| Date | Name |
| 2009 |
Wes Malott |
| 2008 |
Chris Barnes |
| 2007 |
Doug Kent |
| 2006 |
Tommy Jones |
| 2005 |
Patrick Allen |
| 2004 |
Mika Koivuniemi |
| 2003 |
Walter Ray Williams Jr. |
| 2002 |
* Parker Bohn III |
| 2000 |
Norm Duke |
| 1999 |
Parker Bohn III |
| 1998 |
Walter Ray Williams Jr. |
| 1997 |
Walter Ray Williams Jr. |
| 1996 |
Walter Ray Williams Jr. |
| 1995 |
Mike Aulby |
| 1994 |
Norm Duke |
| 1993 |
Walter Ray Williams Jr. |
| 1992 |
David Ferraro |
| 1991 |
David Ozio |
| 1990 |
Amleto Monacelli |
| 1989 |
Amleto Monacelli |
| 1988 |
Brian Voss |
| 1987 |
Marshall Holman |
| 1986 |
Walter Ray Williams Jr. |
| 1985 |
Mike Aulby |
| 1984 |
Mark Roth |
| 1983 |
Earl Anthony |
| 1982 |
Earl Anthony |
| 1981 |
Earl Anthony |
| 1980 |
Wayne Webb |
| 1979 |
Mark Roth |
| 1978 |
Mark Roth |
| 1977 |
Mark Roth |
| 1976 |
Earl Anthony |
| 1975 |
Earl Anthony |
| 1974 |
Earl Anthony |
| 1973 |
Don McCune |
| 1972 |
Don Johnson |
| 1971 |
Don Johnson |
| 1970 |
Nelson Burton Jr. |
| 1969 |
Billy Hardwick |
| 1968 |
Jim Stefanich |
| 1967 |
Dave Davis |
| 1966 |
Wayne Zahn |
| 1965 |
Dick Weber |
| 1964 |
Bob Strampe |
| 1963 |
Billy Hardwick |
Chris Barnes earned the 2007-08 Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year Award for the first time in his 10-year career.
Barnes led the first-ever PBA Player of the Year point rankings. In the past, the award was voted on by PBA membership and media but prior to the 2007-08 season a point system was implemented. With a Tour-leading nine championship round appearances and two titles, along with a runner-up finish in the H&R Block Tournament of Champions, Barnes racked up 64 points, edging out six-time PBA Player of the Year Walter Ray Williams Jr. by just two points.
Barnes excelled in the second half of the season to overtake Williams, who led the race in 13 of the season’s first 15 weeks. Following a heartbreaking loss to Michael Haugen Jr. in the title match of the H&R Block Tournament of Champions, Barnes rebounded two weeks later to make his fourth consecutive championship round appearance and win the 2008 Bayer Classic in El Paso, Texas.
Barnes and Williams traded places atop the standings over the next few weeks until Barnes took the lead for good with his second win of the season in the 2008 Don Johnson Buckeye State Classic in Columbus, Ohio. The victory was the 10th of his career.
“It’s a great feeling to win the award after being so close in so many different seasons,” Barnes (Double Oak, Texas) said. “It was a season with many ups and downs on television, but bouncing back and winning the last two times I was on TV was a special time in my career.”
In addition to leading the Tour in championship round appearances, Barnes also made a Tour-leading 18 match play appearances in 21 events and finished second in average (225.18) and in the PBA World Point Rankings. Barnes’ $142,410 in season earnings ranked fifth.
Barnes, who was the 1998 PBA Rookie of the Year, joins Mike Aulby and Tommy Jones as the only bowlers to win both the Player and Rookie of the Year Awards in their careers.
Williams fell just shy of what would have been his record-breaking seventh PBA Player of the Year Award. At 48 years old, Williams proved to still be a dominant force on the Tour, earning his record-breaking seventh career George Young High Average Award with a 228.34 average, the second-highest season average in PBA history. He also won the Harry Smith Point Leader Award for the record seventh time in his career.
*The 2002 awards where based on the 2001-02 season, marking a transition from caledar-year to seasonal.
