Out with the old, in with the new. It might work with beauty pageants and car lots, but it hasn't gone over well on the Denny's Professional Bowlers Association Tour.
The old guard more than held its own in the first half of the 2006-07 season, with the likes of Norm Duke, Walter Ray Williams Jr. and Pete Weber — Hall of Famers all — among those to win tournaments.
The pattern may not change when the tour comes to the Rogue Valley for the sixth consecutive season this week for the Earl Anthony Medford Classic at Lava Lanes.
Oh, the PBA is not without newness.
Women bowlers, in the absence of their own tour, have made their presence felt. One, Kelly Kulick, is the first woman to earn exempt status since the tour instituted that format three years ago. Another, Liz Johnson, has climbed into the top 50 in points through weekly qualifying for tournaments.
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"The themes that we anticipated at the start of the year," says PBA Commissioner Fred Schreyer, "the legends versus the young guns, are really materializing."
The tour had nine tournaments in the first half, which ended in mid-December for a holiday break. The second half began this week in Reno, Nev., and it has become apparent some young guns just won't be denied.
Tommy Jones, last year's player of the year, owns a win, as does Wes Malott, who last year had a breakout season with his first victory and earnings of more than $130,000. And Sean Rash, who made his tour debut last year, has wins in each of the past two seasons.
The PBA youth movement reached its zenith five years ago. The circuit increased prize funds dramatically, thereby enticing a number of premier amateurs who had been making plenty of cash in high-roller tournaments.
When the all-exempt tour began in the fall of 2004, one of the purposes was to create a star system: Get the same bowlers out there week after week and see which ones rose to the top.
Some youngsters made it: Nine titles were won by players 30 and under last season.
But some oldsters just won't go away.
Duke, for instance, is the only two-time winner this season, stamping himself as the front-runner in player-of-the-year voting.
When he thinks of those who are the biggest threats to his livelihood, he thinks most often of his peers.
"I'm not thinking about any young guns," he says. "I could care less about them. The hardest people to beat out here are the ones who know how to get it done. I prepare especially for those people. I know how good they are at their jobs."
"Certainly there are young stars coming up. It's my job to keep them away from stardom for as long as I can."
That mission was put on hold this week when Duke withdrew from the H&R Block Classic in Reno because of a toe injury. But he expects to compete in Medford.
While he was sidelined, other veterans picked up the slack. Williams and Weber made today's finals, along with one of the younger stars, Patrick Allen, and Jason Couch, who's in the middle of the experience spectrum.
Keeping some younger players out of the spotlight is easier said than done.
Malott and Jones were one-two in the points race after the first half, followed by four veterans.
Doug Kent, Williams and Weber headed the earnings chart.
"Those types of players (veterans) will always be there," says Williams, who opened the season with a victory in the Dydo Japan Cup, thereby overtaking Earl Anthony as the all-time leader in titles with 42. "That's one reason they're Hall of Famers. It is kind of interesting that there are so many players over 40 years of age on tour. When I first came out, I don't remember that many. Now there are 23, or something like that, of what you would call exempt players. There's definitely a lot of superstars in that group."
One thing the tour didn't have when he began was women. They had a tour of their own from 1960 until the fall of 2003, when a lack of sponsorship interest proved to be the demise of the Professional Women's Bowlers Association Tour.
Kulick was the rookie of the year in the PWBA in 2001. When it folded, she turned to the PBA, which opened its doors to give women a place to compete.
Prior to finishing in the top 10 at the tour trials last summer and gaining exemption, she had bowled in a dozen PBA events.
She placed sixth in the trials, rolling a 300 game on the final day to help ensure her place.
Kulick has twice made it to match play in eight events but has yet to go deep into a tournament. She has an average of 210.34 and earnings of $14,300. She's 53rd in points, three behind Johnson.
Johnson led the non-exempt points race heading into the second half and would earn a place on tour next year if she finished the season No. 1.
She made it to the top eight of the Etonic Championship in November before losing to eventual champion Weber, 4-1.
The ascension of women to the PBA Tour has largely been met with acceptance by their male counterparts, says Schreyer.
"I always anticipated there would be a little bit of turmoil or feedback," he says. "But the guys have been very, very open and accepting of the role women have played. I've used the term 'meritocracy' before. If you earn your way out there, people respect it."
Williams concurred, allowing that "it's a shame the ladies don't have their own tour. There are so many talented lady bowlers out there, and now they have to compete against the men in competition, which is a pretty substantial level to compete against.
"Honestly, I didn't think they'd be able to make that step and be able to compete, but Kelly was able to do that through the tour trials."
Kulick is battling a back injury, but she fought through it to place 36th in qualifying in Reno, missing match play by four spots. Johnson was 49th.
Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail ttrower@mailtribune.com
