Courtesy of Bill Vint at PBA.com

NORTH BRUNSWICK, N.J. – For the second time this season four former SVSU bowlers sit inside the top-20 of a Professional Bowlers of America (PBA) Major tournament after the conclusion of the first day.

Amateur Fero Williams of Fairfield, Ohio, stumbled briefly, but maintained the composure of a veteran Wednesday to retain the second round lead in the 68th Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open at Brunswick Zone-Carolier by 83 pins over Canadian citizen Dan MacLelland of Saginaw, Mich.

The 30-year-old Williams, bowling in his sixth U.S. Open, survived a 141 game that helped drop his 12-game average by 20 pins to 228.41, but he still finished with a 2,741 pinfall total to fend off MacLelland's charge out of 25th place. Williams and MacLelland, a college student at Saginaw Valley State University where he starred as a collegiate bowler, are both trying for their first Professional Bowlers Association titles.

Three pins behind MacLelland was 33-time PBA Tour winner Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla. Duke, who won the 2008 U.S. Open at Carolier, entered Wednesday's second round in 22nd place. Duke had 2,655 pins while Martin Larsen of Sweden was fourth at 2,622 and defending U.S. Open champion Bill O'Neill of Southampton, Pa., rounded out the top five with a 2,619 total.

“I had a bad game, but it was more because I was lost on that pair of lanes,” Williams said. “I just took what I could and moved on.

“The lanes played real tight today. I had keep my arm swing tight and be very close to my target to make things happen. If I got just a little fast, I could tell. The ball rolled past break point and couldn't get back to the pocket.

“But I feel great where I'm at,” he continued. “I went plus 50 today (50 pins over a 200 average), and I probably should have been higher, but I threw the ball good. I have a good idea of what the lanes are going to give me tomorrow, so I'll be ready.”

Williams, a former Team USA member, is bowling in his sixth U.S. Open, but has yet to qualify among the top 24 for match play. Past experience, he said, has taught him to not look too far ahead.

“My goal is just throw it good, take my time, be patient,” he said. “I'm going to throw every shot like it was my last. I'm not even looking ahead to match play. I just want to stay even or go plus (over a 200 average) every squad.

“If I make it, I make it,” he added. “If not, I'm learning a lot. I learn a lot every time I bowl this tournament. You won't learn much when you're bowing good; you learn when you're bowling bad.”

The entire 383-player field will bowl its final six-game qualifying round Thursday to determine the top 95 players who will advance to the eight-game cashers' round Friday morning. After a total of 26 games, the top 24 will advance to the round-robin match play finals, bowling three more eight-game rounds Friday night, Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon.

The top six after 50 games will advance to the stepladder finals which will begin with two games live on ESPN2 Saturday at 10 p.m. Eastern. Saturday's winner will then join the top three finalists for Sunday's championship round at 3 p.m. Eastern on ESPN. First prize in the event is $80,000.

During U.S. Open week, pba.com's Xtra Frame video streaming service will provide more than 70 hours of live coverage of qualifying and match play rounds. To subscribe to Xtra Frame, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame logo.

68TH LUMBER LIQUIDATORS U.S. OPEN 
Brunswick Zone-Carolier, North Brunswick, N.J., Wednesday

SECOND ROUND (after 12 games) 
1, Fero Williams, Fairfield, Ohio, 2,741. 
2, Dan MacLelland, Saginaw, Mich., 2,658. 
3, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 2,655. 
4, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 2,622. 
5, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 2,619. 
6, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 2,609. 
7, Manuel Otalora, Colombia, 2,605. 
8, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 2,604. 
9, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 2,602. 
10, (tie) Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, and John Furey, East Windsor, N.J., 2,600. 
12, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 2,597. 
13, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 2,589. 
14, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 2,588. 
15, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 2,586. 
16, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 2,583. 
17, Juhani Tonteri, Finland, 2,575. 
18, Scott Norton, Costa Mesa, Calif., 2,574. 
19, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 2,572. 
20, Matthew O'Grady, South Amboy, N.J., 2,571. 
21, Tim Mack, Indianapolis, 2,566. 
22, (tie) Stuart Williams, England, and Tom Carter, Rockford, Ill., 2,562. 
24, Blaine Weninger, Grapevine, Texas, 2,560. 
25, Tommy Jones, Greenville, S.C., 2,559.