Mike McGrath (bowler)
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Michael John McGrath |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | May 13, 1946 Berkeley, California, U.S. |
| Died | July 30, 2017 (aged 71) Petaluma, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | El Cerrito High School (El Cerrito, CA) Chico State College (Chico, CA) |
| Years active | 1965-1975 |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) |
| Bowling Information | |
| Affiliation | PBA |
| Rookie year | 1965 |
| Dominant hand | Left |
| Wins | 10 PBA Tour (3 majors) |
Mike McGrath (May 13, 1946 – July 30, 2017) was an American professional bowler and member of the Professional Bowlers Association. While on tour, McGrath won 10 tournament titles (including 3 majors), was a 6-time runner-up, and finished in the top-5 an additional 22 times.[1][2]
At the 1965 Portland PBA Open, McGrath became the first bowler to win a title in their first tour event.[3]
Among McGrath’s PBA major titles, he became the first bowler to win back-to-back PBA National Championships in 1969 and 1970.[2]
1975 was a transition year for McGrath, bowling in his last PBA season and then becoming a long-time writer and columnist for Bowlers Journal magazine.[4][5]
Mike was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1988 and the United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame in 1993.[6][7][8]
During the PBA’s 50th season in 2008-09, McGrath was named one of the "PBA’s 50 Greatest Players of the Last 50 Years" by a panel of bowling experts commissioned by the PBA, ranking at #39, just ahead of Tom Baker and Joe Berardi (tied at #40) and behind #38 Bill Allen.[9]
On the evening of July 30, 2017, Michael John McGrath passed away at his home at age 71, after a battle with cancer.[10] Mike was honored posthumously into the California USBC Hall of Fame in 2023 by Barry Asher.[11]
PBA Tour titles
[edit]Major championships are in bold type.
- 1965 Portland PBA Open (Portland, OR)
- 1968 Green Bay Open (Green Bay, WI)
- 1969 PBA National Championship (Long Island, NY)
- 1970 Cougar Open (Coral Gables, FL)
- 1970 PBA National Championship (Garden City, NY)
- 1972 Winston-Salem Open (Anaheim, CA)
- 1972 Winston-Salem Invitational (Honolulu, HI)
- 1973 BPAA U.S. Open (New York City, NY)
- 1973 Home Box Office Open (Pennsville, NJ)
- 1973 Winston-Salem Invitational (Honolulu, HI)
References
[edit]- ^ "All Time PBA Tour Titles". pba.com. Professional Bowlers Association. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
- ^ a b "Mike McGrath (career stats)". mcubed.net. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
- ^ "Davis spoils Williams' bid for history". upi.com. United Press International. August 1993. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
- ^ Phil Jensen; Paul Burgarino (July 2007). "El Cerrito's McGrath adds Contra Costa honor to illustrious resume". eastbaytimes.com. East Bay Times. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
- ^ Mike McGrath. "Rubbing Elbows With the Greats". bowlingball.com. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
Just don't try to bowl like Anthony or Carter.
- ^ "PBA Hall of Fame Bowlers". pba.com. Professional Bowlers Association. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
- ^ "USBC Hall of Famers - Mike McGrath". bowl.com. USBC. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
- ^ Mike McGrath; Bob Johnson (June 2012). "What Made Them Great: Parker Bohn III". bowl.com. Bowlers Journal International. Retrieved March 3, 2025.
- ^ "Anthony Takes Top Honors Among PBA's Greatest". North American Bowling News. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
- ^ "Michael McGRATH Obituary (1946 - 2017)". legacy.com. Santa Rosa, CA: The Press Democrat. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
- ^ "2023 HOF Professional Performance Recipient – McGrath". calusbc.com. Retrieved February 15, 2025.