It was almost two years since Mike Durbin had captured a PBA championship, but this was the new Mike Durbin, competing in the $50,000 Bellows-Valvair Open at Redwood City, Calif. The word "new" refers to the unique three-step delivery the tall righthander was now using. It served him in good stead, because Mike averaged 237 pins per game during the 24-game qualifier to pile up a commanding lead over others in the 16-man field. When match play commenced, Mike fell from the lead briefly as Johnny Guenther opened with a 256 and then a 300 game, one of the three fired in the event (the others were by Don McCune and Ernie Schlegel). Mike, however, scrambled back into the lead and when the final game (position) began victory was assured. Right behind Mike, though, the finalists were bunched rather tightly. Barry Asher took second, and won $3,200 (Durbin received $6,000) but Barry's margin over Tim Harahan was only 37 pins. Harahan, in turn, headed Guenther by only four, with Larry Laub another 42 in arrears. FINALS AFTER 40 GAMES | |  | Name, City/State | | Pins | | WLT | | + | | Tot | | Amt | | | 1 | | Mike Durbin, Dayton, O. | | 9415 | | 10-6-0 | | 500 | | 9915 | | $6,000 | | 2 | | Barry Asher, Costa Mesa, Cal. | | 9208 | | 11-5-0 | | 560 | | 9768 | | 3,200 | | 3 | | Timmy Harahan, Canoga Park, Cal. | | 9271 | | 9-7-0 | | 460 | | 9721 | | 2,500 | | ***4 | | Johnny Guenther, Seattle, Wash. | | 9267 | | 9-7-0 | | 450 | | 9717 | | 2,000 | | 5 | | Larry Laub, San Francisco, Cal. | | 9276 | | 8-8-0 | | 400 | | 9675 | | 1,500 | | 6 | | A.W. "Bill" Johnson, New Orleans, La. | | 9267 | | 8-8-0 | | 400 | | 9667 | | 1,400 | | 7 | | Keith Wiltse, Vicksburg, Mich. | | 9140 | | 10-6-0 | | 500 | | 9640 | | 1,300 | | 8 | | Jim Stefanich, Joliet, Ill. | | 9145 | | 8-8-0 | | 400 | | 9545 | | 1,200 | | 9 | | Dennis Swayda, Phoenix, Ariz. | | 9070 | | 9-7-0 | | 450 | | 9520 | | 1,150 | | 10 | | George Pappas, Charlotte, N.C. | | 9129 | | 7-8-1 | | 375 | | 9504 | | 1,100 | | 11 | | Bobby Knipple, Long Beach, Cal. | | 9095 | | 8-8-0 | | 400 | | 9495 | | 1,050 | | 12 | | Mike Orlovsky, Endicott, N.Y. | | 9151 | | 6-10-0 | | 300 | | 9451 | | 1,000 | | 13 | | Don Russell, San Diego, Cal. | | 9136 | | 6-10-0 | | 300 | | 9436 | | 950 | | 14 | | Nelson Burton Jr., St. Louis, Mo. | | 9032 | | 5-10-1 | | 275 | | 9307 | | 900 | | 15 | | Vern Downing, San Francisco, Cal. | | 8887 | | 7-9-0 | | 350 | | 9237 | | 850 | | 16 | | Rod Pardey, Tacoma, Wash. | | 8844 | | 6-10-0 | | 300 | | 9144 | | 800 | |
24-GAME TOTALS | Pos. | | Name, City/State | Total | Amount | | | *17 | | Carmen Salvino, Chicago, Ill | 5395 | $750 | | 18 | | Roy Buckley, Columbus, Ohio | 5390 | 650 | | 19 | | Jack Crosley, Seattle Wash. | 5373 | 600 | | **20 | | Bill Coleman, San Leandro, Cal. | 5368 | 550 | | 21 | | Jim Jones, Santa Clara, Cal. | 5363 | 500 | | 22 | | Terry Rea, Seattle, Wash. | 5360 | 490 | | 23 | | Les Zikes, Palatine, Ill. | 5357 | 480 | | 24 | | Steve Wallace, Houston, Tex. | 5337 | 470 | | 25 | | Dick Weber, St. Louis, Mo. | 6319 | 460 | | 26 | | Don Bell, San Francisco, Cal. | 5317 | 450 | | **27 | | George Rose, San Jose, Cal. | 5314 | 440 | | 28 | | Bill Haynes, Warren, Mich. | 5307 | 430 | | 29 | | Bill Tucker, St. Louis, Mo. | 5281 | 420 | | 30 | | Jim Frazier, Spokane Wash. | 5275 | 410 | | **31 | | Chuck Check, Orville, Cal. | 5268 | 400 | | 32 | | Gus Lampo, Endicott, N.Y. | 526 | 390 | | 33 | | Bill Tuttle, San Jose, Cal. | 5265 | 380 | | 34 | | Glenn Carlson, Fresno, Cal. | 6264 | 370 | | 35 | | Jerry Ross, Seattle, Wash. | 5267 | 360 | | **36 | | Tye Critchlow Los Angeles, Cal. | 5254 | 350 | | 37 | | Jack Biondolillo, Gilroy, Cal. | 5252 | 340 | | 38 | | Jim Godman, Hayward, Cal. | 5248 | 330 | | 39 | | Terry Booth, Mountain View, Cal. | 6242 | 317.50 | | *** | | Ernie Schlegel, Newburgh, N.Y. | 5242 | 317.50 | | 41 | | Rich Altman, Oklahoma City, Okla. | 5241 | 310 | | 42 | | Mick McMahon, Portland, Ore. | 5237 | 305 | | 43 | | Phil Sillia, Cleveland, Ohio | 5236 | 300 | | 44 | | Dale Seavoy, Birmingham, Mich. | 5225 | 296 | | ***45 | | Don McCune, Munster, Ind. | 6218 | 290 | | 46 | | Denny Krick, Tacoma, Wash. | 5215 | 282.50 | | | | Ron Lisher, Santa Rosa, Cal. | 5215 | 282.50 | | 48 | | Jim St. John, San Jose, Cal. | 5210 | 275 | | 49 | | Billy Hardwick, Louisville, Ky. | 5209 | 270 | | 50 | | Fred Borden, Akron, Ohio | 5208 | 265 | | 51 | | Matt Surina, Seattle, Wash. | 5206 | 260 | | 52 | | Bobby Cooper, Houston, Tex. | 5200 | 255 | | 53 | | Lamar Keck, Reseda, Cal. | 5199 | 250 | |
*Alternate. **Local Entries. *** $100 for 300 games-Don McCune, Ernie Schlegel, Johnny Guenther. 24-Game Qualifying Leader-Durbin 5708. 16th Low-Pardey, 5396. PRO-AM CASHERS ($50)-Marty Piraino, Rich Altman Pete Mylenki, Jim Stefanich, Jack Crosley Mike Orlovsky, Keith Wiltse, Don McCune, Dick Ritger, Larry Laub, Bill Tuttle, Billy Hardwick, Vern Downing, Palmer Fallgren, Dave Davis, Barry Brady, Earl Johnson, Mike Durbin, Jim Godman, Ernie Schlegel, Nelson Burton Jr., Steve Wallace; ($25)-Terry Rea, A.W. "Bill" Johnson, Jerry Ross, Allie Clarke, Ralph Hartmann, Mike McGrath.
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