Pete Weber
| Pete Weber | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Peter David Weber August 21, 1962 St. Ann, Missouri |
| Other names | PDW |
| Occupation | Ten-Pin bowler |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Spouse(s) | Tracy Weber |
Peter David "Pete" Weber, nicknamed "PDW", (born August 21, 1962 in St. Ann, Missouri), is a kegler on the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour. Weber is one of the sport's most active players and is known for his maverick, rebellious personality. Weber is also known for his high backswing and the side rotation he puts on the bowling ball. Weber is featured in the ten-pin bowling sports documentary A League of Ordinary Gentlemen. He has won 37 titles on the PBA Tour, including a record-tying ten major championships, and another ten titles (four majors) on the PBA50 Tour. Weber has won Bowling's U.S. Open a record five times, and has also won the PBA Senior U.S. Open twice. He is a two-time PBA50 Player of the Year.
Weber grew up in Florissant, Missouri, and, as the son of bowler Dick Weber, was introduced to the sport at the age of two. At the age of 15, Weber was already winning local bowling tournaments against adult players, and, with the help of his father, was able to join the PBA tour at the age of 17 (the former policy required a minimum age of 18). In 1979, Weber started his first year on the professional circuit and participated in 21 tour events, including making one TV appearance. Weber won Rookie of the Year honors in 1980. By 1982, he had won his first PBA title, winning two that season. By the time he was 24 years old, he had already reached the 10-title plateau (becoming the youngest player in PBA history to reach that mark). At age 26, he barely won the PBA National Championship, giving him all three jewels of the PBA's "triple crown" (achieved by winning the U.S. Open, Tournament of Champions and PBA National Championship).
By the early 1980s, Weber had established himself as one of the best bowlers in the world, but his lifestyle saw numerous long binges of alcohol and cocaine use. In a 1985 article in Sports Illustrated, Weber admitted to having spent several weeks on tour in a "complete blackout"—staying up for days on end with cocaine, and drinking a fifth of Jack Daniel's every night. He entered rehab in March 1984. Despite Weber's talent, he was not popular with his bowling peers and was even denied Player of the Year honors in 1987 despite winning the Tournament of Champions and leading the tour in earnings; the award was instead given to Marshall Holman. By 1989, Weber had won 13 PBA Tour titles and had reached over $1 million (USD) in earnings, but his personal life was plagued with problems. By the mid-1990s, Weber had been through two divorces. He went through a three-season stretch (1994–96) without winning a title, and he failed to make a championship round appearance during the entire 1995 season. At the same time, the PBA Tour itself was in decline.
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