Roth, Mark (1951-2021), was one of the greatest professional bowlers in the history of the sport. Roth had the highest average among professionals six times—in 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, and 1988. In 1979, he set a then-record average of 221.662. In 1978, he won a record eight Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) titles. During his career, he won 34 PBA titles, including 2 majors. He also won 2 titles on the PBA Senior Tour (now PBA50), a tour for bowlers at least 50 years old.
Roth was named PBA Player of the Year four times—in 1977, 1978, 1979, and 1984. He won the U.S. Open and the Touring Players Championship in 1984. He was elected to the PBA Hall of Fame in 1987.
Roth was born on April 10, 1951, in the Brooklyn section of New York City. He became a member of the PBA in 1970. Roth left the PBA tour in 2002 but came out of retirement in 2006 to join the new Generations Bowling Tour, a senior bowling tour. Roth died on Nov. 26, 2021.
