Editorials, Michael Cousins Bowling Blog, PBA Tour
The Top 5 Greatest PBA Bowlers of All Time
The Bowling GOATs – Top 5 Greatest PBA Bowlers Ever
By Michael Cousins
It is never easy ranking any sport’s greatest players. In fact, it is darn near impossible. There are many reasons for this, but the biggest issue with comparing different athletes from different eras is comparing the eras, themselves.
But, for the sake of this article, we are going to give it a go. While these rankings aren’t ever easy, rarely accurate, and always subjective, they remain fun. So, without further ado, let us begin with the top 5 PBA bowlers of all time!
1) Pete Weber: 37 career titles, 10 major championships, 6 PBA 50 titles.
When it comes to Pete Weber, one must first look at his longevity. This guy has been amongst the game’s top competitors for the better part of three decades. His desire to win and his confidence are unmatched. Then, when you look at his physical game, he’s leaps and bounds ahead of his peers. The most impressive aspect of Weber’s game can be seen in the way he gets up for the biggest events; Weber has 10 major championships, which is tied for the most of all-time, and at 54 years of age, he remains a major threat still today.
2) Walter Ray Williams Jr: 48 career titles, 8 major championships, 9 PBA 50 titles.
Walter Ray Williams Jr. is the winningest bowler in the history of the sport. In addition to having the most PBA Championships of all time, he holds the record for most PBA Player of the Year Awards, as well. Like Weber, Williams’ longevity has been that of legend. While he isn’t quite the level of player as Weber is today, he is still no slouch, and his 48 career titles have earned him a spot among the top 2. A very strong argument could be made for Williams at 1, and not Weber, but I stick with my rankings.
3) Earl Anthony: 43 career titles, 10 major championships
Earl Anthony was the single greatest player of his era. He holds the record for most championship round appearances in a single season with 15. He held the record for most PBA Championships for decades, before Williams ultimately leapfrogged him. In addition to being one of the three greatest players in PBA history, an argument could be made that, along with Dick Weber, Anthony was the greatest ambassador in the history of the sport.
4) Norm Duke: 38 career titles, 7 major championships, 2 PBA 50 titles
In addition to being one of the greatest bowlers of all-time, Duke is one of the most likable players in the history of the PBA tour. Throughout his career, he has had an almost cult-like following of fans and loyalists rooting him on. Duke is arguably the most versatile player in the history of the PBA tour, and has won titles from just about every arrow on the lane.
5) Mark Roth: 34 career titles, 2 major championships
Roth is widely regarded as the father of today’s modern power game. With his intimidating physical game, Roth dominated the late 1970s – early 1980s in a way very few have ever dominated a single period. In 1984, Roth set the record for most championships in a single-season with 8, a record that still stands today. In 1979, he set the record for highest average ever recorded (at the time) with 221.699, which, in 1979, was quite the average.
As I prefaced this list at the beginning of the article, this is entirely subjective. I understand that almost the entire top five could be rearranged and re-ranked in any order. However, regardless of how you’d rank these give (from 1 to 5), I do not believe that there is any questioning that these five bowlers belong in the conversation.
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I am a leftie … I have always loved Earl Anthony!!!
I loved watching him win and got upset every time he came in second (a record amount of times).
He had this slow release which scattered the pins and almost never missed the pocket. No wonder they called him, “The Machine”. He probably could still go out there and do well today if he hadn’t had that unfortunate fatal fall.
Walter Ray was solid. But Pete Weber is a true Bowler to a Bowler. Had a meal with him before a tourney in Illinois. Stopped and said if he could sit at our table by the lane to eat before we started. 15 minutes talking to one heck of a classy man. Thank you Pete!!
Liked watching Earl and Petraglia bowl. For me, bowlers today have no style. No disrespect. Just something I can’t put my finger on. They just don’t excite me the way the bowlers of the past did.
Earl Anthony deserves the title of “The Earl of Bowling” & “”Ambassador of Bowling” for Sir Earl Anthony has been unmatched before or after his time. He is the Babe of Bowling, the Ali of Bowling, and the Jordan & Russell of Bowling.
He was an arrogant prick!!!!!
Maybe so but it worked for him I’m old school from days of Whispering Joe Wilson. Carmen Salvino was the best.!!!
Highest compliment I can get just call them lemon and rags toughest action shooters around anytime anywhere
I agree Pete. Your not to bad either… 😜
I agree the impact he had on the game, he evolved it to what it is today I just do t think it would be the Sam wait hour him he paved a road for the lefties to drive on.
Walter Ray wasn’t as exciting as Pete weber etc but damn, who converts 475 singles out of 475 in a year? I just loved his accuracy. Never to be matched.
For my money I’ll take Billy Golenbiefski. Gotta love a bowler who’s last name ends in SKI.
I live in Tacoma wa. Every time I watched tournaments on tv, there was Earl, one the most consistent athletes I’ve ever seen!
I like mark roth and I’ve always been obsessed with his 7-10 split
I say Earl Anthony was the number one of all time for one simple reason. He made the TV show even when they tried to block him out with an impossible oiling of the lanes.
I treasure my photo and autograph with my all time favorite Earl Anthony who I met at the senior PBA tour in Toledo Ohio in 1994.
Webber for his time. Each decade has a major star. No such time as the best ever.
Weber and the Goat met five times in championship matchs and the Goat won all five times. So the Goat not only has more titles more money winnings that has stood up for 18 years til today Weber isn’t even close to being the all time goat.
I love the game of bowling, but Pete is the GOAT. He and his father lit the torch. The Michael Jordan of bowling. No one had his demeanor. He is alone at the top. AMEN
Jason Belmonte, in my opinion, is number 1 — he has averaged 1 MAJOR tournament victory, for the first 11 years of his PBA career, which is most in history. MAJOR victories are the key measure of success, because of the pressure and prestige.
It’s toss up between Pete Weber and Earl “The Peril” if you ask me. They are bowling, forever!
You must close your ears when you hear the name Walter Ray!
Duck Weber makes the top ten its like who was better Koufax and Marichal from a long gone era or Pedro , Maddox, Verlander, or Ryan?
I AM A LEFTIE TOO
I remember watching all of them Bowl starting with Dick Weber when I was a kid and my parents are bowling that’s what got me bowling Earl Anthony Mark Roth love the more I started working at the bowling alley in Hialeah Florida best to get practice to the bowl leagues and tournaments
My Mom always watched Pro Bowling every Saturday. That is why I became interested. I loved Dick Weber, Pete Weber, Walter Ray Williams, Jr, Norm Duke, etc. Mom was also on a league every Saturday night and weekly nights too…I think Wednesdays? Sorry I do not remember how many days a week the Ladies League played.
I remember watching all of them Bowl starting with Dick Weber when I was a kid and my parents were bowling that’s what got me bowling Earl Anthony Mark Roth love watching them all because of them I started bowling. I started working at the bowling alley in Hialeah Florida best to get practice to the bowl leagues and tournaments
Pete Weber edges out Earl Anthony with Jason Belmont’s air apparent
Belmonte will have to be considered when it is all said and done. 12 majors and counting is nothing to sneeze at
How about dick weber. Ray bluth. Don carter. And Tom hennessy. And
don Carter bowled many poor lanes they were in very bad shape.
Mikenea IsTheBest
1 Earl Anthony
2 Walter Ray
3 Pete Weber
4 Nirm Duke
5 Mark Roth
Gotta put Belmo before Pete and maybe Ray too.
Yes Sir, but #2 should be “Norm Duke then Dick Weber then Pete.
Yes Sir, but #2 should be “Norm Duke then Dick Weber then Pete.
Walter Ray
Pete Weber
Norman Duke
Patker Bohn III
Earl Anthony
(1) Earl Anthony (2) Don Carter (3) Ray Bluth (4) Andy Varipapa (5) Walter Ray Williams
Spot on
How can you consider a two handed bowler i would bet if belmonte had to bowl with 1 hand he would not be all that good that said they should ban 2 handed bowling
No such thing as greatest ever! Only in 10-15 year intervals. Each has a greatest time.
I agree, 2handed bowling should be banned from the PBA! Let them start their own league and compete against each other!
If it was so easy, everyone would be doing it. Belmonte’s greatest abilities are his sparemaking, ability to read the transition of the lanes, and to take whatever the lanes are giving him on a nightly basis.(Sames as Earl Anthony, Pete Weber, Walter Ray, and Norm Duke.)
Earl to me was the best. I think Earl had over 40 second place finishes, too. Walter Ray great also. Those top 5 were all greats.
I agree that you have to have time periods for the greatest players but there is no way Belmont doesn’t belong in this group already and he has plenty of time to add to his achievements.
It’s virtually impossible to compare athletes of different eras. This is especially hard to do in football, where the rules of the game have so changed to accent offense at the expense of defense, that we’re not even talking about the same game anymore. But it’s true in bowling, too, with increased scoring being the prime reason behind the thermo-composite bowling balls that allow stronger players to throw the ball even harder while generating tremendous torque for “right angle” turns into the pocket, etc. The aforementioned bowlers were great. But so were Don Carter, Billy Hardwick, and Don Johnson, to name a few. I am just very happy to have seen them all.
I’d say Norm Duke is number 1 because he has won tournaments from every arrow on the lane. #2 would be Earl Anthony because he won even when the lanes were blocked against him. #3 would be the original cranker, Mark Roth, who was and still is my favorite. #4 PDW, need I say more? He revolutionized the game to where it is today and my #5 would be Marshall Holman, who also won from anywhere on the lane.
They were the world champion team bowlers of all time. No c e
I think Don Carter was the best in his time. I saw him bowl once against a team mate and at one point had 17 strikes in a row!
I say in his time because I don’t think you can match bowlers from different era’s. The alleys and bowling equipment are so much different, and better now.
You caaaaaaaan’t be serious if you leave out the top three of all time: Don Carter, Dick Weber and Earl Anthony. They bowled before the 21st Century you know …
This is a very hard list to do. Each one of these bowlers definitely dominated but I would do it by era.
1950s – Don Carter – won just about everything there was to win.
1960s – Dick Weber
1970s – Earl Anthony and Mark Roth. Can’t doubt that.
1980s – Mike Aulby is my pick – he dominated that era quite well with real good shooters.
1990s – early 2000s – WRWII.
2010 to today – of course Belmonte.
Longevity – Besides WRWII, Norm Duke, Pete Weber, and Bohn III, can be in that category. Ability to adapt to all conditions and equipment.
In other words I have no favorite or top shooter. I think it is all about the era and longevity that they dominated under.
Oh – my favorite power release? I put Steve Cook up there. What a game and release despite being huge.
Steve Cook lives right down the street from me!
Please do not forget Barry Asher. Tremendous bowler!
(1) Roy Munson
(2) Earl Thomas
(3) Walter Williams
(4) Pete Weber
(5) Ernie McCracken
Steve has been drinking too much.
Atta boy Luther!!
They all were good
In time—there will be moor
I love the game
God bless all
With all the power bowlers currently on the tour, I believe all those named would just be one of the guys.
The greatest ever is not Pete Weber nor is it Walter Ray Williams, Jr. It’s The Doomsday Striking Machine, Earl Anthony
Jim hosier with 225 300 games is the best I’ve seen
My name is Mark Nelson “Bo” Burton Jr. beat me with 3X in the tenth. He autographed a picture for me and wrote “To Mark ….the worlds greatest Jewish bowler.” After he shook my hand and handed it to me…he said..oh crap, I forgot about Mark Roth! Many moons ago..but I nevee forgot his sense of humor!
Agree 10000%
How about Johnny Petraglia? He was dominant in his era too. Where would you place him?
My name is Mark Nelson “Bo” Burton Jr. beat me with 3X in the tenth. He autographed a picture for me and wrote “To Mark ….the worlds greatest Jewish bowler.” After he shook my hand and handed it to me…he said..oh crap, I forgot about Mark Roth! Many moons ago..but I nevee forgot his sense of humor!
For me, it’s a tie between Don Carter and Earl Anthony. I started bowling back in the 50s, and it was a treat to see The Budweisers team of Weber, Bluth, Patterson and the gang in an exhibition. How can you not want to take up bowling after seeing those greats in action?
Earl Anthony is the best, hands down, its really not even close. Earl RETIRED in his prime in 1983, sure he came back but he just got bored. Once Earl turned 50 and started bowling on the Senior Tour he literally could of won every week if he wanted to enter the event, but again he didn’t care, so effortlessly. The man was a true natural and an absolute legend. In the late 70’s/early 80’s in California and in Washington he couldn’t go anywhere without somebody wanting his autograph, people would stalk him constantly, not in a bad way just because they were so in awe and wanted a chance to meet/talk to him.
They’re all truly good. Each of them would dominate a league at any given point in time. Walter Ray for the sheer number of titles he won. Norm and Pete because they had the ability to best anyone, at any time. Earl Anthony because, we’ll because he’s Earl Anthony and you can’t beat him.
But there’s one more I’d like to toss in the mix. Anyone remember Brian Voss? Well, I’ve watched ‘em all, from the mid 50s until this week, and there is nobody in the game better at throwing a clutch shot than Voss. When the ball absolutely has to be thrown in the pocket to win, Boss wii throw it in the 1-3 EVERY TIME. And that’s how you know when someone is REALLY good. Because they make the shot when the chips are down. If I’m going all in and have to choose someone to hit the pocket, I’d go with Voss. Even over Anthony. The ball might not strike every time, but you could be sure he’d throw it in the hole.
They’re all good, and all worthy of being called the GOAT. Even on my best night they’d own me. But……if it was the 10 frame and I needed a strike, I’d hit the pocket. But like so many others here, I was just a decent house player. The guys we’re discussing are the best on the planet, and any of them could beat any of the others at any given time.
For my money, no one did it better than Earl (the pearl) Anthony. He didn’t start bowling at an older age than by far most of the pros, he racked up records in a shorter time than almost anyone else, he was so smooth on the lanes, did a lot to promote the game and so on , , , , ,
Earl at a standard that all tried to reach. He was smooth, not fancy and a great ambassador of the game. Met him on a USO tour in Europe where he faced off against our top AJBC boy and girl. At 0800 on a Saturday AM, he entered to a packed house, threw a few practice shots and tossed a 223. He then signed autographs before catching a ride to the airport. A genuine professional, person and ambassador. RIP.
Solid top 5, I like it and all the stats to back it up. If done now though, I’d have to put Jason “Belmo” Belmonte at #1, whose now at 14 majors as of now 3/16/2022. He should have his 15th at least by the end of the year too.
Actually now in 2024, I’d put Belmo just outside the Top 5, but if he surpasses Mark Roth, I’d put Belmo in there then. Belmo’s the GOAT in terms of majors though, whose now at 15. Anthony Simonsen aka “Simo” might even someday catch him, whose currently at 14 titles with 5 majors and today on 5/1/2024 is only 27 years old, the youngest to win 5 majors. They’ve both struggled lately the past year or so.
so many people kiss pete’s butt it’s absurb. he is top 5. i would say 4. walter, earl, belmo ( and i don’t like him) pete, norm.
Have to agree. Also : I own Earl’s old drill press.
My Mom always watched Pro Bowling every Saturday. That is why I became interested. I loved Dick Weber, Pete Weber, Walter Ray Williams, Jr, Norm Duke, etc. Mom was also on a league every Saturday night and weekly nights too…I think Wednesdays? Sorry I do not remember how many days a week the Ladies League played.
Pete Weber is the 🐐
Agree with top bowler picks but I’m better then all of them. I cant be beat on any lane, anywhere
My comment was a joke…I was drunk at the time. My comment does apply to our grandson, Jalen, though
Hi Pete,
I apologize, I am completely new to this. My fiancé is an avid bowler and becoming very well, averaging 224. I’m trying to give him a very special Christmas gift and he absolutely idolizes you. If there is anything you can do or recommend I would be so grateful. Please contact me directly if you would like to connect or have any questions. I appreciate your time, happy holidays.
Regards,
Erin
(716) 560-0712
[email protected]
I like Pete Weber. I watched almost all the available championships he won. He’s a great and very exciting bowler. He’s the only senior bowler who beats Jason Belmonte in a biggest Major bowling tour – the U.S. Open on this Jason Belmonte era.
got to roll a game with dick weber many years ago when he came to our small town to put on a promotion for bowling still one of the highlites of my life
1 Norm Duke
2 earl anthony
3 Walter ray
4 Pete Weber
5 Mark Roth
Trying to figure out why Walter Ray isn’t concensous #1. Check the banners on his wall kids. This list is pretty good, but I have to flip WRW and PDW and I love PDW, but Walter has the skins and he also kicked his ass in TV matches. You have to tip your hat, but Pete was a superstar and a far more interesting bowler to watch (goodness his release was a thing of beauty), but I have to tip my hat to Jr on this one. All 5 of these dudes were insanely good.
I agree. More titles. Only 2 fewer majors. I give the nod to Williams as well.
Equipment differences make it impossible. Same with golf. And think about tennis. I’m old. I used to bowl with a Manhattan Rubber, an AMF Exacta, an XL-5 and later a Columbia Red/Yellow dot and then a Shure-D on wood/oil against 3-10 Vulcan pins and averaged 198-201 when pros were averaging 212-215.
During grad school at Purdue I used to bowl all over IN, Il and OH. Went up against Mr. Soaker in the early 70’s in Munster and DJ in Kokomo.
The most impressive to me was Billy Hardwick’s control and roll, Dick Weber’s follow through and Earl – who thru with almost a bent elbow as Don Carter. But when Earl’s ball hit, it hit as hard as Belmo, EJ or anyone.
I’m going to chime in with a vote for my personal favorite from back in the day, Billy Golenbiefski. Gotta love a bowler who’s last name ends in SKI.
Agree with 4/5 of these. Just replace Duke (give him Honorable Mention) with PB3. I can’t stand lefties and PB3 is my favorite behind WRWJR. Duke…ugly game.
I can say I feel honored to have had bowled with the great legend “Earl (The Pearl) Anthony” at Valley lanes in Beaverton Oregon. I would definitely put him on the top as being all-time great, “But I will also have to put at the number #2 spot is someone that we all overlook And that is Ernie Schelgel of Vancouver, Wa. Ernie, brung more fans to the sport of Bowling than anyone! Because of his Charismatic approach to Bowling he woo’d and bedazzled the fans, Heck they even made a movie after the guy! Of Course they never paid him or asked for his permission…
I grew up watching bowling on TV from the mid-’50s into the ’60s. My favourite bowler of that era was Bill Lillard who had such a snap on his release and of course, a wicked hook into the pocket to follow. He may not have been at the level of Don Carter, Dick Weber or Earl Anthony but he beat them all when he was at his best.
Belmonte, 15 Majors and still going,I come from a land down under, Aussies do it best, it takes more skill to bowl 2 handed than 1 handed, enough said
I would swap Pete Weber with Earl Anthony. Pete is a great bowler, but I think he is third on the best of the best list.
Sad to not see Belmo on the list. 15 majors is a world record; he should have been 3rd or 4th on the list. My favorite of all time.