Earl Anthony: The First Bowling Millionaire

Earl Anthony: bowling's first millionaire

Earl Anthony (1938–2001) was the first bowler to earn more than one million dollars in career PBA prize money. The left-hander from Tacoma, Washington, won 43 PBA Tour titles, including ten majors, and was named PBA Player of the Year six times. This article looks at his career, his style and what he left behind.

43 PBA titles and ten majors

Anthony won his PBA Tour titles between 1970 and 1984, with at least one title in 15 consecutive seasons. For many years his record stood at 41 titles; in 2008 the PBA retroactively counted ABC Masters wins by PBA members as PBA titles, which raised his total to 43.

His ten majors include:

• six PBA National Championships
• two Tournament of Champions titles
• two ABC Masters titles

He later added seven titles on the PBA Senior Tour.

Six-time PBA Player of the Year

Anthony was named PBA Player of the Year in 1974, 1975 and 1976, and again in 1981, 1982 and 1983 – six times in two separate spells of dominance.

The first million in PBA prize money

In 1975 Anthony became the first bowler to earn more than 100,000 dollars in a single season. In 1982 he became the first to pass one million dollars in career PBA earnings.

A left-handed stroker

Anthony bowled left-handed with a stroker delivery: a smooth, controlled release built on accuracy rather than power. His conservative appearance and crew cut earned him the nickname "Square Earl".

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Hall of Fame and later years

Anthony was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1981 and into the ABC Hall of Fame (today USBC) in 1986. After his playing career he worked as a color commentator on bowling broadcasts and ran a bowling center in Dublin, California.

His record of 41 titles stood for 23 years until Walter Ray Williams Jr. won his 42nd title in 2006. In 2008 the PBA ranked Anthony first in its list of the 50 greatest players.

His legacy

Earl Anthony died in 2001 at the age of 63 after a fall. The PBA established the Earl Anthony Memorial Classic in January 2002, and the USBC named its ball-testing robot "EARL" in his honour.

His 43 titles, six Player of the Year awards and the first million in PBA earnings make him one of the defining figures in the history of professional bowling.