Billy Welu

William Joseph Welu (1932 to 1974), known as Billy Welu, was an American professional bowler, an executive of the Professional Bowlers Association, a bowling broadcaster and an ambassador for the sport. A founding member of the PBA in 1958, he won four PBA titles, including two American Bowling Congress Masters championships in 1964 and 1965, which made him only the second bowler to defend a Masters title, after Dick Hoover. He also won the 1959 BPAA All-Star, four ABC championships and two other PBA titles, was named an All-American seven times, and played for the short-lived National Bowling League in 1961-1962. Known for his folksy Midwestern speech, he spent several years as analyst beside Chris Schenkel on ABC's Saturday telecasts of the Professional Bowlers Tour. A 1999 Bowlers Journal ranking placed him 22nd among the greatest bowlers of the twentieth century, and he was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1975.