Mark Roth picked up right where the 1977 season left off when he took first place in the 1978 Winter Tour opener, the $100,000 Lite Classic. Seeded second, Roth defeated Joe Nuzzo, 236-181, to earn a spot in the championship game against top-seeded Lee Taylor. Roth, who was bowling with a painfully infected right ring finger, won the match, 212-192, for his ninth PBA championship. The fourth-seeded Nuzzo began by edging Gary Dickinson, 224-223, and then ousted local favorite Larry Gray of Torrance, 247-245, to move into the semifinal game against No. 2 seeded Roth. TELEVISED FINALS | Pos. |  | Name, City/State | Total | Amount | | | 1 | | Mark Roth, Staten Island, N.Y. | 448 (2 games) | $15,000 | | 2 | | Lee Taylor, San Diego, | 192 (1 game) | 8,000 | | 3 | | Joe Nuzzo, Youngstown, Ohio | 652 (3 games) | 6,000 | | 4 | | Larry Gray, Torrance, Calif. | 245 (1 game) | 5,000 | | 5 | | Gary Dickinson, Ft. Worth | 223 (1 game) | 4,000 | |
PLAYOFF RESULTS - Nuzzo defeated Dickinson, 224-223; Nuzzo defeated Gray, 247-245; Roth defeatedNuzzo, 236-181, and in the championship game Roth defeated Taylor, 212-192.
42-GAME TOTALS | | | Name, City | | Pins | | Avg | | WLT | | + | | Tot | | Amt | | | 1 | | Lee Taylor, San Diego | | 9432 | | 224.5 | | 13-11-0 | | 390 | | 9800 | | | | 2 | | Mark Roth, Staten Island, N.Y. | | 9318 | | 221.8 | | 16-7-1 | | 495 | | 9813 | | | | 3 | | Larry Gray, Torrance, Cal. | | 9277 | | 220.8 | | 17-7-0 | | 510 | | 9787 | | | | 4 | | Joe Nuzzo, Youngstown, Ohio | | 9257 | | 220.4 | | 13-11-0 | | 390 | | 9647 | | | | 5 | | Gary Dickinson, Ft. Worth | | 9238 | | 219.9 | | 13-11-0 | | 390 | | 9628 | | | | 6 | | Rick Minier, Portland | | 9202 | | 219.0 | | 14-10-0 | | 420 | | 9622 | | $3,250 | | 7 | | Joe Groskind, Memphis | | 9117 | | 217.0 | | 16-8-0 | | 480 | | 9597 | | 2,800 | | 8 | | Bobby Fenton, Cucamonga, Calif. | | 9168 | | 218.2 | | 14-10-0 | | 420 | | 9588 | | 2,700 | | 9 | | Keith Craycraft, N. Martinsville | | 9165 | | 218.2 | | 13-11-0 | | 390 | | 9555 | | 2,600 | | 10 | | Paul Colwell, Tucson | | 9159 | | 218.0 | | 12-12-0 | | 360 | | 9519 | | 2,500 | | 11 | | Gil Sliker, Washington, N.J. | | 9033 | | 215.0 | | 15-9-0 | | 450 | | 9483 | | 2,400 | | 12 | | Carmen Salvino, Chicago | | 9052 | | 215.5 | | 11-13-0 | | 330 | | 9382 | | 2,300 | | 13 | | Dennis Swayda, Phoenix | | 9101 | | 216.6 | | 9-15-0 | | 270 | | 9371 | | 2,200 | | @14 | | Steve Cooper, La Mirada, Cal. | | 8983 | | 213.8 | | 12-11-1 | | 375 | | 9358 | | 2,100 | | 15 | | Don Johnson, Las Vegas | | 9050 | | 215.4 | | 9-14-1 | | 285 | | 9335 | | 2,000 | | 16 | | Roy Buckley, Columbus, Ohio | | 8989 | | 214.0 | | 11-13-0 | | 330 | | 9319 | | 1,900 | | 17 | | Dick Ritger, River Falls, Wisc. | | 8975 | | 214.1 | | 11-13-0 | | 330 | | 9305 | | 1,800 | | @18 | | Gip Lentine, Los Angeles | | 8994 | | 212.7 | | 9-15-0 | | 270 | | 9264 | | 1,700 | | 19 | | Greg Baderdeen, Ontario, Cal. | | 8937 | | 212.7 | | 10-13-1 | | 315 | | 9252 | | 1,600 | | 20 | | Dennis Lane, Kingsport, Tenn. | | 8859 | | 210.9 | | 12-11-1 | | 375 | | 9234 | | 1,500 | | 21 | | Paul Moser, Medford, Mass. | | 8856 | | 210.8 | | 12-12-0 | | 360 | | 9216 | | 1,400 | | 22 | | Henry Gonzalez, Colo. Spgs. | | 8864 | | 211.0 | | 9-14-1 | | 285 | | 9149 | | 1,300 | | 23 | | Joe Hutchinson, Scranton, Pa. | | 8844 | | 210.5 | | 8-16-0 | | 240 | | 9084 | | 1,200 | | 24 | | Mike Alfieri, LaCrosse, Wisc. | | 8666 | | 206.3 | | 6-18-0 | | 180 | | 8846 | | 1,100 | |
18-GAME TOTALS | Pos. | | Name, City/State | Amount | | | *25 | | Ernie Schlegel, USA | $1,040 | | 26 | | Earl Anthony, Tacoma | 940 | | 27 | | Ed Ressler, Allentown, Pa. | 900 | | 28 | | Steve Neff, Sarasota | 880 | | 29 | | Fred Conner, Mar Vista, Calif. | 860 | | 30 | | Bill Spigner, Hamden, Conn. | 840 | | 31 | | Dale Glenn, Glendale, Calif. | 820 | | 32 | | Ken Fernandez, Rogue River, Ore. | 800 | | 33 | | Bill Straub, Lincoln, Neb. | 780 | | 34 | | Bill Shumway, Aurora, Colo. | 760 | | 35 | | Todd Strebel, Monroe, N.Y. | 740 | | 36 | | Cliff McNealy, San Lorenzo, Calif. | 720 | | 37 | | Jim Stefanich, Joliet, Ill. | 710 | | 38 | | Tim Harahan, Hawthorne, Calif. | 700 | | 39 | | Norm Meyers, St. Louis | 690 | | 40 | | Nelson Burton Jr., St. Louis | 675 | | | | Jay Robinson, Van Nuys, Calif. | 675 | | 42 | | Ed Bourdase, San Jose, Calif. | 655 | | | | Charlie Venable, Brooklyn | 655 | | 44 | | Marshall Holman, Medford, Ore. | 640 | | 45 | | Butch Soper, Los Angeles | 630 | | 46 | | Boysie Huber, St. Louis | 615 | | | | George Pappas, Charlotte, N.C. | 615 | | 48 | | Mike Berlin, Muscatine, Iowa | 600 | |
*Alternate (Includes $50). 18-game qualifying leader - Taylor, 4160. 24th Place - Alfieri, 3899. PRO-AM CASHERS ($50 each) - Ernie Schlegel, Dave Frame, Ken Fernandez, Pete Couture, Jeff Mattingly and Don Bell. @-Non-PBA member.
|