Professional Bowlers Association

Bob Chamberlain completed a personal and professional metamorphosis by triumphing in the $200,000 Toledo Trust PBA National Championship to earn the $38,000 first prize.

Advancing from the fifth-seeded position, Chamberlain topped leading qualifier Dan Eberl, 219-191, in the championship match to earn his first PBA victory.

Less than 14 months earlier, Chamberlain had admitted himself to an alcohol rehabilitation program, a move which effectively set the Pontiac, Mich., right-hander on a path toward wearing the green jacket of the PBA's National champion.

Chamberlain edged veteran Roy Buckley by a mere two pins to qualify for the championship round. He began his ascent in the stepladder format by routing Gil Sliker, 256-226.

His next match against PBA Hall of Famer Jim Stefanich was the closest. The comeback-minded Stefanich led most of the game, but opened the door with a 10th frame split enabling Chamberlain to pull out a 232-225 decision.

Another Hall of Famer and veteran ABC-TV commentator, Nelson Burton Jr., stood in Chamberlain's path. But Chamberlain steamrolled past, 254-200.

At stake in the final game between Chamberlain and Eberl was a seven-year exemption into the Firestone Tournament of Champions, freedom from the Tour's rabbit squads and an $18,000 difference between first and second place. Neither player had ever been in contention to win a PBA title before.

Eberl started the match disastrously with a 4-6-7-10 split on his first shot. Chamberlain miscued for a third frame open before finding the line for a three-bagger.

When Eberl could not close the gap, Chamberlain clinched it with a strike on his first ball in the 10th frame. For his four games, Chamberlain totaled 961, a 240 average to succeed Earl Anthony, the 1981-83 National champion at Imperial Lanes.

A 35-year-old right-hander, Chamberlain had excelled in Detroit area leagues for several years. But not until achieving sobriety was he afforded the sponsorship opportunity to compete regularly on the Tour. An inspirational story resulted.

CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND

PLAYOFF RESULTS - Chamberlain defeated Sliker, 256-226; Chamberlain defeated Stefanich, 232-225; Chamberlain defeated Burton, 254-200; and in the championship game, Chamberlain defeated Eberl, 219-191.

42-GAME TOTALS

		Name, City		Pins		Avg		WLT		+		Tot		Amt
1		Dan Eberl, Tonawanda, N.Y.		12225		218.3		16-8-0		480		12705
2		Nelson Burton Jr., St. Louis		12116		216.3		19-4-1		585		12701
3		Jim Stefanich, Joliet, III.		12214		218.1		12-12-0		360		12574
4		Gil Sliker, Washington, N.J.		12071		215.5		16-8-0		480		12551
5		Bob Chamberlain, Pontiac, Mich.		11942		213.2		16-7-1		495		12437
#**6		Roy Buckley, New Albany, Ohio		11925		212.9		17-7-0		510		12435		$5,050
7		Steve Lickliter, Beckley, W.Va.		12017		214.5		13-10-1		405		12422		4,100
8		Bob Goike, Detroit, Mich.		11930		213.0		16-8-0		480		12410		3,600
9		Jeff Bellinger, Columbia, S.C.		12069		215.5		9-15-0		270		12339		3,300
10		Marshall Holman, Jacksonville, Ore.		11904		212.5		14-10-0		420		12324		3,000
11		Keith Kolozsi, Xenia, Ohio		11853		211.6		15-9-0		450		12303		2,800
12		Roger Haskell, Renton, Wash.		11778		210.3		14-9-1		435		12213		2,600
13		Mitch Jabczenski, Taylor, Mich.		11934		213.1		9-15-0		270		12204		2,400
14		Ted Hannahs, Zanesville, Ohio		11835		211.3		12-12-0		360		12195		2,300
15		Gary Skidmore, Albuquerque, N.M.		11838		211.3		11-13-0		330		12168		2,200
16		Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla.		11852		211.6		10-13-1		315		12167		2,100
17		Bobby Jacks, New Orleans		11822		211.1		11-13-0		330		12152		2,000
#18		Charlie Tapp, S. St. Paul, Minn.		11797		210.6		11-12-1		345		12142		1,900
19		Tom Baker, Buffalo, N.Y.		11706		209.0		10-14-0		300		12006		1,800
20		Rick Vittone, Salem, Ore.		11691		208.7		8-16-0		240		11931		1,700
21		Steve Neff, Sarasota, Fla.		11689		208.7		6-18-0		180		11869		1,600
22		Wayne Webb, Carmel, Ind.		11614		207.3		6-18-0		180		11794		1,500
23		Joe Losurdo, Oswego, N.Y.		11460		204.6		10-14-0		300		11760		1,400
24		Guppy Troup, Jacksonville, Fla.		11148		199.0		4-20-0		120		11268		1,350

Pos.		Name, City/State	Amount
*25		John Wilcox, Shavertown, Pa.	$1,335
26		Mike Aulby, Indianapolis	1,240
27		Pete McCordic, Houston	1,220
		Steve Wunderlich, St. Louis	1,220
		Les Zikes, Palatine, Ill.	1,220
30		Dave Frame, Lincoln, Neb.	1,195
		Sam Maccarone, Glassboro, N.J.	1,195
32		Lynn DeCamp, Leavittsburg, Ohio	1,180
33		Wayne Mackay, Canada	1,170
34		Bob Learn Jr., Erie, Pa.	1,160
35		John Forst, La Grange, III	1,150
36		Chuck Pierce, Dallas, Texas	1,140
37		Jimmy Certain, Milwaukee, Wis.	1,130
38		Sam Flanagan, Parkersburg, W.Va.	1,120
39		Rickie Sajek, Highland, Ind.	1,110
40		Pete Couture, Windsor Locks, Conn.	1,095
		Gary Dickinson, Burleson, Texas	1,095
42		Mark Fahy. Chicago	1,080
43		James Stanley, Cincinnati, Ohio	1,070
44		Randy Johnson, W. Groves, Mo.	1,055
		Chas. Del Plato, Bricktown, N.J.	1,055
46		Paul Moser, Brockton, Mass.	1,040
47		Mike Durbin, Chagrin Falls, Ohio	1,025
		Mark Roth, Spring Lake Hts., N.J.	1,025
49		Paul Gibson, O'Fallon, Ill.	1,000
		Henry Gonzalez, Colorado Springs, Colo.	1,000
		John Scaletta, Franklin Park, Ill.	1,000
52		Dave Ferraro, Kingston, N.Y.	980
53		Steve Lewis, Columbus, Ohio	970
54		Scott Devers, Centerville, Ind.	960
55		John Masiello, Buffalo, N.Y.	950
56		Steve Fehr, Cincinnati, Ohio	940
57		Ron Williams, Cahokia, Ill.	930
58		Larry Laub, Tucson, Ariz.	920
59		Dave Soutar, Leawood, Kan.	910
60		Brad Bohling, Thornton, Colo.	895
		Charlie Gadd, Brownsville, Pa.	895
62		Dave Kappel, Chicago	880
63		Joe Viscomi, N. London, N.C.	870
64		Steve Giljum, Crestwood, Mo.	860
65		Sam Zurich, Huntington, N.Y..	850
66		Brian Voss, Tacoma, Wash.	840
67		Rich Carrubba, Pleasanton, Calif.	830
68		Scott Buckingham, Anchorage, Alaska	820
69		Ernie Schlegel, Vancouver, U.S.A.	810
70		Rich Hartman, Collinsville, Ill.	800
71		Ted Malicki, Maple Heights, Ohio	790
72		Mike Lastowski, Baltimore, Md.	780
73		Pete Weber, St. Louis	770
74		Johnny Petraglia, Manalapan, N.J.	760
75		Jim Ragnoni, Elyria, Ohio	750
76		Randy Lightfoot, St. Charles, Mo.	740
77		Art Trask, Fresno, Calif.	730
78		Alvin Lou, El Cajon, Calif.	720
79		Robert Worrall, Flagstaff, Ariz.	710
80		Paul Koeppel, Maumee, Ohio	700
81		Greg Nesbit, Pittsburgh, Pa.	685
		Jim Porter, Hollywood, Fla.	685
83		Allen Powell, Adrian, Mich.	670
84		Ken Amos, Elkhart, Ind.	660
85		Terry Franz, Mr. Vernon, Ohio	650
86		Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela	640
67		Casey Berry, Albuquerque, N.M.	620
		Bill Meeker, Lima, Ohio	620
		Don Sylvia, N. Bedford, Mass.	620
90		AI Thompson. Worthington, Ohio	600