Guppy Troup Elected to PBA Hall of Fame

In 1975, Guppy Troup became a PBA member. Fifty years and 50 titles later — eight on the PBA Tour and 42 on the PBA Regional Tours — Troup will become a member of the PBA Hall of Fame.

Troup was elected to the Hall of Fame via the Veterans Committee, which recognizes accredited players who did not meet traditional standards for enshrinement (10 PBA Tour titles or five titles with two major championships). Troup received the most votes from living Hall of Famers among the players on this year’s ballot.

PBA Commissioner Tom Clark shared the news with Guppy and his son, 12-time PBA Tour champion Kyle Troup, in a Zoom call.

“Wow,” Troup said upon hearing the news. “I figured I'd missed out on that. When the commissioner added the veteran’s category, I thought I had a chance. This feels great. It really does.”

Born John Douglas Troup in Edinburgh, Scotland, Troup moved to South Carolina with his family at the age of 3. He bowled on an elite junior bowling team named “The Guppies.”

Suffice to say, the nickname stuck.

Troup began his PBA Tour career in 1976, but things did not go according to plan. He ran out of sponsors and had to use his personal savings to compete in 1978.

He won his first title, the Kessler Open, that season and set a then-record with six perfect games in 1979.

Troup found his stride in the 1980s and captured seven titles between 1980 and 1985, including a three-title 1982 season. His penultimate PBA Tour title came in the 1984 Budweiser Open, which was held at Columbus Square Bowling Palace in Columbus, Ohio.

The same venue will host a PBA Tour title event next spring, marking its return to the PBA Tour for the first time in 36 years. Troup said he plans to attend the tournament to support Kyle and relive his glory days.

Troup shifted to part-time competition on the PBA Tour after Kyle’s birth in 1991. He was named PBA50 Rookie of the Year in 2000 and ranks among the most prolific PBA Regional Tour players in history, ranking tied for eighth all time with 42 career regional titles.

As impressive as his achievements were on the lanes, Troup’s persona was — and remains — Hall of Fame worthy.

Between his audacious fashion and incredible showmanship, Troup became one of the faces of professional bowling during his PBA Tour career.

Kyle Troup’s colorful pants and theatrical flair have made him one of the most beloved players on the tour today. Continuing the family trade is perhaps as important to Kyle as any title.

“It's special for me that Guppy finalizes his legacy in the sport,” Kyle said. “Everybody knows him. Everywhere I go, they ask more about him than me. It just felt wrong that somebody of that nature wasn't in the PBA Hall of Fame. I’m super thankful for everyone that voted for him and to put him in his rightful place.”

The 2026 PBA Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held Saturday, Feb. 21 in Arlington, Texas.