Fourth Annual National Championship

$60,000 FOURTH ANNUAL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
GARDEN CITY BOWL, LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK, Nov 12-17, 1963
Hardwick Climaxes Great Year

The Fourth Annual National Championship event of the PBA was its biggest and most successful in many ways. The event was sponsored by the Nassau Bowling Proprietors Association at Long Island, N.Y., and that organization ran eliminations which produced 368 amateurs for the big Pro-Am event which was held on opening night.

The tournament itself was won by youthful Billy Hardwick of San Mateo, Calif.; almost in a walk-away. It was BillyHardwick the first time the PBA's successful new format had received its trial over a long-haul tournament and itworked to near-perfection. Pins were carried forward as the field was narrowed to 96, then to 48, and then to the 24finalists who engaged each other in head-to-head competition, with a bonus 50 pins for each game won.

By the time the finals were getting underway, Hardwick, moving up steadily, had become the crowd favorite. Hardwick, only 22, had previously won three PBA titles in 1963, and he was not unnerved by the television coverage of the finals. Going into the last game against unheralded Don Johnson of Kokomo, Ind., Hardwick was 287 pins ahead. He had earlier nipped Johnson in a thriller, 269267. In the next to the last game, the Indiana youth beat Hardwick 192-187.

But in the final game, Hardwick won, 203-177, and at the same time on the adjoining lane, Ray Bluth was defeating Fred Lening, 213-208, and jumped into second place. Hardwick's 61-game average was 207 and he won 18 of his 25 final round games. His check for $7,500 also made him leading money-winner of the PBA for the year. Bluth's runnerup finish was his 10th such position in PBA history.

FINALS (61 GAMES)

	Name, City/State	Pins	+	Tot	Amt

1	Billy Hardwick, San Mateo, Calif.	12641	900	13541	$7,500
2	Ray Bluth, St. Louis, Mo.	12563	725	13288	3,800
3	Bob Strampe, Detroit, Mich.	12486	750	13236	2,200
4	Don Johnson, Kokomo. Ind.	12532	700	18232	2,000
5	Andy Rogoznica, Chicago, Ill.	12465	700	18165	1,850
6	Fred Lening, Fairless Hills, Pa.	12497	650	13147	1,750
7	George Howard, Detroit, Mich.	12437	700	13137	1,650
8	Jack Biondolillo, Houston. Tex.	12376	750	13126	1,550
9	Ron Winger, Van Nuys. Calif.	12371	725	13096	1,450
10	Ed Bourdase, Fresno, Calif.	12391	700	13091	1,350
11	Dennis Chapis, St. Louis, Mo.	12481	600	13081	1,250
12	J. B. Blaylock, El Paso, Texas	12421	600	13021	1,150
13	Ev Collins, San Mateo, Calif.	12404	600	13004	1,100
14	Bill Lillard, Dallas, Tex.	12196	775	12971	1,050
15	Monroe Moore, Utica, Mich.	12354	600	12954	1,000
16	Vito Caloia, Rochester, N.Y.	12296	650	12946	950
17	Mike Samardzija, Pontiac. Mich.	12282	650	12932	900
18	Andy Marzich, Long Beach, Calif.	12350	500	12850	850
19	Charlie Wilkinson, Salinas, Calif.	12381	325	12706	800
20	Glen Blakesley, Kansas City, Mo.	12139	550	12689	750
21	Billy Golembiewski, Detroit, Mich.	12128	550	12678	725
22	Johnny King, Chicago, Ill.	12284	850	12634	700
23	John Guenther, Seattle, Wash.	12158	450	12608	675
24	Carmen Salvino, Chicago, Ill.	11608	500	12108	650

SEMI-FINALISTS (36 GAMES)

Pos.	Name, City/State	Total	Amount

25	Bill Pace	7274	$440
26	Ralph Brunt	7270	290
27	Bert Goodman	7251	290
28	Harry Smith	7248	290
29	Dave Tomberg	7246	280
30	Jim St. John	7239	280
31	Robbie Robinson	7227	280
32	Tom Harnisch	7214	280
33	Vince Lucci	7204	270
34	Dick Weber	7196	270
85	Bob Chase	7185	270
36	Dick Downey	7178	270
37	J. B. Solomon	7168	260
38	Ray Koehler	7154	260
39	Lindy Faragalli	7137	260
40	Jack Henry	7135	260
41	Darylee Cox	7133	250
42	Warren Matthias	7123	250
43	Don Carter	7112	250
44	Billy Welu	7099	250
25	Dick Hoover	7077	250
46	Don Ellis	7074	250
47	Itay Orf	7066	250
48	Johnny Meyer	7034	250

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