Professional Bowlers Association

For Mike Durbin, one Firestone Tournament of Champions victory was not enough. Ten years later he returned to do it again.

Quite a bit changed in the decade after Durbin's first Firestone win in 1972. Only 14 players eligible during Durbin's initial triumph were on hand for the 1982 event. Continuing technological changes in the sport brought about different bowling balls, lane finishes, pins and styles of play, including that of Durbin, who had long since altered his three-step approach used in rolling a 775 three-game TV finals series 10 years earlier.

Ted Hannahs and Steve Cook, Durbin's two victims in his latest Firestone triumph, were 15 years old the day he downed George Pappas, Larry Laub and Tim Harahan for the $25,000 top prize in the $125,000 event at Riviera Lanes.

His second win netted Durbin $40,000 out of a $200,000 prize fund.

The 40-year-old Durbin fired strikes on six of his first seven attempts against top-seeded Cook, building a 32-pin lead midway through the match before clinching the title with a strike in the 10th frame. The final score was 233-203.

Durbin earned his way into the championship game with a 215-176 win against Hannahs after Hannahs had prevailed over Earl Anthony, 235-193, and Dave Husted, 248-221.

Cook, bidding to become the first bowler to successfully defend his championship in the Firestone, ran away with the No. 1 spot by 240 pins. Unlike his 1981 victory in which he started the final game with 10 strikes, the 6-foot-7, 265-pound southpaw trailed instantly after a 4-6-10 split in the first frame against Durbin.

Along with his two victories, Durbin has placed in each of the other top six positions throughout the years in the annual battle of champions and has earned over $112,000 in the tournament since 1967.

"There's probably both a psychological and physical advantage for me in this tournament," said Durbin. "The lanes favor the way I throw the ball."

The win represented Durbin's 10th PBA title, another milestone he avidly sought. The 1972 victory was his fifth tour title.

Second-place Cook earned $22,000 as well as another $1,500 in squad prizes. Third-place finisher Hannahs and fourth-place Husted were rookies to the T of C while Anthony, who finished fifth, was seeking an unprecedented third Firestone trophy.

Now Durbin can join in that quest.

CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND

PLAYOFF RESULTS - Hannahs defeated Anthony, 235-193; Hannahs defeated Husted, 248-221; Durbin defeated Hannahs, 215-176; and in the championship match, Durbin defeated Cook, 233-203.

48-GAME TOTALS

		Name, City		Pins		Avg		WLT		+		Tot		Amt
1		Steve Cook, Roseville, Calif.		10735		223.6		14-10-0		420		11155
2		Mike Durbin, Chagrin Falls, Ohio		10420		217.0		16-7-1		495		10915
3		Dave Husted, Milwaukie, Ore.		10227		213.0		17-6-1		525		10752
4		Ted Hannahs, Zanesville, Ohio		10264		213.8		15-9-0		450		10714
5		Earl Anthony, Dublin, Calif.		10332		215.2		12-12-0		360		10692
**6		Tom Baker, Buffalo, N.Y.		10201		212.5		15-8-1		465		10666		$5,850
7		Mike Aulby, Indianapolis		10244		213.4		13-11-0		390		10634		5,000
8		Joe Hutchinson, Scranton, Pa.		10198		212.4		12-11-1		375		10573		4,500
9		Steve Martin, Kingsport, Tenn.		10178		212.0		13-11-0		390		10568		4,000
10		Mark Roth, Spring Lake Hts., N.J.		10182		212.1		12-12-0		360		10542		3,500
11		Carmen Salvino, Chicago		10026		208.8		15-9-0		450		10476		3,200
12		Don Johnson, Las Vegas, Nev.		10107		210.5		10-13-1		315		10422		3,000
13		Tom Hudson, Akron, Ohio		9985		208.0		13-10-1		405		10390		2,900
14		Warren Nelson, Downey, Calif.		9993		208.1		13-11-0		390		10383		2,800
15		Fred Jaskie, Greendale, Wis.		10065		209.6		10-14-0		300		10365		2,700
16		Roy Buckley, New Albany, Ohio		10067		209.7		8-15-1		255		10322		2,600
17		Steve Westberg, Cottage Grove, Ore.		9947		207.2		12-12-0		360		10307		2,500
18		Nelson Burton Jr., St. Louis		9874		205.7		13-11-0		390		10264		2,400
19		Joe Berardi, Brooklyn, N.Y.		9916		206.5		10-14-0		300		10216		2,300
20		Dave Soutar, Leawood, Kan.		9748		203.0		10-13-1		315		10063		2,200
21		Wayne Webb, Indianapolis		9750		203.1		10-14-0		300		10050		2,100
22		Henry Gonzalez, Colorado Spring, Colo.		9803		204.2		7-17-0		210		10013		2,000
23		Pete Weber, St. Louis		9654		201.1		7-17-0		210		9864		1,900
24		Matt Surina, Seattle, Wash.		9577		199.5		7-17-0		210		9787		1,800

Pos.		Name, City/State	Amount
*25		Guppy Troup, Jacksonville, Fla.	$1,775
26		Randy Lightfoot, St. Charles, Mo.	1,700
27		Dave Davis, Tinton Falls, N.J.	1,700
+28		Sam Flanagan, Parkersburg, W. Va.	600
29		Alvin Lou, El Cajon, Calif.	1,650
30		Jeff Morin, Cleveland	1,650
31		Bob Handley, Fairway, Kan.	1,650
32		Paul Colwell, Tucson, Ariz.	1,650
33		Art Trask, Fresno, Calif.	1,600
34		George Pappas, Charlotte, N.C.	1,600
35		Bill Spigner, Chicago	1,600
36		Bill Straub, Lincoln, Neb.	1,600
37		Pete Couture, Windsor Locks, Conn.	1,550
38		Mal Acosta, Hayward, Calif.	1,550
39		Larry Laub, Santa Rosa, Calif.	1,550
40		Dick Weber, St. Louis	1,550
41		Mike Berlin, Muscatine, Iowa	1,500
42		Ed Ressler Jr., Merrimack, N.H.	1,500
43		Jim Hills, St. Peters, Mo.	1,500
44		Hugh Miller, Seattle, Wash.	1,500
45		Bill Beach. Sharon, Pa.	1,450
46		Gary Dickinson, Burleson, Texas	1,450
47		Bill Coleman, Fremont, Calif.	1,450
48		Jim Miller, Mesa, Ariz.	1,450
49		Johnny Petraglia, Manalapan, N.J.	1,400
50		Jim Godman, Lorain, Ohio	1,400
51		Marshall Holman, Medford. Ore.	1,400
52		Frank Ellenburg, Mesa, Ariz.	1,375