Don Johnson (bowler)

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Don Johnson (May 19, 1940 - May 3, 2003) was a legendary, American ten-pin bowler who spent many years on the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) tour.

Contents

[edit] PBA Career

Don Johnson, a right-handed bowler, joined the PBA tour in 1967. Though not an official member of the tour from 1964-66, he captured at least one PBA title every year from 1964-77, on his way to 26 PBA titles in all. That total ties him with the late Dick Weber for eighth place all-time.

Johnson was voted PBA Player of the Year in 1971 and 1972. But perhaps his shining moment came in 1970, when he won the prestigious Tournament of Champions and nearly achieved perfection in the process. In the televised final, he left a single 10-pin on the final ball for a 299 game.

In the 1980's, Johnson made a successful transition from pro bowler to bowling instructor. He taught bowlers from over 20 countries and produced an acclaimed book/video instructional package on the sport. Johnson died suddenly on May 3, 2003 at the age of 62.[1]

On March 2, 2008, a PBA Tour stop in Columbus, OH was named in Johnson's honor: the Don Johnson Buckeye State Classic.

[edit] Awards and Recognition

  • PBA Player of the Year (1971, 1972)
  • Inducted into PBA Hall of Fame (1977)
  • Placed #8 in Bowling Magazine's list of the "20 Best Bowlers of the 20th Century"

[edit] References

  1. ^ Article: "The lost legend left us too soon", Bowling Digest, August, 2003.

[edit] Other Sources

  • PBA.com, official site of the Professional Bowlers Association and Denny's PBA Tour