A week away from either bowling the Pro Tour Qualifier (PTQ) squads in 1987 or quitting the PBA Tour, Mark Williams salvaged an otherwise poor 1986 by capturing the final tournament of the year - the $135,000 Budweiser Touring Players Championship, with a convincing 246-214 victory over Billy Young Jr. in the championship game. Williams, Beaumont, Texas, struck on six of his first seven balls in the championship game and coasted to his fourth PBA title and his first since winning the prestigious Firestone Tournament of Champions in April of 1985. "I had been in such a slump that I hadn't even made the top 24 since March," said Williams, who collected $23,000 and exemption from the "rabbit" squads. "I went through four years of that and once you get out of them, you say there's no way you're going to do it again. If I had to bowl the rabbits, I would have quit the Tour." Tom Milton opened the NBC Sports-televised finals with a 177-163 struggle over Del Ballard Jr. Young then defeated Milton, 222-191, and edged second-seeded Tom Baker, 200-190, to reach the championship game. Young made it a close match against Williams, striking on three of his first four balls. But he left a 4-6-10 split in the sixth frame to give Williams a 44-pin lead he never relinquished. CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND | Pos. |  | Name, City/State | Total | Amount | | | 1 | | Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas | 246 (1 game) | $23,000 | | 2 | | Billy Young Jr., Tulsa, Okla. | 636 (3 games) | 12,000 | | 3 | | Tom Baker, Buffalo, N.Y. | 190 (1 game) | 8,000 | | 4 | | Tom Milton, St. Petersburg, Fla. | 368 (2 games) | 6,500 | | 5 | | Del Ballard Jr., Richardson, Texas | 163 (1 game) | 5,500 | |
PLAYOFF RESULTS - Milton defeated Ballard, 177-163; Young defeated Milton, 222-191; Young defeated Baker, 200-190; and in the championship game, Williams defeated Young, 246-214.
56-GAME TOTALS | | | Name, City | | Pins | | Avg | | WLT | | + | | Tot | | Amt | | | 1 | | Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas | | 12377 | | 221.0 | | 16-7-1 | | 495 | | 12872 | | | | #2 | | Tom Baker, Buffalo, N.Y. | | 12295 | | 219.6 | | 15-9-0 | | 450 | | 12745 | | | | #3 | | Billy Young Jr., Tulsa, Okla. | | 12159 | | 217.1 | | 17-7-0 | | 510 | | 12669 | | | | 4 | | Tom Milton, St. Petersburg, Fla. | | 12221 | | 218.1 | | 14-10-0 | | 420 | | 12641 | | | | 5 | | Del Ballard Jr., Richardson, Texas | | 12308 | | 219.8 | | 10-14-0 | | 300 | | 12608 | | | | 6 | | Randy Johnson, Webster Groves, Mo. | | 12232 | | 218.4 | | 12-12-0 | | 360 | | 12592 | | $5,000 | | 7 | | Pete Weber, Florissant, Mo. | | 12185 | | 217.6 | | 13-11-0 | | 390 | | 12575 | | 4,500 | | 8 | | Scott Devers, Centerville, Ind. | | 12056 | | 215.3 | | 17-7-0 | | 510 | | 12566 | | 4,000 | | 9 | | Gary Dickinson, Burleson, Texas | | 12067 | | 215.5 | | 15-9-0 | | 450 | | 12517 | | 3,500 | | 10 | | Ron Palombi Jr., Erie, Pa. | | 12184 | | 217.6 | | 11-13-0 | | 330 | | 12514 | | 3,000 | | 11 | | Tony Westlake, Edmond, Okla. | | 12099 | | 216.1 | | 12-12-0 | | 360 | | 12459 | | 2,800 | | #12 | | Mark Baker, Garden Grove, Calif. | | 12006 | | 214.4 | | 15-9-0 | | 450 | | 12456 | | 2,700 | | #13 | | Steve J. Martin, Kingsport, Tenn. | | 12104 | | 216.1 | | 11-12-1 | | 345 | | 12449 | | 2,600 | | 14 | | Ron Bell, Akron, Ohio | | 11943 | | 213.3 | | 11-13-0 | | 330 | | 12273 | | 2,500 | | 15 | | Leroy Bornhop, St. Charles, Mo. | | 11880 | | 212.1 | | 12-12-0 | | 360 | | 12240 | | 2,400 | | 16 | | Dennis Jacques, Middletown, N.J. | | 11959 | | 213.6 | | 8-16-0 | | 240 | | 12199 | | 2,300 | | 17 | | David Ozio, Vidor, Texas | | 11861 | | 211.8 | | 11-13-0 | | 330 | | 12191 | | 2,200 | | 18 | | Marshall Holman, Medford, Ore. | | 11840 | | 211.4 | | 11-13-0 | | 330 | | 12170 | | 2,100 | | 19 | | Jon O'Drobinak, Hammond, Ind. | | 11824 | | 211.1 | | 11-13-0 | | 330 | | 12154 | | 2,000 | | 20 | | Bob Handley, Pompano Beach, Fla. | | 11848 | | 211.6 | | 10-14-0 | | 300 | | 12148 | | 1,900 | | 21 | | Chuck Mogavero, Sun Lakes, Ariz. | | 11744 | | 209.7 | | 12-11-1 | | 375 | | 12119 | | 1,800 | | 22 | | John Kirker Jr., Norwich, Conn. | | 11842 | | 211.5 | | 8-15-1 | | 255 | | 12097 | | 1,700 | | 23 | | Tony Moore, Corbin, Ky. | | 11788 | | 210.5 | | 7-17-0 | | 210 | | 11998 | | 1,600 | | 24 | | Rowdy Morrow, St. Louis | | 11743 | | 209.7 | | 7-17-0 | | 210 | | 11953 | | 1,500 | |
OTHER CASHERS | Pos. | | Name, City/State | Amount | | | *25 | | Bobby Jacks, Union City, Calif. | $1,485 | | 26 | | Joe Berardi, Brooklyn, N.Y. | 1,330 | | 27 | | Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela | 1,300 | | 28 | | Pete McCordic, Houston | 1,275 | | 29 | | Rey C. Perez, Cincinnati, Ohio | 1,250 | | 30 | | Sam Maccarone, Glassboro, N.J. | 1,225 | | 31 | | John Forst, Woodridge, Ill. | 1,200 | | 32 | | Del Warren, Lake Worth, Fla. | 1,180 | | 33 | | Jim Pencak, Richmond Hts., Ohio | 1,160 | | 34 | | Steve Wunderlich, St. Louis | 1,140 | | 35 | | Tom Crites, Tampa, Fla. | 1,120 | | 36 | | Mark Fahy, Chicago | 1,100 | | 37 | | Ron Williams, Cahokia, Ill. | 1,080 | | 38 | | Les Zikes, Palatine, Ill. | 1,060 | | 39 | | Tommy Kress, Rochester, N.Y. | 1,040 | |
* - Match play alternate. # - Steve Martin, Billy Young Jr., Tom Baker and Mark Baker rolled 300 games ($100 each). 32-game qualifying leader - Tony Westlake, 7105. 24th place - Steve Martin, 6835. 39th place - Tommy Kress, 6569. PRO-AM CASHERS - Guppy Troup, John Gant, Pete Weber, Don Genalo, Paul Gibson, Tom Milton, Bill Knight Jr., James Miller, Kent Wagner and Larry Womack ($50 each).
|