USBC Hall of Famer Mark Roth dies at age 70
November 26, 2021
ARLINGTON, Texas - United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer Mark Roth of Fulton, New York, died Friday. He was 70.
The 34-time Professional Bowlers Association Tour champion, also a member of the PBA Hall of Fame, had been battling ongoing heart and health issues since suffering a massive stroke in 2009 that left him partially paralyzed on his left side.
Roth changed the game of bowling in the 1970s and 1980s with his powerful, high-revolution style, and his success on the PBA Tour was fast and flashy.
In 1978, he won eight PBA Tour titles, a record that still stands. The effort helped him to one of his four PBA Player of the Year honors, which came in 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1984.
Two years later, he earned notoriety for becoming the first bowler in history to convert the 7-10 split on a PBA Tour telecast, a feat that only has been accomplished four times, including this year by PBA Tour rookie Anthony Neuer during the finals of the 2021 U.S. Open.
Roth's influence and success earned him the No. 5 spot on the list of the 50 greatest players in PBA history, published in 2009, and he was inducted into the USBC Hall of Fame the same year in the Superior Performance category.
Among Roth's PBA Tour titles were two major victories - the 1984 U.S. Open and PBA Touring Players Championship. He also went on to collect a pair of victories on the PBA50 Tour.
One of Roth's biggest rivals on the lanes was fellow hall of famer Marshall Holman, but the two also were one of the sport's most revered doubles teams.
They won three doubles titles together, and the PBA Tour schedule currently includes an event named in their honor - the PBA Roth/Holman Doubles Championship.
Roth also is a member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
Information about funeral services for Roth is not yet available.
For more information on the USBC Hall of Fame, visit BOWL.com/HallofFame.
The 34-time Professional Bowlers Association Tour champion, also a member of the PBA Hall of Fame, had been battling ongoing heart and health issues since suffering a massive stroke in 2009 that left him partially paralyzed on his left side.
Roth changed the game of bowling in the 1970s and 1980s with his powerful, high-revolution style, and his success on the PBA Tour was fast and flashy.
In 1978, he won eight PBA Tour titles, a record that still stands. The effort helped him to one of his four PBA Player of the Year honors, which came in 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1984.
Two years later, he earned notoriety for becoming the first bowler in history to convert the 7-10 split on a PBA Tour telecast, a feat that only has been accomplished four times, including this year by PBA Tour rookie Anthony Neuer during the finals of the 2021 U.S. Open.
Roth's influence and success earned him the No. 5 spot on the list of the 50 greatest players in PBA history, published in 2009, and he was inducted into the USBC Hall of Fame the same year in the Superior Performance category.
Among Roth's PBA Tour titles were two major victories - the 1984 U.S. Open and PBA Touring Players Championship. He also went on to collect a pair of victories on the PBA50 Tour.
One of Roth's biggest rivals on the lanes was fellow hall of famer Marshall Holman, but the two also were one of the sport's most revered doubles teams.
They won three doubles titles together, and the PBA Tour schedule currently includes an event named in their honor - the PBA Roth/Holman Doubles Championship.
Roth also is a member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
Information about funeral services for Roth is not yet available.
For more information on the USBC Hall of Fame, visit BOWL.com/HallofFame.