Don Johnson (bowler)

Don Johnson (May 19, 1940 – May 3, 2003) was born in Kokomo, Indiana, but spent most of his adult life in Akron, Ohio and Las Vegas, Nevada.

He was an American ten-pin bowler who spent many years on the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) tour.

He won 26 PBA titles (tenth most all-time), including two major championships, and is a member of the PBA and USBC Halls of Fame.

Don Johnson, a right-handed bowler, joined the PBA Tour in 1964.

He captured at least one PBA title every season from 1966–1977, on his way to 26 PBA titles in all.

That total places him tenth on the all-time titles list.

But perhaps his shining moment came in 1970, when he won the prestigious Firestone Tournament of Champions and nearly achieved perfection in the process.

In the televised final, he left a single 10-pin on the final ball for a 299 game.

Leaving the 10-pin wasn't as famous as Johnson's reaction to it; he dropped on the floor and left his face down for several seconds before getting up to a thunderous ovation (Johnson's wife Mary Anne was shown in the audience, crying).

The 10-pin denied Johnson $10,000 and a new Mercury Cougar automobile, which were offered as bonuses that season for any televised 300 game.

In his post-tournament interview with Chris Schenkel, Johnson downplayed the bad break, stating, "I'm just thankful that I finally won this dadgum thing."

(He had finished second in two previous Tournament of Champions events.)

Johnson was voted PBA Player of the Year in 1971 and 1972.

Johnson made it to the final match of the Tournament of Champions a fourth time in 1971, but had to settle for his third runner-up finish in the event after being defeated by Johnny Petraglia.

He won a second major title at the 1972 U.S. Open.

Don Johnson was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1977, and the USBC Hall of Fame in 1982.

Major championships are in bold text.

In the 1980s, Johnson made a successful transition from pro bowler to bowling instructor.

He taught bowlers from over 20 countries and produced an acclaimed book/video instructional package on the sport.

Among his students was 13-time PBA titlist, Hall of Famer and current bowling broadcaster Randy Pedersen.

Don's son, Jimmy Johnson, won a PBA Tour title in 1990, making them the second father-and-son combination to each win a title on the standard Tour (following Dick and Pete Weber).

Friend and bowling writer Rich Carrubba, who watched the telecast of Jimmy's victory with Don, quoted Don as saying, "This means more to me than anything I have ever done myself."

Don Johnson died of a heart attack in 2003 at age 62 in North Las Vegas, Nevada.

On March 2, 2008, a PBA Tour stop in Columbus, Ohio was named in Johnson's honor: the Don Johnson Buckeye State Classic.

In 2009, the tournament was renamed the Don Johnson Eliminator Championship.