This is a recap of the 1971 season for the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour. It was the tour's 13th season, and consisted of 32 events. This marked the first season that the BPAA U.S. Open (formerly BPAA All-Star) was recognized as part of the PBA Tour. The event was won by Mike Limongello. Limongello posted a second major tournament win in 1971 when he captured the PBA National Championship.
| PBA Bowling Tour: 1971 Season | |
|---|---|
| League | Professional Bowlers Association |
| Sport | Ten-pin bowling |
| Duration | January 3 – December 13, 1971 |
| PBA Tour | |
| Season MVP | Don Johnson |
Don Johnson had six titles on the 1971 Tour and won the PBA Player of the Year award, which was awarded by a player vote for the first time. Johnny Petraglia nearly matched Johnson with five titles, including a run of three in a row that concluded with a victory in the Firestone Tournament of Champions.
Tournament schedule
edit| Event | Bowling center | City | Dates | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BPAA U.S. Open | Drkula's 32 Bowl | St. Paul, Minnesota | Jan 3–9 | Mike Limongello (5) |
| Denver Open | Colorado Bowl | Denver, Colorado | Jan 12–18 | Dick Weber (21) |
| Showboat Invitational | Showboat Lanes | Las Vegas, Nevada | Jan 19–23 | Don Johnson (12) |
| Greater Los Angeles Open | Bowling Square | Arcadia, California | Jan 26–30 | Dave Soutar (11) |
| Ebonite Open | Saratoga Lanes | San Jose, California | Feb 2–6 | Larry Lichstein (1) |
| Andy Granatelli's STP Classic | King Louie West | Kansas City, Missouri | Feb 9–13 | Johnny Guenther (5) |
| Winston-Salem Classic | Major League Lanes | Winston-Salem, North Carolina | Feb 16–20 | Johnny Petraglia (3) |
| Miller High Life Open | Red Carpet Lanes | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Feb 23–27 | Dave Soutar (12) |
| Buckeye Open | Imperial Lanes | Toledo, Ohio | Mar 2–6 | Dick Weber (22) |
| Cougar Open | Madison Square Garden | New York, New York | Mar 9–13 | Earl Anthony (2) |
| Fair Lanes Open | Fair Lanes | Springfield, Virginia | Mar 18–20 | Johnny Petraglia (4) |
| Don Carter Classic | Pelican Lanes | New Orleans, Louisiana | Mar 23–27 | Johnny Petraglia (5) |
| Firestone Tournament of Champions | Riviera Lanes | Akron, Ohio | Mar 27 – Apr 1 | Johnny Petraglia (6) |
| Bellows-Valvair Open | Brunswick Wonderbowl | Anaheim, California | Jun 4–7 | Gary Madison (1) |
| Fresno Open | Cedar Lanes | Fresno, California | Jun 11–14 | Ed Bourdase (2) |
| Seattle Open | Ballinger Bowl | Seattle, Washington | Jun 18–21 | Don Johnson (13) |
| Portland Open | Valley Lanes | Portland, Oregon | Jun 24–27 | Don Helling (3) |
| Winston-Salem Open | Mel's Bowl | Redwood City, California | Jul 2–5 | Don Johnson (14) |
| Tucson Open | Cactus Bowl | Tucson, Arizona | Jul 5–12 | Jim Godman (6) |
| El Paso Open | Freeway Lanes | El Paso, Texas | Jul 16–19 | J. B. Blaylock (1) |
| Houston-Sertoma Open | Stadium Bowl | Houston, Texas | Jul 23–26 | Johnny Petraglia (7) |
| Grand Rapids Open | Westgate Bowl | Grand Rapids, Michigan | Aug 13–16 | Tommy Tuttle (3) |
| Waukegan Open | Bertrand Lanes | Waukegan, Illinois | Aug 19–22 | Don Johnson (15) |
| South Bend Open | Chippewa Bowl | South Bend, Indiana | Aug 27–30 | Barry Asher (3) |
| Winston-Salem Open | Cranston Bowl | Cranston, Rhode Island | Sep 3–6 | Roy Buckley (1) |
| 12th Annual PBA National Championship | Paramus Bowl | Paramus, New Jersey | Oct 9–16 | Mike Limongello (6) |
| Lincoln Open | Hollywood Bowl | Lincoln, Nebraska | Oct 22–25 | Larry Laub (2) |
| 850,000 American Airlines Open | Ellisville Bowl | Ellisville, Missouri | Oct 29 – Nov 1 | Barry Asher (4) |
| Mercury Open | Henrietta Lanes | Rochester, New York | Nov 5–8 | Johnny Guenther (6) |
| Bellows-Valvair Open | Hartfield Lanes | Detroit, Michigan | Nov 12–15 | Don Johnson (16) |
| Brunswick World Open | Northern Bowl | Glendale Heights, Illinois | Nov 21–27 | Don Johnson (17) |
| Hawaiian Invitational | Honolulu Bowl | Honolulu, Hawaii | Dec 3–13 | Dick Weber (23) |