Butch Soper, unable to strike through the first nine frames of the championship match, was up to the task of tossing two "must" 10th-frame strikes to secure the $27,000 first prize in the $150,000 AC-Delco Classic. The 172-168 conquest of Gary Skidmore gave Soper his second PBA title. The 5-foot-6 Soper appeared down for the count after opening in the second and third frames of the title game. He played catch-up and got the break he needed when Skidmore left the "big four" 4-6-7-10 in the ninth frame. Soper flushed his first shot in the 10th frame and tripped a 4-pin on his second ball to win for the first time since his initial PBA title in Baltimore in 1978. Wayne Webb never got untracked in pursuing his third consecutive triumph and fell to Jimmie Pritts, 193-157. Pritts went on to roll over Gil Sliker, 245-191, before falling to Soper, 234-198. CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND | Pos. |  | Name, City/State | Total | Amount | | | 1 | | Butch Soper, Newport Beach, Calif. | 406 (2 games) | $27,000 | | 2 | | Gary Skidmore, Albuquerque, N.M. | 168 (1 game) | 14,000 | | 3 | | Jimmie Pritts Jr., Lawrence, Mass. | 638 (3 games) | 8,500 | | 4 | | Gil Sliker, Washington, N.J. | 191 (1 game) | 7,000 | | 5 | | Wayne Webb, Carmel, Ind. | 157 (1 game) | 6,000 | |
PLAYOFF RESULTS - Pritts defeated Webb, 193-157; Pritts defeated Sliker, 245-191; Soper defeated Pritts, 234-198; and in the championship game, Soper defeated Skidmore, 172-168.
42-GAME TOTALS | | | Name, City | | Pins | | Avg | | WLT | | + | | Tot | | Amt | | | 1 | | Gary Skidmore, Albuquerque, N.M. | | 9028 | | 214.9 | | 17-7-0 | | 510 | | 9538 | | | | 2 | | Butch Soper, Newport Beach, Calif. | | 9033 | | 215.0 | | 16-8-0 | | 480 | | 9513 | | | | 3 | | Gil Sliker, Washington, N.J. | | 8884 | | 211.5 | | 16-8-0 | | 480 | | 9364 | | | | 4 | | Wayne Webb, Carmel, Ind. | | 8818 | | 209.9 | | 17-7-0 | | 510 | | 9328 | | | | 5 | | Jimmie Pritts Jr., Lawrence, Mass. | | 8766 | | 208.7 | | 15-9-0 | | 450 | | 9216 | | | | **6 | | Teata Semiz, Fairfield, N.J. | | 8897 | | 211.8 | | 9-15-0 | | 270 | | 9167 | | $5,050 | | 7 | | Steve J. Martin, Kingsport, Tenn. | | 8732 | | 207.9 | | 14-10-0 | | 420 | | 9152 | | 4,200 | | 8 | | Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla. | | 6838 | | 205.6 | | 14-10-0 | | 420 | | 9058 | | 3,600 | | 9 | | Pete Couture, Windsor Locks, Conn. | | 8692 | | 206.9 | | 11-13-0 | | 330 | | 9022 | | 3,400 | | 10 | | Brad Bohling, Thornton, Colo. | | 8589 | | 204.5 | | 14-10-0 | | 420 | | 9009 | | 3,200 | | 11 | | Pete McCordic, Houston | | 8689 | | 206.8 | | 9-13-2 | | 300 | | 8989 | | 3,000 | | 12 | | Rickie Sajek, Highland, Ind. | | 8634 | | 205.5 | | 11-12-1 | | 345 | | 8979 | | 2,800 | | 13 | | Mark Roth, Spring Lake Hts., N.J. | | 8641 | | 205.7 | | 11-13-0 | | 330 | | 8761 | | 2,600 | | 14 | | Lynn Austermuhl, Anchorage, Alaska | | 8613 | | 205.0 | | 10-14-0 | | 300 | | 8913 | | 2,500 | | 15 | | Kent Wagner, Allentown, Pa. | | 8600 | | 204.7 | | 10-14-0 | | 300 | | 8900 | | 2,400 | | 16 | | Art Trask, Fresno, Calif. | | 8533 | | 203.1 | | 12-12-0 | | 360 | | 8893 | | 2,300 | | 17 | | Ron Palombi Jr., Erie, Pa. | | 8432 | | 200.7 | | 14-10-0 | | 420 | | 8852 | | 2,200 | | 18 | | Robert Worrall, Flagstaff, Ariz. | | 8525 | | 202.9 | | 9-15-0 | | 270 | | 8795 | | 2,100 | | 19 | | Hugh Miller, Seattle, Wash. | | 8479 | | 201.8 | | 10-13-1 | | 315 | | 8794 | | 2,000 | | 20 | | Steve Lickliter, Beckley, W.Va. | | 8512 | | 202.6 | | 9-15-0 | | 270 | | 8782 | | 1,900 | | 21 | | Norm Duke, Mt. Pleasant, Texas | | 8501 | | 202.4 | | 9-15-0 | | 270 | | 8771 | | 1,800 | | 22 | | Roy Buckley, New Albany, Ohio | | 8446 | | 201.0 | | 9-15-0 | | 270 | | 8716 | | 1,700 | | 23 | | Ernie Schlegel, Vancouver, U.S.A. | | 8312 | | 197.9 | | 11-13-0 | | 330 | | 8642 | | 1,600 | | 24 | | Curt Aemisegger, St. Jacob, III. | | 8299 | | 197.5 | | 9-15-0 | | 270 | | 8569 | | 1,500 | |
OTHER CASHERS | Pos. | | Name, City/State | Amount | | | *25 | | Chuck Pierce, Dallas, Texas | $1,450 | | 26 | | Mike Aulby, Indianapolis | 1,340 | | 27 | | Brian Voss, Tacoma, Wash. | 1,310 | | 28 | | John Paris, Keansburg, N.J. | 1,280 | | 29 | | Dave Soutar, Leawood, Kan. | 1,260 | | 30 | | Mike Durbin, Chagrin Falls, Ohio | 1,235 | | | | Jim Stefanich, Joliet, Ill. | 1,235 | | 32 | | Don Bell, Scotts Valley, Calif. | 1,215 | | | | Don Genalo, N. Merrick, N.Y. | 1,215 | | 34 | | David Ozio, Vidor, Texas | 1,200 | | 35 | | Frank Ellenburg, Mesa, Ariz. | 1,190 | | 36 | | Alvin Lou, El Cajon, Calif. | 1,180 | | 37 | | Philip Ringener, Big Spring, Texas | 1,165 | | | | Graham Smith, Australia | 1,165 | | 39 | | Jeff Bellinger, Columbia, S.C. | 1,145 | | | | Bobby Knipple, Long Beach, Calif. | 1,145 | | 41 | | Palmer Fallgren, Boca Raton, Fla. | 1,125 | | | | Gregory Nesbit, Pittsburgh, Pa. | 1,125 | | 43 | | Guppy Troup, Jacksonville, Fla. | 1,110 | | 44 | | AI Ahlm, Alameda, Calif. | 1,100 | | 45 | | John Gant, Pittsburgh, Pa. | 1,090 | | 46 | | Tom Robards, Carmichael, Calif. | 1,080 | | 47 | | Joe Hutchinson, Scranton, Pa. | 1,070 | | 48 | | Jerry Buchholz, Santa Clara, Calif. | 1,060 | | 49 | | Mike Steinbach, Alsip, Ill. | 1,050 | | 50 | | Ed Bourdase, San Jose, Calif. | 1,035 | | | | Steve Fehr, Cincinnati, Ohio | 1,035 | | 52 | | Jim Poulos, Daly City, Calif. | 1,020 | | 53 | | Larry Laub, Santa Maria, Calif. | 505 | | | | Randy Stoughton, Indianapolis | 505 | |
* - Match play alternate. ** - TV finals alternate. Ron Andrews rolled a 300 game in the PTQ. 18-game qualifying leader Teata Semiz, 3959. 24th place - Mike Edwards, 3687. PRO-AM CASHERS - Larry Gray, Joe Hutchinson, Randy Stoughton, Larry Laub, Kyle Shedd, Pete Couture, Mark Fahy, Bobby Jacks, Mark Roth and Brian Voss ($50 each).
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