Billy Hardwick, the first bowler to win all three of the most prestigious Professional Bowlers Association tournaments, or the triple crown, died Saturday near his home in Bradenton, Fla. He was 72.

The cause was a heart attack, his daughter Kelly Frasure said.

Hardwick was a dashing figure on the lanes, at just over 6 feet tall and 155 pounds. He overcame a rare form of arthritis, which plagued him from the age of 10, and a junior high school accident that mangled his ring finger to compete against greats like Don Carter and Dick Weber.

He won 18 P.B.A. titles, including the three major tournaments that make up the triple crown: the P.B.A. National, in 1963; the Tournament of Champions, in 1965; and the Bowling Proprietors Association of America All-Star (now called the United States Open), in 1969.

In 1969, he won seven tournaments, earning $64,160 (about $409,000 in today’s dollars), almost $20,000 more than the next highest-earning bowler in the P.B.A. Hardwick was voted player of the year in 1963 and 1969 and was inducted into the P.B.A. Hall of Fame in 1977.