Pete Couture broke into the winner's circle for the first time in his PBA career when he defeated veteran Dave Davis, 223-187, in the championship game of the $100,000 Midas Golden Challenge. Couture earned $15,000 for the victory. Couture, who became one of the Tour's top players in 1977, defeated third-seeded Don Johnson, 235-227, in the semi-final match to advance into the finals against tournament leader Davis. Jerry Smyth, a 49-year-old rookie from Anchorage, Alaska, defeated Charlie Venable, 235-221, before losing, 232-221, to Johnson in the second match. TELEVISED FINALS | Pos. |  | Name, City/State | Total | Amount | | | 1 | | Pete Couture, Windsor Locks, Conn. | 458 (2 games) | $15,000 | | 2 | | Dave Davis, Hackensack, N.J. | 187 (1 game) | 8,000 | | 3 | | Don Johnson, Las Vegas | 459 (2 games) | 6,000 | | 4 | | Jerry Smyth, Anchorage, Alaska | 456 (2 games) | 5,000 | | 5 | | Charlie Venable, Brooklyn | 221 (1 game) | 4,000 | |
FINAL RESULTS: Smyth defeated Venable, 235-221; Johnson defeated Smyth, 232-221; Couture defeated Johnson, 235-227; Couture defeated Davis, 223-187.
42-GAME TOTALS | | | Name, City | | Pins | | Avg | | WLT | | + | | Tot | | Amt | | | 1 | | Dave Davis, Hackensack, N.J. | | 9433 | | 224.5 | | 17-7-0 | | 510 | | 9943 | | | | 2 | | Pete Couture, Windsor Lakes | | 9430 | | 224.5 | | 16-8-0 | | 480 | | 9910 | | | | 3 | | Don Johnson, Las Vegas | | 9256 | | 220.3 | | 15-8-1 | | 465 | | 9721 | | | | 4 | | Jerry Smyth, Anchorage, Alaska | | 9301 | | 221.4 | | 13-10-1 | | 405 | | 9706 | | | | 5 | | Charlie Venable, Brooklyn | | 9216 | | 219.4 | | 14-10-0 | | 420 | | 9636 | | | | 6 | | Roger Tramp, Riverside, Mo. | | 9069 | | 215.9 | | 16-8-0 | | 480 | | 9549 | | $3,250 | | 7 | | Neil Burton, St. Louis | | 9133 | | 217.4 | | 13-11-0 | | 390 | | 9523 | | 2,800 | | 8 | | Ted Malicki, Cleveland | | 9038 | | 215.1 | | 15-9-0 | | 450 | | 9488 | | 2,600 | | 9 | | John Wilcox, Shavertown, Pa. | | 9074 | | 216.0 | | 12-11-1 | | 375 | | 9449 | | 2,400 | | 10 | | Carmen Salvino, Chicago | | 9038 | | 215.1 | | 13-10-1 | | 405 | | 9443 | | 2,300 | | 11 | | Jay Robinson, Van Nuys, Calif. | | 9170 | | 218.3 | | 9-15-0 | | 270 | | 9440 | | 2,200 | | 12 | | Butch Soper, Costa Mesa, Calif. | | 9096 | | 216.5 | | 11-13-0 | | 330 | | 9426 | | 2,100 | | 13 | | Mike Rahe, Albuquerque, N.M. | | 9038 | | 215.1 | | 12-11-1 | | 375 | | 9413 | | 2,000 | | 14 | | Don Bell, Santa Maria, Calif. | | 9051 | | 215.0 | | 12-12-0 | | 360 | | 9411 | | 1,900 | | 15 | | Fred Jaskie, Greendale, Wis. | | 9103 | | 216.7 | | 10-14-0 | | 300 | | 9403 | | 1,800 | | 16 | | Gary Dickinson, Ft. Worth | | 9101 | | 216.6 | | 8-16-0 | | 240 | | 9341 | | 1,700 | | 17 | | Craig Mueller, Union, N.J. | | 8983 | | 213.8 | | 11-13-0 | | 330 | | 9313 | | 1,600 | | 18 | | Bill Coleman, Campbell, Calif. | | 8938 | | 212.8 | | 12-12-0 | | 360 | | 9298 | | 1,500 | | 19 | | Ed Lee, Eugene, Ore. | | 8949 | | 213.0 | | 11-13-0 | | 330 | | 9279 | | 1,400 | | 20 | | Wayne Zahn, Tempe, Ariz. | | 8893 | | 211.7 | | 11-13-0 | | 330 | | 9223 | | 1,350 | | 21 | | Dave Soutar, Kansas City | | 8914 | | 212.0 | | 9-15-0 | | 270 | | 9184 | | 1,300 | | 22 | | Steve Jones, Independence, Mo. | | 8866 | | 211.0 | | 9-14-1 | | 285 | | 9151 | | 1,250 | | 23 | | Ralph Hartmann, New Hyde Pk. | | 8909 | | 212.1 | | 8-16-0 | | 240 | | 9149 | | 1,200 | | 24 | | Russ Shields, Seabrook, Tex. | | 8808 | | 209.7 | | 8-16-0 | | 240 | | 9048 | | 1,150 | |
18-GAME TOTALS | Pos. | | Name, City/State | Amount | | | *25 | | Pete McCordic, Houston | $1,065 | | 26 | | Larry Gray, Torrance, Calif. | 980 | | 27 | | Danny Morton, Jacksonville | 970 | | 28 | | Gil Sliker, Washington, N.J. | 960 | | 29 | | Teata Semiz, River Edge, N.J. | 950 | | 30 | | Palmer Fallgren, Las Vegas | 935 | | | | Tommy Hudson, Akron | 935 | | 32 | | Mike Durbin, Chagrin Falls, Ohio | 920 | | 33 | | George LeCain, Danvers, Mass. | 910 | | 34 | | Dick Ritger, River Falls, Wis. | 900 | | 35 | | Don Reeser, San Francisco | 890 | | 36 | | Roy Buckley, Columbus | 880 | | 37 | | Dee Munsell, Dallas | 870 | | 38 | | Ernie Schlegel, U.S.A. | 860 | | 39 | | Jeff Mattingly, Tacoma | 850 | | 40 | | Mark Roth, Staten Island, N.Y. | 835 | | | | Emmett Shutes, State College, Pa. | 835 | | 42 | | John Denton, Midland, Tex. | 820 | | @43 | | Duane Troxler, New Orleans | 810 | | 44 | | Dick Armstrong, Park City, Ill. | 800 | | 45 | | Joe Berardi, Pearl River, N.Y. | 790 | | 46 | | Ernie Kotara, Lake Charles, La. | 780 | | 47 | | Louie Moore, Indianapolis | 770 | | 48 | | Rick Kendrick, Del City, Okla. | 380 | | | | Dan Roche, Downey, Calif. | 380 | |
*Alternate. #Dickinson, Smyth and Malicki rolled 300 games. 18-game qualifying leader - Robinson, 4001. 24th Place - Shields, 3851. PRO-AM CASHERS - Pete Couture, Ed Ressler, Wayne Zahn, Steve Jones, Jeff Morin, Russ Shields. @Local entry (Non-PBA Member).
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