Wayne Webb is an American professional bowler from Rehoboth, Massachusetts. He was known for his success from the late 1970s to the end of the 1980s. Webb is one of only 16 players in history to win at least 20 PBA Tour titles, and is a member of both the PBA and USBCHalls of Fame.
PBA Career
The son of a bowling center operator, Webb knew from age twelve that "all I ever wanted to be was a professional bowler." He was eighteen when he got his wish and joined the PBA tour in 1975. He found success quickly, winning his first tournament at age 21 and earning "Player of the Year" honors by age 23. On November 2, 1982, Webb won the Columbia 300 Open in Sterling Heights, Michigan to become the youngest player in PBA history to reach ten career PBA titles. That feat would be bested by just one day when Mike Aulby won his tenth title in 1985 at age 25 years, 89 days. Webb remains the third-youngest player to reach ten titles as of 2019, behind Pete Weber and Aulby. Webb was one of the PBA's first 10 career "millionaires." Webb captured 20 career PBA titles, including his lone major championship at the 1980 PBA Tournament of Champions. He was named PBA Player of the Year in 1980, the only player not named Earl Anthony or Mark Roth to win that award in an 11-season stretch. He became a member of the PBA Hall of Fame in 1993. His 20th and final PBA Tour title came in 1997 at the Bud Light Championship. The 20 titles puts Webb in a 13th-place tie with fellow PBA Hall of FamersDick Ritger, Amleto Monacelli and Tommy Jones. A panel of bowling experts selected by the PBA ranked Webb #18 on their 2008 list of "50 Greatest Players of the Last 50 Years." From 2000 on, Webb had major personal and professional problems, including suffering through a gambling addiction and his third divorce, and his bowling career began a steady decline. After being eliminated in the 2005 Denny's World Championship, Webb quit the PBA Tour and professional bowling as a whole. Webb's appearance in the Ten-pin movie/documentary A League of Ordinary Gentlemen documents this time and features Webb's candid comments on this period of his life. Webb also continues to bowl in local and regional tournaments, on the PBA Senior Tour and in selected events on the PBA Tour. He bowled at the PBA 2008 H&R Block Tournament of Champions along with several other past TOC winners who were invited. On June 20, 2008, Wayne Webb won the 2008 Senior U.S. Open, defeating Johnny Petraglia 204-172 in the championship match. This was only his second ever Senior Tour event. Webb was named 2008 PBA Senior Rookie of the Year. On winning this award, he commented: "Obviously it's a great honor. Being on the Tour for 30 years, quitting for three years, and then coming back on the Senior Tour this year and doing as well as I did, it kind of re-sparked my life with bowling again." Webb repeated as Senior U.S. Open Champion in 2009. On June 18, 2010, Webb won his third PBA Senior Tour major, capturing the USBC Senior Masters in the final three-game match, 705-628, over reigning PBA Player of the Year, Walter Ray Williams, Jr.. Webb's victory denied Williams the chance to become just the second bowler in history to win both the USBC Masters and USBC Senior Masters in a career. Following his win in the August 2010 Senior Jackson Open, Webb was named PBA Senior Player of the Year for 2010. This made him just the second bowler in history to win both PBA and Senior PBA Player of the Year awards in a career.
