Mark Roth was one of the best competitors ever to bowl on the PBA Tour. Bringing power to the sport of bowling, he was known for his powerful cranking release that spawned a generation of imitators.
In a word, Mark Roth revolutionized the sport of bowling. “Sometimes I throw rockets,” Roth told Sports Illustrated in 1978. “My ball can even overpower lane conditions at times.”
Roth dominated the PGA Tour in the 1970s, winning his first title in 1975, and being named PBA Player of the Year award in three consecutive years (1977 to 1979) and again in 1984.
Roth holds the record for most wins in a single season (eight in 1978), and he is also the youngest player to reach 15 PBA Tour Titles. Roth was 27 years old when he notched that record, and he added to that distinction by winning the PBA High Average Award six times during his career.
Tom Clark, PBA Commissioner: What Mark did seemed impossible when he did it. Technology has evolved to make balls hook more and hit with more power-doing what he did naturally.
One of Roth’s accomplishments was recorded on TV. In 1980, he was the first bowler to convert the 7-10 split on television, and he is still the only right-handed bowler to do so, because it has only been done (three times) by left-handers.
Continuing his dominance in the 1980s, in 1984 Roth was the leading money winner and finished the season with four titles, two of which were majors (the U.S. Open and the Touring Players Championship). He won his final title in 1995, the 34th of his distinguished career. Then he went on to compete in the PBA Senior Tour, where he won two more titles.
Roth was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1987 and into the United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame in 2009.
Health issues slowed down Roth in his later years, as he dealt with numerous health issues, including a stroke that left him partially paralyzed on his left side. He also suffered a heart attack. Roth died in 2021 at 70 years of age.
“Mark is an icon,” Tom Clark said, “He was a hero to generations of bowlers. He loved bowling, and it was an honor to have him involved with the PBA.”
