Professional Bowlers Association

Marshall Holman became the youngest man ever to win the $125,000 Firestone Tournament of Champions when he captured the 1976 edition, nipping Billy Hardwick, 203-198, in the title game.

Only 21-years-old, the Medford, Ore., "Meteor" made the $25,000 paycheck, biggest in professional bowling, his third title in less than a year.

Holman did it by tossing haymakers at two of the Professional Bowlers Association's battle-hardened veterans, Hardwick and Timmy Harahan.

Coincidentally, it was Hardwick who had captured the very first Firestone in 1965. And it was Hardwick who had captured the very first Firestone in 1965. And it was Hardwick who was seeking a second straight tour triumph, having won the previous week at Toledo after a seven-year drought.

In the title fray, Holman shot first and spared. Then Hardwick got the first two of three strikes. Holman countered with strikes in the second and third, then forged ahead when Hardwick left the 4-5-7 split and failed to convert.

That turned a five-pin Holman deficit into a five-pin Holman lead and he stayed ahead for the remainder of the game. Had Hardwick closed with a flurry of strikes, he could have shut out Holman. Instead, he spared twice, then struck on his fill ball and sat down hoping for a miracle.

It didn't come. Although Holman came in high on his first shot of the 10th, he left only the 4-7 for an easy spare. All Holman needed was the mark, and he got that.

Holman had made the finals second to Hardwick, with Harahan, Don McCune and Teata Semiz rounding out the select five. The position round battle for the finals was so tight that the man Holman beat, veteran Dick Weber, finished eighth.

Adding to the thrills at Riviera Lanes was the perfect game rolled by defending champion Dave Davis.

In the finals, Harahan stopped Semiz, 225-216, then breezed by McCune, 237-186. Holman then slapped Harahan, 238-208, to set up the title match.

The 5-9, 140-pound Holman then nipped Hardwick, doing in his first national television appearance what few thought he could do-beat the best veterans in the biggest tournament of all.

TELEVISED FINALS

PLAYOFF RESULTS-Harahan defeated Semiz, 225-216; Harahan defeated McCune, 237-186; Holman defeated Harahan, 238-208, and in the championship game, Holman defeated Hardwick, 203-198.

48-GAME TOTALS

		Name, City/State		Pins		WLT		+		Tot		Amt
1		Billy Hardwick, Louisville, Ky.		10382		16-8-0		480		10862
2		Marshall Holman, Medford, Ore.		10400		14-9-1		435		10835
3		Don McCune, Munster, Ind.		10431		12-11-1		375		10806
4		Tim Harahan, Woodland Hills, Calif.		10430		11-12-1		345		10775
5		Teata Semiz, River Edge, N.J.		10413		12-12-0		360		10773
*6		Gary Dickinson, Ft. Worth, Texas		10362		13-10-1		405		10767		$3,350
7		Roy Buckley, Columbus, Ohio		10378		12-12-0		360		10738		3,000
8		Dick Weber, St. Louis, Mo.		10227		17-7-0		510		10737		2,800
9		Larry Laub, San Francisco, Calif.		10266		14-10-0		420		10686		2,600
10		Tommy Hudson, Akron, Ohio		10310		12-11-1		375		10685		2,500
11		Allie Clarke, Akron, Ohio		10316		12-12-0		360		10676		2,400
12		Carmen Salvino, Chicago, Ill.		10355		10-13-1		315		10670		2,300
13		Mark Roth, Staten Island, N.Y.		10252		13-10-1		405		10657		2,200
14		Jim Godman, Lorain, Ohio		10367		9-14-1		285		10662		2,100
15		George Pappas, Charlotte, N.C.		10312		11-13-0		330		10642		2,000
16		Nelson Burton Jr., St. Louis, Mo.		10239		12-12-0		360		10599		1,900
17		Mike Limongello, Lindenhurst, N.Y.		10221		12-11-1		375		10596		1,800
18		Barry Asher, Costa Mesa, Calif.		10283		10-14-0		300		10583		1,700
19		Mike Durbin, Chagrin Falls, Ohio		10156		13-11-0		390		10546		1,650
20		John Wilcox, Montoursville, Pa.		10092		14-10-0		420		10512		1,600
#21		Dave Davis, Atlanta, Ga.		10148		10-14-0		300		10448		1,550
22		Paul Colwell, Tucson, Ariz.		10123		9-14-1		285		10408		1,500
23		Wayne Zahn, Tempe, Ariz.		10127		6-18-0		180		10307		1,450
24		Jay Robinson, Los Angeles, Calif.		9905		9-15-0		270		10175		1,400

Pos.		Name, City/State	Total	Amount
*25		Earl Anthony, Tacoma, Wash.	5042	$1,075
26		Gus Lampo, Endicott, N.Y.	5024	1,000
27		Marty Piraino, Syracuse, N.Y.	4996	1,000
28		Dave Soutar, Kansas City, Mo.	4974	1,000
29		Bill Beach, Sharon, Pa.	4955	1,000
30		Curt Schmidt, Ft. Wayne, Ind.	4938	1,000
31		Bob Hood, San Mateo, Calif.	4922	1,000
32		Louie Moore, Columbus, Ohio	4913	1,000
33		Don Johnson, Las Vegas, Nev.	4910	1,000
34		Eddie Ressler, Allentown, Pa.	4901	1,000
35		Palmer Fallgren, San Francisco, Calif.	4898	1,000
36		Matt Surina, Longview, Wash.	4890	1,000
37		Jim Stefanich, Joliet, Ill.	4889	1,000
		Dale Glenn, Los Angeles, Calif.	4889	1,000
39		Steve Neff, Sarasota, Fla.	4877	1,000
40		Johnny Guenther, Seattle, Wash.	4876	1,000
41		Paul Moser, Medford, Mass.	4873	1,000
42		Mike McGrath, San Francisco, Calif.	4834	1,000
43		Bobby Knipple, Long Beach, Calif.	4827	1,000
44		Don Helling, St. Charles, Mo.	4817	1,000
45		Gary Mage, Bellevue, Wash.	4811	1,000
46		Bus Oswalt, Muncie, Ind.	4801	1,000
47		Johnny Petraglia, Staten Island, N.Y.	4770	1,000
48		Dick Ritger, River Falls, Wis.	4769	1,000
49		Sal Bongiorno, Hollywood, Fla.	4739	1,000
50		Skee Foremsky, Houston, Texas	4710	1,000
51		Bill Allen, Maitland, Fla.	4530	1,000
52		Sam Flanagan, Parkersburg, W. Va. (20 games)	3898	1,000