2024 USBC Open Championships concludes with new leader on final day
August 01, 2024
LAS VEGAS – The 120th edition of the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships concluded in dramatic fashion July 29, with a new leader emerging in Regular Singles during the final hours of the 2024 event.
The tournament kicked off at the South Point Bowling Plaza on Feb. 23 before taking a brief hiatus at the end of February to welcome the Special Olympics National Unified Tournament to the 60-lane venue.
In all, 11,012 five-player teams entered the 2024 USBC Open Championships, bringing more than 55,000 bowlers to Las Vegas to compete in team, doubles and singles across three average-based divisions (Regular, Standard, Classified).
Bowlers also used their nine-game totals from those three events to determine the top finishers in all-events, and teams put their combined all-events scores together to see which group would claim the coveted Team All-Events title at South Point.
All standings are unofficial and pending final verification.
Jason Hollingsworth of Oregon City, Oregon, captured the lead in Regular Singles on the final day of the 2024 event, rolling games of 289, 257 and 279 for an 825 series.
The excitement came down to the final frames for the 37-year-old right-hander as he attempted to chase down the leading total of 815 posted by Brad Miller of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, on June 13.
Hollingsworth started the final game with seven strikes before a 5 pin stood on his eighth delivery. He covered the spare, meaning the path to the lead would require strikes on his next three shots.
He took care of business in the ninth frame, and after recording a double to start the 10th, Hollingsworth needed just one pin to take over the top spot. He rolled a strike on his fill ball to close the performance.
“I like to watch scores and like to know where I’m at because I want to know what I have to do in a situation,” said Hollingsworth, who made his third tournament appearance. “I knew I had to get the first two in the 10th. I had been throwing the ball pretty well. You try to make the best pass you can, try to hit the pocket and see what happens from there.”
Hollingsworth had started his day with 166 in doubles before settling into both lanes. He followed with 230 and 277 for 673. For his final four games at the Bowling Plaza, he averaged more than 275.
“I bowled a couple sessions at the Bowlers Journal, and I didn’t bowl very well in them,” said Hollingsworth, who added 651 in team for an all-events total of 2,149. “A lot of people threw urethane, and it just didn’t look good for me. I’m more around the side of the ball than up the back of it, so urethane is hit and miss for me. I just like to go the route of throwing a bigger ball to blend them out.
“My right lane was fine, but the left lane had a spot down lane that was tight. I threw a couple bad shots, but I had some that were pretty good on that lane that weren’t even close. I was talking to Corey and (USBC and Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Famer) Dave Husted, and they mentioned that they thought it was tighter down lane, too. I had a good look on the right lane, so I hedged a little bit on the left lane to see if I could get my ball to shape better. I knew they would start to transition, and I just chased it in a little bit. They held up really well, and both lanes caught up to each other. I got into a good rhythm and started making some good shots.”
The experience was made for Hollingsworth, however, by the group of friends and teammates who celebrated the moment alongside him at South Point.
“The biggest thing for me is the group of guys we come with,” Hollingsworth said. “The Pacific Northwest is a pretty tight-knit bowling community. I grew up in Dave Husted’s bowling center, and the fact I’m able to come down and bowl with a mentor in Dave and some of my best friends is the best part. Getting to do this in front of your friends and all of the messages I’ve received has been pretty cool.”
In addition to Hollingsworth’s run in singles, plenty of big scores and excitement helped to highlight the performances at the top of the standings in Las Vegas. Four competitors also are in position to add another win to their legacy at the Open Championships.
The members of Higgy’s Aquarium of Lewis Center, Ohio, took over the top spot in Team All-Events on June 28, finishing with a 10,226 total at the Bowling Plaza.
The group – featuring 2016 Team All-Events and 2019 Regular Team champions Daniel Higgins, Chad Roberts and Joe Bailey, along with Vincent Bellar and Tim Pfeifer – started their run by moving into the top 10 in Regular Team with a 3,282 total.
The performance featured a 300 game from Bellar in Game 1 – the 1,000th perfect game in tournament history.
The team added 3,449 in doubles and closed with 3,495 in singles to average more than 227 as a unit across 45 games.
Bellar paced Higgy’s Aquarium with a 2,111 all-events total, and he was followed by Bailey (2,056), Pfeifer (2,051), Higgins (2,008) and Roberts (2,000).
“The wait was longer – last time it was over in two or three weeks, and this time we had a month that felt more like two. It probably felt like a whole year for Vinny and Tim,” Higgins said. “This one means just as much as the other two. They’re hard to win, and you have to treasure the moment. They don’t come easy and take a lot of work, team effort and communication.
“It was nice to be able to bring in two guys in Vinny and Tim that believe in what we believe in as team and work together. Helping them get their first one is very humbling, and Chad, Joe and I love having three – it’s hard to believe.”
Derek Magno, a 2019 Team All-Events champion, is primed to collect his second Eagle at the Open Championships after taking over the top spot in Regular All-Events on April 26 with a 2,225 total.
The 43-year-old right-hander from Cicero, New York, had sets of 779 in singles, 761 in doubles and 715 in team.
“We like to go in April because that’s when we’re sharp, and we were watching the scores every day,” said Magno, who made his 20th tournament appearance. “I’m a score watcher, and this is my big tournament, so we were watching right until the last squad hoping to pull this one off. The long wait was worth it.
“This is my major event and the one I want to win every year. I want the team success, but this year, I was just fortunate enough to take advantage of the lanes being really nice and bowled a big number. Having No. 2 proves the first one wasn’t a fluke and that we can do it over the long haul. I’m ecstatic and can’t even put into words what I’m feeling right now.”
Magno’s overall effort also placed him in the top 20 of Regular Singles, along with Regular Team and Team All-Events with his Mento Produce teammates.
A dramatic finish helped the members of Before the 1st Frame #4 of Huntersville, North Carolina, to the lead in Regular Team on July 2 with a 3,373 total.
The team – featuring Matt Fitch, Steven Zimmer, Jacob Yazell, Mike Conn and Tim Foy Jr. – rolled games of 1,071, 1,227 and 1,075 to take over the top spot from Trip 4 Pro Shop of St. Clair Shores, Michigan, by 10 pins (3,363).
Foy, as the team’s anchor, had posted a strike in the ninth frame and had multiple paths to secure the lead.
A spare, followed by a strike on his fill ball, would have allowed Before the 1st Frame #4 to take the lead by a pin. The talented two-hander delivered a strike on his first ball and recorded a nine count (10 pin) and spare to close the frame to push the team to the top of the standings.
“It means everything – as a kid, you dream about hitting a home run in the bottom of the ninth to win the World Series,” Foy said. “To me, that was the closest thing to that home run in the bottom of the ninth.
“Last night was the first night I slept through the night since we took the lead. When I would wake up, the first thing I'd do would be roll over and check scores. As stressful as it was watching scores, it was fun to be in the position to be stressed about it.”
Conn led the effort with a 715 series and was followed by Zimmer (705), Yazell (700), Foy (650) and Fitch (603).
“This is my Super Bowl,” Zimmer said. “Mike Conn and I have been best friends since we were 12 and were teammates in college. Matt Fitch transferred to bowl with us in college. Jacob is a little younger but ended up going to Morehead (State University) and followed in our footsteps. When we first met Tim, it was like we had known each other our entire lives and just hit it off. We mesh. We click. I’ve got goosebumps, and it’s an amazing feeling.”
The team also moved into second place in Team All-Events with 10,120. Conn added two additional top 10s in Regular Singles (795) and Regular All-Events (2,192), while Yazell had 2,016, Fitch finished with 1,992, Zimmer posted 1,975 and Foy had 1,945.
In Regular Doubles, the pairing of Nicholas Fisher and Shawn Evans of Palm Bay, Florida, turned in a 1,531 combined total to take the lead April 5 in Las Vegas.
Evans, a past Team USA member, led the effort with games of 299, 259 and 246 for an 804 series. Fisher, a 19-year-old making his tournament debut, rolled scores of 260, 199 and 268 for 727.
“Words can’t even describe it,” Evans said. “To win an Eagle is the pinnacle of amateur bowling.
“It has to be every junior bowler’s dream to come out and bowl your first nationals after going adult a few months prior like Nick did and winning an Eagle. It doesn’t get any better.”
Evans and Fisher both entered the 2024 tournament as substitutes in their group, and the match couldn’t have been better.
“It means a lot,” Fisher said. “I was pretty excited to get to bowl with him. We actually weren’t supposed to be on the original team – we were both subs – but one of our friends on the team decided to put us together, and it worked out really well. It feels awesome.”
The top scores in the Standard Division were posted across April, May, June and July at the Bowling Plaza.
Standard Team featured groups with combined entering averages of 776-875, while Standard Doubles had pairs with combined entering averages of 311-350. Standard Singles/All-Events included bowlers with averages of 156-175.
The members of Team Bel Aire Drive of Mequon, Wisconsin, made their way to the top of the leaderboard April 28, posting a 2,848 total.
After starting their set with 896 and 886, the group finished strong with 1,066.
David Wentlandt led the charge for Team Bel Aire Drive with a 644 series and was joined in Las Vegas by Samuel Weber (636), Steven Weber (624), Randy Weber (569) and Bryce Wentlandt (375).
On May 28, Michael Humphrys of Milwaukie, Oregon, bounced back after struggling in doubles to put together a big performance in Standard Singles, recording a 745 series.
Humphrys improved by 363 pins from doubles (382 series) to singles after finding the right look. He posted 28 strikes to roll scores of 244, 255 and 246 on his way to the lead.
The father-and-son duo of Gary and Shane Goldermann ascended to the top of the standings in Standard Doubles on June 6 with a 1,319 combined total. They were the only pair in Standard Doubles to record a score north of 1,300 during the 2024 event.
Shane, of Ault, Colorado, had games of 214, 215 and 246 for a 675 series. Gary, of Keenesburg, Colorado, added scores of 175, 234 and 235 to finish with 644.
Matt Garcia of Long Beach, California, had a big day July 19 to take over the lead in Standard All-Events. He also moved into second place in Standard Doubles and Standard Singles during his run.
Garcia had sets of 743 in singles, 718 in doubles and 542 in team to finish with a 2,003 all-events tally. His singles set featured games of 287, 200 and 256, and he paired with his brother – Darren Garcia of Long Beach (574 series) – to post 1,292 in doubles.
Three of the top scores in the Classified Division were rolled in the first 90 days of the 2024 event, with the leading number in Classified All-Events coming in July.
The top score in Classified Doubles was posted March 31 in Las Vegas as Punsal Grish of Aurora, Colorado, and James Bayarsaikhan of Centennial, Colorado, paired together to finish with 1,149.
Grish had games of 214, 184 and 206 in the performance for a 604 series, and Bayarsaikhan improved each game, rolling scores of 166, 180 and 199 for 545.
The members of Hansen Hardscapes of Alexandria, Minnesota, took over the top spot in Classified Team on April 7 with a 2,607 total. The team finished 89 pins ahead of second place (Peter Jones Team 1 of New Castle, Indiana, with 2,518).
Hansen Hardscapes put together a strong effort in Game 1 to get ahead of the pace with 957, and the team finished with 812 and 838 at the Bowling Plaza.
Eric Ohlrogge had 605 in the performance and was joined by Jessica Cook (537), Christopher Cook (527), Ashley Ohlrogge (502) and Lauren Johnson (436).
On May 21, Jason Sarno of Erie, Colorado, moved into the lead in Classified Singles with a 633 series.
Sarno had steady games on the way to the top spot, rolling scores of 206, 211 and 216.
Aider Xiong of Maplewood, Minnesota, claimed the lead in Classified All-Events on July 5, posting a 1,729 total.
Xiong had 623 in doubles, 592 in team and 514 in singles during his tournament debut.
Classified Team featured five-player groups with combined entering averages of 775 and below. Classified Doubles included teams with combined entering averages of 310 and below. Classified Singles/All-Events featured bowlers with entering averages of 155 and below.
The 2024 Open Championships also featured 36 perfect games and 10 800s. The highest set of the year belonged to former Team USA and Junior Team USA member Brandon Bonta of Wichita, Kansas, who fired games of 279, 259 and 299 for an 837 series during his doubles set June 14.
The tournament’s participation record was set during the first week of the 2024 event as USBC and PBA Hall of Famer Glenn Allison made his 72nd appearance at the Open Championships on Feb. 25.
Allison, from Corona, California, previously shared the record at 71 years with Bill Doehrman, Joe Norris and Sylvester Thiel.
The four-time Eagle winner made his debut at the tournament during the 1947 event in Los Angeles, and he’s made his annual appearance each year since 1954.
Through 72 appearances, Allison has accumulated a career pinfall of 123,341 and is third in all-time pinfall at the Open Championships. He is 430 pins away from passing Norris for second on the list (123,770) and 747 pins shy of surpassing Bill Lillard Sr. for the record (124,087).
Two competitors joined Allison in the tournament’s 100,000-Pin Club in 2024, bringing the number of bowlers to reach the milestone up to 31.
Frankie May Jr. of Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania, earned his crystal pin April 2 during his 57th appearance. He now sits at 101,018 pins for a career average of 196.9.
John Kerpan of Waukegan, Illinois, achieved two milestones in 2024. He started his trip to Las Vegas by making his 60th appearance at the Open Championships on May 4, and he surpassed 100,000 pins the following day at South Point.
Kerpan now has a career pinfall of 100,284 for a lifetime average of 186.7.
In addition to Kerpan, three additional bowlers celebrated 60 years on the tournament lanes in 2024 – Robert Brissette of Petersburg, Michigan; Dale Diamond of Chatham, Illinois; and 1971 Team All-Events champion Wayne Hutchinson of Franklin Park, Illinois.
A total of 36 bowlers have made 60 or more appearances at the Open Championships. The 2024 event also had 23 bowlers celebrate 50 years of participation, bringing the all-time total to 355.
The 2025 Open Championships will be held from March 1 - July 28 at the Raising Cane’s River Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Registration is open for the 2025 tournament.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.
The tournament kicked off at the South Point Bowling Plaza on Feb. 23 before taking a brief hiatus at the end of February to welcome the Special Olympics National Unified Tournament to the 60-lane venue.
In all, 11,012 five-player teams entered the 2024 USBC Open Championships, bringing more than 55,000 bowlers to Las Vegas to compete in team, doubles and singles across three average-based divisions (Regular, Standard, Classified).
Bowlers also used their nine-game totals from those three events to determine the top finishers in all-events, and teams put their combined all-events scores together to see which group would claim the coveted Team All-Events title at South Point.
All standings are unofficial and pending final verification.
Jason Hollingsworth of Oregon City, Oregon, captured the lead in Regular Singles on the final day of the 2024 event, rolling games of 289, 257 and 279 for an 825 series.
The excitement came down to the final frames for the 37-year-old right-hander as he attempted to chase down the leading total of 815 posted by Brad Miller of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, on June 13.
Hollingsworth started the final game with seven strikes before a 5 pin stood on his eighth delivery. He covered the spare, meaning the path to the lead would require strikes on his next three shots.
He took care of business in the ninth frame, and after recording a double to start the 10th, Hollingsworth needed just one pin to take over the top spot. He rolled a strike on his fill ball to close the performance.
“I like to watch scores and like to know where I’m at because I want to know what I have to do in a situation,” said Hollingsworth, who made his third tournament appearance. “I knew I had to get the first two in the 10th. I had been throwing the ball pretty well. You try to make the best pass you can, try to hit the pocket and see what happens from there.”
Hollingsworth had started his day with 166 in doubles before settling into both lanes. He followed with 230 and 277 for 673. For his final four games at the Bowling Plaza, he averaged more than 275.
“I bowled a couple sessions at the Bowlers Journal, and I didn’t bowl very well in them,” said Hollingsworth, who added 651 in team for an all-events total of 2,149. “A lot of people threw urethane, and it just didn’t look good for me. I’m more around the side of the ball than up the back of it, so urethane is hit and miss for me. I just like to go the route of throwing a bigger ball to blend them out.
“My right lane was fine, but the left lane had a spot down lane that was tight. I threw a couple bad shots, but I had some that were pretty good on that lane that weren’t even close. I was talking to Corey and (USBC and Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Famer) Dave Husted, and they mentioned that they thought it was tighter down lane, too. I had a good look on the right lane, so I hedged a little bit on the left lane to see if I could get my ball to shape better. I knew they would start to transition, and I just chased it in a little bit. They held up really well, and both lanes caught up to each other. I got into a good rhythm and started making some good shots.”
The experience was made for Hollingsworth, however, by the group of friends and teammates who celebrated the moment alongside him at South Point.
“The biggest thing for me is the group of guys we come with,” Hollingsworth said. “The Pacific Northwest is a pretty tight-knit bowling community. I grew up in Dave Husted’s bowling center, and the fact I’m able to come down and bowl with a mentor in Dave and some of my best friends is the best part. Getting to do this in front of your friends and all of the messages I’ve received has been pretty cool.”
In addition to Hollingsworth’s run in singles, plenty of big scores and excitement helped to highlight the performances at the top of the standings in Las Vegas. Four competitors also are in position to add another win to their legacy at the Open Championships.
The members of Higgy’s Aquarium of Lewis Center, Ohio, took over the top spot in Team All-Events on June 28, finishing with a 10,226 total at the Bowling Plaza.
The group – featuring 2016 Team All-Events and 2019 Regular Team champions Daniel Higgins, Chad Roberts and Joe Bailey, along with Vincent Bellar and Tim Pfeifer – started their run by moving into the top 10 in Regular Team with a 3,282 total.
The performance featured a 300 game from Bellar in Game 1 – the 1,000th perfect game in tournament history.
The team added 3,449 in doubles and closed with 3,495 in singles to average more than 227 as a unit across 45 games.
Bellar paced Higgy’s Aquarium with a 2,111 all-events total, and he was followed by Bailey (2,056), Pfeifer (2,051), Higgins (2,008) and Roberts (2,000).
“The wait was longer – last time it was over in two or three weeks, and this time we had a month that felt more like two. It probably felt like a whole year for Vinny and Tim,” Higgins said. “This one means just as much as the other two. They’re hard to win, and you have to treasure the moment. They don’t come easy and take a lot of work, team effort and communication.
“It was nice to be able to bring in two guys in Vinny and Tim that believe in what we believe in as team and work together. Helping them get their first one is very humbling, and Chad, Joe and I love having three – it’s hard to believe.”
Derek Magno, a 2019 Team All-Events champion, is primed to collect his second Eagle at the Open Championships after taking over the top spot in Regular All-Events on April 26 with a 2,225 total.
The 43-year-old right-hander from Cicero, New York, had sets of 779 in singles, 761 in doubles and 715 in team.
“We like to go in April because that’s when we’re sharp, and we were watching the scores every day,” said Magno, who made his 20th tournament appearance. “I’m a score watcher, and this is my big tournament, so we were watching right until the last squad hoping to pull this one off. The long wait was worth it.
“This is my major event and the one I want to win every year. I want the team success, but this year, I was just fortunate enough to take advantage of the lanes being really nice and bowled a big number. Having No. 2 proves the first one wasn’t a fluke and that we can do it over the long haul. I’m ecstatic and can’t even put into words what I’m feeling right now.”
Magno’s overall effort also placed him in the top 20 of Regular Singles, along with Regular Team and Team All-Events with his Mento Produce teammates.
A dramatic finish helped the members of Before the 1st Frame #4 of Huntersville, North Carolina, to the lead in Regular Team on July 2 with a 3,373 total.
The team – featuring Matt Fitch, Steven Zimmer, Jacob Yazell, Mike Conn and Tim Foy Jr. – rolled games of 1,071, 1,227 and 1,075 to take over the top spot from Trip 4 Pro Shop of St. Clair Shores, Michigan, by 10 pins (3,363).
Foy, as the team’s anchor, had posted a strike in the ninth frame and had multiple paths to secure the lead.
A spare, followed by a strike on his fill ball, would have allowed Before the 1st Frame #4 to take the lead by a pin. The talented two-hander delivered a strike on his first ball and recorded a nine count (10 pin) and spare to close the frame to push the team to the top of the standings.
“It means everything – as a kid, you dream about hitting a home run in the bottom of the ninth to win the World Series,” Foy said. “To me, that was the closest thing to that home run in the bottom of the ninth.
“Last night was the first night I slept through the night since we took the lead. When I would wake up, the first thing I'd do would be roll over and check scores. As stressful as it was watching scores, it was fun to be in the position to be stressed about it.”
Conn led the effort with a 715 series and was followed by Zimmer (705), Yazell (700), Foy (650) and Fitch (603).
“This is my Super Bowl,” Zimmer said. “Mike Conn and I have been best friends since we were 12 and were teammates in college. Matt Fitch transferred to bowl with us in college. Jacob is a little younger but ended up going to Morehead (State University) and followed in our footsteps. When we first met Tim, it was like we had known each other our entire lives and just hit it off. We mesh. We click. I’ve got goosebumps, and it’s an amazing feeling.”
The team also moved into second place in Team All-Events with 10,120. Conn added two additional top 10s in Regular Singles (795) and Regular All-Events (2,192), while Yazell had 2,016, Fitch finished with 1,992, Zimmer posted 1,975 and Foy had 1,945.
In Regular Doubles, the pairing of Nicholas Fisher and Shawn Evans of Palm Bay, Florida, turned in a 1,531 combined total to take the lead April 5 in Las Vegas.
Evans, a past Team USA member, led the effort with games of 299, 259 and 246 for an 804 series. Fisher, a 19-year-old making his tournament debut, rolled scores of 260, 199 and 268 for 727.
“Words can’t even describe it,” Evans said. “To win an Eagle is the pinnacle of amateur bowling.
“It has to be every junior bowler’s dream to come out and bowl your first nationals after going adult a few months prior like Nick did and winning an Eagle. It doesn’t get any better.”
Evans and Fisher both entered the 2024 tournament as substitutes in their group, and the match couldn’t have been better.
“It means a lot,” Fisher said. “I was pretty excited to get to bowl with him. We actually weren’t supposed to be on the original team – we were both subs – but one of our friends on the team decided to put us together, and it worked out really well. It feels awesome.”
The top scores in the Standard Division were posted across April, May, June and July at the Bowling Plaza.
Standard Team featured groups with combined entering averages of 776-875, while Standard Doubles had pairs with combined entering averages of 311-350. Standard Singles/All-Events included bowlers with averages of 156-175.
The members of Team Bel Aire Drive of Mequon, Wisconsin, made their way to the top of the leaderboard April 28, posting a 2,848 total.
After starting their set with 896 and 886, the group finished strong with 1,066.
David Wentlandt led the charge for Team Bel Aire Drive with a 644 series and was joined in Las Vegas by Samuel Weber (636), Steven Weber (624), Randy Weber (569) and Bryce Wentlandt (375).
On May 28, Michael Humphrys of Milwaukie, Oregon, bounced back after struggling in doubles to put together a big performance in Standard Singles, recording a 745 series.
Humphrys improved by 363 pins from doubles (382 series) to singles after finding the right look. He posted 28 strikes to roll scores of 244, 255 and 246 on his way to the lead.
The father-and-son duo of Gary and Shane Goldermann ascended to the top of the standings in Standard Doubles on June 6 with a 1,319 combined total. They were the only pair in Standard Doubles to record a score north of 1,300 during the 2024 event.
Shane, of Ault, Colorado, had games of 214, 215 and 246 for a 675 series. Gary, of Keenesburg, Colorado, added scores of 175, 234 and 235 to finish with 644.
Matt Garcia of Long Beach, California, had a big day July 19 to take over the lead in Standard All-Events. He also moved into second place in Standard Doubles and Standard Singles during his run.
Garcia had sets of 743 in singles, 718 in doubles and 542 in team to finish with a 2,003 all-events tally. His singles set featured games of 287, 200 and 256, and he paired with his brother – Darren Garcia of Long Beach (574 series) – to post 1,292 in doubles.
Three of the top scores in the Classified Division were rolled in the first 90 days of the 2024 event, with the leading number in Classified All-Events coming in July.
The top score in Classified Doubles was posted March 31 in Las Vegas as Punsal Grish of Aurora, Colorado, and James Bayarsaikhan of Centennial, Colorado, paired together to finish with 1,149.
Grish had games of 214, 184 and 206 in the performance for a 604 series, and Bayarsaikhan improved each game, rolling scores of 166, 180 and 199 for 545.
The members of Hansen Hardscapes of Alexandria, Minnesota, took over the top spot in Classified Team on April 7 with a 2,607 total. The team finished 89 pins ahead of second place (Peter Jones Team 1 of New Castle, Indiana, with 2,518).
Hansen Hardscapes put together a strong effort in Game 1 to get ahead of the pace with 957, and the team finished with 812 and 838 at the Bowling Plaza.
Eric Ohlrogge had 605 in the performance and was joined by Jessica Cook (537), Christopher Cook (527), Ashley Ohlrogge (502) and Lauren Johnson (436).
On May 21, Jason Sarno of Erie, Colorado, moved into the lead in Classified Singles with a 633 series.
Sarno had steady games on the way to the top spot, rolling scores of 206, 211 and 216.
Aider Xiong of Maplewood, Minnesota, claimed the lead in Classified All-Events on July 5, posting a 1,729 total.
Xiong had 623 in doubles, 592 in team and 514 in singles during his tournament debut.
Classified Team featured five-player groups with combined entering averages of 775 and below. Classified Doubles included teams with combined entering averages of 310 and below. Classified Singles/All-Events featured bowlers with entering averages of 155 and below.
The 2024 Open Championships also featured 36 perfect games and 10 800s. The highest set of the year belonged to former Team USA and Junior Team USA member Brandon Bonta of Wichita, Kansas, who fired games of 279, 259 and 299 for an 837 series during his doubles set June 14.
The tournament’s participation record was set during the first week of the 2024 event as USBC and PBA Hall of Famer Glenn Allison made his 72nd appearance at the Open Championships on Feb. 25.
Allison, from Corona, California, previously shared the record at 71 years with Bill Doehrman, Joe Norris and Sylvester Thiel.
The four-time Eagle winner made his debut at the tournament during the 1947 event in Los Angeles, and he’s made his annual appearance each year since 1954.
Through 72 appearances, Allison has accumulated a career pinfall of 123,341 and is third in all-time pinfall at the Open Championships. He is 430 pins away from passing Norris for second on the list (123,770) and 747 pins shy of surpassing Bill Lillard Sr. for the record (124,087).
Two competitors joined Allison in the tournament’s 100,000-Pin Club in 2024, bringing the number of bowlers to reach the milestone up to 31.
Frankie May Jr. of Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania, earned his crystal pin April 2 during his 57th appearance. He now sits at 101,018 pins for a career average of 196.9.
John Kerpan of Waukegan, Illinois, achieved two milestones in 2024. He started his trip to Las Vegas by making his 60th appearance at the Open Championships on May 4, and he surpassed 100,000 pins the following day at South Point.
Kerpan now has a career pinfall of 100,284 for a lifetime average of 186.7.
In addition to Kerpan, three additional bowlers celebrated 60 years on the tournament lanes in 2024 – Robert Brissette of Petersburg, Michigan; Dale Diamond of Chatham, Illinois; and 1971 Team All-Events champion Wayne Hutchinson of Franklin Park, Illinois.
A total of 36 bowlers have made 60 or more appearances at the Open Championships. The 2024 event also had 23 bowlers celebrate 50 years of participation, bringing the all-time total to 355.
The 2025 Open Championships will be held from March 1 - July 28 at the Raising Cane’s River Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Registration is open for the 2025 tournament.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.