| PBA Bowling Tour: 1969 Season | |
|---|---|
| League | Professional Bowlers Association |
| Sport | Ten-pin bowling |
| Duration | January 7 – December 18, 1969 |
| PBA Tour | |
| Season MVP | Billy Hardwick |
This is a recap of the 1969 season for the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour. It was the tour's 11th season, and consisted of 35 events. Billy Hardwick won six titles on the 1969 Tour (also adding a seventh in the BPAA All-Star, which was not part of the Tour at the time), and won the Sporting News PBA Player of the Year award. [1] Mike McGrath won the PBA National Championship, [2] while Jim Godman took the title in the Firestone Tournament of Champions. [3]
Johnny Guenther rolled the PBA's second-ever televised 300 game in a semi-final match at the San Jose Open on February 1, 1969, before going on to win the tournament. [4]
| Event | Bowling center | City | Dates | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Valley Open | West Valley Lanes | Canoga Park, California | Jan 7–11 | Wayne Zahn (11) |
| Valley of the Sun Open | Tempe Bowl | Tempe, Arizona | Jan 14–18 | Don Glover (3) |
| Showboat Invitational | Showboat Lanes | Las Vegas, Nevada | Jan 21–25 | Skee Foremsky (4) |
| San Jose Open | Saratoga Lanes | San Jose, California | Jan 28 – Feb 1 | Johnny Guenther (4) |
| Denver Open | Broadway Bowl | Denver, Colorado | Feb 4–8 | Billy Hardwick (11) |
| Ebonite Open | King Louie West | Kansas City, Missouri | Feb 11–15 | Don Glover (4) |
| Cougar Open | Paramus Bowl | Paramus, New Jersey | Feb 18–22 | Ralph Engan (2) |
| Greater Buffalo Open | Fairlanes | Buffalo, New York | Feb 25 – Mar 1 | Dick Ritger (6) |
| Miller High Life Open | Bowlero Lanes | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Mar 4–8 | Billy Hardwick (12) |
| Buckeye Open | Imperial Lanes | Toledo, Ohio | Mar 11–15 | Ray Bluth (2) |
| Portsmouth Open | Portsmouth Bowl | Portsmouth, Virginia | Mar 18–22 | Tommy Tuttle (2) |
| New Orleans Lions Open | Pelican Lanes | New Orleans, Louisiana | Mar 25–29 | Dick Weber (18) |
| Firestone Tournament of Champions | Riviera Lanes | Akron, Ohio | Apr 1–5 | Jim Godman (4) |
| National Pro-Am Bowling Classic | Florida Bowl | Mobile, Alabama | Apr 12–13 | Don Helling (2) |
| Smallcomb Enterprises Classic | Redwood City Bowl | Redwood City, California | Jun 3–8 | Billy Hardwick (13) |
| Seattle Open | Ballinger Bowl | Seattle, Washington | Jun 12–15 | Don Johnson (7) |
| Portland Open | Valley Lanes | Portland, Oregon | Jun 19–22 | Allie Clarke (1) |
| Tucson Open | Cactus Bowl | Tucson, Arizona | Jul 3–6 | Terry Booth (1) |
| Fort Worth Open | Meadowbrook Lanes | Fort Worth, Texas | Jul 10–13 | Billy Hardwick (14) |
| Houston-Sertoma Open | Stadium Bowl | Houston, Texas | Jul 17–20 | Marty Piraino (2) |
| Huntsville Open | Pin Palace Lanes | Hunstville, Alabama | Jul 24–27 | Joe Dignam (1) |
| Five-Star Open | Cranston Bowl | Cranston, Rhode Island | Aug 7–10 | Nelson Burton Jr. (3) |
| Grand Rapids Open | Westgate Bowl | Grand Rapids, Michigan | Aug 14–17 | Billy Hardwick (15) |
| Waukegan Open | Bertrand Bowl | Waukegan, Illinois | Aug 21–24 | Les Zikes (1) |
| Canadian Open | Laurentian Lanes | Montreal, Quebec | Aug 28 – Sep 1 | Dave Davis (11) |
| Altoona Jaycee Open | Holiday Bowl | Altoona, Pennsylvania | Sep 4–7 | Dick Weber (19) |
| Newark Kiwanis Open | Valley Bowl Lanes | Newark, Ohio | Sep 11–14 | Butch Gearhart (3) |
| Japan Gold Cup | Starlanes | Tokyo, Japan | Sep 20 – Oct 5 | Dick Ritger (7) |
| Mercury Open | Dick Weber Lanes | St. Louis, Missouri | Oct 22–25 | Jim Godman (5) |
| American Airlines Open | Hartfield Lanes | Detroit, Michigan | Oct 30 – Nov 2 | Dave Soutar (5) |
| Joliet Open | Town & Country Lanes | Joliet, Illinois | Nov 6–9 | Billy Hardwick (16) |
| Lincoln Open | Hollywood Bowl | Lincoln, Nebraska | Nov 13–16 | Don Johnson (8) |
| Bellows-Valvair Open | Clover Lanes | Rochester, New York | Nov 20–23 | Dick Ritger (8) |
| Tenth Annual PBA National Championship | Garden City Bowl | Garden City, New York | Nov 30 – Dec 6 | Mike McGrath (3) |
| Hawaiian Invitational | Honolulu Bowl | Honolulu, Hawaii | Dec 10–18 | Don Johnson (9) |