PBA Bowling Tour: 1996 Season

This is a recap of the 1996 season for the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour. It was the tour's 38th season, and consisted of 29 events.

PBA Bowling Tour: 1996 Season
LeagueProfessional Bowlers Association
SportTen-pin bowling
DurationJanuary 22 – December 15, 1996
PBA Tour
Season MVPWalter Ray Williams, Jr.

Dave D'Entremont won his first career major at the Brunswick World Tournament of Champions.[1] Likewise, long-time PBA Tour professional Butch Soper captured his first career major at the PBA National Championship.[2]

Dave Husted became the first PBA player to win three modern-day BPAA U.S. Open titles, and the first to win back-to-back as he successfully defended his 1995 U.S. Open crown.[3][4]

Though shut out in the major tournaments, Walter Ray Williams, Jr. collected five titles on the season and led the tour in earnings, helping him win PBA Player of the Year honors for the third time in his career.

At the Columbia 300 Open, C.K. Moore rolled the PBA's ninth televised 300 game, becoming the first Tour rookie to do so.[5] Later in the season, at the Flagship Open, Bob Learn, Jr. rolled the PBA's 10th televised perfect game in his hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania. At this same event, Learn shattered the PBA record for a four-game TV series by downing 1,129 pins. The old record was set in 1995 by David Ozio, who toppled 1,070 pins.[6]

Tournament schedule
EventBowling centerCityDatesWinner
Peoria Open Landmark Recreation Center Peoria, Illinois Jan 22–26 Wayne Webb (18)
Columbia 300 Open Highland Lanes Austin, Texas Jan 29 – Feb 2 C.K. Moore (1)
Reno Open Reno Hilton Bowling Center Reno, Nevada Feb 5–9 Dave Arnold (2)
Oregon Open Hollywood Bowl Portland, Oregon Feb 12–16 Brian Voss (16)
Track Synergy Open Celebrity Bowl/Tri-Cities Coliseum Kennewick, Washington Feb 18–23 Walter Ray Williams, Jr. (17)
Tucson Open Golden Pin Lanes Tucson, Arizona Feb 25 – Mar 1 Bryan Goebel (8)
AC-Delco Classic Cal Bowl Lakewood, California Mar 5–9 Tom Baker (8)
Showboat Invitational Showboat Bowling Center Las Vegas, Nevada Mar 10–16 Walter Ray Williams, Jr. (18)
Quaker State 250 Forum Bowling Lanes Grand Prairie, Texas Mar 17–23 Steve Wilson (1)
Comfort Inn Classic Don Carter's All-Star Lanes-Sawgrass Sunrise, Florida Mar 26–30 Steve Hoskins (4)
Flagship Open Eastway Lanes/Erie Civic Center Erie, Pennsylvania Apr 2–6 Bob Learn, Jr. (3)
Brunswick Johnny Petraglia Open Carolier Lanes North Brunswick, New Jersey Apr 9–13 Walter Ray Williams, Jr. (19)
Bud Light Championship Sayville Bowl Sayville, New York Apr 16–20 Philip Ringener (1)
Brunswick World Tournament of Champions Brunswick Deer Park Lanes Lake Zurich, Illinois Apr 21–27 Dave D'Entremont (5)
IOF Foresters Open Classic Bowl Mississauga, Ontario May 14–18 David Traber (3)
Greater Baltimore Open Country Club Lanes Baltimore, Maryland May 21–25 Mike Aulby (24)
Greater Hartford Open Bradley Bowl Windsor Locks, Connecticut May 28 – Jun 1 Dennis Horan (2)
PBA National Championship Ducat's Imperial Lanes Toledo, Ohio Jun 2–8 Butch Soper (6)
Greater Detroit Open Taylor Lanes Taylor, Michigan Jun 11–15 Doug Kent (1)
Kingpin Classic Northrock Lanes Wichita, Kansas Jun 18–22 Jess Stayrook (6)
Oronamin C Japan Cup Tokyo Port Bowl Tokyo, Japan Sep 19–22 Steve Wilson (2)
BPAA U.S. Open Woodland Bowl Indianapolis, Indiana Sep 28 – Oct 4 Dave Husted (13)
Cleveland Open Brunswick Ambassador Lanes Bedford, Ohio Oct 5–6 George Branham III (5)
Ebonite Classic Bowl One Lanes Troy, Michigan Oct 11 – Nov 15 Marshall Holman (22)
Rochester Open Marcel's Olympic Bowl Rochester, New York Oct 19–23 Walter Ray Williams, Jr. (20)
Touring Pro/Senior Doubles East Providence Lanes East Providence, Rhode Island Oct 26–30 Eric Forkel (4),
Gene Stus
Greater Harrisburg Open ABC West Lanes Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania Nov 2–6 Walter Ray Williams, Jr. (21)
Bayer/Brunswick Touring Players Championship Olympic Lanes-Harmar Harmarville, Pennsylvania Nov 8–12 Mike Aulby (25)
Merit Mixed Doubles Championship Sam's Town Bowling Center Las Vegas, Nevada Dec 13–15 Mark Williams (7),
Aleta Sill

References
  1. "Dave D'Entremont". mcubed.net.
  2. "Butch Soper". mcubed.net.
  3. "1996 BPAA U.S. Open". PBA.
  4. "Diverse class inducted into USBC Hall of Fame". bowlingdigital.com.
  5. "1996 Columbia 300 Open". PBA.
  6. "1996 Flagship Open". PBA.
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