The Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas, which recently completed its 38th annual run in Miami, was founded in 1963 by Lee Evans with the purpose of furthering good will and understanding among the people of America through the sport of bowling. The tournament has become a ranked event on the worldwide FIQ calendar.
Back in the 50s, the Miami Herald had the unique distinction of featuring three brothers on their sports staff—Luther, Lee, and Dick Evans. Luther was the oldest and probably best known for his scoop about Joe Namath "guaranteeing" a Jets victory over the Colts in Super Bowl III. He also covered the University of Miami and racing. Lee was the middle brother and covered boxing. Dick was still in college when he joined the paper as a high school writer and replaced Charlie Smith as the Herald's bowling writer in 1957.
About that time, Lee left the Herald and took over as news director for the city of Miami. Later, Dick approached his brother about getting bowling matches for the "Floridians," an elite women's team that featured two WIBC Hall of Famers, Edie Jo Neal and Mary Lou Graham. Lee got the Floridians matches against male teams from Venezuela, which the Floridians won. The event was so popular that Lee conceived a plan that would later become one of the most successful blueprints for public relations in the North American continent: He started the Tournament of the Americas, which was renamed the Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas after his death.
Lee Evans had devoted countless long hours and tireless efforts to nurture it from a dream to a reality and then into the huge success it attained under his care and direction. It continues to seek his goal, which was "Bowling Unites the Americas."
Lee Evans passed away in 1978. John Smith, general manager of Cloverleaf Lanes and a member of the tournament staff from its inception, became executive director of the Tournament of the Americas for the next 11 years. He retired in 1990, and the tournament became a project of the Tom Romanik family, owners and operators of Cloverleaf Lanes.
In 1997, AMF Worldwide became the title sponsor and changed the name of the tournament to the AMF Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas.
The 38th annual AMF Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas featured 139 bowlers from 19 countries, but after 36 games of competition, most of the champions all hailed from the United States. Brazil, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, and the United States each led the way with 12 entries—four members each for the adult, junior, and senior divisions.
The United States, as expected, dominated, winning 43 of 54 gold medals. In the singles events, Joe Ciach of Canada and Diandra Hyman were the winners of the adult division. In the senior division, the winners were Linda Goodling (USA) and Abraham Jaimes (Colombia). Scott Norton and Missy Bellinder, both of the USA, captured the junior singles titles.
In the adult doubles events, the American duos of Bill Hoffman/Tony Manna and Kelly Kulick/Diandra Hyman took the gold. Geraldo Couto/Frank Montiero (Brazil) and Mary Ministerio/Cristina Mueles of Brazil captured the seniors crowns, and Missy Bellinger/Jackie Edwards (USA) and David Rivera/Carlos Roa (Colombia) carted off the gold in the junior division.
Although the USA teams would seem to be the overwhelming favorites every year, they have been anything but dominant.
For example, in the adult division during 1965, 1981, 1983, and 1986, the USA team was completely shut out in the winner's division—no gold medals!
Conversely, the 1991 USA squad, headed by Ron Mohr, Jon Juneau, Patty Ann, and Kathy Haislip, swept the field and garnered nine gold medals. The USA team won all but one gold medal in 1967, 1971, 1974, and 1989 and were two gold medals short of a clean sweep in 1996, 1997, and 1999.
The junior division was added in 1972, and the USA team has done very well. Although they were shut out in 1979, the 1993 team of Sarah Hillier, Kassy Hyman, Darren Fitzsimmons, and Ted Pritts completely dominated the field and took home all the gold medals.
The juniors also won all but one gold medal in 1989, 1990, 1991, 1996, and 1998.
The senior division was added in 1993, and USA teams have been anything but dominant. Although the team of Carol Nunn, Linda Lansford, Ed Roberts, and Jerry Ledbetter swept the field in 1998 and the 1997 group of Carol Trump, Linda Lansford, Vinnie Atria, and Henry Rodriguez won everything but the men's doubles, they have been rather mediocre in other years. They were completely shut out in 1999.
The AMF Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas has grown to be an event of great prestige. Although changes have been made, the real traditions of friendship, camaraderie, and intense competition, started at its inception, continue to flourish under the leadership of the Romanik family.
ABC and PBA Hall of Famer John Jowdy is a past president of the Bowling Writers Association of America.