Professional Bowlers Association

It was a day of firsts...and lasts. George Branham III captured his first "major" victory at the 29th annual $300,000 Tournament of Champions, which also was announced as the final PBA event sponsorship for Firestone. Earlier in the day, Akron-based General Tire, Ins., announced it had committed toward a threeyear entitlement sponsorship of the Tournament of Champions from 1994-96, which will begin a new era for PBA.

Leading qualifier Branham, Indianapolis, also is the first black player to win PBA's most prestigious tournament, and defeated third-seeded Parker Bohn III, 227-214, for the $60,000 first prize and five-year exemption into the General Tire Tournament of Champions. Immediately afterward, Branham stopped Del Ballard Jr., 244-226, to claim the "King of the Hill" crown and its $5,000 winner-take-all stakes.

Both finalists started the championship game with spare-strike, and Bohn led by 19 pins after three frames, at which point Branham unleashed a four-beggar. Bohn opened in the eight frame and struck in the key ninth frame, which allowed him the opportunity to strike in the 10th for the win. However, he left the 6-pin on his first ball and had to settle for the $33,000 runnerup check.

In the first game of the Winter Tour-concluding championship finals televised by ABC Sports, Bohn overwhelmed Dave Husted of Milwaukie, Ore., 266-183, in a battle between the Tour's multiple Steve Nagy Sportsmanship Award winners (Bohn from 1990-92 and Husted in 198889). Bohn, Freehold, N.J., then rolled past reigning PBA Player of the Year and 1990 champ Dave Ferraro of Kingston, N.Y., 258-209, before meeting Branham for the title.

CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND

PLAYOFF RESULTS -Bohn III defeated Husted 266-183; Bohn III defeated Ferraro, 258-209; and in the championship game, Branham III defeated Bohn I I I, 227-214. KING OF THE HILL- Branham III defeated Del Ballard Jr., Richardson, TX, for $5,000.

48 GAME TOTALS

		Name, City		Pins		Avg		WLT		+		Tot		Amt
#1		George Branham III, Indianapolis		10861		226.3		17-7-0		510		11371
#2		Dave Ferraro, Kingston, NY		10771		224.4		13-10-1		405		11176
3		Parker Bohn III, Freehold, NJ		10519		219.2		20-4-0		600		11119
4		Dave Husted, Milwaukie, OR		10540		219.6		18-6-0		540		11080
5		Tom Crites, Tampa, FL		10636		221.6		13-9-2		420		11056		$12,000
6		Dave Arnold, Gilbert, AZ		10636		221.6		11-13-0		330		10966		10,500
7		Doug Kent, Canandaigua, NY		10565		220.1		13-11-0		390		10955		9,000
8		Tony Westlake, Edmond, OK		10570		220.2		12-11-1		375		10945		8,000
9		Pete Weber, St. Ann, MO		10594		220.7		10-13-1		315		10909		7,300
10		Mike Shady, Ripon, WI		10517		219.1		11-12-1		345		10862		6,500
11		Hugh Miller, Seattle		10492		218.6		12-12-0		360		10852		6,000
12		Gary Dickinson, Edmond, OK		10521		219.2		10-12-2		330		10851		5,500
13		Steve Hoskins, Tarpon Springs, FL		10502		218.8		11-13-0		330		10832		5,000
14		Walter Ray Williams Jr., Stockton, CA		10515		219.1		10-13-1		315		10830		4,500
15		Jason Couch, Winter Garden, FL		10514		219.0		10-14-0		300		10814		4,000
16		Eric Forkel, Chatsworth, CA		10401		216.7		12-12-0		360		10761		3,600
17		Justin Hromek, Andover, KS		10397		216.6		11-13-0		330		10727		3,200
18		Ricky Ward, N. Fort Myers, FL		10384		216.3		11-13-0		330		10714		3,000
19		Ron Williams, Fort Worth, TX		10341		215.4		12-12-0		360		10701		2,800
20		Bob Learn Jr., Erie, PA		10328		215.2		8-15-1		255		10583		2,700
21		Mike Aulby, Indianapolis		10309		214.8		8-16-0		240		10549		2,600
22		John Mazza, Mount Clemens, MI		10306		214.7		8-16-0		240		10546		2,500
23		Randy Pedersen, Hollywood, FL		10197		212.4		11-13-0		330		10527		2,450
24		Duane Fisher, Gloucester Twp., NJ		10152		211.5		11-13-0		330		10482		2,400

Pos.		Name, City/State	Amount
*25		Del Ballard Jr., Richardson, TX	$2,300
26		Marshall Homan, Medford, OR	2,150
		Mark William, Beaumont, TX	2,150
28		Bean Voss, Boca Raton, FL	2,150
29		Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela	2,100
30		Scott Devers, Richmond, IN	2,100
31		Dave D'Entremont, Middleburg Hts., OH	2,100
32		Marts Ruth, Spring Lake Hts., NJ	2,100
33		Johnny Petraglia, Manalapan, NJ	2,050
34		Ernie Schlegel, Vancouver, WA	2,050
35		Marc McDowell, Madison, WI	2,100
36		Robert Lawrence, Austin, TX	2,050
37		Roger Bowker, Ocala, FL	2,000
38		Gene Stus, Allen Park, MI	2,000
39		Ron Palombi Jr., Erie, PA	2,000
40		Eric Adolphson, Walnut Creek, CA	2,000
41		Chris Warren, Dallas, TX	2,000
42		Tom Baker, Buffalo, NY	1,950
43		Mike Miller, Albuquerque, NM	1,950
44		David Ozio, Vidor, TX	1,950
45		Jeff Lizz, Sandusky, OH	1,900
46		Steve Cools Roseville, CA	1,900
47		Martin Letscher, Bet Air, MD	1,900
48		Wayne Webb, Beaumont TX	1,900
49		Harry Sullies, Detroit	1,650
50		Jim Pencak, Mayfield Hts., OH	1,950
51		Bob Vespi, Coral Springs, FL	1,850
52		Danny Wiseman, Lake Havasu City, AZ	1,850