With a partisan crowd cheering him on, tour veteran Johnny Guenther came through like the champion he is to claim his tenth Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) crown as he swept to victory in the $50,000 Seattle Open Bowling Tournament. The 39-year-old Seattle pro, who led a five-man advance into the televised (Home Box Office) finals of the competition, downed Akron's Allie Clarke by a 243-212 count to pocket the $5,000 winner's purse, while relegating the gritty Clarke to runnerup, where he earned $3,000. The finish was Clarke's highest since the opening event on the 1973 calendar, when he annexed the championship in San Jose, Cal., scene of next week's stop on the PBA's summer tour. Even in a losing cause, Clarke was the darling of the crowd, until he faced the hometown favorite. Trying to fight his way to the crown after qualifying fifth following 42 preliminary games, the 32-year-old Clarke fell one game short in his quest. TELEVISED FINALS | Pos. |  | Name, City/State | Total | Amount | | | 1 | | Johnny Guenther, Seattle, Wash. | 243 (1 game) | $5,000 | | 2 | | Allie Clarke, Akron, Ohio | 874 (4 games) | 3,000 | | 3 | | Gary Mage, Seattle, Wash. | 188 (1 game) | 2,500 | | 4 | | John Handegard, Eugene, Ore. | 226 (1 game) | 2,000 | | 5 | | Ed Ressler, Allentown, Pa. | 184 (1 game) | 1,800 | |
PLAYOFF RESULTS-Clarke defeated Ressler, 228-184; Clarke defeated Handegard 237-226; Clarke defeated Mage 197-188, and in the championship game, Guenther defeated Clarke 243-212.
42-GAME TOTALS | | | Name, City/State | | Pins | | WLT | | + | | Tot | | Amt | | | 1 | | Johnny Guenther, Seattle, Wash. | | 9102 | | 16-8-0 | | 480 | | 9582 | | | | 2 | | Gary Mage, Seattle, Wash. | | 8930 | | 15-9-0 | | 450 | | 9380 | | | | 3 | | John Handegard, Eugene, Ore. | | 8884 | | 14-10-0 | | 420 | | 9304 | | | | 4 | | Ed Ressler, Allentown, Pa. | | 8787 | | 17-7-0 | | 510 | | 9297 | | | | 5 | | Allie Clarke, Akron, Ohio | | 8851 | | 13-11-0 | | 390 | | 9241 | | | | *6 | | Bob Singleton, Dallas, Texas | | 8742 | | 15-9-0 | | 450 | | 9192 | | $1,700 | | 7 | | Tim Harahan, Woodland Hills, Calif. | | 8736 | | 14-10-0 | | 420 | | 9156 | | 1,500 | | 8 | | Paul Colwell, Tucson, Ariz. | | 8672 | | 16-8-0 | | 480 | | 9152 | | 1,400 | | 9 | | Steve Neff, Sarasota, Fla. | | 8701 | | 14-10-0 | | 420 | | 9121 | | 1,300 | | #10 | | Mickey Higham, Kansas City, Mo. | | 8687 | | 13-11-0 | | 390 | | 9077 | | 1,200 | | @11 | | Bob Farnum, Seattle, Wash. | | 8743 | | 11-13-0 | | 330 | | 9073 | | 1,150 | | @12 | | Ivan Lawrence, Seattle, Wash. | | 8651 | | 14-10-0 | | 420 | | 9071 | | 1,100 | | 13 | | Rich Carrubba, Hayward, Calif. | | 8710 | | 12-12-0 | | 360 | | 9070 | | 1,050 | | 14 | | Guy Rowbury, Ronan, Mt. | | 8656 | | 13-11-0 | | 390 | | 9046 | | 1,000 | | 15 | | Les Zikes, Palatine, Ill. | | 8732 | | 10-14-0 | | 300 | | 9032 | | 950 | | 16 | | Billy Hardwick, Louisville, Ky. | | 8648 | | 12-11-1 | | 375 | | 9023 | | 900 | | 17 | | Jim Hills, Cleveland, Ohio | | 8711 | | 9-15-0 | | 270 | | 8981 | | 850 | | 18 | | Dennis Murphy, Great Falls, Mt. | | 8558 | | 13-10-1 | | 405 | | 8963 | | 800 | | 19 | | George Pappas, Charlotte, N.C. | | 8632 | | 11-13-0 | | 330 | | 8962 | | 750 | | 20 | | Matt Surina, Longview, Wash. | | 8660 | | 10-14-0 | | 300 | | 8960 | | 700 | | 21 | | Dave Blevins, Pasco, Wash. | | 8586 | | 4-20-0 | | 120 | | 8706 | | 650 | | 22 | | Skee Foremsky, Houston, Texas | | 8434 | | 9-15-0 | | 270 | | 8704 | | 600 | | 23 | | Marty Piraino, Syracuse, N.Y. | | 8280 | | 5-19-0 | | 150 | | 8430 | | 550 | | 24 | | Don Wright, Sunnyvale, Calif. | | 8207 | | 7-17-0 | | 210 | | 8417 | | 500 | |
18-GAME TOTALS | Pos. | | Name, City/State | Total | Amount | | | *25 | | Rick Perry, Columbia Falls, Mont. | 3686 | $495 | | 26 | | Ted Malicki, Cleveland, Ohio | 3676 | 410 | | 27 | | Bobby Jacks, New Orleans, La. | 3675 | 400 | | 28 | | Bill McCorkle, Columbus, Ohio | 3666 | 390 | | 29 | | Joe Berardi, New York, N.Y. | 3665 | 385 | | 30 | | Don Cook, W. Allis, Wis. | 3663 | 380 | | 31 | | Paul Kreins, Pleasant Hill, Calif. | 3656 | 375 | | 32 | | Mike McGrath, Lake St. Louis, Mo. | 3655 | 370 | | 33 | | Earl Anthony, Tacoma, Wash. | 3647 | 365 | | 34 | | Bill Bunetta, Fresno, Calif. | 3639 | 360 | | 35 | | John Bolejack, Ft. Worth, Texas | 3638 | 355 | | 36 | | Cliff Saliba, Syracuse, N.Y. | 3637 | 350 | | 37 | | Sam Flanagan, Parkersburg, W.Va. | 3634 | 345 | | 38 | | Larry Laub, San Francisco, Calif. | 3630 | 340 | | 39 | | Bob Alstott, Kansas City, Kan. | 3629 | 335 | | @40 | | Hugh Miller, Seattle, Wash. | 3626 | 330 | | 41 | | Leon Aragon, San Bruno, Calif. | 3622 | 322.50 | | @ | | Mike Slocum, Seattle, Wash. | 3622 | 322.50 | | 43 | | Gary Dickinson, Ft. Worth, Texas | 3621 | 315 | | 44 | | Thurston Gilchrist, Salem, Ore. | 3617 | 310 | | 45 | | Gil Sliker, Washington, N.J. | 3615 | 305 | | 46 | | Jim Stefanich, Joliet, Ill. | 3607 | 300 | | 47 | | John Wukasch, Houston, Texas | 3605 | 300 | | 48 | | Dan Baudoin, Belmont, Calif. | 3600 | 150 | | | | Henry Gonzalez, Colorado Spgs., Colo. | 3600 | 150 | |
*Alternates. @Local entry. #Higham received $100 for a 300 game. PRO-AM CASHERS-$50 each-Rich Carrubba, Jim Hills, Allie Clarke, Johnny Guenther, Terry Tuttle, Ron Bell, Jack Major, Timmy Harahan, Sandy Finkelstein, Dean Asami, Ted Malicki, Don Helling, Jim Stefanich, Dave Blevins, Billy Hardwick, Fred Conner.
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