Professional Bowlers Association

Dave Davis, Atlanta, Ga., became the second player in the tournament's 11-year history to twice win the $125,000 Firestone Tournament of Champions.

He defeated Barry Ashen Costa Mesa, Calif., 201-195, in the championship game to win the coveted title and the $25,000 first prize. He won the exclusive tournament for the first time in 1968 and joins Jim Godman, Vero Beach, Fla., as a double winner. Godman was fourth in this Firestone.

The victory also was another rung in Davis' comeback ladder as he won the $80,000 Miller High Life Open two weeks previously at Milwaukee, Wis., to break a five-year victory drought.

Davis Asher and Godman were joined by leading money winner and defending Firestone titleist, Earl Anthony, Tacoma, Wash., and Steve Neff, Sarasota, Fla., in the five-man finals.

Godman and the man who was to be top-seeded, Asher, were close to the leaders throughout. Davis and Anthony moved among the leaders later, and by the time match play was nearing the end, it was apparent that the struggle for the fifth spot was to be between Neff and another youngster, Mark Roth, Staten Island, N.Y.

Neff won that deciding position-round game, 259-201, and the field was set.

Neff's dreams for a second big win on the winter tour (he had won the $100,000 BPAA U.S. Open a month earlier) went a-glimmering when he bowed to Godman, 214-204, in the first match. Four strikes by Godman early in the game overcame Neff's late challenge.

Godman's hopes for a third Firestone title also were dashed just a game later when Anthony eliminated him, 216-198. Anthony had an opening three-bagger and that proved to be enough margin.

Now it was Davis' turn and he didn't muff the opportunity.

He and Anthony were nip and tuck through the fourth frame and suddenly Anthony couldn't buy a strike. Davis did, however, getting seven of eight in the closing frames for a rousing 247-193 victory.

For Asher, the championship game was to be a repeat of two years earlier when he lost to Godman in the championship match. This day was to belong to Davis. He converted a 2-7 split in the fourth frame of the title match, then doubled for a six-pin margin, which he protected to the end. Asher could have caught him with a double in the tenth frame, but a 3-6-10 leave made it a 201-195 victory for Davis.

And it was a tearful one. Davis, obviously shaken at his good fortune, told newsmen later that he was truly lucky through the two final games.

TELEVISED FINALS

PLAYOFF RESULTS-Godman defeated Neff, 214-204; Anthony defeated Godman, 216-198; Davis defeated Anthony, 247-193, and in the championship game, Davis defeated Asher, 201-195.

48-GAME TOTALS

		Name, City/State		Pins		WLT		+		Tot		Amt
1		Barry Asher, Costa Mesa, Calif.		10648		15-9-0		450		11098
2		Dave Davis, Atlanta, Ga.		10604		16-8-0		480		11084
3		Earl Anthony, Tacoma, Wash.		10590		16-8-0		480		11070
4		Steve Neff, Sarasota, Fla.		10623		12-12-0		360		10983
5		Jim Godman, Vero Beach, Fla.		10558		14-10-0		420		10978
*6		Mark Roth, Staten Island, N.Y.		10522		12-12-0		360		10882		$3,350
7		Tommy Hudson, Akron, Ohio		10508		11-13-0		330		10838		3,000
8		Ray Orf, St. Louis, Mo.		10405		12-11-1		375		10780		2,800
9		Gary Dickinson, Ft. Worth, Texas		10376		12-12-0		360		10736		2,600
10		Don McCune, Munster, Ind.		10344		12-12-0		360		10704		2,500
11		Gus Lampo, Endicott, N.Y.		10276		13-11-0		390		10666		2,400
12		George Pappas, Charlotte, N.C.		10335		11-13-0		330		10665		2,300
13		Mike Durbin, Chagrin Falls, Ohio		10389		8-16-0		240		10629		2,200
14		Jim Stefanich, Joliet, Ill.		10222		13-11-0		390		10612		2,100
15		Les Zikes, Palatine, Ill.		10221		13-11-0		390		10611		2,000
16		Dick Weber, St. Louis, Mo.		10096		15-9-0		450		10546		1,900
17		Dick Ritger, Hartford, Wis.		10093		15-9-0		450		10543		1,800
18		Teata Semiz, River Edge, N.J.		10038		13-11-0		390		10428		1,700
19		Nelson Burton Jr., St. Louis, Mo.		10096		10-14-0		300		10396		1,650
20		Ed Bourdase, San Jose, Calif.		10003		13-11-0		390		10393		1,600
21		Carmen Salvino, Chicago, Ill.		10096		7-16-1		225		10321		1,550
22		Bobby Knipple, Long Beach, Calif.		9957		12-12-0		360		10317		1,500
23		Dave Soutar, Kansas City, Mo.		9970		6-18-0		180		10150		1,450
24		Mike Limongello, N. Lindenhurst, N.Y.		9908		6-18-0		180		10088		1,400

Pos.		Name, City/State	Total	Amount
*25		Bill Beach, Sharon, Pa.	5058	$1,075
26		Roy Buckley, Columbus, Ohio	5056	1,000
27		Tim Harahan, Woodland Hills, Calif.	5040	1,000
28		Allie Clarke, Akron, Ohio	5027	1,000
29		Paul Colwell, Tucson, Ariz.	5008	1,000
30		Ed Ressler, Allentown, Pa.	4994	1,000
31		Jay Robinson, Los Angeles, Calif.	4987	1,000
32		Bob Hood, San Francisco, Calif.	4984	1,000
33		Gary Mage, Seattle, Wash.	4982	1,000
34		Butch Gearhart, Houston, Texas	4978	1,000
35		Curt Schmidt, Ft. Wayne, Ind.	4976	1,000
36		Mike McGrath, Lake St. Louis, Mo.	4974	1,000
37		Johnny Guenther, Seattle, Wash.	4940	1,000
		Don Johnson, Akron, Ohio	4940	1,000
39		John Petraglia, Staten Island, N.Y.	4905	1,000
40		Norm Meyers, St. Louis, Mo.	4899	1,000
		Matt Surina, Longview, Wash.	4899	1,000
42		Bill Allen, Orlando, Fla.	4884	1,000
43		Skee Foremsky, Houston, Texas	4834	1,000
44		Louie Moore, Columbus, Ohio	4833	1,000
45		Marty Piraino, Syracuse, N.Y.	4828	1,000
46		Wayne Zahn, Tempe, Ariz.	4761	1,000
47		Billy Hardwick, Louisville, Ky.	4744	1,000
48		Don Helling, St. Louis, Mo.	4737	1,000
49		Alex Seymore, Kannapolis, N.C.	4708	1,000
50		Bobby Cooper, Ft. Worth, Texas	4655	1,000
51		Harry Smith, Rochester, N.Y.	4508	1,000
52		Larry Laub, San Francisco, Calif., (WD 3 game total)	569	1,000