Wayne Webb

Wayne Webb (born August 4, 1957) is an American professional bowler from Rehoboth, Massachusetts. He was known for his success from the late 1970s to the end of the 1980s. Webb is one of only 16 players in history to win at least 20 PBA Tour titles, and is a member of both the PBA and USBC Halls of Fame.[1]

PBA career

The son of a bowling center operator, Webb knew from age twelve that "all I ever wanted to be was a professional bowler." He was eighteen when he got his wish and joined the PBA (Professional Bowlers Association) tour in 1975. He found success quickly, winning his first tournament at age 21 and earning "Player of the Year" honors by age 23. On November 2, 1982, Webb won the Columbia 300 Open in Sterling Heights, Michigan to become one of the youngest players in PBA history (25 years, 90 days) to reach ten career PBA titles.[2] Webb remains the fourth-youngest player to reach ten titles as of 2020, behind Pete Weber (24 years, 247 days), Marshall Holman and Mike Aulby.

Webb was one of the PBA's first 10 career "millionaires." Webb captured 20 career PBA titles, including his lone major championship at the 1980 PBA Tournament of Champions. He was named PBA Player of the Year in 1980, the only player not named Earl Anthony or Mark Roth to win that award in an 11-season stretch (1974-1984). He became a member of the PBA Hall of Fame in 1993. His 20th and final PBA Tour title came in 1997 at the Bud Light Championship. The 20 titles puts Webb in a 13th-place tie with fellow PBA Hall of Famers Dick Ritger, Amleto Monacelli and Tommy Jones. A panel of bowling experts selected by the PBA ranked Webb #18 on their 2008 list of "50 Greatest Players of the Last 50 Years."

From 2000 on, Webb had major personal and professional problems, including suffering through a gambling addiction and his third divorce, and his bowling career began a steady decline. After being eliminated in the 2005 Denny's World Championship, Webb quit the PBA Tour and professional bowling as a whole. Webb's appearance in the Ten-pin movie/documentary A League of Ordinary Gentlemen documents this time and features Webb's candid comments on this period of his life.[3]

Webb also continues to bowl in local and regional tournaments, on the PBA Senior Tour (now known as the PBA50 Tour) and in selected events on the PBA Tour. He bowled at the PBA 2008 H&R Block Tournament of Champions along with several other past TOC winners who were invited.

On June 20, 2008, Wayne Webb won the 2008 Senior U.S. Open, defeating Johnny Petraglia 204-172 in the championship match. This was only his second ever Senior Tour event. Webb was named 2008 PBA Senior Rookie of the Year. On winning this award, he commented: "Obviously it's a great honor. Being on the Tour for 30 years, quitting for three years, and then coming back on the Senior Tour this year and doing as well as I did, it kind of re-sparked my life with bowling again."

Webb repeated as Senior U.S. Open Champion in 2009.[4] On June 18, 2010, Webb won his third PBA Senior Tour major, capturing the USBC Senior Masters in the final three-game match, 705-628, over reigning PBA Player of the Year, Walter Ray Williams, Jr.. Webb's victory denied Williams the chance to become just the second bowler in history to win both the USBC Masters and USBC Senior Masters in a career. (PBA Hall of Famer Dave Soutar was the only player to win both until Williams, Jr. finally won a Senior Masters in 2014.)[5]

Following his win in the August 2010 Senior Jackson Open, Webb was named PBA Senior Player of the Year for 2010. This made him just the second bowler in history (after Mark Roth) to win both PBA and Senior PBA Player of the Year awards in a career.[6]

Additional Information

Webb bought Rainbow Lanes in Columbus, Ohio in 2010, which was subsequently renamed Wayne Webb's Columbus Bowl, and for several years ran a karaoke business on the side. Wayne Webb's Columbus Bowl hosted the 2016 Barbasol PBA Players Championship. (Sponsor Barbasol is owned by Perio Inc., based in nearby Dublin, Ohio.) In August 2016, the PBA and Barbasol announced they had reached a partnership agreement to return the PBA Players Championship to Wayne Webb's Columbus Bowl for the next two seasons (2017 and 2018).[7] Webb participated in the 2017 Players Championship and finished 72nd out of 113 entrants, missing the match play cut.[8] The Players Championship also returned to Wayne Webb's Columbus Bowl for the 2019 and 2020 PBA Tour seasons.

References
  1. Vint, Bill. "PBA Stars Ballard, Webb, Richgels Inducted into United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame." Article at www.pba.com on July 2, 2011.
  2. Vint, Bill (July 6, 2018). "PBA Spare Shots: EJ Tackett Joins Elite List of Young PBA Tour Winners with 10 Titles". Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  3. Independent Lens recap of A League of Ordinary Gentlemen at www.pbs.org
  4. Schneider, Jerry. "Wayne Webb Goes for Third Straight PBA Senior U.S. Open Title June 6–11 in Las Vegas." Article at www.pba.com on June 1, 2010.
  5. Vint, Bill. "Webb Tops Williams to Win USBC Senior Masters for Third Career Senior Tour Major." Article at www.pba.com on June 18, 2010.
  6. Schneider, Jerry. "Webb Caps 2010 Senior Tour Season with Win in Senior Jackson Open and Senior Player of the Year." Article at www.pba.com on August 24, 2010.
  7. Vint, Bill (August 29, 2016). "PBA, Barbasol Sign Two-Year Agreement to Keep Barbasol PBA Players Championship in Columbus". pba.com. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  8. Schneider, Jerry (February 9, 2017). "Belmonte Averages 235 in Third Round to Retain Lead In Barbasol PBA Players Championship". pba.com. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
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