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]
| PBA Bowling Tour: 1973 Season | |
|---|---|
| League | Professional Bowlers Association |
| Sport | Ten-pin bowling |
| Duration | January 2 – December 14, 1973 |
| PBA Tour | |
| Season MVP | Don McCune |
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
edit| Event | Bowling center | City | Dates | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose Open | Saratoga Lanes | San Jose, California | Jan 2–6 | Allie Clarke (3) |
| Don Carter Classic | Bowling Square | Arcadia, California | Jan 9–13 | Gary Dickinson (1) |
| Showboat Invitational | Showboat Lanes | Las Vegas, Nevada | Jan 17–20 | Barry Asher (7) |
| Denver Open | Colorado Bowl | Denver, Colorado | Jan 23–27 | Jay Robinson (1) |
| King Louie Open | King Louie West Lanes | Overland Park, Kansas | Jan 31 – Feb 3 | Bobby Knipple (1) |
| Lincoln-Mercury Open | Pelican Lanes | New Orleans, Louisiana | Feb 6–10 | Carmen Salvino (10) |
| Fair Lanes Open | Fair Lanes | Towson, Maryland | Feb 13–17 | Dick Ritger (11) |
| Winston-Salem Classic | Major League Lanes | Winston-Salem, North Carolina | Feb 20–24 | Don McCune (3) |
| Miller High Life Open | Red Carpet Lanes | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Feb 27 – Mar 3 | Don McCune (4) |
| BPAA U.S. Open | Madison Square Garden | New York, New York | Mar 4–10 | Mike McGrath (8) |
| Ebonite Open | Buckeye Lanes | Toledo, Ohio | Mar 13–17 | Dick Weber (24) |
| STP Classic | Bird Bowl | Miami, Florida | Mar 20–24 | Dick Ritger (12) |
| Firestone Tournament of Champions | Riviera Lanes | Akron, Ohio | Mar 27–31 | Jim Godman (8) |
| Winston-Salem Open | Brunswick Wonderbowl | Downey, California | Jun 1–5 | Don McCune (5) |
| Home Box Office Open | Valley Lanes | Portland, Oregon | Jun 9–13 | Dave Soutar (13) |
| Seattle Open | Ballinger Bowl | Seattle, Washington | Jun 15–18 | Earl Anthony (6) |
| Fresno Open | Cedar Lanes | Fresno, California | Jun 22–25 | Don McCune (6) |
| Redwood City Open | Mel's Bowl | Redwood City, California | Jun 29 – Jul 2 | Don McCune (7) |
| Home Box Office Open | Cactus Bowl | Tucson, Arizona | Jul 6–10 | Barry Asher (8) |
| Houston-Sertoma Open | Stadium Bowl | Houston, Texas | Jul 12–15 | Don Johnson (21) |
| Fort Worth Open | Meadowbrook Lanes | Fort Worth, Texas | Jul 19–23 | Gary Dickinson (2) |
| Home Box Office Open | Penn Bowl | Pennsville, New Jersey | Jul 27–31 | Mike McGrath (9) |
| Starlanes-Ebonite Open | Cranston Bowl | Cranston, Rhode Island | Aug 3–7 | Paul Colwell (3) |
| Bay City Open | Eastland Lanes | Bay City, Michigan | Aug 10–13 | Don Johnson (22) |
| Columbia 300 Open | Bertrand Lanes | Waukegan, Illinois | Aug 16–20 | Marty Piraino (4) |
| PBA National Championship | Hilander Bowling Palace | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | Aug 26 – Sep 1 | Earl Anthony (7) |
| Japan Gold Cup | Japan Starlanes Centers | Japan | Sep 10–23 | Don McCune (8) |
| Brunswick Eastern Open | Bayside Lanes | Bayside, New York | Oct 19–23 | Matt Surina (2) |
| Painesville Open | Painesville Lanes | Painesville, Ohio | Oct 26–29 | Paul Colwell (4) |
| Canada Dry Open | Hartfield Lanes | Detroit, Michigan | Nov 2–6 | Dick Ritger (13) |
| Brut Open | Skylark Bowl | St. Louis, Missouri | Nov 9–13 | Butch Gearhart (5) |
| Brunswick World Open | Brunswick Northern Bowl | Glendale Heights, Illinois | Nov 18–24 | Jim Godman (9) |
| Winston-Salem Invitational | (Multiple Centers) | Honolulu, Hawaii | Dec 4–14 | Mike McGrath (10) |
References
edit- ^ "PBA 60th Anniversary Most Memorable Moments". PBA.com. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
- ^ Levin, Dan (17 September 1973). "SI Vault: Now He's Throwing a Wet One, Too". si.com. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
- ^ "1973 Firestone Tournament of Champions". PBA.