BOWLING AT TORRANCE : Holman Keeps On Rolling

Marshall Holman has trod the tournament trail of the Professional Bowlers’ Assn., and earned $1,496,201. Some of the young bowlers competing against him today in the $175,000 AC-Delco tournament at Gable House Bowl in Torrance were just out of kindergarten when the all-time PBA money leader began his career in 1974.

Young bowlers of two decades ago, including present-day champion Amleto Monacelli, say they studied Holman’s delivery to develop their own styles.

Holman’s approach is five quick steps, smooth arm swing, strong wrist position. The ball is sent spinning, then turning into a powerful roll to hit the pocket from an extreme angle.

And it was effective again Thursday as Holman and 23 others among the original 160 pros made the mid-tournament cut for the match-play semifinals.

Holman, 36, of Medford, Ore., is averaging 230 and was in contention in 13th in the 26-game standings. Harry Sullins, of Detroit, had the lead, four pins ahead of Texan Robert Lawrence. Others still in the running included Walter Ray Williams Jr., Pete Weber, Chris Warren and Brian Voss. A Southern California survivor was Joe Merrill of Lancaster.

Wayne Webb, Carmen Salvino, Mark Roth, Pete McCordic, Mike Aulby and Jim Stefanich were among those eliminated.

The goal is to be among the top five after 24 more games, thereby gaining Saturday’s nationally televised title rolloff.

Holman, 5-feet-9 and admittedly “overweight by 10 pounds” at 150, said his famous teeth-gritting, fist-clinching, air-punching body English at the line after a shot has toned down a bit, “but I do get excited on a clutch strike.”

Holman has 21 pro titles, 25 perfect games, three high-average trophies and the 1987 pro-player-of-the-year award.

A PBA tournament victory has eluded Holman since 1986, but he said, “1990 was good to me,” referring to his induction into the PBA Hall of Fame and the $80,000 he earned in the Brunswick Shootout, a non-PBA event, at Reno.