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Billy Hardwick
View on WikipediaWilliam Bruce Hardwick (July 25, 1941 – November 16, 2013) was an American right-handed ten-pin bowler and member of the Professional Bowlers Association.
Key Information
PBA career
[edit]Hardwick joined the PBA Tour in 1961, and amassed a total of 18 PBA titles during his career. He was the first player to capture the PBA career "Triple Crown," which is achieved by winning the three original PBA major tournaments: U.S. Open, PBA National Championship, and Tournament of Champions. Hardwick captured all three between 1963 and 1969. There have been only eight other Triple Crown winners since: Johnny Petraglia, Mike Aulby, Pete Weber, Norm Duke, Chris Barnes, Jason Belmonte, Dominic Barrett and E. J. Tackett.[1]
Hardwick was named PBA Player of the Year in both the 1963 and 1969 seasons. A 22-year old in 1963, Hardwick is still the youngest bowler to ever win PBA Player of the Year honors (through 2025).[2][3] In 1969, he matched Dick Weber's 1961 PBA record by winning seven titles in one season.[4] The record would stand until 1978, when it was broken by Mark Roth's eight titles. Another record, which still stands even in this high scoring era, is the 2165 for an eight-game block achieved in Japan in 1968.[5]
Billy was ranked #12 on the PBA's 2008 list of "50 Greatest Players of the Last 50 Years". He retired relatively early from the PBA Tour after developing arthritis. Billy's final PBA title came in April, 1976 at the Monro-Matic Open in Toledo, Ohio when he was still just 34 years old. He was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1977, and was the proprietor of Billy Hardwick's All-Star Lanes in Memphis.[6]
Billy injured the third finger of his right hand in a machine shop accident while in high school. As a result, this finger would not bend, making it impossible to use a conventional bowling ball grip (thumb, third finger, and ring finger). Instead, he used his thumb and first two fingers.[citation needed]
Billy was known for his full roller delivery. A full roller rolls the ball over the full circumference of the ball, with the ball track going through the palm of the bowling ball at an angle between the gripping holes. Billy was unique in that he rolled a very straight ball with little side turn or hook. Billy also rolled the ball much slower than most other players. With his straighter, slower, full roller delivery and his pinpoint accuracy (he rarely missed a spare and often converted the splits he was faced with), Billy was able to lay the ball tightly into the pocket again and again and consistently carry the strike.
For this seemingly contradictory ability to roll straight and still carry strikes, he was nicknamed "The Magician" when he was competing on the 1965 "Championship Bowling" TV show. During the 1976 Firestone Tournament of Champions title match, where Billy faced a young Marshall Holman, analyst Nelson Burton Jr. remarked to Chris Schenkel on seeing Billy throw his second opening strike in a row with his slow straight shot, "How does he do it, Chris?! Everyone wonders how Hardwick does it." After his third strike in a row, Nelson further commented, "It is almost unbelievable the control and accuracy of Hardwick. He does not depend on the power strikes like Marshall Holman, he depends on splicing a small target out there at the arrows. When Hardwick is right, he can hit a half-board, consistently, 20 foot down the lane, Chris. Put it right in the pocket. All three strikes he's got so far are perfect packed strikes."
After his career, while living in Florida, he was an important mentor to Glenn Hannigan, who he groomed to be "the best bowling writer in the county". Hannigan later became a leading writer and editor for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and authored many books on the Olympics. Hannigan credits Hardwick with making him comfortable asking the tough questions to elite athletes.[citation needed]
According to his son, Chris, speaking on the Opie & Anthony Show on August 12, 2010, Hardwick was the last athlete to film a beer commercial profiling athletes. Chris added that his father originally had lines in the commercial but, "got a little intoxicated after so many takes that they cut out his lines for the commercial." A decision was made after that commercial that it would make a bad impression on the youth to give the message that if you want to become a champion, you should drink. [citation needed]
PBA Tour titles
[edit]Major championships in bold type.
- 1963 Mobile Sertoma PBA Open (Mobile, Alabama)
- 1963 Phoenix PBA Open (Mesa, Arizona)
- 1963 Los Angeles PBA Open (Gardena, California)
- 1963 PBA National Championship (Garden City, New York)
- 1964 Birmingham Coca-Cola Open (Birmingham, Alabama)
- 1964 North American Van Lines Open (Pontiac, Michigan)
- 1964 Southern California PBA Open (Costa Mesa, California)
- 1965 Firestone Tournament of Champions (Akron, Ohio)
- 1967 Kokomo Open (Kokomo, Indiana)
- 1968 Seattle Open (Seattle, Washington)
- 1969 Denver Open (Denver, Colorado)
- 1969 Miller High Life Open (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
- 1969 Smallcomb Enterprises Classic (Redwood City, California)
- 1969 BPAA All-Star (U.S. Open) (Hialeah, Florida)
- 1969 Fort Worth Open (Fort Worth, Texas)
- 1969 Grand Rapids Open (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
- 1969 Joliet Open (Joliet, Illinois)
- 1976 Monro-Matic Open (Toledo, Ohio)
Personal life
[edit]Hardwick married five times and had four children, two of whom died in infancy. He also has two stepdaughters. He is the father of comedian and television personality Chris Hardwick.[7]
Death
[edit]Billy Hardwick died on November 16, 2013. He was preparing to return from Sarasota, Florida to Memphis, Tennessee, with his wife Rebecca, when he suffered an apparent heart attack and died shortly afterwards. He was 72 years old.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ Williams Jr., Emil (27 February 2022). "DOM BARRETT WINS THIRD MAJOR TITLE AND EARNS TRIPLE CROWN STATUS AT KIA PBA TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS". pba.com. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
- ^ Vint, Bill (February 5, 2016). "Tackett Wins GEICO Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year Award; Canada's Lavoie Named Rookie of the Year". Archived from the original on July 3, 2018. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
- ^ Vint, Bill (November 20, 2018). "Michigan's Andrew Anderson, Tennessee's Kamron Doyle Win PBA Player, Rookie of the Year Honors". PBA.com. Archived from the original on March 1, 2019. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
- ^ "PBA History" at www.pba.com
- ^ "PBA Tour Scoring Records". pba.com. Professional Bowlers Association. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
- ^ U.S. Bowler, Spring 2009 issue, p. 7.
- ^ Slotnik, Daniel E. (2013-11-18). "Billy Hardwick, Hall of Fame Bowler, Dies at 72". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-09-03.
- ^ "Hardwick, professional bowler and owner of East Memphis bowling alley, dies at 72", commercialappeal.com; November 16, 2013; accessed May 9, 2014.
External links
[edit]- Professional Bowlers Association and Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour website; accessed May 9, 2014.
Billy Hardwick
View on GrokipediaEarly Life
Birth and Upbringing
William Bruce Hardwick, known as Billy, was born on July 25, 1941, in Florence, Alabama, to Mary Hardwick, a factory worker, and Hubert Hardwick, a painter.[1] His family relocated from Alabama to the San Francisco Bay Area during his early childhood, settling in San Mateo, California, where he spent his formative years.[1] The move placed the Hardwicks in a burgeoning suburban community amid post-World War II growth, offering a stable yet modest working-class environment that emphasized resilience and community ties.[4] Hardwick grew up on Casanova Drive in San Mateo, a quiet residential street that fostered close neighborhood friendships, including with his best friend Len Nicholson, who lived nearby.[4] His parents' blue-collar professions shaped a family dynamic centered on hard work and perseverance, values that influenced Hardwick's competitive nature from a young age.[1] As a child, he faced health challenges, including a rare form of arthritis diagnosed at age 10 and a junior high school accident that severely injured his ring finger, experiences that tested his determination and adaptability.[1] In school, Hardwick attended Hillsdale High School in San Mateo, where he graduated and displayed an early drive to excel.[1][4] His childhood hobbies reflected the Bay Area's outdoor-oriented culture, including neighborhood play and social activities with peers, which helped build his outgoing personality and competitive spirit before he discovered bowling as a teenager.[4]Introduction to Bowling
Billy Hardwick's introduction to bowling occurred during his teenage years in San Mateo, California, where he first encountered the sport at the local Bel Mateo Bowl. At age 16, around 1957, he began working there wiping tables for $1.65 an hour, using the opportunity to observe and practice late into the night, often sneaking onto the lanes after hours.[5] This early exposure was heavily influenced by his close friend and high school classmate Len Nicholson, a towering figure who provided companionship and protection during informal challenges at the alley, fostering Hardwick's initial passion for the game.[4] Hardwick's first competitive experiences came through junior and amateur leagues in the mid-1950s, starting around 1956 when he teamed up with Nicholson as doubles partners in local youth circuits at Bel Mateo Bowl. During his high school years at Hillsdale High, he joined these leagues, initially struggling with an ungraceful but consistent style that emphasized determination over finesse. These early matches against peers in the San Mateo area helped him build endurance, as he practiced obsessively—often from midnight Fridays to Sunday evenings—turning initial losses into steady improvement.[5][6][4] Through relentless training in the Bay Area's youth tournaments and local leagues, Hardwick developed his basic skills, including a distinctive grip that became a hallmark of his approach, leading to early recognitions as a promising talent among regional juniors. By the late 1950s, he had outbowled his high school rivals and achieved notable local successes, such as consistently defeating challengers who traveled to Bel Mateo Bowl to test him, earning a reputation as the alley's top bowler by 1960. Without formal coaching, his mentors were primarily peers like Nicholson and the competitive environment itself, which fueled his decision in his late teens to pursue bowling as a serious career path, setting the stage for his transition to professional circuits.[5][4]Professional Career
Entry into PBA and Early Achievements
Billy Hardwick joined the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour in 1961 at the age of 20, securing sponsorship from 20 local bowling acquaintances to support his entry into professional competition.[7] As a young competitor from California, he faced significant challenges adapting to the national tour's demands, including extensive travel across the country and competing against established professionals.[8] In his debut season, Hardwick participated in just one event and earned a single cash prize without a title, followed by a winless 1962 campaign across 17 tournaments where he failed to cash in any, highlighting the steep learning curve and financial strains of the touring lifestyle.[8][7] Hardwick's breakthrough came in 1963, when he secured his first four PBA Tour titles, including the prestigious PBA National Championship—his inaugural major victory—demonstrating rapid improvement in consistency and performance under pressure.[8][7] These successes, combined with leading the tour in earnings with $33,265, earned him the 1963 PBA Player of the Year award, determined by a vote of fellow professionals based on overall tour performance and achievements.[8] At age 22, Hardwick became the youngest recipient of this honor, a milestone that elevated his reputation as a prodigious talent and set the foundation for his future dominance in the sport.[9]Major Titles and Records
Billy Hardwick achieved the distinction of being the first bowler to complete the PBA Triple Crown by winning all three major tournaments during his career: the 1963 PBA National Championship, the 1965 Firestone Tournament of Champions, and the 1969 U.S. Open.[1][5] His victory in the 1969 U.S. Open solidified this unprecedented accomplishment, marking him as a trailblazer in professional bowling at the time.[5] In 1969, Hardwick earned his second PBA Player of the Year award after a dominant season in which he captured a then-record seven titles, showcasing his peak performance on the tour.[10][8] This haul contributed significantly to his career total of 18 PBA Tour titles, including the three majors, before he retired following the 1976 season.[11] Earlier, in 1968, he set a PBA record for the highest eight-game block with a score of 2,165 at the Japan Cup, a mark that underscored his scoring prowess and remains notable in tour history.[12] Hardwick's contributions were recognized with induction into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1977 for superior performance, shortly after his retirement.[13] In 2008, he was ranked No. 12 on the PBA's list of the 50 Greatest Players in its first 50 years, affirming his lasting impact on the sport.[14]PBA Tour Titles
Billy Hardwick secured 18 PBA Tour titles over his career, spanning from 1963 to 1976, with three of these being major championships that collectively formed the PBA's original Triple Crown.[8][15] His victories demonstrated remarkable consistency, particularly in the mid-1960s, where he claimed multiple titles in single seasons, including four in his breakout year of 1963 and a record-setting six in 1969.[8] Of the 18 wins, 15 were standard Tour events, often marked by high-stakes competition against top contemporaries like Dick Weber and Don Johnson, while the majors elevated his status as a pioneer in professional bowling.[1] The following table enumerates Hardwick's PBA Tour titles chronologically, highlighting the three majors and noting key patterns such as his dominant 1963 rookie surge and 1969 peak.| Year | Event | Location | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Mobile Sertoma PBA Open | Mobile, Alabama | Hardwick's first PBA Tour victory, launching his rapid ascent as a 22-year-old rookie sensation.[8] |
| 1963 | Phoenix PBA Open | Mesa, Arizona | Second win of the season, part of a four-title haul that earned him PBA Player of the Year honors.[8] |
| 1963 | Los Angeles PBA Open | Gardena, California | Third consecutive title, showcasing his adaptability across diverse lane conditions in the early Tour era.[8] |
| 1963 | PBA National Championship (Major) | Garden City, New York | Clinched the prestigious major with a $7,500 first prize, solidifying his status as the youngest Player of the Year at age 22.[15][12] |
| 1964 | Birmingham Coca-Cola Open | Birmingham, Alabama | Opened his title defense year strongly, contributing to three wins amid growing competition on the expanding Tour.[8] |
| 1964 | North American Van Lines Open | Pontiac, Michigan | Demonstrated endurance in a grueling format, defeating established stars to claim his fifth career title.[8] |
| 1964 | Southern California PBA Open | Costa Mesa, California | Closed the year with a regional stronghold victory, building momentum toward future majors.[8] |
| 1965 | Firestone Tournament of Champions (Major) | Akron, Ohio | Won the first Firestone-sponsored edition of this invitational major with a record $25,000 first prize, beating finalists Joe Joseph and Dick Weber in a stepladder final.[15][12][16] |
| 1967 | Kokomo Open | Kokomo, Indiana | Returned from a relatively quiet period with a precise performance, edging out the field in a mid-season upset.[8] |
| 1968 | Seattle Open | Seattle, Washington | Captured the title en route to setting a PBA record with a 271 average over eight games in the subsequent Japan event, highlighting his international prowess.[12] |
| 1969 | Denver Open | Denver, Colorado | Kicked off an unprecedented six-win season, starting with a dominant qualifying round that propelled him to victory.[8] |
| 1969 | Miller High Life Open | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Second title of the year, underscoring his consistency during a career-high scoring stretch.[8] |
| 1969 | Smallcomb Enterprises Classic | Redwood City, California | Third win, held near his hometown roots, adding personal significance to his dominant campaign.[8] |
| 1969 | BPAA All-Star (U.S. Open) (Major) | Hialeah, Florida | Completed the Triple Crown by winning this major, outdueling Dick Weber in the final to cap a seven-title year including non-Tour events.[15][17] |
| 1969 | Fort Worth Open | Fort Worth, Texas | Fourth Tour win of 1969, reflecting his peak form with multiple 200-plus games in the finals.[8] |
| 1969 | Grand Rapids Open | Grand Rapids, Michigan | Fifth victory, part of a streak that earned him a second Player of the Year award.[8] |
| 1969 | Joliet Open | Joliet, Illinois | Sixth and final Tour title of the season, cementing 1969 as his most prolific year.[8] |
| 1976 | Monro-Matic Open | Toledo, Ohio | His swan song victory at age 35, coming after a seven-year title drought and just before retirement from full-time competition.[9][11] |
