For this month’s BTM Player Profile, I had the chance to sit down with Mike Wolfe. Mr. Wolfe joined the PBA Tour back in 2001 and has picked up five national titles during his career. Although he stepped back from active competition a few years ago, he is still a major part of the bowling industry in multiple ways.
Not only has he transitioned to being a tour ball rep for the Brunswick family of brands, but he also runs multiple successful pro shops and is a major sponsor for several bowling tournaments in and around Louisville, Kentucky.
When was your first year of bowling?
I joined my first bowling league when I was 5 (1981), and 20 years later, I joined the PBA Tour.
When did you decide you wanted to dedicate your life to bowling?
I never did, honestly. I grew up watching my parents bowl a couple nights a week and I ended up becoming a good youth bowler. I then hooked up with some great amateur bowlers and traveled the world with them for about 10 years until I began my PBA career. I enjoyed the first seven or eight years on tour until the season cutbacks.
I was fortunate enough to get into a few pro shops during that period, and those would take my focus away from the PBA. It just kind of worked out that way. The PBA then became a shell of what we knew, so the pro shops kept me involved with the industry.
What would you consider your biggest PBA win?
My first title, which was the 2004 Earl Anthony Classic, remains at the top of my list. Not only did I defeat a …