1987 PBA Tour season

Last updated
PBA Bowling Tour: 1987 Season
League Professional Bowlers Association
Sport Ten-pin bowling
DurationJanuary 4 – December 5, 1987
PBA Tour
Season MVP Marshall Holman
PBA Tour seasons

This is a recap of the 1987 season for the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour. It was the tour's 29th season, and consisted of 33 events.

Contents

Del Ballard, Jr. won his first PBA title at the historic U.S. Open sponsored this season by Seagram's Coolers. The tourney offered a $500,000 prize fund and $100,000 first prize—both PBA records. Even Pete Weber's second place check of $55,000 in this event was higher than the previous record first prize of $50,000 set in 1986. [1]

Randy Pedersen took the title in the Toledo Trust PBA National Championship. At the Firestone Tournament of Champions, winner Pete Weber became the youngest bowler ever (24 years, 247 days) to reach 10 career titles. [2]

While he did not go on to win the tournament, Pete McCordic made history at the Greater Los Angeles Open by firing a 300 game in the opening match of the finals. It was the PBA's fourth-ever nationally televised perfect game, and the first since 1974. [3]

Marshall Holman won the PBA Player of the Year vote despite not winning a title—a PBA first. The 20-time titlist did lead the Tour in average and a few other statistical categories. [4]

Tournament schedule

EventBowling centerCityDatesWinner
Seagram's Coolers U.S. Open Narrows Plaza Bowl Tacoma, Washington Jan 4–10 Del Ballard, Jr. (1)
AC-Delco ClassicUnion Square Lanes Union City, California Jan 12–16 George Branham III (2)
Showboat InvitationalShowboat Bowling Center Las Vegas, Nevada Jan 18–24 Kent Wagner (1)
Greater Los Angeles OpenGable House Bowl Torrance, California Jan 26–31 Mats Karlsson (2)
Quaker State OpenForum Bowling Lanes Grand Prairie, Texas Feb 2–7 Brian Voss (3)
Lite Beer ClassicDon Carter's Kendall Lanes Miami, Florida Feb 9–14 Walter Ray Williams, Jr. (4)
Bowler's Journal Florida OpenGalaxy Lanes Venice, Florida Feb 16–21 Jim Murtishaw (1)
True Value OpenLandmark Plaza Recreation Center Peoria, Illinois Feb 23–28 John Gant (2)
Lite Beer ChampionshipRed Carpet Celebrity Lanes Milwaukee, Wisconsin Mar 2–7 Tom Milton (4)
King Louie OpenKing Louie West Lanes Overland Park, Kansas Mar 9–14 Jimmie Pritts, Jr. (3)
Miller Lite OpenBuckeye Lanes North Olmsted, Ohio Mar 16–21 Dave Ferraro (2)
Toledo Trust PBA National Championship Imperial Lanes Toledo, Ohio Mar 22–28 Randy Pedersen (2)
Fair Lanes OpenFair Lanes Capital Plaza Washington, DC Mar 30 – Apr 4Randy Pedersen (3)
Showboat Atlantic City OpenAtlantic City Showboat Lanes Atlantic City, New Jersey Apr 6–11 Tom Crites (2)
Greater Hartford OpenBradley Bowl Windsor Locks, Connecticut Apr 13–18 Bob Handley (4)
Firestone Tournament of Champions Riviera Lanes Akron, Ohio Apr 21–25 Pete Weber (10)
Showboat Doubles ClassicShowboat Bowling Center Las Vegas, Nevada Jun 6–10 Joe Firpo (1),
Del Warren (2)
Kessler OpenEarl Anthony's Dublin Bowl Dublin, California Jun 12–17 Mark Baker (3)
Columbia 300 OpenSkyway Park Bowl Seattle, Washington Jun 19–24 Parker Bohn III (1)
Southern California OpenTown Square Lanes Riverside, California Jun 26 – Jul 1Brian Voss (4)
Miller Lite ChallengeGolden Pin Lanes Tucson, Arizona Jul 3–8 Scott Devers (1)
Austin OpenWestgate Lanes Austin, Texas Jul 10–15Kent Wagner (2)
Hammer OpenBoulevard Bowl Edmond, Oklahoma Jul 17–22Walter Ray Williams, Jr. (5)
Kessler Senior/Touring Pro DoublesRed Carpet Lanes Green Bay, Wisconsin Jul 25–29 Mickey Spiezio (1),
Rowdy Morrow (1)
Greater Buffalo OpenThruway Lanes Cheektowaga, New York Jul 31 – Aug 5 Mark Roth (32)
Molson Golden Bowling ChallengeRose Bowl Lanes Windsor, Ontario Aug 7–12Harry Sullins (2)
Number 7 PBA InvitationalAMF O'Connor Bowl West Toronto, Ontario Aug 17-19Mark Roth (33)
Japan Cup Tokyo Port Bowl Tokyo, Japan Sep 10–14 Amleto Monacelli (1)
Kodak InvitationalMarcel's Olympic Bowl Rochester, New York Oct 26–31Scott Devers (2)
True Value OpenWoodland Bowl Indianapolis, Indiana Nov 2–7 Ron Palombi, Jr. (2)
Brunswick Memorial World OpenBrunswick Northern Bowl Glendale Heights, Illinois Nov 7–14Del Ballard, Jr. (2)
Budweiser ClassicColumbus Square Bowling Palace Columbus, Ohio Nov 23–28 Leroy Bornhop (1)
Budweiser Touring Players ChampionshipTaylor Lanes Taylor, Michigan Nov 30 – Dec 5Tom Crites (3)

References

  1. "1987 Seagram's Coolers U.S. Open". PBA.
  2. "1987 Firestone Tournament of Champions". PBA.
  3. "1987 Greater Los Angeles Open". PBA.
  4. "1987 Budweiser Touring Players Championship". PBA.