PBA legend Earl Anthony saved his best bowling for last in the season finale of the PBA Senior Tour by edging Barry Gurney, the 1994 Naples, Fla., winner, 217-211, in the championship match for $10,000 in the Naples Senior Classic. Anthony beat 1992 Naples champ John Hricsina in the semifinal match, 220-189, after Hricsina defeated Dave Soutar in the opening match, 229-185, and Don Hargraves, 235-177. Anthony won his fifth senior title and 46th PBA tournament, an all-time record.

The victory was Anthony's first since he left the Senior Tour in 1991. The hall of famer had wondered if he'd win again.

"It's been a long time coming," Anthony said. "This $10,000 will help because [wife] Suzie wants to paint our house."

The 58-year-old Anthony came close to victory at the previous stop in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater (Fla.) Open, but fell victim to eventual champion Jim Brenner, 225-173, in the semifinal. Anthony hopes dimmed after he chopped the 3-5-6 and 3-5-6-9 clusters in the fourth and sixth frames. He later consulted Gary Mage, his old bowling partner, who gave him some useful advice on his bowling tendencies which resulted in his Naples victory.

Anthony returned to the PBA Senior Tour to help save it from extinction.

"There's no question bowling needs a big boost," Anthony said earlier. "For me to promote the sport, I have to bowl reasonably well. Winning would be nice, but it's not the main priority, although I'd like to win one or two. The most important thing is to draw some interest not only in the Senior Tour, but in bowling in general."

The evidence of Anthony creating new interest in bowling  is obvious because wherever Earl goes, thousands of fans of all ages flock to meet the hall of famer who was voted the all-time best bowler last January. Most of them want him to autograph everything they bring. The autograph hounds constantly interrupt public conversations with Earl in an unprecedented manner.

Anthony says the biggest difference in bowling from the way it was when he bowled previously on tour is the weird science of reactive- resin balls.

"The biggest challenge for me out here is learning the characteristics of the reactive-resin bowling balls," Anthony said. "I spend a day and a half with Tom Tomaris of Brunswick, who's an expert on the new balls. He came to Portland to teach me about the new shells, the surfaces, and the weight blocks, so I learned a lot from him on the new technology. Different lane conditions require different balls, and I happen to have the right one in my bag for these conditions. My hand-to-eye coordination is still there, but I also need some work on my timing. Quitting smoking also helped, and I recommend that for everyone."

Anthony says he has a mental checklist he uses as a ritual for better bowling.

"That's why you see me touch my eyeglasses just before I throw my ball," Anthony said. "I'm very careful to be sure everything is set before I go to the line, and occasionally my glasses slide down my nose, so I push them up with my finger each time to be sure I can see my target. It's an old habit of mine."

Anthony, the bowling broadcaster and proprietor, has curtailed his golf recently in favor of actively pursuing bowling on more stops with the regular PBA National Tour to stay in good physical shape and keep his endurance for tour competition since the Senior Tour has concluded for the season.

Anthony does not agree with incoming TEAM USA Coach Palmer Fallgren that making bowling a full-medal Olympic sport would be a positive answer to bowling's woes. He believes that bowling, as an Olympic sport, would be a road in the wrong direction when it comes to restoring the popularity and integrity of bowling on the domestic front.

"I think we tried real hard to get into the Olympics as a medal sport," Anthony said, "but we've put too much of an effort in that direction and not enough of an effort to get the sport strong here where it belongs in this country. It's growing dramatically in Asia and Europe, but we've got to start making event promoters and sponsors who are involved in the game to spend more time making it happen here instead of worrying about what it's going to be as an amateur sport in the Olympic Games.

"Palmer feels that bowling in the Olympics will be the best way back to bowling's popularity, and rightfully so from his point of view, but I don't think bowling in the Olympics will be the major difference in the sport."

The ubiquitous Anthony thinks a better route for bowling would be the Brunswick World Team Challenge, which he still serves as TV analyst with Jay Randolph or Bob Dolan.

He gave up his job as commentator with Mike Durbin on ESPN PBA telecasts--one adjustment to his schedule to accommodate his competitive return to the lanes as a bowler.

"Marshall [Holman] got my job, and I'm happy for him because he's an outstanding analyst," Anthony said. "I kept my job as announcer with the Brunswick World Team Challenge, and Prime Network pays me better than ESPN does anyway, so I'm happy with them."

Anthony believes Bowling Inc. will work to better promote the sport for potential sponsors, and that it should produce commercials with massive appeal to promote bowling nationwide.

"I wouldn't bet on getting everybody to agree to everything at the same time with the new Bowling Inc., but bowling's ratings have gone down on TV from a nine [share] to a two since the 1970s, so we had best make some commercials with Don Johnson or Dick Weber being a spokesperson and show them regionally. We should get the proprietors together to pay for these ads and air them nationally in prime time to show bowling with family atmospheres which are smoke-free for adults and kids. We must show the viewers that the stereotype of a cigar-smoking man with a beer in his hand is not bowling anymore, but instead it's a clean sport for the family and everyone."

Meanwhile, Holman jumped out of the broadcast booth Oct. 15 at Thunderbowl in Allen Park, Mich., and struck like lightning, beating Wayne Webb in the championship match, 246-235, to win $22,000 and his 22nd title in his 22nd year on tour in the Ebonite Classic. After winning, Holman shouted, "Oh, baby, I'm back. I'm back, and I can't stand it. All right!"

Holman later stated, "I may be 42, but I still have emotions of a 20-year-old out there. It's great to know I can still relax and get a good ball reaction to win on the tour. My job as a broadcast commentator is now my primary focus rather than bowling as a regular on the tour. I appreciate the thoughts from Earl Anthony on getting his old job, and I'm glad to be here as the PBA's new analyst. As far as losing my moustache goes, it wasn't because of my new TV job at all. I felt like after having it for 23 years, I just needed a change."