AMF Grand Prix
AMF GRAND PRIX
Bowling de Paris, Paris, France, Sep 22-25, 1982
Baker Does Paris
Tom Baker became the PBA's first European champion when he defeated Mike Aulby, 225-191, to win the AMF Grand Prix of Bowling in Paris, France. Baker was never near the lead until averaging 256 for the last six games of match play to jump from eighth place to second. From there he fired a spare and eight straight strikes to defeat Wayne Webb, 269-248, and took advantage of three open frames from Aulby by stringing four strikes beginning in the sixth frame to nail down his fifth PBA victory. Aulby led by 209 pins after match play at Bowling de Paris, but a pair of missed 7-pins and a 7-10 split doomed the lefthander to his third runnerup finish of the year. He also had placed second in the Rolaids Open in St. Louis and in the Aqua Fest/Mr. Gatti's Open in Austin, Texas. In earlier matches on the French network TV finals, Steve Martin bested Joe Hutchinson, 214-171, before Webb stepped in to outshoot Martin, 257-234. The starting field numbered 24, made up of 16 PBA Tour stars and eight European standouts. For the 28-year-old Baker, it was his first victory since a record-setting triumph in the Denver Open 14 months earlier. Baker had one of four 300 games tossed during the event along with Aulby, Webb and Pete Couture. Baker's 8-3-1 match play record was the best in the tournament while Aulby's 239 average over 36 games set the scoring pace. The tournament marked the PBA's initial venture into Europe and the first time since 1973 in Japan an event was played outside of the United States or Canada. Mats Karlsson of Sweden, a prospect for future PBA Tour competition, was the highest among the European finishers, placing 15th with a 217 average. CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND
PLAYOFF RESULTS - Martin defeated Hutchinson, 214-171; Webb defeated Martin, 257-234; Baker defeated Webb, 269-248; and in the championship game, Baker defeated Aulby, 225-191. 36-GAME TOTALS OTHER CASHERS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
