Professional Bowlers Association

When they talk about bowling, 1967, the name Dave Davis will immediately focus. For the tall (6-2), lean (150 pounds) lefthander climaxed one of the greatest years in the history of the game by winning last year's Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) $70,000 National Championship at the new Madison Square Garden Bowling Center.

Davis smashed two records in his historical climb to the $10,000 first place check. It was the first time a bowler had won the National twice. And, it was the sixth title of the year for the Phoenix, Ariz. flyer, which toppled Dick Weber's mark of five hung up in 1961.

And if you asked Davis how he feels about it, you'd get:"Unbelievable! I got up a head of steam early in the year and maintained it. But for the three weeks I had to lay offbecause of a bad hand, I think I bowled as well as I ever could expect to. And who could ever want a better settingthan the new Garden, it's fabulous."

Madison Square Garden Bowling Center is a dream come true for the boys who make their living on the PBA tour. The PBA National is scheduled for five more years and probably will be held many more if last year's showing was any indication. Built in a complex which houses the main Garden (seating capacity 20,000), a forum that holds 5,100, the bowling Center is spacious and comfortable. It has all the conveniences of any establishment in the country and is easily accessible.

But getting back to the first main event ever called in the new Garden. Davis stuttered and stammered through the early going as first Bob Strampe led after 12 games and Ted Hoffman took over after 24 and hung on through the 36 games of qualifying action.

Gil Potempo and Bill Allen, in the meantime, were getting in their licks as each rolled a 300 game.

At the end of 36 games, Davis was lodged in tenth place, 232 pins behind the steady Hoffman. But in the opening match game session the lean lefthander pumped away at a 242 average for eight games to move into serious contention for one of the four spots in the regionally televised finals. At the finish of 60 games, Pete Tountas was the leader, Davis was second, Bud Horn third and Mike Limongello fourth.

The finals saw Limongello eliminate Horn, 257-226, before Davis came along to whip Mike, 205-195, to set the stage for the big-money test. Tountas started fast and was 21 pins ahead after four frames. But "Tonto" ran into split problems late in the game. He left three . . . the 5-7 in the seventh, 4-6 in the eigth and saw his hopes dashed when the 5-7 stood in the tenth frame. The final score was 216-191 and Davis was hauled front and center for the trophy and check presentations.

The $10,000 check raised Davis' earnings for the year to $54,165, making him No. 1 in the money department. His titles included wins in Las Vegas, Denver, Milwaukee, Green Bay and Omaha, in addition to the National.

Tountas pocketed $5,000 for second, Limongello took home $3,000 and Horn was good for $2,500.

So ended the "Year of Davis." There was no doubt in anybody's mind that he'd haul down "Bowler of the Year" honors. And, what makes it better than ever, the tall guy is only 24 years old. He's got a lot of strokes left in the long arm.

The Garden brass were just as pleased with the entire operation as Davis. Irving Mitchell Felt, board chairman and president, and Edwin M. Ost Jr., vice president of the new Madison Square Garden Center, along with Eddie Elias, founder and legal counsel for the PBA, announced that this year's tournament would be upped to $75,000.

CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND

PLAYOFF RESULTS-Limongello defeated Horn, 267-226 ; Davis defeated Limongello, 205-195; Davis defeated Tountas, 216-191, in championship game.

60 GAMES

		Name, City/State		Pins		WLT		+		Tot		Amt
1		Pete Tountas, Tucson, Ariz.		13175		15-9-0		760		13925		---
2		Dave Davis, Phoenix, Ariz.		13165		14-10-0		709		13865
3		Bud Morn, Los Angeles, Calif.		12996		16-9-0		750		13746
4		Mike Limongello, N. Babylon, N.Y.		13013		14-9-1		725		13738
*5		Don Johnson, Kokomo, Ind.		13013		14-10-0		700		13713		$2,060
6		John Guenther, Seattle, Wash.		12823		16-8-0		800		13623		1,800
**7		Bill Allen, Orlando, Fla.		12922		14-10-0		700		13622		1,600
8		Bob Strampe, Detroit, Mich.		12986		12-12-0		600		13686		1,600
9		Ted Hoffman, Philadelphia, Pa.		13020		11-13-0		560		13570		1,450
10		Don McCune, Munster, Ind.		12962		12-12-0		600		13652		1,400
11		Dave Soutar, Detroit, Mich.		12942		12-12-0		600		13542		1,350
12		Don Carter, Tarzana, Calif.		12823		14-10-0		700		13523		1,300
13		Jimmy Certain, Huntsville, Ala.		12985		10-14-0		500		13485		1,250
14		Dick Weber, St. Louis, Mo.		12978		10-14-0		500		13478		1,200
15		Ralph Engan, Monsey, N.Y.		12775		13-10-1		675		13450		1,160
16		Bill Johnson, New Orleans, La.		12874		10-14-0		500		13374		1,100
17		Fred Lening, Fairless Hills, Pa.		12783		11-13-0		550		13333		1,050
18		Dick Ritger, Hartford, Wise.		12654		11-12-1		575		13229		1,000
19		Jim Godman, Hayward, Calif.		12771		9-15-0		450		13221		960
20		Wayne Zahn, Atlanta, Ga.		12667		10-14-0		600		13167		900
21		Joe Joseph, Lansing, Mich.		12714		9-15-0		450		13164		850
22		Bob Snell, Stamford, Conn.		12683		11-13-0		550		13133		800
23		Paul Moser, Medford, Mass.		12576		9-14-1		475		13051		760
24		Glenn Allison, Los Angeles, Calif.		12517		10-14-0		500		13017		700

Pos.		Name, City/State	Total	Amount
*25		Bill Tucker, Miami, Fla.	7,619	$650
26		Jim Dunston, Ft. Worth, Tex.	7,617	450
27		Buzz Fazio, Delton, Mich.	7,616	425
28		Nelson Burton Jr., St. Louis, Mo.	7,608	425
29		Ed Bourdase, Fresno, Calif.	7,594	400
30		Harry Johnson, Los Angeles, Calif.	7,591	400
		Carmen Salvino, Chicago, Ill.	7,591	400
32		Bobby Cooper, Ft. Worth, Tex.	7,572	400
33		Jim St. John, San Jose, Calif.	7,567	375
34		Ed Lubanski, Detroit, Mich.	7,548	375
35		Billy Hardwick, San Mateo, Calif.	7,540	375
36		Skip Vigars, Albany, N.Y.	7,636	375
37		Les Schissler, Denver, Colo.	7,535	350
38		Teata Semiz, River Edge, N.J.	7,533	350
39		Al Thompson, Cleveland, Ohio	7,523	350
40		Bob Kwolek, Detroit, Mich.	7,519	350
41		Bill Lillard, Dallas, Tex.	7,517	325
42		Bob McMillin, College Point, N.Y.	7,614	325
43		Skee Foremsky, El Paso, Tex.	7,502	325
44		Dale Seavoy, Detroit, Mich.	7,493	325
45		Billy Welu, St. Louis, Mo.	7,480	300
46		Harry O'Neale, Charleston, S.C.	7,472	300
47		Jim Bush, Lubbock, Tex.	7,449	300
48		Joe Beninato, Morgan, N.J.	7,447	300