Editing Norm Duke (section)

==PBA Tour==

In 1983, not even one year after becoming a professional, Duke won the Cleveland Open in [[North Olmsted, Ohio]], and became the youngest player ever to win a PBA Tour title, at 18 years and 345 days. On that day, Duke started from the No. 5 seed and worked his way up the stepladder, defeating the other four bowlers to take the championship, including a victory over the legendary [[Earl Anthony]] in Duke's first-ever televised match.<ref>Grossman, Hillard. "Duke gives fans on Merritt Island a glimpse of pro bowling royalty." Article in ''Florida Today'' on August 9, 2010. [http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100809/SPORTS/8090313/1002/SPORTS/Duke+gives+fans+on+Merritt+Island+a+glimpse+of+pro+bowling+royalty]</ref> Duke would not win his second title until [[PBA Bowling Tour: 1991 Season|1991]], but his career took off from there. He won two titles in the [[PBA Bowling Tour: 1994 Season|1993 season]], including his first major at the [[USBC Masters|ABC Masters]] (now known as the USBC Masters).<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=1982-08-31 |title=Norm Duke {{!}} PBA |url=https://www.pba.com/players/norm-duke |access-date=2024-02-13 |website=www.pba.com |language=en}}</ref>

Norm completed perhaps his best season in [[PBA Bowling Tour: 1994 Season|1994]], winning five titles including his second career major, at the [[H&R Block Tournament of Champions|Tournament of Champions]], and also winning PBA Player of the Year honors.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pba.com/Tournaments/FullStandings/1253 |title=1994 Tournament of Champions| publisher=PBA}}</ref> He was also the winner of the PBA Player of the Year award in [[PBA Bowling Tour: 2000 Season|2000]], capturing three titles that year, including his third career major by winning the [[PBA World Championship]]. Duke became a member of the [[United States Bowling Congress|USBC]] Hall of Fame in 2002, and was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in January 2009.<ref name=":0" />

Duke currently owns 40 PBA Tour titles, including seven majors: one [[USBC Masters|ABC Masters]], one [[PBA Tournament of Champions]], two [[U.S. Open (bowling)|United States Opens]], and three [[PBA World Championship]]s. By virtue of having won each of these four majors, Duke is one of only three bowlers in Tour history to complete the [[PBA Tour#PBA Grand Slam|career Grand Slam]], along with fellow Hall-of-Famer [[Mike Aulby]] and all-time major titles record holder [[Jason Belmonte]]. His 38th title on February 15, 2015 put him in sole possession of third-place on the PBA's all-time titles list. Duke's career PBA Tour earnings eclipsed $3 million in the 2011-12 season, making him just the third PBA bowler at the time (along with [[Walter Ray Williams Jr.]] and [[Pete Weber (bowler)|Pete Weber]]) to surpass the $3 million mark in career prize money.<ref>Schneider, Jerry. "Norm Duke Wins PBA Detroit Open Presented by Track for 35th Career Tour Title." Article at www.pba.com on March 11, 2012. [http://news.pba.com/post/2012/3/11/Norm-Duke-Wins-PBA-Detroit-Open-Presented-by-Track-for-35th-Career-Tour-Title.aspx]</ref> [[Parker Bohn III]] has since also joined the $3 million club. Duke's career earnings have now topped $3.8 million (as of 2022). Duke made multiple TV Finals appearances every season from 1990 through 2015.  (He made only one TV finals appearance in 2016.)  He has won at least two titles in a season nine times, including a career-best five titles in 1994.<ref>Norm Duke bio at www.pba.com, official site of the PBA Tour</ref>

The diminutive Duke (he stands 1.65 meters, or 5-foot-5) is known for his exceptional versatility. He is generally thought of as a [[Bowling styles|stroker]], either throwing the ball relatively straight or playing a hook shot from the extreme outside of the lane.  But he has also shown the ability (especially earlier in his career) to swing the ball out toward the gutter and bring it back like a [[Bowling styles|cranker]] when necessary. This gives him the advantage of being able to score well on most of the PBA's multiple oil patterns.

===2007–08 season===
The [[PBA Bowling Tour: 2007-08 season|2007-08 season]] started slowly for Duke, as he battled illness on top of a series of injuries through the first half. Standing 51st in points and with his Tour exemption in jeopardy, he put together a furious finish by winning two majors in the final five weeks of the season. On February 24, 2008, he won his second career PBA World Championship to lock up a 2008-09 exemption. Then on March 30, he won the [[U.S. Open (bowling)|U.S. Open]] and joined [[Mike Aulby]] and [[Billy Hardwick]] as the only bowlers to ever complete the coveted PBA "Grand Slam," in which a PBA bowler wins the U.S. Open, World Championship, Tournament of Champions, and USBC Masters at least once in a career. He is also one of only nine bowlers in history to complete the PBA career Triple Crown, in which a player wins the PBA's "original" three majors (U.S. Open, Tournament of Champions, and World Championship).

===2008–09 season===
Duke began the [[PBA Bowling Tour: 2008-09 season|2008-09 season]] by, again, winning the PBA World Championship. Continuing on his success from the previous season's sweep of the final two majors, he accomplished something never before done by any professional bowler: win three consecutive major tournaments.  The streak ended when he failed to make the TV finals for the 2009 Tournament of Champions.  On April 5, 2009,  Duke narrowly missed an opportunity to become just the fifth bowler to repeat as champion at the U.S. Open.  He qualified as the #1 seed, but was upset in the final by [[Mike Scroggins]], 191–173. Duke eventually did win a second U.S. Open on February 27, 2011.

===Later career===
Duke's 37th title on the PBA Tour came in 2012 at the [[Dick Weber]] PBA Playoffs. He joined the PBA50 Tour (formerly PBA Senior Tour) in 2014, while continuing to compete in selected events on the standard PBA Tour. His 38th title on the standard PBA Tour came in the 2015 [[Mark Roth]]-[[Marshall Holman]] PBA Doubles Championship, where he partnered with [[Wes Malott]] for the win.

He captured his 39th PBA title on February 24, 2019 at the PBA Indianapolis Open, defeating [[Jason Belmonte]] in the title match. A month shy of his 55th birthday, Duke became the third oldest player to win a standard PBA Tour event, behind [[John Handegard]] (57) and [[Buzz Fazio]] (winner of two titles at age 56).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pba.com/articles/Almost-55-Hall-of-Famer-Norm-Duke-Wins-39th-Career-Title-in-Go-Bowling-PBA-Indianapolis-Open|title=Almost 55, Hall of Famer Norm Duke Wins 39th Career Title in Go Bowling! PBA Indianapolis Open |last=Vint |first=Bill |publisher=pba.com |date=24 February 2019}}</ref> One week later, he won his 40th PBA Tour title at the PBA Jonesboro Open, becoming the third player in history to win 40 PBA Tour titles (after [[Walter Ray Williams Jr.]] and [[Earl Anthony]]). It was also the first time in Duke's career that he had ever won PBA titles in back-to-back weeks. A testament to Duke's versatility, both victories were on mixed lane conditions, with the left lane and right lane featuring different lengths and layouts of oil.<ref name=NDuke-40/> In 2019, Duke posted the most cashes (20) and match-play appearances (17) on the PBA Tour since his 2005 season, and his highest earnings since 2008.
[[File:NormDukeJoint Base San Antonio (cropped).jpg |thumb | Duke at a bowling exhibition and clinic in 2011]]
On his longevity, Duke stated in 2020:
:"Bowling for a living is so different than most people think. It requires a tremendous commitment to excellence as well as a willingness to expose yourself to failure on a constant basis. Add in a myriad of travel delays and time away from the family; just being happy becomes a chore. The players that mentally manage the grind of the Tour and are able to stay in love with the sport are the ones that have the best chance of sustaining a good career. I have been on the PBA Tour for 38 years and I am as committed now as when I started out in 1982."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stormbowling.com/norm-duke|title=Storm Athletes - Norm Duke |website=stormbowling.com|accessdate=April 29, 2021}}</ref>

On April 2, 2022, the 58-year old Duke claimed the top seed (out of 420 competitors) at the [[USBC Masters]]. Seeking to become the oldest player to win a PBA Tour title and oldest to win a major, he was defeated in the April 3 final by [[Anthony Simonsen]], 219–216. Prior to the finals, Duke announced that unless he qualified for the upcoming [[PBA Tour Playoffs]] (he needed a win to qualify), he would be retiring from full-time competition on the PBA Tour. He will still bowl in [[PBA Regional Tour]] and PBA50 Tour events.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pba.com/2022/april/anthony-simonsen-wins-second-usbc-masters-title-2022-event |title=ANTHONY SIMONSEN WINS SECOND USBC MASTERS TITLE AT 2022 EVENT |last=Smith |first=Aaron |publisher=PBA.com |date=April 4, 2022 |access-date=April 4, 2022}}</ref>

Duke made his final televised PBA Tour appearance at the 2022 PBA League Elias Cup Finals in [[Portland, Maine]] on July 10. He reprised his role as the player/manager for the Dallas Strikers, bowling lead-off for the team. The Strikers made it to the final match against the Portland Lumberjacks. After Duke's doubles partner [[Wes Malott]] clinched the tournament for Portland with a spare in the 10th frame of the final game, he yielded his fill shot to Duke. Poetically, Duke closed out his full-time PBA Tour career with a strike. Duke's departure from the PBA Tour was met with much emotion from bowlers and fans alike, so much so that the hashtag ''#ThankYouNorm'' began trending throughout the community shortly before he made his final TV appearance.