Empire State PBA Open

The Empire State PBA Open was the first event of the Professional Bowlers Association and the first event of the 1959 PBA Season

Tournament Recap
The PBA tour's first event, the $16,500 Empire State PBA open, was held at Schade's Academy, in Albany, New York. The first day of PBA competition was Friday, May 22, 1959. The competition ran until Sunday, May 24. 28 bowlers cashed in this competition. Lou Campi, of Dumont, NJ, won the first PBA event and took home the first prize of $2,500. Rounding out the top 5 were Ed Lubanski, Dick Weber, Joe Donato, and Buzz Fazio.