Marshall Holman’s first bowling score was a 71. He was only 12 and he considered it “mediocre.” Attending high school in Medford, he began studying the top local players and adopting their best styles. Seeking stronger competition at age 17, he began driving on weekends in the early 1970s to Portland or Seattle. Despite his father’s protests that Holman was wasting time, he persevered and started winning.
At age 21 Holman became the youngest-ever winner of the Firestone Tournament of Champions in 1976. He was a three-time winner of the George Young High-Average award, and earned nearly $1.7 million on tour.
Holman was ranked ninth on the Professional Bowling Association’s 2008 list of the “50 Greatest Players of the Last 50 Years.”
His last PBA bowling title was at the Ebonite Classic in 1996. Altogether he won 22 titles, including two U.S. Opens and two Tournaments of Champions.
Today, he is active in charitable causes and still lives in Medford, content to be one of the best bowlers in the Thursday night league.
Sources: "Biography of Marshall Holman." All American Speakers. All American Speakers Bureau, 2014. Web. 20 Apr. 2014. "Bowling great Marshall Holman keeps busy in retirement." Bowlers Dream.com. Web. 20 Apr. 2014.
