BOWLING / PBA AT TORRANCE : Webb Gets Hot, Passes Holman on Way to Today’s Televised Final

Bowling officials are keeping a watchful eye for the unexpected today when the cameras and action begin inside Gable House Bowl at Torrance.

Bizarre and rarely seen incidents have occurred lately on national telecasts of title roll-offs on the Pro Bowlers Tour.

If something unusual is to happen it will occur among Wayne Webb (9,915 pins), Rick Steelsmith (9,884), Marc McDowell (9,850), Marshall Holman (9,831) and Ricky Ward (9,777), the top five finalists after 42 games.

The stepladder playoff in the $175,000 AC/Delco PBA Tournament starts at noon (delayed on Channel 7 at 3 p.m.).

The tournament surprise Friday was not so much the surge by Webb to the top of the standings but the drop-off by Holman, who had staged a runaway the first two days of this 46-game event.

Holman had a 17-pin lead going into the 42nd game but fell to fourth when he lost to Webb, 234-163.

The tournament atmosphere could change today. Bo Burton, ABC-TV bowling analyst, cited a number of unusual things that have happened on the telecasts.

“Take Del Ballard at Baltimore. Needing only seven of the 10 standing pins to lock up the win, he literally threw the title away by gutterballing his final shot.

“Bowling’s rarest spare pickup, the 7-10 split, was negotiated not once but twice as John Mazza pulled it off at Ft. Lauderdale and Jess Stayrook at Tucson.

“Insects interrupted play--a spider on the TV lane at Chicago, a moth in Denver. Once at Green Bay, one of finalists chased a grasshopper down the lane with a towel. Missing it, the insect leaped off and over to adjacent lanes.

“I could go on and on.”