Earl Anthony

Earl Anthony

Earl Roderick Anthony (April 27, 1938 – August 14, 2001) was a left-handed American professional bowler who amassed records of 41 titles and six bowler of the year awards on the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour. His title count was amended to 43 in 2008, when the PBA chose to include ABC Masters titles earned by a PBA member as PBA Tour titles. He is widely credited (along with Dick Weber) for having increased bowling's popularity in the United States. He was the first bowler to earn over $100,000 in a season (1975) and $1,000,000 in lifetime earnings (1982). His ten professional major titles -- six PBA National Championships, two Firestone Tournament of Champions titles, and two American Bowling Congress (which became part of the United States Bowling Congress) Masters titles -- are the most by any bowler.

Never brash or flashy in a crew-cut and plastic-frame "marshwood" style eyewear (which he abandoned for more modern frames later in his career), Anthony was dubbed "Square Earl" by fellow pro bowlers.