Sylvia was nearly perfect in defeating Kerry Painter of Henderson, Nev., 289-187, in the semifinal round while Muller eliminated Ross Packard of San Jose, Calif., 235-201.

In other featured matches, Ron Garr of Ridgedale, Mo., dispatched top qualifier Ron Mohr of Eagle River, Alaska, 3-0, in their best-of-five-game Round of 16 match. Sam Ventura of Syracuse, N.Y., spoiled Walter Ray Williams Jr.’s Senior Tour return to the Northern California area where he spent most of his earlier career, 3-2, in the Round of 24. Ventura’s 247-245 decision in their fifth game ended Williams’ hopes. Painted ended Dale Traber’s bid to defend his title in the Round of 24, 3-2.

The PBA Senior Tour now heads to Las Vegas, Nev., for back-to-back major championships. Wayne Webb of Columbus, Ohio, will try for his third consecutive Senior U.S. Open title June 6-11 at Suncoast Bowling Center on the north side of Las Vegas. The following week, Dale Traber of Cedarburg, Wis., will try to defend his USBC Senior Masters title across town at South Point Bowling Center, June 13-18.

The Senior Tour will then go on hiatus until late summer when it returns to the Midwest to wrap up its year with the Senior Lake County Indiana Open at Olympia Lanes in Hammond, Ind., Aug. 9-12; the Senior Decatur Open at Spare Time Lanes in Decatur, Ill., Aug. 14-17, and the Senior Jackson Open at Airport Lanes in Jackson, Mich., Aug. 21-24.

PBA SENIOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CLASSIC
Harvest Park Bowl, Brentwood, Calif., June 1

Championship match
Don Sylvia, Reno, Nev. ($8,000) def. J.P. Muller, Gervais, Ore. ($4,500), 209-173.

Semifinal Round (losers earn $3,000)
Sylvia def. Kerry Painter, Henderson, Nev., 289-187.
Muller def. Ross Packard, San Jose, Calif., 235-201.

Round of 8 (best-of-three games, losers eliminated, $1,700 each)
Syvia def. Ron Garr, Ridgedale, Mo., 2-0.
Painter def. Bob Chamberlain, The Villages, Fla., 2-1.
Packard def. Paul Danforth, Laguna Hills, Calif., 2-0.
Muller def. Ernie Schlegel, Vancouver, Wash., 2-0.