Norm Duke
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Norm Duke (born March 25, 1964) is an American professional bowler currently on the Denny's PBA (Professional Bowlers Association) Tour. He has bowled 56 perfect 300 games in PBA competition, including the 15th televised 300 game in PBA Tour history on January 5, 2003.
A native of Mount Pleasant, Texas, Duke resides in Clermont, Florida, with his wife Karen, and their son, branden.
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[edit] Career
A right-handed bowler, Norm Duke is one of the legends of the sport, and he became a member of the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Hall of Fame in 2002. He has won almost $2.6 million in total PBA prize money during his career, placing him fourth all-time. Norm was also the winner of the PBA Player of the Year award in 1994 and 2000.
Duke currently owns 29 Denny's PBA Tour titles, including five majors: the 1993 ABC Masters, the 1994 Tournament of Champions, the 2000 and 2008 PBA World Championships, and the 2008 United States Open. The 29 titles place him in a seventh-place tie on the all-time tour list with Mike Aulby. He has made multiple TV Finals appearances every season since 1990.[1]
On March 30, 2008, Duke won the U.S. Open and joined Mike Aulby and Billy Hardwick as the only bowlers to complete a PBA career "grand slam" (U.S. Open, PBA World Championship, Tournament of Champions and ABC/USBC Masters). He is also one of only five bowlers to complete the PBA Career Triple Crown (U.S. Open, Tournament of Champions and PBA World Championship).
The diminutive Duke (he stands 1.68 meters, or 5-foot-6) is known for his exceptional versatility. He can throw the ball relatively straight, play a hook shot from the extreme outside of the lane, or swing the ball out toward the gutter and bring it back like a "cranker". This gives him the advantage of being able to score well on most of the PBA's multiple oil patterns.
[edit] Awards and Recognition
- PBA Player of the Year (1994, 2000)
- George Young High Average award (1991, 1994, 2005-06, 2006-07)
- Harry Smith PBA Points Leader award (2005-06)
- In his first year on tour (1983), Duke won the tour stop in Cleveland, OH which made him the youngest person (18 years, 345 days) to ever capture a PBA title.
- During the 2006-07 Denny's PBA Tour season, Norm broke the tour's average record for a season, averaging 228.47.
- Inducted into USBC Hall of Fame, 2002
- During qualifying for an April 1996 PBA tournament held in North Brunswick, N.J., Duke bowled three consecutive perfect games (900 total) in two squads.
[edit] In the media
- During the 2006-07 Denny's PBA Tour season, Duke served as a guest commentator on ESPN telecasts for events in which he failed to reach the TV Finals alongside Dave Ryan and Randy Pedersen. During events in which he made the TV Finals, Chris Barnes filled in as the third commentator.
[edit] Trivia
- During televised matches, while his shot is rolling down the lane, crowds routinely shout out Duke's last name in an extended manner, which may sound like "boos" to the unknowing observer (similar to cheers for Mike Mussina, Muhsin Muhammad and Kevin Youkilis).
- Duke is also famed for his "trick shots", which include being able to sling a ball wrapped in a towel and consistently throw a strike.
[edit] References
- ^ Norm Duke bio at www.pba.com, official site of the PBA Tour
