Female Bowlers Take Spotlight in Fountain Valley Event

At the turn of the century, bowling was mainly a game played on two, four or eight lanes in beer parlors.

According to a bowling history, “Ladies of the day risked reputations to try the game. Some ladies bowled despite objecting husbands. Others discreetly bowled behind screens set up to hide their participation.”

In 1907, Dennis J. Sweeney of St. Louis declared: “Bowling will never prosper until women become a part of it.” In his fight for equal bowling rights, he established the first league competition for women. The cause spread to other major cities.

By 1910 in Los Angeles, stories about female bowlers were appearing periodically in The Times, and a more acceptable environment was available on alleys in clubhouses of fraternal organizations.

When the men in white shirts, vests and bow ties finished play, the women took over and bowled socially in rather cumbersome attire. Rare photos from that era show affluent middle-aged or older women bowling in ankle-length dresses, dress shoes, bonnets and dangling pearl necklaces.

More than 80 years have passed since Sweeney’s prediction and millions of women throughout the world have bowled.

Saturday, the $100,000 U.S. Women’s Bowling Open will be launched on a six-day run by the Bowling Proprietors Assn. of America at Fountain Bowl in Fountain Valley.

It is the second time the Southland has played host to the event. In 1961, the tournament, then called the National All-Star, was held in San Bernardino.

Three years earlier in Chicago, the late Merle Matthews of Long Beach became the first Southern Californian to win the title.

This year’s field will include 100 amateur or league bowlers from 40 states and an international mix of 140 pros. The Open is part of the Ladies Pro Bowlers Tour.

Dana Miller-Mackie of Albuquerque, N.M., is the defending champion.

Aiming to repeat previous victories are Southern Californians Donna Adamek of Apple Valley, winner in 1978 and ‘81; Wendy Macpherson of San Diego, 1986 champion, and Robin Romeo of Van Nuys, 1989 titlist. Lisa Wagner of Palmetto, Fla., the bowler of the decade in the 1980s, is another former champion in the field.

Tish Johnson of Panorama City, 1990 co-bowler of the year with Miller-Mackie, is seeking her first Open title, as are Leanne Barrette, Dede Davidson, Cheryl Daniels, Nikki Gianulias, Carol Gianotti and Aleta Sill, among others.

In bowling, amateurs are considered to be players who do not bowl professionally but are eligible to collect prize money.

The leading amateur entrant is Julie Gardner, the 1990 National Amateur Champion. Her Huntington Beach home is only a few miles from Fountain Bowl. The women will bowl 48 games to determine five finalists for the championship playoff to be televised at 6 p.m. next Thursday on ESPN.