| Date | Name |
| 2011 | Mika Koivuniemi |
| 2010 | Walter Ray Williams Jr. |
| 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 |
SEATTLE – Finland’s Mika Koivuniemi, who won the richest first prize in PBA history and became the first player ever to reach the television finals in all four PBA major championships in a single season, has been selected as 2010-11 Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year.
Koivuniemi, who won the $250,000 first prize in the $1 million PBA Tournament of Champions, also finished second in the U.S. Open, third in the Bayer USBC Masters and sixth in the PBA World Championship on his way to winning the PBA Tour earnings title with $330,040 – the third-highest total in PBA Tour history. The 44-year-old right-hander, who also won Player of the Year honors for 2003-04, was the Tour’s average leader with a 222.50 average for 292 games bowled.
Koivuniemi, who lives in Hartland, Mich., and Venezuela’s Amleto Monacelli (1989 and 1990) are the only international players who have won PBA Player of the Year honors. Koivuniemi received 334 votes from his peers, easily out-distancing runner-up Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas (63) and Bill O’Neill of Southampton, Pa. (61).
"It’s really a great honor," Koivuniemi said. "There are only 10 players who had won Player of the Year more than once, and to be the 11th member of that group is really special.
"It was an almost perfect season for me," he added. "Qualifying for TV for all four majors is a huge deal. No one had ever done that before, and to win the Tournament of Champions? That’s the one everyone wanted."