Professional Bowlers Association

Mark Williams joined a select group of Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) members who have won the Firestone Tournament of Champions more than once when he downed Tony Westlake, 237-214, to collect the $50,000 top prize in the traditional Winter Tour concluding tournament.

Williams, 30, Beaumont, Texas, earned the top-seeded position among an exclusive starting field of 52 PBA champions in the $250,000 tournament at Riviera Lanes. He began the title game with four straight strikes, building a 43-pin advantage and never looked back in notching his second Firestone crown to go along with the victory he earned in this event in 1985.

"I've been bowling so well that I had winning the tournament on my mind from the time I got here," said Williams, who qualified for the championship round in five 1988 events, including a victory four weeks ago in the Fair Lanes Open. Admittedly one of the "streakiest" players on the Tour, Williams boosted his season's earnings to $112,240 - fourth on the list - while moving into prominent contention for PBA Player of the Year honors.

Westlake, Edmond, Okla., who qualified for the Firestone by winning the Greater Hartford Open last week, made a strong bid to claim his second straight title. Qualifying third, Westlake overpowered Mike Aulby, 239-214, and outscored Brian Voss, 222-204, on his way to the final confrontation against Williams.

After falling behind early in the game, Westlake tried to get back in the match, recording strikes in the fourth and fifth stanzas, and another double beginning in the seventh frame. But a 10-pin leave on a crucial ninth-frame shot stopped Westlake's come-from-behind bid and allowed Williams to lock up the match with a strike in his ninth frame and a clinching strike on his first ball in the 10th.

"I knew I needed a string of strikes to catch up and I couldn't get them," said Westlake, who nevertheless took home the $28,000 runnerup share, capping a Winter Tour in which he cashed in 14 of the 16 tournaments.

Voss, Tacoma, Wash., who came within nine pins of overtaking Williams for the top-seeded spot after match play, picked up $20,000 for third to boost his yearly earnings to $132,755, including victories in the Trustcorp PBA National Championship and the True Value Open. Bob Benoit leads in earnings following the Winter Tour with $155,630 followed by Pete Weber's $140,790.

Aulby, Indianapolis, qualifying for the championship round of the Firestone for the fourth time in the last five years, placed fourth, worth $15,000. He had defeated 1986 Firestone runnerup Mark Baker, 236-184, in the opening match of the stepladder championship round, relegating the Garden Grove, Calif., right-hander to a fifth-place finish worth $10,000.

With the win, Williams joins Mike Durbin (1972, '82' and '84), Jim Godman (1969 and '73), Dave Davis (1967 and '75), Earl Anthony (1974 and '78) and Marshall Holman (1976 and '86) as the only multiple champions in the rich history of the 24-year tournament.

CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND

PLAYOFF RESULTS - Aulby defeated Baker, 236-184; Westlake defeated Aulby, 239-214 Westlake defeated Voss, 222-204; and in the championship game, Williams defeated Westlake, 237-214.

48-GAME TOTALS

		Name, City		Pins		Avg		WLT		+		Tot		Amt
1		Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas		11245		234.3		13-10-1		405		11650
2		Brian Voss, Tacoma, Wash.		11191		233.1		15-9-0		450		11641
#3		Tony Westlake, Edmond, Okla.		11114		231.5		14-10-0		420		11534
4		Mark Baker, Garden Grove, Calif.		11057		230.4		14-10-0		420		11477
5		Mike Aulby, Indianapolis		11077		230.8		12-12-0		360		11437
6		Johnny Petraglia, Manalapan, N.J.		11044		230.1		13-11-0		390		11434		$8,500
7		Bob Benoit, Topeka, Kan.		10905		227.2		16-8-0		480		11385		7,300
8		Harry Sullins, Sterling Hts., Mich.		10847		226.0		16-8-0		480		11327		6,300
9		Dave Husted, Milwaukie, Ore.		10957		228.3		10-13-1		315		11272		5,500
10		Pete Weber, Florissant, Mo.		10866		226.4		12-12-0		360		11226		5,000
#11		Mark Roth, Spring Lake Hts., N.J.		10870		226.5		11-12-1		315		11215		4,500
12		Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela		10765		224.3		14-19-1		435		11200		4,000
13		Del Ballard Jr., Richardson, Texas		10873		226.5		10-14-0		300		11173		3,500
14		Parker Bohn III, Freehold, N.J.		10776		224.5		13-11-0		390		11166		3,200
15		Ron Palombi Jr., Erie, Pa.		10772		224.4		12-12-0		360		11132		3,000
16		Wayne Webb, Beaumont, Texas		10718		223.3		13-10-1		405		11123		2,800
17		Jim Stefanich, Joliet, III.		10745		223.9		11-11-2		360		11105		2,700
18		Tom Milton, St. Petersburg, Fla.		10894		227.0		6-16-2		210		11104		2,600
19		Guppy Troup, Edmond, Okla.		10764		224.3		10-13-1		315		11079		2,500
20		Bob Chamberlain, Auburn Hts., Mich.		10631		221.5		13-11-0		390		11021		2,400
21		Steve Cook, Roseville, Calif.		10778		224.5		8-16-0		240		11018		2,300
22		Mike Jasnau, Wichita, Kan.		10608		221.0		9-15-0		270		10878		2,200
23		Joe Berardi, Brooklyn, N.Y.		10562		220.0		7-16-1		225		10787		2,150
24		Carmen Salvino, Chicago		10451		217.7		10-13-1		315		10766		2,100

Pos.		Name, City/State	Amount
*25		Mal Acosta, Manteca, Calif.	$2,050
26		Bill Ryan Jr., Dayton, Ohio	1,900
27		Tom Crites, Tampa, Fla.	1,900
28		Scott Devers, Centerville, Ind.	1,900
29		W.R. Williams Jr., Stockton, Calif.	1,850
30		Jeff Bellinger, Columbia, S.C.	1,850
31		Leroy Bornhop, St. Charles, Mo.	1,850
32		Randy Pedersen, Santa Maria, Calif.	1,850
33		Gary Dickinson, Edmond, Okla.	1,800
34		Del Warren, Lake Worth, Fla.	1,800
35		George Pappas, Charlotte, N.C.	1,800
36		Tom Baker, Buffalo, N.Y.	1,800
37		Gary Skidmore, Albuquerque, N.M.	1,750
38		Nelson Burton Jr., Troy, Mo.	1,750
39		Ernie Schlegel, Vancouver, U.S.A.	1,750
40		Don Genalo, Perrysburg, Ohio	1,750
41		Dave Soutar, Leawood, Kan.	1,700
42		Joseph Firpo, Lake Worth, Fla.	1,700
43		Kent Wagner, Palmetto, Fla.	1,700
44		Bob Handley, Pompano Beach, Fla.	1,700
45		Roger Bowker, Ocala, Fla.	1,650
46		Palmer Fallgren, Sacramento, Calif.	1,650
47		Pete Couture, Windsor Locks, Conn.	1,650
48		Marshall Holman, Medford, Ore.	1,650
49		Steve Martin, Kingsport, Tenn.	1,600
50		Teata Semiz, Wanaque, N.J.	1,600
51		Mike Durbin, Chagrin Falls, Ohio	1,600
52		Dick Weber, St. Louis	1,600