BOWLING : Duke Strikes Early, Beats Smith

Norm Duke was never out of the pocket and methodically defeated amateur for the AC/Delco Professional Bowlers Assn. title Saturday at Cal Bowl in Lakewood.

Duke, one of the smallest pro bowlers at 5 feet 5, won his fifth championship in 11 years on the tour, 247-223.

Duke, from Oklahoma City, had Smith on the ropes early. He opened with four strikes while the 20-year-old from Moorpark struggled to get started.

“I was a little nervous at the beginning,” said Smith, the 1993 National Amateur champion. “I changed to the out-and-in shot that Norm was using in the fourth frame.”

Smith then struck five times, but it was too late.

Duke, seeded second in the playoffs, disposed of Ft. Lauderdale’s Steve Wilson, 276-213, to reach the finals, where he won $44,000.

Before his elimination, Wilson whipped Justin Hromek, 204-169, and Ken Muscato, 210-187.

Duke praised Smith as a “future star in pro bowling. To me, he’s no amateur. In the eyes of the pros, he’s already a professional.”

Smith is a member of Team USA. He said he will be in Colorado Springs, Colo., next week for Olympic training, and he will bowl in the U.S. Open in April at Troy, Mich.