Australian tenpin champion Jason Belmonte showed the Americans how to bowl when he was named the sport's player of the year on Wednesday.
Two major tournament victories helped Belmonte earn his third consecutive Professional Bowling Association (PBA) title and become the first international and non-American player to win the title on three consecutive seasons.
The 31-year-old Belmonte, who has a unique two-handed bowling style, scored 47.36 per cent of the votes to edge American Ryan Ciminelli (43.22) as the two cleared away from the field, with Belmonte becoming only the fourth bowler to complete the hat-trick of titles.
"This will be the greatest day of the year for me to join three great Americans who have also won three years in a row," Belmonte said.
"And to add to the occasion, my wife Kimberly gave birth to our second daughter today. What an unbelievable day," said .
During the 2015 season, Belmonte became the first bowler in the 64 years history of the US Masters to win the event three successive times.
The 12-time tour winner then followed by defending his Tournament of Champions title.
Belmonte had nine other top five finishes, including twice runner-up and led the tour with season earnings of $US178,542 ($A258,944.16). He was also fourth in season averages on 225.40.
Last year Belmonte, who lives in Orange in NSW, won the coveted American ESPY Trophy, sharing the occasion with sporting stars Lebron James and Serena Williams in which fans worldwide voted to honour the best sporting achievements for the year.
The last triple winner was Walter Ray Williams in 1998.
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