| Norm Duke | |
|---|---|
| Born | Norm Duke March 25, 1964 Mount Pleasant, Texas |
| Occupation | Ten Pin Bowler |
| Years active | 1982-present |
| Spouse | Karen |
Norm Duke (born March 25, 1964) is an American professional bowler currently on the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour. He has bowled 58 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.
In 1983, less than a year after turning pro, Duke won a title in Cleveland, OH to become the youngest player ever to win a PBA Tour event (age 18 years, 345 days). On that day, Duke started from the #5 position and defeated four bowlers to take the championship, including a victory over the legendary Earl Anthony in Duke's first-ever televised match.[1]
Duke became a member of the USBC Hall of Fame in 2002, and was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in January 2009. He has won over $2.9 million in PBA Tour prize money during his career, placing him third all-time behind only Walter Ray Williams Jr. and Pete Weber. Norm was also the winner of the PBA Player of the Year award in 1994 and 2000.
Duke currently owns 34 PBA Tour titles, including seven majors: one ABC Masters, one Tournament of Champions, two United States Opens, and three PBA World Championships. The 34 titles place him in a tie with Mark Roth for 4th on the PBA's all-time list. He has made multiple TV Finals appearances every season since 1990. He has won at least two titles in a season eight times, including a career-best five titles in 1994.[2]
The diminutive Duke (he stands 1.65 meters, or 5-foot-5) is known for his exceptional versatility. He is generally thought of as a stroker, either throwing the ball relatively straight or playing a hook shot from the extreme outside of the lane. But he has also shown the ability (especially earlier in his career) to swing the ball out toward the gutter and bring it back like a cranker when necessary. This gives him the advantage of being able to score well on most of the PBA's multiple oil patterns.
Contents |
The 2007-08 season started slowly for Duke, as he battled illness on top of a series of injuries through the first half. Standing 51st in points and with his Tour exemption in jeopardy, he put together a furious finish by winning two majors in the final five weeks of the season. On February 24, 2008, he won his second career PBA World Championship to lock up a 2008-09 exemption. Then on March 30, he won the U.S. Open and joined Mike Aulby and Billy Hardwick as the only bowlers to ever 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 six bowlers to complete the PBA career Triple Crown (U.S. Open, Tournament of Champions and PBA World Championship).
Duke began the 2008-09 season by again winning the PBA World Championship. Continuing on his success from the previous season's sweep of the final two majors, he accomplished something never before done by any professional bowler: win three consecutive major tournaments. The streak ended when he failed to make the TV finals for the 2009 Tournament of Champions. On April 5, 2009, Duke narrowly missed an opportunity to become just the fifth bowler to repeat as champion at the U.S. Open. He qualified as the #1 seed, but was upset in the final by Mike Scroggins, 191-173. Duke eventually did win a second U.S. Open, On February 27, 2011.