Walter Ray Williams
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Walter Ray Williams Jr. (born October 6, 1959 in Eureka, California) is currently the world's leading professional Ten-pin bowler. He starred in the ten-pin bowling sports documentary A League of Ordinary Gentlemen. He is also notable at the game of Horseshoes.
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[edit] Bowling career
Williams Jr. is a 6-time PBA Player of the Year (1986,93,96,97,98,03) and the all-time leading money winner on the PBA Tour. He was the first bowler in history to earn $2 million, achieving this in 1997. With his win in the 2003 U.S. Open, he also became the first $3 million career winner: with his 42nd title (Dydo Japan Cup) he became the first $4 million career winner. He has also won 6 World Horseshoe Pitching titles. He was also invited to pitch horseshoes at the White House with President George H. W. Bush in the late 1980s. He finished 2nd in the 2005 world horseshoe pitching championships.
As of September 24, 2006 he has now eclipsed Earl Anthony's tour title total of 41 PBA regular tour titles, with Walter Ray's win (totalling 42 PBA tour titles) of the 2006 Dydo Japan Cup over Pete Weber, with a 289-236 single game pinfall. [1], and has been known as "Deadeye" because of his unbelievable accuracy in both bowling and horseshoes. He is also known as the best spare-shooter on the PBA tour. He also is the PBA career leader in television appearances with over 150, and including the 2006 Dydo Japan Cup, has now won a PBA tour title in a record 14 consecutive seasons, which is tied with Earl Anthony's 1970-1983 run.
[edit] Popularity
Although Pete Weber is known as the poster-boy of the PBA to the general public, Walter Ray, in bowling circles, might be the most popular player on tour. This is because of his cool, confident demeanor, and his unparalleled success for the last 14 years.
He is a member of the ABC and PBA Halls of Fame, a member of the World Horshoe Pitching Hall of Fame, and was a two-time past president of the Professional Bowlers Association. He has the 2nd highest average in PBA history for a season -- 227.07; only Parker Bohn III's mark of 228.03 is higher. He has bowled 66 career 300 games.
[edit] Walter Ray's 42 PBA National Tour career titles
- 1986 True Value Open, Peoria, Ill.
- 1986 Fair Lanes Open, Baltimore, Md.
- 1986 Hammer Open, Edmond, Okla.
- 1987 Miller Lite Classic, Miami, Fla.
- 1987 Hammer Open, Edmond, Okla.
- 1991 Oronamin C Japan Cup, Tokyo, Japan
- 1993 Flagship City Open, Erie, Pa.
- 1993 Columbia 300 Open, San Antonio, Texas
- 1993 Northwest Classic, Kennewick, Wash.
- 1993 Oregon Open, Portland, Ore.
- 1993 Tucson Open, Tucson, Ariz.
- 1993 Greater Grand Rapids Open, Grand Rapids, Mich.
- 1993 Paula Carter's Homestead Classic, Homestead, Fla.
- 1994 Showboat Invitational, Las Vegas, Nev.
- 1994 Touring Players Championship, Indianapolis, Ind.
- 1995 Rochester Open, Rochester, N.Y.
- 1996 Track Synergy Open, Kennewick, Wash.
- 1996 Showboat Invitational, Las Vegas, Nev.
- 1996 Brunswick Johnny Petraglia Open, North Brunswick, N.J.
- 1996 Rochester Open, Rochester, N.Y.
- 1996 Greater Harrisburg Open, Mechanicsburg, Pa.
- 1997 Columbia 300 Open, Austin, Texas
- 1997 Brunswick Johnny Petraglia Open, North Brunswick, N.J.
- 1997 St. Clair Classic, Fairview Heights, Ill.
- 1998 Storm Flagship Open, Erie, Pa.
- 1998 BPAA U.S. Open, Milford, Conn.
- 1998 Brunswick Long Island Open, Coram, N.Y.
- 1998 Bay City Classic, Bay City, Mich.
- 1998 National Finance Challenge, Indianapolis, Ind.
- 1999 Tucson Open, Tucson, Ariz.
- 2000 Track Canandaigua Open, Canandaigua, N.Y.
- 2000 Brunswick Johnny Petraglia Open, North Brunswick, N.J.
- 2001-02 PBA National Championship, Toledo, Ohio
- 2001-02 Greater Cincinnati Classic, Erlanger, Ky.
- 2002-03 Greater Detroit Open, Taylor, Mich.
- 2002-03 U.S. Open, Fountain Valley, Calif.
- 2002-03 PBA World Championship, Taylor, Mich.
- 2003-04 Earl Anthony Classic Presented by Storm, Tacoma, Wash.
- 2003-04 ABC Masters, Reno, Nev.
- 2004-05 Uniroyal Tire Classic, Wickliffe, Ohio
- 2005-06 Denny's PBA World Championship, Indianapolis, Ind.
- 2006 Dydo Japan Cup, Tokyo, Japan
[edit] Trivia
Williams was involved in one of the most bizarre matches in PBA television history. In the 1986 King Louie Open he was facing off against Mark Baker for the title. Baker struggled badly throughout the match as did Williams but he managed to carry a small lead into the 9th frame. After Baker shot an open frame in the 9th he still had the chance to put pressure on Williams but instead shot another open frame (his fourth of the match, coming in frames 1, 6, 9, and 10), prompting Williams to only need a mark (strike or spare) and four pins in the 10th frame to win. However, Williams shot the first ball a little too high and left the 8-10 split, which he failed to convert, thus handing Baker the match and the title. The final score was 183-176.
