PBA Tour

Starting in October 2004, the PBA adopted an all-exempt national tour format. In this format, only 64 bowlers competed in most weekly events. Bowlers earned exemptions by winning a tournament during the previous season, winning one of the four major tournaments (thus gaining a multi-year exemption), placing among the top finishers in points, leading a region on the PBA Regional Tour (2005–2007), finishing in a high position at the PBA Tour Trials (2005–2008), or placing high enough at the PBA Regional Players Invitational Tournament (2008–2011).

Under this new format, bona fide status as a touring professional was not a guarantee; it had to be earned. The 2005 H&R Block Tournament of Champions was pivotal, as Randy Pedersen was facing the loss of his exempt status in the semi-final match against Norm Duke. On his final shot, Pedersen left a weak 7-pin and immediately singled out the sidelines, accusing a spectator of distracting him as he made his shot. From that point, Pedersen would have to bowl in the Tour Qualifying Round (TQR) in order to try making the initial field of 64.

Criticism of the format was brought forth by long-time PBA fans when popular 24-time winner Brian Voss lost his tour exemption following the 2006–07 season. 19-time titlist Amleto Monacelli also lost his exemption at the same time.

Depending on the season, a set number of bowlers (for example, 58 bowlers in the 2008–09 season) earned exemptions which automatically placed them in the starting field of 64 bowlers each week. The remaining spots needed to bring the field to 64 were awarded each week through the PBA Tour Qualifying Round (TQR), also called the "rabbit squad". PBA Commissioner Fred Schreyer would often award one spot in the field to a former touring pro under the Commissioner's Exemption, meaning even fewer spots were available via the TQR. For example, PBA Hall of Famer and Medford, Oregon resident Marshall Holman competed on a Commissioner's Exemption at the Bayer Earl Anthony Medford Classic held in that city in January 2009.[3]

During the TQR, amateur and non-exempt PBA bowlers bowled 7 games of qualifying. The top amateur bowler advanced (no matter where he or she finished), along with the top-scoring PBA members needed to round out the field. In the 2007–08 PBA season, rookie Rhino Page made a remarkable five TV finals appearances (winning one title) despite having to bowl in the TQR every week.

From 2005 to 2008, the PBA held the PBA Tour Trials in late May/early June to determine the bowlers who would will fill the remaining open spots on the following season's exempt player list. The number of exemptions awarded at the PBA Tour Trials varied—10 spots were available in 2006–07, but only seven spots at the start of the 2007–08 and 2008–09 campaigns. That number could increase or decrease due to injury deferments for currently exempt bowlers. At the Tour Trials, non-exempt PBA and international bowlers bowled nine games each day for five straight days on the five primary PBA oil patterns. (See "PBA Tour lane preparation" later in this article.)

At the 2006 Denny's PBA Tour Trials, Kelly Kulick made history by becoming the first woman to ever gain a PBA exemption (she was exempt for the 2006–07 season). (Before it dissolved, Kulick was the 2001 Rookie of the Year on the PWBA, won the 2003 U.S. Women's Open, and was a three-time member of Team USA.) Kulick later earned a two-year exemption to the main PBA Tour with her victory in the 2010 Tournament of Champions; she had earned her spot in that event by winning the PBA Women's World Championship, the tour's first major championship in its Women's Series.

From 2009 to 2011, the Tour Trials were replaced by the PBA Regional Players Invitational (RPI). For the 2010–11 and 2011–12 seasons, the top eight finishers at the RPI were offered PBA Tour exemptions, though not all of them accepted. At the 2011 RPI, 58-year-old Kerry Painter finished eighth and made history by becoming the oldest player to ever earn a PBA Tour exemption.[4]

In November 2011, the PBA announced that they would discontinue the exempt tour format for the 2012–13 PBA Tour season. Due to the changing climate of the Tour itself, the number of all-exempt events had been steadily declining in the 2009–10 and 2010–11 seasons, until there were only three exempt events for the 2011–12 season. This change meant that all but two events during the 2012–13 PBA national tour were open to all players.

The two notable exceptions to the open policy are the PBA Tournament of Champions (TOC) and the Round1 Japan Cup. The TOC accepts only the most recent 48 PBA Tour titlists (with a "Touring 1" or "Touring 2" status), plus past winners of the TOC itself. The Japan Cup invites the top sixteen PBA Tour bowlers (based on final points standing of the previous season), and four at-large PBA Tour players selected by the tournament committee.

While the "exempt player" designation was removed, the PBA announced that players would be able to earn "Touring 1" and "Touring 2" statuses, which will offer certain benefits and bonuses. "Touring 1" status is awarded to all bowlers who enter at least 80 percent of a season's tournaments, including the World Series of Bowling, at least two majors, and at least three PBA Xtra Frame events. "Touring 2" status is awarded for players entering at least 60 percent of a season's tournaments, including the World Series, at least one major, and at least one Xtra Frame event. To earn either status, players must also average 190 or higher in PBA Tour events.

While the PBA points list no longer affects exempt status, there are incentives for finishing high on the list — such as eligibility for certain tournaments like the PBA Players Championship (begun in 2011–12).[5]

After the PBA's sale and move of broadcasts to ESPN, most tournaments used a "bracketed" format. Each bowler bowled nine qualifying games, with the top 64 by pinfall competing in best 4-of-7 head-to-head matches. The four remaining bowlers from match play competed in two semi-final matches (#4 seed vs. #1 seed, and #3 seed vs. #2 seed), followed by a final match of the semi-final winners. A few tournaments still used the stepladder format for the finals.

In January 2005, the PBA tournament format was modified because of the all exempt tour. Non-exempt bowlers bowled on the first day to determine the additional six (or more) bowlers who qualify for the tournament (on top of the exempt field). The second day consisted of 64 bowlers rolling 14 games (two 7-game blocks) to determine the 32 bowlers who made "match play" on the third day. Seeding of the top 32 was based on a rolling points list of the 20 previous events.

The third day featured 32 bowlers competing in potentially 21 matches in a single day. It started with the first round in the morning, followed by the second round ("Round of 16") after lunch. That night, the quarterfinal ("Round of 8") matches were conducted. All matches were a best 4-of-7 format. The four quarterfinal winners made the field for the televised finals. Depending on the finals format, a fifth bowler could be added based on highest pinfall among the quarterfinal non-winners.

The championship round remained single head-to-head matches for semifinals and finals on the final day. Beginning in the 2009–10 season, a majority of the finals had returned to the stepladder format.

For the first five exempt events of the 2009–10 season, the starting field consisted of 72 bowlers all rolling 14 games of qualifying in one day (two blocks of 7 games each) to determine the top 28. The top four bowlers by pinfall automatically earned a spot in the Round of 16 match play. The other 12 spots for the Round of 16 were determined in a separate match play round for the #5 through #28 seeds. The eight winners from the Round of 16 match play then bowled a final match play round to determine the four bowlers who advanced to the TV finals.

All match play rounds were on the second day of the tournament, and all were best 4-of-7 matches.

In a cost-cutting effort, the PBA split the 2009–10 season into two segments. The first, the 2009 World Series of Bowling, consisted of seven PBA Tour events—including one major tournament (PBA World Championship) – held in August and September 2009 in Allen Park, MI, near Detroit.[12] All of the events ran in a split format: the early rounds of each tournament were held on consecutive days in August and September, and ESPN television taped the final rounds for the tournaments on Labor Day weekend (September 5–7). These were aired on seven Sundays, October 25 through December 6, 2009.

The final rounds for the Women's and Senior PBA World Championship were taped September 5 and were broadcast on October 25. The final round for the "open" PBA World Championship was broadcast live on December 13.

The Motor City Open and PBA World Championship were open to the entire PBA membership. The fields for the five exempt events were increased from 64 to 72, with the additional spots going to TQR qualifiers and the new "Golden Parachute" entry reserved for a formerly-exempt player. Under the Golden Parachute rule, any formerly exempt PBA member who lost his/her exemption during past four years was able to apply for this new exempt position. (It was awarded to 24-time PBA titlist Brian Voss.) Following the 2009–10 season, the Golden Parachute exemption will come only from the previous year's crop of players who lose their exemption due to points.

The exempt PBA Women's Series fields were increased from 16 to 20. The Women's Series added qualifiers for the exempt events to fill two of the four additional spots.

The second half of the season, running January–April 2010, consisted of 11 traditional touring weekly tournaments, including the remaining three majors. Each event ended with the live ESPN television finals on Sundays. The second half also included three special (non-title) televised events: the Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational, the PBA Experience Showdown, and the PBA Women's Series Showdown.

The PBA announced in May, 2010 that it would again cover all of the Fall tournaments for the upcoming season at the World Series of Bowling. The second annual event was held October 24 through November 6, 2010 at South Point Hotel, Casino and Bowling Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. It consisted of five title events, qualifying for the PBA World Championship, and one non-title, made-for-TV event. Based on input from players, as well as corporate partner and ESPN television needs, there were some revisions to the series:[13]

• All events were "open," meaning any PBA member could enter the entire World Series of Bowling via $750 entry fee. There were no Tour Qualifying Rounds or "World Series Trials."
• Over the first five days (starting October 25) all players bowled 12 games on each of the PBA's five "animal" oil patterns (Cheetah, Chameleon, Viper, Scorpion and Shark). The Top 16 qualifiers on each pattern advanced to a 9-game match play the following week. Top 5 qualifiers after the match play rounds in each event advanced to the televised stepladder finals, contested on November 5–6 and taped by ESPN for broadcasts on five consecutive Sundays, starting November 28.
• The standings after all 60 animal pattern qualifying games also determined the rankings for the PBA World Championship. The World Championship was again be the first major and first live ESPN broadcast of the season, but this time it featured the Top 8 qualifiers bowling over three consecutive days (January 14–16, 2011).
• The Top 6 U.S. qualifiers and Top 6 International qualifiers after the 60 animal pattern games competed in a special (non-title) televised event called "USA vs. The World," which was taped on November 6 for a January 9, 2011 broadcast.

The format for the second half of the 2010–11 season included the remaining three majors (USBC Masters, Tournament of Champions and U.S. Open), as well as the first-ever Dick Weber PBA Playoffs. The 2011 Tournament of Champions had the largest prize fund ($1 million U.S.) and largest first-place prize ($250,000 U.S.) in PBA history.[14]

The PBA announced in June 2011 that it would again cover all of the Fall tournaments for the upcoming season at the World Series of Bowling, and that the event would have a $1 million prize fund. The event was held November 4–20, 2011 and returned to the South Point Hotel, Casino and Bowling Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.[15] It included both the qualifying and final rounds of the PBA World Championship, the first major tournament of the season.

The second half of the PBA Tour season includes the three remaining majors (USBC Masters, Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open and Tournament of Champions), plus four additional title events.[16]

The PBA announced in June, 2012 that the 2012–13 PBA season would include an unprecedented 40 title events. The season began in November, 2012 with the 2012 World Series of Bowling and concluded with a second World Series of Bowling starting in November, 2013. There were 15 international stops on the 2012–13 tour, which are now counted as PBA titles if won by a full-fledged PBA member. The 14-month season was done in preparation for a return to a calendar year national tour format in 2014. The PBA had not had a calendar year format since the 2000 season.[17] The PBA also abandoned its "exempt player" tour format prior to this season.[18]

On June 22, 2017, the PBA announced a partnership with the Bowling Proprietors Association of America (BPAA) and that organization's website GoBowling.com, noting that the PBA Tour from December 2017 through July 2018 will be renamed the Go Bowling! PBA Tour. There is an option for the partnership to be extended to additional Tour seasons.[19]

In September 2019, the PBA and PBA Tour were purchased by Bowlero Corporation. Colie Edison, Bowlero's former Customer Service Officer, was named CEO of the PBA. Tom Clark was retained as PBA Commissioner.[20]

Current defending champion: Jakob Butturff

• The USBC Masters became an officially sanctioned PBA event in 1998. (Prior to the 2005 merger of the ABC and WIBC, this event was known as the ABC Masters.)
• Lee Jouglard became the first Masters champion with his win in the inaugural event in 1951.
• Entrants for the USBC Masters can qualify via sanctioned USBC league play and are not required to be PBA members. Winners do, however, have to be full-fledged PBA members to be credited with a PBA title.
• Walter Ray Williams Jr. won a memorable 2009–10 Masters at age 50, firing a 290 game in the final to defeat Chris Barnes. Buzz Fazio was previously the oldest player to ever win a Masters title, when he won the 1955 event at age 47.
• With victories in both the 2013 and 2014 tournaments, Jason Belmonte became the first person to win back-to-back USBC Masters titles since Billy Welu in 1964–65.[21] On February 8, 2015, Belmonte became the first player in history to win three consecutive USBC Masters championships.[22] Mike Aulby is the only other player to win three Masters titles, but Aulby's wins were not in consecutive seasons.
• Jason Belmonte holds the most USBC Masters wins at 4 (2013, 2014, 2015, and 2017).[23]
• Anthony Simonsen won the 2016 USBC Masters, becoming the youngest person (19 years, 39 days) to ever win a PBA major. That distinction previously belonged to Mike Aulby, who won the 1979 PBA National Championship at age 19 years, 83 days.[24]

Note: In May 2008, the PBA announced that it was revising its all-time records to include ABC Masters titles prior to 1998 if the person who earned the title was a PBA member at the time.[7]

Current defending champion: Jason Belmonte

• Originally the PBA National Championship, this event was renamed the PBA World Championship in 2002–03.
• The PBA World Championship is a PBA members-only event.
• Don Carter won the inaugural National Championship in 1960 in Memphis, TN, defeating Ronnie Gaudern.
• Hall of Famer Wayne Zahn became the first bowler to win this event twice, defeating Nelson Burton Jr. both times.
• Earl Anthony staked his mastery in this event; twice capturing it three straight years (1973–75; 1981–83). His 1983 victory was his 41st title (under PBA rules at the time), a record that would stand until Walter Ray Williams Jr. broke it in 2006–07.
• Fellow Hall of Famer Mike Aulby won this event in 1979, the first of his 29 PBA titles. Ironically, he had to defeat Anthony to win.
• The following year, Johnny Petraglia won the final of his 14 titles at the Sterling Heights, MI, event. Petraglia became the second bowler to win bowling's original "Triple Crown" with this victory (after Billy Hardwick).
• A memorable 1994 PBA National featured brothers David Traber and Dale Traber squaring off in the final match, with David emerging victorious.
• With his runner-up finish in the February 2008 event, Ryan Shafer set a record with his fourth runner-up finish in a PBA major event without a victory. Overall, Shafer has made the TV finals in a PBA major event 10 times and has yet to win.
• The event moved from late season to become the season-opening tournament in 2008–09, meaning there were two World Championships during calendar year 2008.
• With his victory in the November 2008 World Championship, Norm Duke became the first PBA bowler to win three consecutive majors.
• The event was moved again for the 2009–10 season. In a split-format, the qualifying for the championship was held at the PBA World Series of Bowling in early September 2009, and the TV finals aired live from Wichita, KS on December 13, 2009.[25]
• Earl Anthony holds the most World Championship victories (called the PBA National Championship at the time), winning the tournament an unprecedented 6 times. The runner-ups to this feat are Walter Ray Williams Jr., Norm Duke, and Jason Belmonte, all winning this title 3 times.
• Jason Belmonte won the 2019 PBA World Championship for his record-setting 11th career major championship, surpassing Earl Anthony and Pete Weber, who each have ten majors.[26]
• Jason Belmonte has won the last 3 consecutive PBA World Championships in 2017, 2019, and 2020 (the PBA World Championship was not held in the 2018 calendar year).

Current defending champion: Kris Prather

• The Tournament of Champions has had many sponsors over the years; most notably the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company from 1962 to 1993. It is the only PBA major tournament that is not open to all PBA members; the starting field only includes a set number of players who won a recent PBA title or (currently) past winners of the TOC event itself.
• Hall of Famer Joe Joseph captured the first Tournament of Champions crown in 1962. That event featured all 25 PBA Tour title winners to date.
• Billy Hardwick won the second Tournament of Champions in 1965, besting finalists Dick Weber and Joe Joseph in a two-game set, 484–468–404. This was the first tourney in PBA history to offer a six-figure prize fund, along with a then-record $25,000 first prize ($194,000 in 2017 dollars). Following this season, the Tournament of Champions became an annual event.
• Mike Durbin (1972, 1982, and 1984), Jason Couch (1999, 2000, and 2002), and Jason Belmonte (2014, 2015, and 2019) each hold the most wins in the Tournament of Champions with three wins each. Jason Couch's three victories came in three consecutive Tournament of Champions (the event was not held in 2001).
• Jack Biondolillo rolled the PBA's first-ever televised 300 game at the 1967 Tournament of Champions.[27]
• George Pappas became the first bowler to lead a major tournament wire-to-wire (from opening game of qualifying to championship match) when he won the 1979 event.
• The 1981 edition saw the only double two-frame roll-off in championship round history, with Pete Couture finally emerging victorious over Earl Anthony in the second roll-off. Steve Cook won the championship with a memorable 287 game over Couture, gaining the first ten strikes before leaving the 6-7 split.
• Kelly Kulick's win in 2010 made her the first woman ever to win any event on the PBA Tour that was also open to men.
• The 2011 Tournament of Champions featured a $1 million purse and a $250,000 first prize (won by Mika Koivuniemi), making it the richest PBA tournament ever.[14]
• Pete Weber's victory in the 2013 event made him the oldest player (50 years, 7 months, 10 days) to win the Tournament of Champions, the oldest player to win any PBA major event, and the only player to win each event of the PBA's Triple Crown at least twice in a career.

Current defending champion: Jason Belmonte

• The origins of the U.S. Open pre-date the PBA's founding by more than a decade, starting in the 1940s. Originally associated with the Bowling Proprietors Association of America (BPAA) it was known as the BPAA All Star from 1951 to 1970. It was renamed the BPAA United States Open in 1971, and shortened to U.S. Open thereafter. It has been held every year since, except for 1997 and 2014.
• Like the USBC Masters, the U.S. Open allows amateur bowlers to participate as well as professionals. However, winners must be full-fledged PBA members to be credited with a PBA title.
• The U.S. Open is considered the most difficult of the tournaments bowl in today, due to its long format and demanding oil pattern, which differs from the oil patterns the PBA generally employs. According to PBA.com, the U.S. Open uses a "flat" oil pattern, with equal amounts of oil being applied to every board.[28] (Normal lane conditions feature a "crown" or larger amount of oil over the middle lane boards, to handle the heavier ball traffic.)
• Canadian François Lavoie bowled the first televised 300 game ever in a U.S. Open in the semifinal match of the 2016 event. This match was Lavoie's television debut during his rookie season in the PBA. He would go on to win in the title match against Marshall Kent to capture his first PBA title, giving him the title of 2016 Harry Golden Rookie of the Year.
• Don Carter dominated the early BPAA All-Star events, winning four times between 1953 and 1958. Dick Weber also won this tournament four times when it was the BPAA All-Star (1962, 1963, 1965 and 1966). Because Weber's wins were all during the PBA era (after 1959), he was retroactively credited with PBA major titles for all four due to a PBA rule change in 2008.
• Mike Limongello won the first modern-day U.S. Open in 1971, defeating Teata Semiz.
• Marshall Holman became the first multiple modern-day winner with victories in 1981 and 1985.
• The purse for the 1987 event, sponsored by Seagram Wine Coolers, was a then-record $500,000, with $100,000 going to the eventual winner, Del Ballard Jr.
• The final round of the 1995 event, at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, set a bowling attendance record with 7,212 watching Dave Husted notch the second of his three U.S. Open Crowns. Husted was also the last person to successfully defend a U.S. Open championship, winning again in 1996.
• Pete Weber holds the record for most victories in the U.S. Open, capturing the title five times (1988, 1991, 2004, 2007, and 2012).
• Earl Anthony, who is tied with Pete Weber for the second most PBA major titles (10), never captured the U.S. Open despite runner-up finishes in 1973, 1979 and 1980.
• Norm Duke's victory in the 2008 U.S. Open made him the fifth Triple Crown winner (and second "grand slam" winner) in PBA history.
• The 2014 event was cancelled due to lack of sponsorship and conflicts with the PBA's schedule.[29] The 2015 tournament was originally cancelled as well, but a deal was struck to keep the tournament on the schedule for 2015, 2016, and 2017.[30] Since 2015, the U.S. Open has been jointly run by the USBC and BPAA.
• Jason Belmonte's 2020 U.S. Open win made him the PBA's second Super Slam, third Grand Slam, and seventh Triple Crown winner.

Current defending champion: Bill O'Neill

• Unlike the US Open and USBC Masters, which allow qualifying amateurs to participate, the PBA Players Championship is open to PBA members only.
• The tournament, originally called the PBA Touring Players Championship, was first held in 1983 and would be held every season through 2000. The event would not be held during the 2001 through 2010 seasons. The event, now called the PBA Players Championship, would return as a non-major event in 2011, 2013, and 2015. The Players Championship would return to major status in 2016, and has been held every season since.
• Jason Belmonte, Scott Norton, and Parker Bohn III would be retroactively awarded major titles in 2016 for their wins in 2011, 2013, and 2015, respectively.
• PBA Hall of Famer Steve Cook would win the first PBA Touring Players Championship in 1983.
• Mike Aulby's victory in the 1996 PBA Touring Players Championship allowed him to become the first bowler in PBA history to win the PBA "Super Slam."
• Graham Fach's victory in the 2016 PBA Players Championship allowed him to become the first Canadian bowler to win a PBA Tour Title.
• Anthony Simonsen's victory in the 2019 PBA Players Championship allowed him to become the youngest bowler to win two major titles (22 years, 11 days).
• Dave Ferraro (1988 & 1991), Steve Hoskins (1997 & 1999), Dennis Horan Jr. (1998 & 2000), and Jason Belmonte (2011 & 2017) all hold the most victories in the Players Championship with two victories each.

The three "original" major championships (PBA World Championship, Tournament of Champions and U.S. Open) make up the PBA's "Triple Crown."

Only seven bowlers in the history of the PBA have won all three jewels of the Triple Crown in their careers:

• Billy Hardwick
• Johnny Petraglia
• Mike Aulby
• Pete Weber
• Norm Duke
• Chris Barnes
• Jason Belmonte

Of the seven, Pete Weber is the only player to have won each Triple Crown event at least twice in his career (five U.S. Opens, two PBA World Championships, and two Tournament of Champions titles).[31] Despite 47 and 43 titles respectively, Walter Ray Williams and Earl Anthony are not Triple Crown winners. As mentioned, Anthony never won the U.S. Open, though he finished runner-up in the event three times. Williams has yet to win the Tournament of Champions, but he has a runner-up finish there.

Mike Aulby, Norm Duke, and Jason Belmonte are the three of the seven PBA "Triple Crown" winners who have also won the ABC/USBC Masters, thus giving them the unofficial "grand slam" of pro bowling.

Don Carter is also noted for having won all four possible "majors" during his career (PBA National Championship, BPAA All-Star, World Invitational and ABC Masters), however some of these were not PBA events.

Mike Aulby and Jason Belmonte are the only bowlers to have won the PBA "super slam", which includes a win in all four "grand slam" events in addition to a PBA Players Championship title (known as the Touring Players Championship at the time of Aulby's win).

Mark Roth, whose first career title was captured at the 1975 King Louie Open in Kansas by rolling a televised 299 game, gained immortality by becoming the first bowler to convert the almost-impossible "7-10 split" (or "bedposts") on national television in the first match of the ARC Alameda Open on January 5, 1980. In 1991, John Mazza and Jess Stayrook also accomplished this feat on television. During the 2005–06 season, Walter Ray Williams Jr. became the only bowler to convert the 4-6-7-10 "big four" combination on television.

There have been 27 perfect games bowled in nationally televised title events on the PBA Tour. Seven have been rolled in major tournaments, including the first by Jack Biondolillo at the 1967 Tournament of Champions,[36] and the most recent by Tommy Jones at the 2020 PBA Hall of Fame Classic.[37] Three of the 27 perfect games (fifth, sixth and 27th overall) have been bowled in the final title match, first by Bob Benoit at the 1988 Quaker State Open, by Mike Aulby at the 1993 Wichita Open and by Tommy Jones at the 2020 PBA Hall of Fame Classic. Sean Rash is the only player to have rolled multiple 300 games in televised PBA Tour events, as he owns the 23rd and 25th perfect games overall.[38] There have also been two perfect games on Senior PBA Tour telecasts, by Gene Stus (1992) and Ron Winger (1993).

Of several 299 games that were bowled on televised championships, the most memorable occurred on April 4, 1970 when Don Johnson defeated Dick Ritger to win the 1970 Firestone Tournament of Champions at Riviera Lanes in Fairlawn, Ohio. With 11 strikes already down, he threw his 12th ball, stepped back and dropped to the floor. The ball hit the pocket, but the 10-pin remained standing. Johnson, still on the floor, briefly lowered his face into his hands, then stood up to a thunderous ovation. Johnson's wife Mary Anne was also crying prior to the shot, and crying even more after Johnson got up from the floor. Along with the champion's trophy and $25,000 check from Firestone, Johnson also received the 10-pin that denied him both an extra $10,000 and a new Mercury Cougar automobile for a perfect game. (In the post-match interview with the Johnsons, Mary Anne was holding the pin.) The footage of this has been replayed many dozens of times in flashback segments on PBA telecasts. The online bowling channel Xtra Frame has named this the most memorable moment of the event's history.

The 2011 Tournament of Champions event saw the highest ever gap between winner and loser (199 pins). Tom Daugherty bowled a score of 100, the lowest ever in a televised PBA match, and ran around celebrating while receiving a standing ovation. Mika Koivuniemi finished next and bowled 299, dropping to the floor and laying on his back after the 1-pin came back over to the 10-pin (in what is often dubbed a "messenger strike"), but the 10-pin did not fall. Koivenuemi also received a standing ovation. Unlike Don Johnson, who bowled his 299 in the championship match, Mika threw his 299 in the semifinal match.

The following is a list of perfect 300 games in nationally televised PBA Tour events (player – date bowled – tournament):

1. Jack Biondolillo – April 1, 1967 – Firestone Tournament of Champions
2. Johnny Guenther – February 1, 1969 – San Jose Open
3. Jim Stefanich – January 5, 1974 – Midas Open
4. Pete McCordic – January 31, 1987 – Greater Los Angeles Open
5. Bob Benoit – January 23, 1988 – Quaker State Open [T]
6. Mike Aulby – July 31, 1993 – Wichita Open [T]
7. Johnny Petraglia – March 5, 1994 – PBA National Championship
8. Butch Soper – July 12, 1994 – Hilton Hotels Classic
9. C. K. Moore – February 2, 1996 – Columbia 300 Open
10. Bob Learn Jr. – April 6, 1996 – Flagship Open
11. Jason Queen – May 3, 1997 – ABC Masters+
12. Steve Hoskins – October 15, 1997 – Ebonite Challenge 2
13. Parker Bohn III – May 9, 1998 – ABC Masters
14. Steve Jaros – February 13, 1999 – Chattanooga Open
15. Mike Miller – June 20, 1999 – National Bowling Stadium Open
16. Norm Duke – January 5, 2003 – GEICO Earl Anthony Classic
17. Mika Koivuniemi – December 7, 2003 – PBA Cambridge Credit Classic
18. Tony Reyes – November 5, 2006 – Motor City Classic
19. Ryan Shafer – March 18, 2007 – Pepsi Championship
20. Rhino Page – April 25, 2009 – Dydo Japan Cup
21. Jason Belmonte – November 18, 2011 – PBA World Championship
22. Chris Barnes – November 19, 2011 – WSOB GEICO Shark Open
23. Sean Rash – May 24, 2014 – PBA Wolf Open
24. Ronnie Russell – November 2, 2014 – WSOB Chameleon Championship
25. Sean Rash – February 15, 2015 – Barbasol Tournament of Champions
26. François Lavoie – November 9, 2016 – U.S. Open
27. Tommy Jones - January 19, 2020 - PBA Hall of Fame Classic [T]

• [T] 300 game shot in title match.
• + The ABC (now USBC) Masters did not become an official PBA Tour stop until 1998. A rule change in 2008 retroactively awarded PBA titles to ABC Masters winners before 1998 if the winner was a PBA member at the time of the victory. Thus, Jason Queen's televised 300 in the 1997 ABC Masters was retroactively added to the PBA's list of televised 300 games.