RENO, Nev. - When Tom Daugherty of Wesley Chapel, Fla., realized he was good enough to compete against the best bowlers in the world, he immediately took his talents to the Professional Bowlers Association and never had a chance to compete at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships.

A decade later, when his priorities changed and the PBA Tour no longer was his full-time job, Daugherty got the chance to experience the USBC Open Championships for the first time and immediately established himself as contender on the championship lanes.

The 38-year-old right-hander found himself in the spotlight at the National Bowling Stadium on Thursday as he helped his team into fourth place with a 3,506 total, the sixth-highest team score in 110 years of Open Championships competition. Lodge Lanes Too of Orlando, Fla., leads Regular Team this year with a record score of 3,538.

Daugherty, who uses a thumbless release, rolled a 740 series to help The Bowling Shop 1 of Keller, Texas, to games of 1,134, 1,144 and 1,228, but the performance was bittersweet, since his quick success in his return to the PBA Tour this year means he now will be ineligible to compete at the Open Championships.

"I knew this would be my last Open Championships for now, but I wasn't thinking too much about that," said Daugherty, who made his third tournament appearance. "This is only my third one, and I bowled well the last two years, so I really just wanted to continue that."

Tyson Branagan, who rolled an 823 series at the 2006 tournament in Corpus Christi, Texas, contributed a 771 series to The Bowling Shop 1's effort at the NBS on Thursday and was joined by Gregory Derrick (690), Phillip Kepner (658) and John Reger (647).

There have been a record 15 teams to break the 3,400 mark at the 2013 Open Championships, and five of the top seven scores all-time have been rolled at the NBS this year. The previous record for 3,400s was seven, set at the 2011 tournament, also at the Stadium.

Daugherty admits his team didn't get off to the strongest start, but a little momentum, and the excitement of the team atmosphere, got them thinking about a run at the lead with three frames to go.

"Early in Game 3, Tyson and I were joking about having a shot at the lead, and all of a sudden, everyone started striking," said Daugherty, who posted a 230.2 average in his first two trips to the Open Championships. "There's something special about team bowling because you have five guys working toward the same goal, and it definitely can get exciting like it did today. It's like you're all out there on the approach for every shot. When they strike, it's like you just struck, too. It's fun to root for each other and know you're part of a team. That's the part I'm going to miss the most."

For much of the last two years, Daugherty mainly was known for his record-low 100 game rolled on TV on the way to a third-place finish at the 2011 PBA Tournament of Champions. That performance may have earned him a unique spot in the record book, but it also gave him the confidence and finances to go back to the Tour full-time and work toward his childhood goal of becoming a PBA national champion.

"When I was out there before, I wasn't having much success, and my priorities changed when I got married, had kids and started the pro shops," said Daugherty, who owns Hall of Fame Pro Shop locations at Royal Lanes in Lutz, Fla., and Mariner Lanes in Spring Hill, Fla. "I still bowled the majors and whatever other tournaments I could, and it was a big decision to go out there and try again. Growing up as a kid, I always wanted to win a PBA title."

His decision to give the Tour another shot immediately paid off when he won the Bowlers Journal Scorpion Championship, one of five GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling events last fall in Las Vegas.

The win was a dream come true, but it means leaving behind his Open Championships teammates, indefinitely. The tournament rules for 2014 state that any player in the top 50 on the PBA points list for the 2012-13 season, as well as anyone who won a Tour title the last two years, will not be eligible to compete at the Open Championships.

"I enjoy bowling with these guys, and I'll miss this tournament for sure, but I'll be back eventually," Daugherty said. "For now, I know why I'm not coming back next year, and it's a really cool reason. I wouldn't trade that for anything."

Presenting sponsors for the 2013 USBC Open Championships include Circus Circus Reno, Eldorado Hotel Casino Reno and Silver Legacy Resort Casino Reno.