Wayne Webb

Wayne Webb (born August 4, 1957) is the son of a ten-pin bowling alley operator from Rehoboth, Massachusetts, US, and was one of the world's best ten-pin bowlers from the late 1970s to the end of the 1980s. He is a member of both the PBA and USBC Halls of Fame.[1]

A right-handed bowler, Wayne knew from age twelve that "all I ever wanted to be was a professional bowler." He was eighteen when he got his wish and joined the PBA (Professional Bowlers Association) tour in 1975. He found success quickly, winning his first tournament at 21 and earning "Player of the Year" honors by 23. His final PBA title came in 1997 at the Bud Light Championship.

Webb was one of the PBA's first 10 career "millionaires." Webb captured 20 career PBA titles, including the Tournament of Champions. He was named PBA Player of the Year in 1980 and became a member of the PBA Hall of Fame in 1993. The 20 titles put him in a 12th-place tie with fellow PBA Hall of Famer Dick Ritger. A panel of bowling experts selected by the PBA ranked Webb #18 on their 2008 list of "50 Greatest Players of the Last 50 Years."

From 2000 on, Webb had major personal and professional problems, including suffering through a gambling addiction and his third divorce, and his bowling career began a steady decline. After being eliminated in the 2005 Denny's World Championship, Webb quit the PBA Tour and professional bowling as a whole. Webb's appearance in the Ten-pin movie/documentary A League of Ordinary Gentlemen documents this time and features Webb's candid comments on this period of his life.[2]

Webb recently bought Rainbow Lanes renamed Wayne Webb's Columbus Bowl located in Columbus, Ohio. and has a karaoke business on the side. Webb also continues to bowl in local and regional tournaments, on the Senior PBA Tour and in selected events on the PBA Tour. Wayne Webb's Columbus Bowl is undergoing renovations with new synthetic lanes, new high tech scoreboards, and more things. He recently bowled at the PBA 2008 H&R Block Tournament of Champions along with several other past TOC winners who were invited.

On June 20, 2008, Wayne Webb won the 2008 Senior U.S. Open, defeating Johnny Petraglia 204-172 in the championship match. This was only his 2nd ever Senior Tour event. Webb was named 2008 PBA Senior Rookie of the Year. On winning this award, he commented: "Obviously it's a great honor," Webb said. "Being on the Tour for 30 years, quitting for three years, and then coming back on the Senior Tour this year and doing as well as I did, I kind of re-sparked my life with bowling again."

Webb repeated as Senior U.S. Open Champion in 2009.[3] On June 18, 2010, Webb won his third PBA Senior Tour major, capturing the USBC Senior Masters in the final three-game match, 705-628, over reigning PBA Player of the Year, Walter Ray Williams, Jr.. Webb's victory denied Williams the chance to become just the second bowler in history to win both the USBC Masters and USBC Senior Masters in a career (PBA Hall of Famer Dave Soutar is so far the only player to win both).[4]

Following his win in the August 2010 Senior Jackson Open, Webb was named PBA Senior Player of the Year for 2010. This made him just the second bowler in history (after Mark Roth) to win both PBA and Senior PBA Player of the Year awards in a career.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Vint, Bill. "PBA Stars Ballard, Webb, Richgels Inducted into United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame." Article at www.pba.com on July 2, 2011.
  2. ↑ Independent Lens recap of A League of Ordinary Gentlemen at www.pbs.org
  3. ↑ Schneider, Jerry. "Wayne Webb Goes for Third Straight PBA Senior U.S. Open Title June 6–11 in Las Vegas." Article at www.pba.com on June 1, 2010.
  4. ↑ Vint, Bill. "Webb Tops Williams to Win USBC Senior Masters for Third Career Senior Tour Major." Article at www.pba.com on June 18, 2010.
  5. ↑ Schneider, Jerry. "Webb Caps 2010 Senior Tour Season with Win in Senior Jackson Open and Senior Player of the Year." Article at www.pba.com on August 24, 2010.

External links