Professional Bowlers Association

Mike Durbin became the first bowler tow in the Firestone Tournament of Champions three times, doing it the same week he was enshrined in the PBA Hall of Fame.

Durbin, the 1972 and '82 victor at Riviera Lanes, came from fourth place in the championship round, rolling 950 for four games while overwhelming his last three opponents.

Steve Cook, the 1981 Firestone winner, was Durbin's first victim, falling 205-188 in what proved to be the closest match of the day.

Then Durbin fell into dead stroke, routing George Pappas, 255-191; Joe Salvemini, 244-198; and top-seeded Mike Aulby; 246-163. Durbin's 13th PBA title was worth $40,000, pushing his career PBA earnings past $600,000 of which more than 25 percent has been a result of the Firestone.

"I would not mind if every tournament was here at Riviera," said the 42-year-old Durbin.

Earlier in the week Durbin realized one of his most sought bowling goals when he was ceremoniously placed into the PBA Hall of Fame along with PBA Public Relations Director Bud Fisher and veteran Glenn Allison.

In the exciting tournament days that followed, Cook built up nearly a 500-pin advantage before faltering badly during the last two rounds of match play and barely clinging to the fifth spot in the championship round.

Meanwhile Aulby, who had not seen action on the PBA Tour for more than a month due to illness, came on strong to outdistance Salvemini by 115 pins for the top-seeded position. Veteran strokers Pappas and Durbin completed the championship round field, representing the immediate past president and current president of the PBA.

In the title game, Aulby opened in the fourth and fifth frames while Durbin, who was zeroed in on the pocket, built a 52-pin lead. The match never tightened with Durbin on top going away.

The win enabled Durbin to move a notch ahead of Earl Anthony, Dave Davis and Jim Godman, each of who has won the Firestone twice.

CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND

PLAYOFF RESULTS - Durbin defeated Cook, 205-188; Durbin defeated Pappas, 255-191; Durbin defeated Salvemini, 244-198; and in the championship game, Durbin defeated Aulby, 246-163.

48-GAME TOTALS

		Name, City		Pins		Avg		WLT		+		Tot		Amt
1		Mike Aulby, Indianapolis		10379		216.2		17-7-0		510		10889
2		Joe Salvemini, Reno, Nev.		10294		214.4		16-8-0		480		10774
3		George Pappas, Charlotte, N. C.		10288		214.3		15-9-0		450		10738
4		Mike Durbin, Chagrin Falls. Ohio		10374		216.1		12-12-0		360		10734
5		Steve Cook, Roseville, Calif.		10275		214.0		13-11-0		390		10665
**6		Ernie Schlegel, Vancouver, U.S.A.		10100		210.4		15-9-0		450		10550		$5,850
7		Hugh Miller, Everett, Wash.		10154		211.5		12-12-0		360		10514		5,000
8		Steve Fehr, Cincinnati, Ohio		10056		209.5		15-9-0		450		10506		4,500
#9		Gary Dickinson, Burleson, Texas		10011		208.5		13-11-0		390		10401		4,000
10		Brian Voss, Tacoma, Wash.		10081		210.0		10-14-0		300		10381		3,500
11		Sam Zurich, Huntington, N.Y.		10016		208.6		11-12-1		345		10361		3,200
12		Ted Hannahs, Zanesville, Ohio		9932		206.9		14-10-0		420		10352		3,000
13		Gary Skidmore, Albuquerque, N.M.		10019		208.7		10-14-0		300		10319		2,900
14		Steve Martin, Kingsport, Tenn.		9962		207.5		11-13-0		330		10292		2,800
15		Art Trask, Fresno, Calif.		9886		205.9		11-13-0		330		10216		2,700
16		Mark Roth, Spring Lake Heights, N.J.		9810		204.3		13-11-0		390		10200		2,600
17		Wayne Webb, Carmel, Ind.,		9912		206.5		9-15-0		270		10182		2,500
18		Gil Sliker, Washington, N.J.		9836		204.9		11-12-1		345		10181		2,400
19		Tommy Hudson, Akron, Ohio		9837		204.9		10-13-1		315		10152		2,300
20		Don Genalo, N. Merrick, N.Y.		9813		204.4		11-13-0		330		10143		2,200
21		Jimmie Pritts Jr., Lawrence, Mass.		9819		204.5		9-15-0		270		10088		2,100
22		Mark Baker, Garden Grove, Calif.		9807		204.3		9-15-0		270		10077		2,000
23		Guppy Troup, Jacksonville, Fla.		9669		201.4		9-14-1		285		9954		1,900
24		Steve Neff, Sarasota, Fla.		9631		200.6		10-14-0		300		9931		1,800

Pos.		Name, City/State	Amount
*25		Nelson Burton Jr., St. Louis	$1,775
26		Marshall Holman, Jacksonville, Ore.	1,700
27		Bob Handley, Pompano Beach, Fla.	1,700
28		Tom Milton, St. Petersburg, Fla.	1,700
29		Rickie Sajek, Highland, Ind.	1,650
30		Larry Laub, Tucson, Ariz.	1,650
31		Dick Weber, St. Louis	1,650
32		Joe Berardi, Brooklyn, N.Y.	1,650
33		Joe Hutchinson, Scranton, Pa.	1,600
34		Pete Couture, Windsor Locks, Conn.	1,600
35		Carmen Salvino, Chicago	1,600
36		Warren Nelson, Downey, Calif.	1,600
37		Dave Soutar, Leawood, Kan.	1,550
38		Dale Eagle, Chicago	1,550
39		Randy Lightfoot, St. Chas., Mo.	1,550
40		Charlie Tapp, S. St. Paul, Minn.	1,550
41		Mal Acosta, Hayward, Calif.	1,500
		Les Zikes, Palatine, Ill.	1,500
43		Bill Spigner, Chicago	1,500
44		Dennis Jacques, Belford, N.J.	1,500
45		Johnny Petraglia, Manalapan, N.J.	1,450
46		Darryl Bower, Middletown, Pa.	1,450
47		Bill Beach, Sharon, Pa.	1,450
48		Mike Lastowski, Baltimore, Md.	1,450
49		Bob Chamberlain, Pontiac, Mich.	1,400
50		Steve Westberg, Cottage Gr., Ore.	1,400
51		Tom Baker, Buffalo, N.Y.	1,400
52		Butch Soper, Newport Beach., Calif.	1,400