The Post-Journal

Local Precedents Set As Sue Golen Plans To Test Pro Bowling Tour

This area has its first member of the Professional Women's Bowling Association and the first local woman to ever go on the pro tour.

When Sue Golen was accepted for membership by the PWBA this week, she and her husband, Ed, established an all-time first, Executive Director Mike Dubin of the PWBA said in a telephone interview yesterday. Mr. and Mrs. Golen are the first husband and wife professionals in both golf and bowling. Ed Golen is the head pro at Moon Brook Country Club.

Mrs. Golen's entry into the PWBA is also unique in that she was asked to join a year ago and turned it down. PWBA officials again invited her to become a member this year and she accepted. Membership is virtually always by application and not by invitation.

The biggest surprise, however, was her rating when her 190 average went into the official standings. Sue was 17th (not counting ties) in the membership, which covers 3,184,711 women, both pro and non-pro.

Pat Costello tops the averages list with 202. She was named Bowler of the Year and will be on Doris Colburn's team in the forthcoming National Bowling Congress meet in Las Vegas.

Mrs. Colburn's daughter, Kathy, will be on a team with Mrs. Golen in the WIBC, but Miss Costello, Mrs. Colburn and Mrs. Golen expect to room together on the pro tour.

The Colburns are Buffalo residents and other bowlers Mrs. Golen will be shooting with under the Buffalo Angletown Creations banner at Las Vegas are Judy Roberts, 191 average, Miss Colburn, 20 years old and packing a 186 average, Pat Klump, 189 and once fourth in the WIBC singles, and Virginia Askland, 197 average and past state singles, doubles and all-events champion. She once rolled a 700 set in state doubles.

Miss Colburn is currently competing in the Pearl Cup tournament in Japan.

Mrs. Colburn, one of Buffalo's best, has competed in Jamestown. She once rolled in Bucky Cappalino's Ten Pins Open, shooting a 1160 and cashing.

Cappalino, incidentally, once made two stops on the Professional Bowling Association's men's tour. Dan Bemis of Clymer is also a member of the PBA, but as not as yet hit the tour.

"This is really the bowling thrill of a lifetime for me," Mrs. Golen said when her membership in the PWBA arrived. "It is something I have often though of and when I was invited this time, my husband told me to go ahead and give it a try." Mrs. Golen hastened to explain she does not plan to make the bowling tour a way of life, however.

"I am on the Queens list and if I make it, I'll compete before starting the pro tour," she explained. The Queens, rolled at the site of the WIBC, represents the elite of women's bowling. Mrs. Golen has filed her entry and is on the waiting list.

After the WIBC and the Queens, the pro tour heads for Rockford, IL, May 20-24, to Flint, MI, August 9-12, and then to Berkley, CA, August 16-19.

"I'll definitely make the Rockford and Flint stops," Mrs. Golen says. After that we'll see how things shape up. After all, I have a family and for that reason I am not looking to the pro tour as a regular thing."

Sue shot her way onto the "Beat the Champ" show, televised out of Buffalo. She finished fourth in the qualifiers, shooting a high series of 611 and a low series of 549. The taped program is expected to be shown on Channel 4 sometime in June or July.

An unusual footnote is that golf appears to mingle in Mrs. Golen's life, even on the pro tour. Bucky Roy, in charge of the tour, is a member of the Professional Golfers Association and is a former agent for Lee Tevino and Julius Boros.

Mrs. Golen, who has had a 180 plus average for 13 years, has another goal. That is to shoot a 700 series. Her all-time high is 689 and her best single ever a 269. The attractive Jamestown lady cannot be faulted if she has passing thoughts on how wonderful it would be to get that 700 as a pro tour member.


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