I SPORTS place with Tiger Scott Lusader, chances are good that Lusader, an average baseball player at best, would be besieged with autograph seekers while Holman would not. "That does not bother me in the least," said Holman, who is expected to compete in Detroit in November. "I make my living bowling, which is not as lucrative as other sports. I have enjoyed a suc- cessful career, and along the way I have made a fairly comfortable living." The 5-foot-9 inch, 140-lb. Holman, who lives in Med- ford, Ore., when not touring, Not being extremely famous does not bother pro bowler Marshall Holman, he would rather be successful. Marshall Holman shows the form that has enabled him to win over $1.3 million and 21 tournaments in his 15-year Photos by Craig Terkowitz stint on the pro bowlers tour. Not A Household Name, Just One Of The Best Marshall Holman may not be mobbed by autograph seekers when he goes out on the town, but he is one of the best pro bowlers ever. JEFF SEIDEL Special to The Jewish News eR FRIMY SEPTEMBER 22. 1989 D espite being one of the world's best pro- fessional bowlers, Marshall Holman is not a household name. And, he could care less. Holman has won more than $1.3 million in over 15 years as a professional. He is one of the best in the sport, winning 21 championships and making numerous ap- pearances on television. Yet, if he walked into a public is one of the best bowlers the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) has seen. He has earned more than $100,000 a year eight times, a PBA record. In 1987, Holman also became the first bowler to win the PBA Player of the Year title despite not winning a tour- nament. He posted a 216.8 per game average that year and has won that award three times. This season, however, Holman has struggled. Say- ing some mechanical prob- lems are hampering him, he has third-, fourth- and fifth- place finishes thus far, earning just $43,475. A fiercely competitive man, he is frustrated by the problem and says he has learned a valuable lesson from it. "Bowling like I have been recently, it is difficult to swallow," said Holman. "When I do get it back, I'll appreciate it a lot more be- cause before it was always so damn easy." Holman, who is Jewish, joined the pros on the Summer Tour in 1974 at age 19. He started bowling at age 12 and always loved it, but did not think of becom- ing a professional bowler un- til a man in Medford offered to back him financially. Holman joined the tour. He quickly made a name for himself when, in his four- th pro tournament, he pulled a Joe Namath-like stunt and predicted he would win the tournament. He didn't, but still finished a respectable fifth. The first victory, what Holman said was his biggest moment on the tour, came in Fresno, Calif., in the summer of 1975 when he defeated Carmen Salvino in the title game by rolling a 275. In those early years, Holman credits Tommy Hudson, a tour bowler who had moderate success, as a mentor and helping him suc- ceed by answering questions and helping him along. The 34-year-old West Coast native also has drawn notices for his fiery temper. Once, the PBA suspended him for 10 tournaments after several conduct viola- tions, concluding with an in- cident on national television where he kicked a foul light. Another time, during the prestigious Firestone Tour- nament of Champions, he broke a bone in his bowling hand after punching a wall. But Holman is not a mean person. He is simply an in- tense one. The slim, balding man quietly smokes ciga- rettes, occasionally wrings his hands and changes facial expressions quickly while talking. He is a man who wants to win. "I think I have mellowed out a bit in the last seven or eight years," said Holman. "But, if I start getting lined up and knocking pins down, you will see the emotion come out." And there are plenty of chances for this with the schedule Holman keeps. He bowls 50-80 games per week on the 30 weeks he tours an- nually. Other times, he prac- tices. In fact, Holman said he is practicing now more than ever due to his recent slump. "It is a very frustrating game," said Holman. "You can make a good shot and get nothing for it or make a bad shot and get a strike." The frustration, the travel, the number of games would seem to make any bowler a ripe case for some sort of burnout, Holman, whose girlfriend, 'Terry, trav- els with him, said while he still loves the game, he has