1973 PBA Tour season

Last updated
PBA Bowling Tour: 1973 Season
League Professional Bowlers Association
Sport Ten-pin bowling
DurationJanuary 2 – December 14, 1973
PBA Tour
Season MVP Don McCune
PBA Tour seasons

This is a recap of the 1973 season for the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour. It was the tour's 15th season, and consisted of 33 events. Don McCune amassed six victories during the year, winning PBA Player of the Year honors along the way. McCune became known on tour this season for chemically softening his bowling balls to give them extra hooking power. The practice, which was completely legal at the time, was soon followed by several other bowlers in what would later be dubbed "The Year of the Soaker". [1] This eventually led to new ABC and PBA rules related to altering bowling ball surfaces, while prompting bowling ball manufacturers to develop new, softer cover stocks. [2]

Contents

Mike McGrath continued to come up big in big tournaments. His win in the BPAA U.S. Open gave him three majors among his first eight titles. McGrath would pick up his ninth and tenth titles later in the season.

Jim Godman became the first two-time winner in the Firestone Tournament of Champions, as he had also won the event in 1969. [3] Earl Anthony captured his seventh PBA title and first major at the PBA National Championship.

Tournament schedule

EventBowling centerCityDatesWinner
San Jose OpenSaratoga Lanes San Jose, California Jan 2–6 Allie Clarke (3)
Don Carter ClassicBowling Square Arcadia, California Jan 9–13 Gary Dickinson (1)
Showboat InvitationalShowboat Lanes Las Vegas, Nevada Jan 17–20 Barry Asher (7)
Denver OpenColorado Bowl Denver, Colorado Jan 23–27 Jay Robinson (1)
King Louie OpenKing Louie West Lanes Overland Park, Kansas Jan 31 – Feb 3 Bobby Knipple (1)
Lincoln-Mercury OpenPelican Lanes New Orleans, Louisiana Feb 6–10 Carmen Salvino (10)
Fair Lanes OpenFair Lanes Towson, Maryland Feb 13–17 Dick Ritger (11)
Winston-Salem ClassicMajor League Lanes Winston-Salem, North Carolina Feb 20–24 Don McCune (3)
Miller High Life OpenRed Carpet Lanes Milwaukee, Wisconsin Feb 27 – Mar 3Don McCune (4)
BPAA U.S. Open Madison Square Garden New York, New York Mar 4–10 Mike McGrath (8)
Ebonite OpenBuckeye Lanes Toledo, Ohio Mar 13–17 Dick Weber (24)
STP ClassicBird Bowl Miami, Florida Mar 20–24Dick Ritger (12)
Firestone Tournament of Champions Riviera Lanes Akron, Ohio Mar 27–31 Jim Godman (8)
Winston-Salem OpenBrunswick Wonderbowl Downey, California Jun 1–5Don McCune (5)
Home Box Office OpenValley Lanes Portland, Oregon Jun 9–13 Dave Soutar (13)
Seattle OpenBallinger Bowl Seattle, Washington Jun 15–18 Earl Anthony (6)
Fresno OpenCedar Lanes Fresno, California Jun 22–25Don McCune (6)
Redwood City OpenMel's Bowl Redwood City, California Jun 29 – Jul 2Don McCune (7)
Home Box Office OpenCactus Bowl Tucson, Arizona Jul 6–10Barry Asher (8)
Houston-Sertoma OpenStadium Bowl Houston, Texas Jul 12–15 Don Johnson (21)
Fort Worth OpenMeadowbrook Lanes Fort Worth, Texas Jul 19–23Gary Dickinson (2)
Home Box Office OpenPenn Bowl Pennsville, New Jersey Jul 27–31Mike McGrath (9)
Starlanes-Ebonite OpenCranston Bowl Cranston, Rhode Island Aug 3–7 Paul Colwell (3)
Bay City OpenEastland Lanes Bay City, Michigan Aug 10–13Don Johnson (22)
Columbia 300 OpenBertrand Lanes Waukegan, Illinois Aug 16–20 Marty Piraino (4)
PBA National Championship Hilander Bowling Palace Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Aug 26 – Sep 1Earl Anthony (7)
Japan Gold CupJapan Starlanes Centers Japan Sep 10–23Don McCune (8)
Brunswick Eastern OpenBayside Lanes Bayside, New York Oct 19–23 Matt Surina (2)
Painesville OpenPainesville Lanes Painesville, Ohio Oct 26–29Paul Colwell (4)
Canada Dry OpenHartfield Lanes Detroit, Michigan Nov 2–6Dick Ritger (13)
Brut OpenSkylark Bowl St. Louis, Missouri Nov 9–13 Butch Gearhart (5)
Brunswick World OpenBrunswick Northern Bowl Glendale Heights, Illinois Nov 18–24Jim Godman (9)
Winston-Salem Invitational(Multiple Centers) Honolulu, Hawaii Dec 4–14Mike McGrath (10)

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References

  1. ↑ "PBA 60th Anniversary Most Memorable Moments". PBA.com. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
  2. ↑ Levin, Dan (17 September 1973). "SI Vault: Now He's Throwing a Wet One, Too". si.com. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  3. ↑ "1973 Firestone Tournament of Champions". PBA.
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