2007–08 PBA Tour season

This is the 2007–08 season in review for the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA). It was the Tour's 49th season and consisted of 21 events.[1]

PBA Bowling Tour: 2007–08 Season
LeagueProfessional Bowlers Association
SportTen-pin bowling
DurationSeptember 23, 2007 – March 30, 2008
PBA Tour
Season MVPChris Barnes
PBA Tour seasons

Season highlights

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  • Chris Barnes made the final match in four tournaments, winning two titles en route to PBA Player of the Year honors. This marked the first PBA season that a points system (not a player vote) determined Player of the Year.[2]
  • Sean Rash became the second bowler (Hugh Miller was the other) to win titles in his first four televised appearances, as he captured his first major title at the USBC Masters in November.[3]
  • Walter Ray Williams, Jr. won two titles early in the season, raising his all-time PBA leading total to 44. This gave Williams a title in 15 straight seasons, tying Earl Anthony's 1970–84 streak. Williams also led the tour in average, setting the second-highest season mark in history at 228.34.[4]
  • Norm Duke completed a stunning comeback from an injury-marred first half (which put him in danger of losing his tour exemption) to win the last two majors of the season (PBA World Championship and 65th U.S. Open).[5]
  • Rookie Rhino Page set a record by making five televised finals while starting from the Tour Qualifying Round (TQR). He won his first PBA title in the Go RVing Classic – his fifth trip to the finals.[6]
  • Michael Haugen Jr. overcame a 53-pin sixth-frame deficit against Chris Barnes to win the H&R Block Tournament of Champions.
  • Rob Stone took over play-by-play duties from Dave Ryan on ESPN broadcasts of the PBA Tour. 13-time PBA titleist Randy Pedersen continued as the on-air analyst.

Awards and leaders

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Tournament results

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  • Majors are noted in boldface.
Date Event City Oil pattern Winner (title #) Runner-up Score
Sep 23 Dydo Japan Cup Tokyo, Japan Standard Mika Koivuniemi (8) Mike Wolfe 200–178
Oct 28 USBC Masters Milwaukee, WI Standard Sean Rash (4) Steve Jaros 269–245
Nov 4 Motor City Classic Taylor, MI Viper Walter Ray Williams Jr. (43) Eugene McCune 214–194
Nov 11 Etonic Championship Cheektowaga, NY Scorpion Mike Wolfe (3) Walter Ray Williams Jr. 256–225
Nov 18 Lake County Indiana Classic Merrillville, IN Chameleon Michael Haugen Jr. (1) Wes Malott 247–239
Nov 25 CLR Windy City Classic Vernon Hills, IL Shark Robert Smith (7) Brad Angelo 223–205
Dec 2 Great Lakes Classic Wyoming, MI Cheetah Walter Ray Williams, Jr. (44) Chris Loschetter 276–204
Dec 9 Lumber Liquidators Championship Baltimore, MD Scorpion Patrick Allen (10) Wes Malott 247–217
Dec 16 Spartanburg Classic Spartanburg, SC Viper Parker Bohn III (31) Rhino Page 267–257
Jan 6 ConstructionJobs.com Classic Reno, NV Shark Tommy Jones (11) Patrick Allen 254–214
Jan 13 Earl Anthony Medford Classic Medford, OR Cheetah Wes Malott (3) Rhino Page 255–193
Jan 20 Motel 6 Dick Weber Open Fountain Valley, CA Standard Mike Scroggins (4) Chris Barnes 226–171
Jan 27 H&R Block Tournament of Champions Las Vegas, NV T of C Michael Haugen Jr. (2) Chris Barnes 215-214
Feb 3 PBA Exempt Doubles Classic Las Vegas, NV T of C Danny Wiseman (12) and
Mike Fagan (1)
Joe Ciccone and
Ronnie Russell
210–208
Feb 10 Bayer Classic El Paso, TX Shark Chris Barnes (9) Tommy Jones 241–158
Feb 17 Pepsi Championship Elkhorn, NE Scorpion Mike Scroggins (5) Walter Ray Williams Jr. 214–194
Feb 24 Denny's World Championship Indianapolis, IN World Championship Norm Duke (27) Ryan Shafer 202–165
Mar 2 Don Johnson Buckeye St. Classic Columbus, OH Viper Chris Barnes (10) Ken Simard 209–197
Mar 9 Go RVing Classic Norwich, CT Chameleon Rhino Page (1) Jack Jurek 244–220
Mar 23 GEICO Classic West Babylon, NY Cheetah Tommy Jones (12) Pete Weber 257–191
Mar 30 65th U.S. Open North Brunswick, NJ U.S. Open Norm Duke (28) Mika Koivuniemi 224–216

Marking the end of the 2007–08 PBA season on ESPN, the fourth annual Motel 6 Roll To Riches was contested on April 13, 2008 in Orlando. In a unique format, six bowlers (Doug Kent, Sean Rash, Michael Haugen Jr., Norm Duke, Parker Bohn III and Chris Barnes) battled for a $150,000 winner-take-all prize. Parker Bohn III won the final "race to six strikes" against Norm Duke to take home the prize. (Earnings in this event do not count toward PBA career totals.)

References

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  1. ^ "2007–2008 Season Schedule". PBA.
  2. ^ "Chris Barnes profile". PBA.
  3. ^ "Sean Rash profile". PBA.
  4. ^ "Walter Ray Williams Jr profile". PBA.
  5. ^ "Norm Duke profile". PBA.
  6. ^ "Rhino Page profile". PBA.
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