in any way this can be a boost for women’s sports and bowl- ing, I’m willing to do my part. I feel like I’m on a magic car- pet ride right now and I want to keep riding it higher and higher.” And higher and higher did
she go. Suddenly bowling was a
story in the sport sections of newspapers nationwide. Billie Jean King offered her congratulations to Kulick on behalf of the Women’s Sports Foundation, and in March, Kulick was invited to attend the International Women’s Day reception held at the White House in celebration of Women’s History Month. Hosted by President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, approximately 250 women attended the event, which hon- ored contributions of women in history and contemporary society. Despite the distractions
of suddenly being a media darling with hundreds of interview requests and fans everywhere clamoring for her, Kulick continued on in an unstoppable and unprecedent- ed fashion. In late April, Kulick
claimed the 2010 USBC Queens title by winning four consecutive matches in the stepladder finals, and defeat- ing top seed Tennelle Milligan, 232-188. An impressive run? For sure. But Kulick wasn’t done yet. Just 14 days later, Kulick
capped her extraordinary season with a victory at the U.S. Women’s Open, defeat- ing Liz Johnson, 233-203, at the International Training and Research Center Arlington, Texas. “It’s unimaginable,” she
said. “You couldn’t write this in a script. Does it get any bet- ter?” As a history-making win-
ner of four huge champion- ships in one season, Kulick has her work cut out for her next season, as she embarks
24 USBOWLER SUMMER 2010
MASTER BLASTER: Click on the above video to hear Walter Ray Williams Jr. describe winning the 2010 USBC Masters.
on another year of PBA Tour exemption. “It’s like when Tiger Woods
had his dream season, or LeBron James, or any athlete who dominates in their field,” Kulick reflected. “There will be a lot of expectations for me on the men’s tour now. I have a lot of practice and preparation to do.”
A Senior Moment
Walter Ray Williams Jr. turned 50 during the 2009-10 season, making him eligible to bowl on the senior tour. That’s fine with him. He tore up his first senior event in early May, the Senior Miller High Life Classic, defeating Keith Sharp of Orlando, Fla., 267-245, in the championship match. But that doesn’t mean old
“Deadeye” is done rewriting the PBA Tour record books. At a time when a lot of
pro bowlers are thinking of wrapping it up and calling it
a career, Williams came out swinging during the 2009- 10 season, nabbing the first available title, the Motor City Open, at the World Series of Bowling last August. He followed that up with
his second career USBC Masters title in February, defeating Chris Barnes, 290- 217, at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno. The victory extended his record for most PBA titles in history to 47, while moving him up to a tie for second with eight major titles behind the late Earl Anthony’s 10 majors. “This is just another little
feather, it’s just awesome,” said Williams. “It’s hard to explain it better than that. To win any tournament is awe- some, and the bigger ones are even better.” Not only did Williams
show the world what a “senior” can do, he finished the season number one in average and earnings, and
won his record seventh Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year Award and a record eighth Harry Smith Point Leader Award. With so many records
already in hand, can Williams continue on and challenge Anthony’s 10 major victories record? “I really don’t envision that I can get to 10, but I’m not giving up yet,” said Williams. “I’m going to go out there and plug along as good as I can, and the year that I’m no longer exempt out here, that’s when I will have had enough.”
Score One for the Underdog
Nearly as mythic a story- line this past season was the rags-to-riches, underdog story of Tom Smallwood, the unemployed Michigan autoworker who shocked not only the bowling world with his improbable PBA World Championship victory, but
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