Norm Duke
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Norm Duke is an American professional bowler currently on the Denny's PBA Tour (Professional Bowlers Association).
Born on March 15, 1964, Duke is a current resident of Clermont, Florida. Duke, a right-handed bowler, is one the legends of the sport, and became a member of the USBC Hall of Fame in 2002. He has won just under $2.5 million in total prize money during his 25-year career on tour. Norm also won the PBA Player of the Year in 1994 and 2000.
Norm is married to his wife Karen, and the couple has one son, Branden.
[edit] Career Achievements
Duke currently owns 26 Denny's PBA Tour titles, including the 1994 PBA Tournament of Champions and the 2000 PBA National Championship. Amazingly, he has made at least 3 TV Finals appearances every season since 1990, 96 total in 25 years on the Denny's PBA Tour.
During the 2006-2007 Denny's PBA Tour season, Norm also broke the tour's average record for a season, averaging 228.47 for the season.
During the 2006-2007 Denny's PBA Tour season, Norm took part in the ESPN telecasts for events in which he failed to reach the TV Finals. Along with Dave Ryan and Randy Pedersen, he served as a second color commentator. During events in which Norm made the TV Finals, eight-time Denny's PBA Tour titlist Chris Barnes filled in as the third commentator.
[edit] Skills Challenge
Duke has also proved to be one of the top trick-shot bowlers on the tour today. He has made the "towel shot" more than anyone, but perhaps his greatest skills shot is the two-ball 7-10 split conversion. To start, Norm spins the first ball straight down the center of the lane. When the ball is approximately 50 feet or so down lane, he throws another ball directly at it. When converted, that ball hits the spinning ball, which takes out the 7 pin, and the other ball deflects off the spinning ball and takes out the ten. No bowler besides Norm has ever converted this shot in Skills Challenge competition.
His skills paid off in the 2006 Denny's PBA Tour Skills Challenge, when he defeated Tony Reyes for the $30,000 top prize.
