Wayne Webb Rolls a Perfect Game, Takes the Lead in L.A. Open Bowling

Wayne Webb, one of pro bowling’s champion performers with 16 titles, rolled a perfect game en route to the lead in the Greater Los Angeles Open Wednesday.

After a season of disappointment in 1986, “when I couldn’t hit my hat in the worst slump of my career,” Webb broke from the doldrums with one of the highest-scoring six-game bursts in PBA history--254, 290, 204, 255, 300 and 238.

The Indianapolis pro continued to string 200s in the second round and wound up with 2,862 pins in 12 games.

Webb called his opening-round of 1,541 total “the hottest six-game set of his career.” The all-time record is 1,613 by Buffalo’s Tom Baker in 1981.

Nearest to Webb was last year’s PBA rookie of the year, Marc McDowell of Madison, Wis., only 24 pins back at 2,838.

A number of bowlers posted high scores in the tournament at Gable House Bowl in Torrance--among them Diamond Bar’s Ricky Corona, who was in sixth place at 2,789.

Perennial winners Pete Weber (3rd at 2,829), Marshall Holman (13th at 2,686), Steve Cook (19th at 2,671) were among the top 24 bowlers.

Another six-game round will be held today with the highest-scoring 24 bowlers gaining the 24-game round robin match play through Friday night.