The PBA Killed an Entire Tour. They Called It a Rebrand.
August 13, 2012. The PBA killed its Senior Tour with a press release. Ron Moore won the final championship on a paywall. The follow-up release contained one word that admitted everything: "back." Bill Beach won the inaugural PBA Senior Tour title in 1981 in front of an ABC Saturday afternoon audience. Thirty-one years later, Ron Moore defeated Harry Sullins at Spare Time Lanes in Decatur, Illinois β no broadcast cameras, streamed only on Extra Frame. Commissioner Tom Clark's press release called "senior" outdated and announced the PBA50 Tour. A separate release a week later quietly admitted one 2013 event would be "back" on ESPN. A reader looking at the All-Time PBA50/Senior Tour Titles list today cannot see the moment the Senior Tour stopped being a Senior Tour. Full breakdown: youtu.be/E9_Ib3ITbSo
