George Branham III facts for kids

George Branham III was born on November 21, 1962. He is a professional ten-pin bowler. He was also a member of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA). George started his bowling career in 1984. He retired from the sport at the end of 2003.

George Branham III is famous for a big reason. He was the first African American to win a PBA Tour title. Later, he also became the first to win a major championship. This big win happened at the 1993 Tournament of Champions. For a long time, he was the only African American to win a PBA Tour title. That changed when Gary Faulkner Jr. won the PBA World Championship in December 2015.

George Branham's Bowling Journey

George Branham started bowling when he was just six years old. His father taught him the game. His first big win was in 1983. He won the Southern California Junior Bowler of the Year tournament.

Joining the PBA Tour

In 1984, George joined the PBA Tour. This is where professional bowlers compete. He almost won Rookie of the Year that season. His first major success came on November 22, 1986. He won the Brunswick Memorial World Open in Chicago, Illinois. George beat another famous bowler, Mark Roth, with a score of 195 to 191. He won $33,260 from this victory.

His next win was at the 1987 AC-Delco Classic. George started as the #5 seed. He had to beat two future PBA Hall of Famers, Mike Aulby and Norm Duke. Then, he defeated Steve Wunderlich 225 to 182 in the final match. This win earned him $27,000. George set a PBA record by winning his first eight TV finals matches. This record still stands today.

Major Championship Win

After a few years without many wins, George made a comeback in 1993. He won the Baltimore Open. He said a tip from his roommate, Randy Pedersen, helped him win. This victory was important because it qualified him for the 1993 Firestone Tournament of Champions. This tournament is very special. Only PBA title winners are invited to compete.

George played his best at this tournament in Fairlawn, Ohio. He earned the top spot in the qualifying rounds. In the final match, he beat Parker Bohn III with a score of 227 to 214. This win made him the first African American to win a major PBA championship. He also took home a $60,000 prize.

After this big win, George won one more title in 1996. He retired from professional bowling at the end of the 2003 season. He finished his PBA career with five national titles. His total earnings from the PBA Tour were over $747,138. George also bowled 23 perfect 300 games in PBA events. This included two 300 games in a row at the 1995 Peoria Open.

PBA Titles

Here are the titles George Branham III won during his career. Major championships are shown in bold.

George Branham's Life Outside Bowling

Even though George Branham was born in Detroit, he grew up in Southern California. He lived there with his two older sisters and one younger brother. After he retired from bowling, George started a new job. He now works in sales for Pepsi in Indianapolis, where he lives today.