When you look at the PBA50 points list this season, you’ll notice a designation of "super senior" by Ron Mohr’s name. You’ll also notice he’s the only super senior anywhere near the top of the list.

Mohr, 62, has been a major force on the PBA50 Tour since joining in 2008. And even though he’s older than many of his counterparts on tour, Mohr is still among the best week in and week out—a trend he will look to continue at the PBA50 River City Extreme Open presented by Ebonite starting Wednesday.

He’s won 10 PBA50 titles and, earlier this year, was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame based on his success on the senior tour. So far this year, Mohr has cashed in every event he has competed in and defeated Walter Ray Williams Jr., 237-218, to win the PBA50 Northern California Classic presented by MOTIV in May.

When asked what his expectations were heading into this year, Mohr said they were modest. At his age, he felt like his game may be beginning to fade. In reality, it has been the complete opposite.

Mohr is known for his tremendous dedication to physical fitness, which he credits in helping him be able to compete at such a high level into his early 60s.

“Starting the season this year, I wasn’t really sure how competitive I was going to be although I was thankful for the PBA Hall of Fame induction,” Mohr said. “As a super senior being near the top of points as we speak, it would be pretty difficult for me to have asked for or expect anything more than that with a win to boot.”

Another change that has come with age that has positively impacted Mohr’s game is slightly decreased ball speed.

“My challenge has always been that my ball speed is too great for my natural rev rate,” Mohr said. “I think a couple of more years in, I’ve naturally slowed down a little bit or figured that out.”

A career man, Mohr’s road to bowling greatness has not been typical. Although he started bowling as a child in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and continued to bowl when he moved to Anchorage, Alaska, at age 23, he never thought he was good enough to take on the best even though he earned a spot on Team USA in 1988 at age 32.

“In all honesty, I didn’t feel like I could compete with Marshall (Holman), Earl (Anthony), Mark (Roth) and the guys who were out there at the time,” Mohr said. “I was pretty sure I was a big fish in a small pond in Alaska and had some success with Team USA, but the real answer is I was chicken.”

Instead, Mohr took a different path, getting a job as an air traffic controller and earning a steady living while continuing to dream about becoming a professional bowler.

With 25 years of service under his belt as an air traffic controller, he was able to retire with a generous pension at the age of 51, allowing him to finally give professional bowling a chance.

“I had a very, very generous backer who said, ‘here’s the money, just go try,’” Mohr said of his first attempt to go pro on the PBA50 Tour. “In 2008, I said I’m going to bowl the first three senior tour events and if I cashed twice that would be great and I’d join the PBA and bowl the rest of the year.”

Mohr went on to cash in his first two events and, although he didn’t win a title that first season, the following season he broke through to win three titles.

Fast forward to today and Mohr has turned into one of the most successful bowlers in PBA50 history and continues to be a contender week after week.

So, with his success so far this season, how many more great seasons does Mohr think he has left?

“If you would have asked me before the season started, I would have said maybe one and that would have been a big maybe,” Mohr said. “But now, after the first half of this season, I would say maybe two to three, but now Chris Barnes is nearly 50 and Mika (Koivuniemi) is starting to bowl more, so it’s not going to get any easier.”

And even though it won’t get easier, Mohr said he bowls every week with nothing to lose because he knows he’s already been recognized for his achievements on the lanes.

Turns out he wasn’t much of a “chicken” after all.