The first tournament of the first tour was the Empire State Open, held at Schade's Academy in Albany, New York, from Friday, May 22 through Sunday, May 24, 1959.
The prize money might not seem like a lot, but remember it is in 1959 dollars. Multiply each amount by 8 to get the value in 2016 dollars. For example, $150 in 1959 dollars is worth $1,208 in 2016 dollars.
The winner of this very first PBA tournament was Lou "Wrong-foot" Campi (so nicknamed because, as a right hander, he would finish his slide to the foul line on his right foot, the "wrong" foot.)
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| Lou Campi |
Top 10
1 Lou
Campi, from Dumont, NJ - Won $2,500
2 Ed
Lubanski, from Detroit, MI - Won 2,000
3 Dick
Weber, from St. Louis, MO - Won $1,500
4 Joe
Donato, from Schenectady, NY - Won $1,150
5 Buzz
Fazio, from Detroit, MI- Won $ 800
6 Don
Ellis, from Houston, TX - Won $700
7 Ray
Bluth, from St. Louis, MO- Won $650
8 Larry
Cassera, from Albany, NY - Won $600
9 Billy
Golembiewski, from Detroit, MI - Won $550
10 Bill
Lillard, from Dallas, TX - Won $500
Top 20
11 Carmen
Salvino, from Chicago, IL - Won $475
12 Jerry
Back, from Amherst, N.Y - Won $450
13 Al
Savas, from Milwaukee, WI - Won $ 425
14 Therm
Gibson, from Detroit, MI - Won $400
15 Don
Carter, from St. Louis, MO - Won $375
16 Punk
Limmer, from Albany, NY - Won $350
17 Tony
Lindemann, from Dallas, TX- Won $325
18 Tom
Hennessey, from St. Louis, MO - Won $300
19 Stan
Gifford, from Highland Park, IL.- Won $275
20 Billy
Welu, from St. Louis, MO - Won $250
Rest of the field
21 Joe
Joseph, from Lansing, MI - Won $225
22 John
King, from Park Ridge, IL - Won $ 200
23 Dick
Hoover, from Akron, OH - Won $190
24 Bud
Schaibly, from Chicago, IL - Won $ 180
25 Phil
Cleary, from Endwell, NY - Won $170
26 Woody
Hulsey, from St. Louis, MO - Won $160
27 Ludy
Villani, from Niagara Falls, NY - Won $150
28 Hank
Lauman, from Pico Rivers, CA - Won $150
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