PRO BOWLING : Warren Makes Big Impression

At 5 feet 5 and 115 pounds, Chris Warren, 27, looks more suited to riding a racehorse than rolling a bowling ball for a living.

Fellow pros affectionately call him “Squeaky” because of his highpitched Texas twang, which fans heard very little of until last year. After five hard-to-make-a-buck years, Warren finally landed in the limelight on the national tournament tour of the Pro Bowlers Assn. He finished 1990 with the most individual titles--four--and was second in earnings, with $197,185.

Among his victories were the ABC Masters, a grand-slam event in bowling, and the Japan Cup. The latter was especially significant to Warren, whose mother is Japanese. His father, an American Indian, died when Chris was 10.

Warren arrived in the Southland Monday for a practice round at Gable House Bowl in Torrance, site of the $175,000 AC-Delco tournament starting today.

He and 159 other pros are in the four-day event that launches the PBA national tour for the 32nd consecutive year.

Notably missing from the entry list are Amleto Monacelli of Venezuela, last year’s money-leader with $204,775, and Mark Baker of Huntington Park, who led Southern Californians in 1990 PBA earnings with $74,785.

However, Marshall Holman, Mark Roth, Pete Weber, Brian Voss, Walter Ray Williams, Parker Bohn III, Del Ballard Jr., Randy Pedersen, Ron Palombi Jr. and Jim Pencak will bowl, as will Ron Williams, the defending champion. First place is worth $35,000.

Also entered is Pete McCordic, the Houston bowler who had a 300 game to win a $100,000 bonus prize in the finals of the 1987 tournament at Gable House.

Pro Bowling Notes

In addition to Jess Stayrook and Randy Pedersen, other Southern Californians in the field this week include Jim Cale, Ricky Corona, Tony Figuiera, Mark Fisser, Eric Forkel, Mike Fowler, Dave Frame, Alex Hernandez, Phil Kapsimallis, Cecil Knighton, Bobby Knipple, Rich Maldonado, Bob Markiewicz, Joe Merrill, Edward Parker, Bob Permann, Rick Polzin, Mick Prulhiere, Tony Rodriguez Jr., Butch Soper, Larry Stephens, Mike Taylor, Todd Thompson, Jim Tilton and Mike Tucker.

Forty-two PBA 300 games have been bowled at Gable House since 1977, according to trivia collector Bob Johnson . . .