuquerque, N.M., 661-583
(56) Don Sylvia, Reno, Nev., def. (9) Charles Vashaw, Deephaven, Minn., 579-564
(24) Shannon Starnes, Fort Worth, Texas, def. (41) Larry Popp, Marion, Ohio, 552-476
(40) Ron Garr, Ridgedale, Mo., def. (25) Randy Peterson, Carrington, N.D., 571-533
(57) Kent Wagner, Bradenton, Fla., def. (8) Rick Vittone, Canada, 660-484
(5) Kenny Parks, Hammond, Ind., def. (60) Ron Profitt, Brookville, Ohio, 620-536
(37) Marty Berke, Allentown, Pa., def. (28) Steve Jakubowski, Temperance, Mich., 644-643
(44) John Chapman, Canada, def. (21) Timothy Kauble, Marion, Ohio, 577-512
(53) Chris Fedden, Albany, N.Y., def. (12) Ron Boroff, Mansfield, Texas, 607-581
(13) Bruce Heim, Marietta, Ga., def. (52) George Lord, Mulberry, Fla., 606-536
(20) Bill Henson, Westerville, Ohio, def. (45) Ernie Segura Jr., Taylor, Mich., 669-594
(29) Richard Casey, Roanoke, Va., def. (36) Patric Donaghue, Honeoye Falls, N.Y., 671-618
(61) Brad Snell, Mount Prospect, Ill., def. (4) Dale Eagle, Tavares, Fla., 584-582
(62) Peter Thomas, Oklahoma City, def. (3) Tom Baker, King, N.C., 720-623
(35) Roy Buckley, Westerville, Ohio, def. (30) Tim Pierce, Portland, Ore., 565-495
(19) Charlie Tomey, Spartanburg, S.C., def. (46) Robert Rudnick, Lancaster, N.Y., 600-544
(51) Donald Griffin, St. Louis, def. (14) Dave Patchen, Oregon, Ohio, 612-503
(54) Don Blatchford, Santa Monica, Calif., def. (11) Mike Dias, Lafayette, Colo., 693-610
(43) Ricky Beck, Box Elder, S.D., def. (22) Dave Soutar, Bradenton, Fla., 599-586
(27) Terry Metzner, Kentwood, Mich., def. (38) John Shreve Sr., Sheffield Village, Ohio, 508-492
(6) Wayne Webb, Grove City, Ohio, def. (59) Tom Carter, Rockford, Ill., 618-514
(7) Steve Ferraro, Kingston, N.Y., def. (58) Bobby Johnson, Chillicothe, Ohio, 636-577
(26) Al Rezendes, Aurora, Colo., def. (39) Michael Tryniski, Fulton, N.Y., 619-587
(42) Jeff Garrison, Hawthorne, Calif., def. (23) Pete McCordic, Katy, Texas, 678-616
(55) Mike Henry, Brunswick, Ohio, def. (10) Sam Maccarone, Sewell, N.J., 648-570
(15) Rick Pollard, Versailles, Ind., def. (50) Henry Gonzalez, Colorado Springs, Colo., 642-537
(18) Peter Knopp, Germany, def. (47) Dick Selgo, Archbold, Ohio, 636-593
(31) Marc Lineberry, Camanche, Iowa, def. (34) Rick Lawrence, Waxahachie, Texas, 652-587
(2) Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., def. (63) Bill McCorkle, Westerville, Ohio, 783-632

ROUND 1 WINNERS BRACKET

Croucher def. Csuhta, 603-556
Traber def. Sharp, 640-611
Sylvia def. Starnes, 616-552
Garr def. Wagner, 574-566
Berke def. Parks, 570-562
Fedden def. Chapman, 612-587
Henson def. Heim, 651-622
Snell def. Casey, 652-576
Thomas def. Buckley, 644-619
Tomey def. Griffin, 654-629
Beck def. Blatchford, 590-555
Webb def. Metzner, 677-603
Ferraro def. Rezendes, 630-560
Henry def. Garrison, 616-615
Knopp def. Pollard, 609-537
Williams def. Lineberry, 624-567

ROUND 1 LOSERS BRACKET

(Losers eliminated, earn $950)
Michaux def. Lucente, 616-566
Peterson def. Vittone, 668-561
Skidmore def. R. Johnson, 565-543
Vashaw def. Popp, 530-512
Profitt def. Jakubowski, 655-565
Donaghue def. Eagle, 589-561
Kauble def. Boroff, 684-614
Lord def. Segura Jr., 576-555
Pierce def. Baker, 539-538
Carter def. Shreve, 609-599
Rudnick def. Patchen, 600-562
Dias def. Soutar, 571-549
B. Johnson def. Tryniski, 644-492
Lawrence def. McCorkle, 650-608
McCordic def. Maccarone, 603-553
Gonzalez def. Selgo, 631-559

ROUND 2 LOSERS BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $1,000)

Michaux def. Griffin, 639-561
Peterson def. Blatchford, 690-649
Skidmore def. Buckley, 624-586
Vashaw def. Metzner, 659-635
Profitt def. Garrison, 679-630
Pollard def. Donaghue, 697-673
Kauble def. Rezendes, 600-575
Lord def. Lineberry, 594-520
Sharp def. Pierce, 600-525
Carter def. Starnes, 182-161 (after a 604 tie)
Csuhta def. Rudnick, 684-493
Wagner def. Dias, 604-588
Chapman def. B. Johnson, 633-590
Lawrence def. Heim, 573-549
Parks def. McCordic, 715-696
Casey def. Gonzalez, 601-548

ROUND 2 WINNERS BRACKET

Traber def. Croucher, 642-599
Garr def. Sylvia, 582-455
Fedden def. Berke, 605-574
Snell def. Henson, 589-574
Tomey def. Thomas, 593-569
Webb def. Beck, 699-504
Ferraro def. Henry, 629-567
Williams def. Knopp, 673-592

ROUND 3 LOSERS BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $1,100)

Michaux def. Peterson, 600-592
Vashaw def. Skidmore, 575-523
Pollard def. Profitt, 632-605
Lord def. Kauble, 588-573
Sharp def. Carter, 659-529
Wagner def. Csuhta, 687-638
Chapman def. Lawrence, 653-634
Parks def. Casey, 668-613

ROUND 4 LOSERS BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $1,250)

Berke def. Michaux, 595-584
Henson def. Vashaw, 674-585
Croucher def. Pollard, 558-546
Sylvia def. Lord, 588-562
Sharp def. Knopp, 596-554
Henry def. Wagner, 744-701
Beck def. Chapman, 639-516
Thomas def. Parks, 655-567

ROUND 3 WINNERS BRACKET

Traber def. Garr, 692-690
Fedden def. Snell, 606-599
Webb def. Tomey, 636-602
Williams def. Ferraro, 683-650