Doug Kent


Doug Kent is a right-handed American professional ten-pin bowler, a member of the Professional Bowlers Association, and a PBA and USBC Hall of Famer. In the 2006–07 season, Kent became just the sixth bowler in PBA history to win two major championships in one tour year as he captured titles in the USBC Masters and Denny's PBA World Championship. For his efforts, he was voted the Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year and received a four-year exemption for PBA Tour events.

PBA career

Doug Kent joined the PBA in 1988. His career started slowly, as he won only the 1991 ABC Masters title in his first seven seasons until breaking through again with a victory in the 1996 Greater Detroit Open.
2006–07 was a career year for Kent, winning two titles—both majors. In addition to Tour winnings of $200,530 that season, Kent won $150,000 in the season-ending Motel 6 Roll to Riches, a special event that does not count toward official PBA earnings. In addition to the Masters title and his two majors in 2006–07, Kent won the 2002 PBA World Championship to give him four majors among his 10 total PBA titles. His career PBA earnings total over $1.5 million. He has rolled 31 career perfect 300 games in PBA competition through the end of the 2008–09 season.
Kent was ranked #43 on the PBA's 2008 list of "50 Greatest Players of the Last 50 Years." He was voted into the PBA Hall of Fame in January, 2013, and was officially inducted on March 30, 2013. In 2014, Doug was elected to the USBC Hall of Fame for Superior Performance.

Personal

Kent resides in Newark, New York, with wife, Chrissie, and children, Natalie and Jake. Because Kent married the former Chrissie Beamish, whose sister, Leslie, is married to Parker Bohn III, Kent is Bohn's brother-in-law. Kent also operates Doug Kent's Rose Bowl Lanes in Newark. Kent's nickname on tour is "Dougie Fresh". Doug Kent Lane, a street in Newark, New York, was recently named in honor of his accomplishments.
Fellow New Yorker Patrick Allen asked Kent to be the presenter at his PBA Hall of Fame induction on January 5, 2019. In his induction speech, Allen noted, "Doug was responsible for two careers: his own and mine. He told me I had to learn the technical side of the sport, and then he taught me."

PBA National Tour career titles

Major championships are in bold.
  1. 1991 ABC Masters – Def. George Branham III 50–28 in a two-frame rolloff after tying 236–236
  2. 1996 Greater Detroit Open – Def. Jeff Zaffino 227–217
  3. 1997 Japan Cup – Def. Parker Bohn III 237–231
  4. 1999 Johnny Petraglia Open – Def. Rudy 'Revs' Kasimakis 217–190
  5. 2000 Indianapolis Open – Def. Jeff Zaffino 253–236
  6. 2001–02 PBA World Championship – Def. Lonnie Waliczek 215–160
  7. 2002–03 Empire State Open – Def. Chris Barnes 257–204
  8. 2005–06 GEICO Classic – Def. Norm Duke 222–201
  9. 2006–07 USBC Masters – Def. Jack Jurek 277–230
  10. 2006–07 PBA World Championship – Def. Chris Barnes 237–216