Rookie Mike Aulby became the youngest bowler ever to win a major PBA title when he out bowled three veteran opponents with a 242 average in the finals of the Showboat-PBA National Championship in Las Vegas. The 19-year-old left-hander from Indianapolis dominated the TV finals, trouncing Gary Mage, George Pappas and finally top-seeded Earl Anthony by a combined total of 144 pins. Aulby clinched his first victory by stringing six straight strikes from the fourth to the ninth frames of the final game to overpower Anthony, 245-217, for $15,000. The prestigious National was Aulby's eleventh PBA tournament. His best prior finish was 31 st in the Dutch Masters Open in Detroit. "I just wanted to make good shots," said Aulby, showing coolness and poise under pressure well beyond his years. "I tried not to let the score or anything else going on around me upset my concentration." He didn't. After Mage, a veteran lefthander making his third appearance in the TV finals of a National Championship, eliminated Mark Roth, 215-204, in the first game, Aulby stepped into the picture. A spare and four strikes and the rookie had a lead that was never threatened, finishing with a 245-203 decision. Against Pappas, the winner of the Firestone Tournament of Champions just two months before, Aulby struck on six of his first eight shots as he waltzed to a 237-163 semi-final game victory. Three-time PBA National champion Anthony took an early lead in the title bout with a double but fell behind to Aulby's six-bagger. A wobbling 10-pin in the eighth frame while working on a double stalled Anthony's catch-up bid and all but assured Aulby's victory. A junior standout in Indiana, Aulby was runnerup in the 1978 All-American Youth Bowling Championships (AAYBC) while rolling a half dozen 300 games in junior competition. He's in the pros now and has the PBA National Championship, an exemption from the Pro Tour Qualifier and a seven year invitation to the Firestone Tournament of Champions to show for it. TELEVISED FINALS | Pos. |  | Name, City/State | Total | Amount | | | 1 | | Mike Aulby, Indianapolis, Ind. | 727 (3 games) | $15,000 | | 2 | | Earl Anthony, Kent, Wash. | 217 (1 game) | 8,000 | | 3 | | George Pappas, Charlotte, N.C. | 163 (1 game) | 6,000 | | 4 | | Gary Mage, Seattle, Wash. | 418 (2 games) | 5,000 | | 5 | | Mark Roth, North Arlington, N.J. | 204 (1 game) | 4,000 | |
PLAYOFF RESULTS: Mage defeated Roth, 215-204; Aulby defeated Mage, 245-203; Aulby defeated Pappas, 237-163; and in the championship game, Aulby defeated Anthony, 245-217.
56-GAME TOTALS | | | Name, City | | Pins | | Avg | | WLT | | + | | Tot | | Amt | | | 1 | | Earl Anthony, Kent, Wash. | | 12268 | | 219.0 | | 16-6-2 | | 510 | | 12778 | | | | 2 | | George Pappas, Charlotte, N.C. | | 12191 | | 217.6 | | 15-9-0 | | 450 | | 12641 | | | | 3 | | Mike Aulby, Indianapolis, Ind. | | 12025 | | 214.7 | | 16-8-0 | | 480 | | 12505 | | | | #4 | | Gary Mage, Seattle, Wash. | | 12049 | | 215.1 | | 14-8-2 | | 450 | | 12499 | | | | 5 | | Mark Roth, North Arlington, N.J. | | 12100 | | 216.0 | | 12-11-1 | | 375 | | 12475 | | | | **6 | | Ed Ressler, Bethlehem, Pa. | | 12031 | | 214.8 | | 14-10-0 | | 420 | | 12451 | | $3,250 | | 7 | | Steve Westberg, Cottage Grove, Ore. | | 11985 | | 214.0 | | 15-9-0 | | 450 | | 12435 | | 2,800 | | 8 | | Jimmy Certain, Huntsville, Ala. | | 12000 | | 214.2 | | 14-10-0 | | 420 | | 12410 | | 2,600 | | 9 | | Jay Robinson, Van Nuys, Calif. | | 12058 | | 215.3 | | 10-12-2 | | 330 | | 12388 | | 2,500 | | 10 | | Pete Couture, Windsor Locks, Conn. | | 11999 | | 214.2 | | 12-11-1 | | 375 | | 12374 | | 2,400 | | 11 | | Dennis Lane, Kingsport, Tenn. | | 11940 | | 213.2 | | 14-10-0 | | 420 | | 12360 | | 2,300 | | 12 | | Fred Conner, Mar Vista, Calif. | | 11963 | | 213.6 | | 11-13-0 | | 330 | | 12293 | | 2,200 | | 13 | | Ernie Schlegel, Vancouver, USA | | 11941 | | 213.2 | | 9-14-1 | | 285 | | 12226 | | 2,100 | | 14 | | Marshall Holman, Medford, Ore. | | 11892 | | 212.2 | | 10-12-2 | | 330 | | 12222 | | 2,000 | | 15 | | Jim Winklepleck, Gladstone, Ore. | | 11840 | | 211.4 | | 11-11-2 | | 360 | | 12200 | | 1,900 | | 16 | | Larry Laub, Santa Rosa, Calif. | | 11798 | | 210.6 | | 13-11-0 | | 390 | | 12188 | | 1,800 | | 17 | | Joe Natoli, Brown Deer, Wis. | | 11794 | | 210.6 | | 12-11-1 | | 375 | | 12169 | | 1,700 | | 18 | | Ed Chellson, Hasbrouck, N.J. | | 11851 | | 211.6 | | 8-14-2 | | 270 | | 12121 | | 1,600 | | #19 | | Gil Sliker, Washington, N.J. | | 11762 | | 210.0 | | 10-14-0 | | 300 | | 12062 | | 1,500 | | 20 | | Bill Coleman, Springfield, Ore. | | 11727 | | 209.4 | | 9-13-2 | | 300 | | 12027 | | 1,400 | | 21 | | Rich Carrubba, Las Vegas | | 11752 | | 209.8 | | 8-16-0 | | 240 | | 11992 | | 1,300 | | 22 | | Wayne Hockersmith, Montclair, Calif. | | 11758 | | 209.9 | | 6-18-0 | | 180 | | 11938 | | 1,200 | | 23 | | Mal Acosta, Fremont, Calif. | | 11618 | | 207.4 | | 9-15-0 | | 270 | | 11888 | | 1,150 | | +24 | | Cliff McNealy, San Lorenzo, Calif. | | 11735 | | 206.1 | | 11-13-0 | | 330 | | 11871 | | 1,060 | |
18-GAME TOTALS | Pos. | | Name, City/State | Amount | | | 25 | | Chris Riga, Allentown, Pa. | $950 | | +26 | | Joe Berardi, Pearl River, N.Y. | 1,035 | | 27 | | Bob Fenton, Upland, Calif. | 900 | | 28 | | Louie Moore, Indianapolis, Ind. | 880 | | 29 | | Don Johnson, Las Vegas | 860 | | 30 | | Jeff Mattingly, Tacoma, Wash. | 850 | | 31 | | Teata Semiz, River Edge, N.J. | 840 | | 32 | | Steve Cook, Roseville, Calif. | 830 | | *33 | | Dave Kappel, Chicago | 865 | | | | Butch Soper, Whittier, Calif. | 815 | | 35 | | Tim Albin, Hermosa Beach, Calif. | 795 | | | | Greg Damaskos, Yakima, Wash. | 795 | | 37 | | Kenny Hall, Latham, N.Y. | 780 | | | | Steve Neff, Sarasota, Fla. | 780 | | 39 | | Paul Vorisek, Cleveland | 760 | | 40 | | Dave Heller, New Rochelle, N.Y. | 750 | | 41 | | Rick Minier, Portland, Ore. | 740 | | 42 | | John Handegard, Eugene, Ore. | 730 | | 43 | | Steve Martin, Kingsport, Tenn. | 720 | | #44 | | Norm Meyers, St. Louis | 710 | | 45 | | Paul Moser, Somerset, Mass. | 700 | | 46 | | Russ Fields, San Jose, Calif. | 690 | | 47 | | Warren Nelson, Downey, Calif. | 680 | | 48 | | Bus Oswalt, Muncie, Ind. | 670 | | 49 | | Pat Dickey, San Antonio, Tex. | 655 | | | | Dennis Swayda, Phoenix, Ariz. | 655 | | 51 | | David Ozio, Beaumont, Texas | 640 | | 52 | | Jeff Valentine, Hopkinton, Mass. | 630 | | 53 | | Bill Walden, Troy, Mo. | 620 | | 54 | | Mike Berlin, Muscatine, Iowa | 610 | | 55 | | Glenn Carlson, Fresno, Calif. | 600 | | 56 | | Henry Gonzalez, Colorado Springs, Colo. | 590 | | 57 | | Palmer Fallgren, Sacramento, Calif. | 580 | | 58 | | Al Ahlm, Alameda, Calif. | 570 | | 59 | | Charlie Venable, Bronx, N.Y. | 560 | | 60 | | Frank Tavella, Denver | 550 | | 61 | | Sam Flanagan, Parkersburg, W. V. | 540 | | 62 | | Fred Jaskie, Greendale, Wis. | 530 | | 63 | | Bob Handley, Fairway, Kan. | 520 | | 64 | | Mike Matosich, San Bruno, Calif. | 510 | | 65 | | John Weltzien, Huntley, Ill. | 500 | | 66 | | Keith Kolozsi, Xenia, Ohio | 490 | | 67 | | Rich Martinez, Yuba City, Calif. | 480 | | 68 | | Paul Colwell, Tucson | 470 | | 69 | | Jim Plessinger, State College, Pa. | 460 | | 70 | | Frank Ellenburg, Mesa, Ariz. | 450 | | 71 | | George LeCain, Peabody, Mass. | 440 | | 72 | | Steve Sweat, Anaheim, Calif. | 430 | | 73 | | Tim Miller, Dallas | 420 | | 74 | | Carmen Salvino, Chicago | 410 | | 75 | | Joseph Groskind, Memphis | 400 | | 76 | | Guppy Troup, Savannah, Ga. | 390 | | 77 | | Dale Glenn, Northridge, Calif. | 380 | | 78 | | Jimmy McHugh, Las Vegas | 370 | | 79 | | Frank Huspen, River Grove, Ill. | 360 | | 80 | | Alvin Lou, EI Cajon, Calif. | 350 | | 81 | | Rick Jones, Bellingham, Wash. | 340 | | 82 | | Bill George, Citrus Hts., Calif. | 330 | | 83 | | Dave Soutar, Kansas City | 320 | | 84 | | Steve Force, Bremerton, Wash. | 310 | |
*-Match Play alternate **- TV Alternate. 24-game qualifying leader - Anthony, 5,206. 84th Place Weltzien, 4,883. 32-game qualifying leader - Roth, 7,005. 24th place - Laub, 6,757. Denny Cavalier qualified for semifinal round but was disqualified when his ball failed to meet PBA specifications. He was replaced in semifinal round by Weltzien. # Gary Mage (2), Gil Sliker and Norm Meyers rolled 300 games. PRO-AM CASHERS Mike Berlin, Larry Laub, Dale Glenn, Louie Moore, Ed Ressler and Don Johnson.
+ - McNealy replaced Berardi in match play when Berardi was disqualified for missing roll call. McNealy was penalized 194 pins, the difference between their 32-game qualifying scores plus any bonus pins Berardi was awarded in match play. They divided 26th and 24th place money, and McNealy received $25 for serving as alternate for one round. The new alternate was Dave Kappel, and he received $50 for the final two rounds.
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