Mark Roth is acknowledged by his peers as the father of modern tenpin bowling. The hard-throwing, hard-cranking style that won him election to the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Hall of Fame in April 1987, the first year he was eligible, has brought about significant changes in the nature of alley bowling.
From his first PBA title in 1975 (King Louie Open) to his last major tournament victory in 1987 (Great Buffalo Open), Roth captured 34 PBA championships. His most remarkable years were 1975 to 1979, when he captured 22 titles, including a record eight in 1978.
He has received the PBA Player of the Year honor four times—1977, 1978, 1979, and 1984—and is recipient of numerous other tenpin awards and titles. His 215-plus average over 8,000 games (dating back to 1976) is the best longterm pace in PBA history.
Roth won the George Young Memorial High Average Award a record five times (three of four years between 1976 and 1979, 1981, and 1988), and his 221.6 pace during the 1979 season is a PBA one-year-average record.
In 1984, Roth's career earnings elevated him to the PBA's Millionaire's Club, joining legendary Earl Anthony as the association's second professional to reach that exclusive winners plateau.
