As with all sports, there is much debate over who are the greatest ten-pin bowlers of all time. The sport is full of popular characters, pioneers and whizz kids and while it’s difficult to compare modern stars with those from before the professional era, these are some of Bowling’s best known heroes, past and present.
While many of the best players are from the US, World Bowling, the world governing body now has 134 international member federations.
Walter Ray Williams, Jr.
Walter Ray Williams, Jr. is believed by many to be the greatest ten-pin bowler of all time. He holds record 47 PBA Tour care titles, and always holds the PBA earnings record for a single season (almost $4.5 million in 2012-13). He won the PBA Player of the Year on seven occasions. He won at least one PBA Tour title each year between 1993 and 2009-10. Williams is also a nine-time world horseshoe champion (3 times as a junior and 6 times at senior level).
Earl Anthony
Earl Roderick Anthony was another genius with Bowling Balls. The left-handed bowler was bowler of the year awards on six occasions, and won 41 PBA titles (adjusted to 43 in 2008). Along with Dick Weber, Anthony is credited with increasing the popularity of bowling in the US. His ten professional major titles are among the most won by any bowler. He was the first to reach $100,000 earnings in a single season, and to reach $1,000,000 PBA earnings in lifetime. His trademark plastic-frame glasses and crew-cut haircut earned Anthony the nickname Square Earl from fellow professionals. He passed away in 2001.
Mark Roth
Mark Roth is known for his hard-throwing style. He surpassed Earl Anthony’s all-time PBA earnings record in 1987, won the PBA Player of the Year awards on 4 occasions, won 34 PBA Tour titles, and led the Tour average in six seasons. Roth owns two PBA50 Tour titles, and is one of only three players to earn both PBA50 and PBA Player of the Year awards. Roth was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1987. Other stars who have been inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame are profiled on the PBA website.
Don Carter
Seven-time PBA champion Don Carter is considered by many to be Bowling’s first superstar. He won the Bowler of the Year on six occasions, and in 1970, was voted the Greatest Bowler of All-Time. He was winner of the World Invitational on five occasions and won the USBC Masters in 1961. Carter passed away in 2012.
Dick Weber
Richard Anthony ‘Dick’ Weber was a founding member of the PBA, and is not only know for his bowling prowess, but also for the pioneering work that he did in promoting the sport. Weber won 30 PBA Tour titles, four BPAA All-Stars, a PBA Player of the Year award and BPAA Bowler of the Year honours on three occasions. He served on the PBA Board for 15 years. Dick’s son Pete is second on the PBA’s all-time earning list and is a fellow PBA Hall of Fame inductee. Like Earl Anthony, Weber junior has 10 major titles to his name.