Florida bowler reaches 50 consecutive years at USBC Open
May 24, 2015
EL PASO, Texas - Although Edward Rehnberg of Jupiter, Florida, didn't know anything about the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships when he first was asked to join a team for the 1966 event in Rochester, New York, the tournament left a lasting impression.
The 73-year-old right-hander has made it back to the event every year since his debut, and he celebrated his 50th consecutive tournament appearance Saturday at the El Paso Convention Center.
Rehnberg is the 11th of 12 bowlers scheduled to reach the milestone at the 2015 USBC Open Championships, and he received a plaque, chevron and diamond lapel pin to commemorate the achievement.
"It brought back a lot of memories," said Rehnberg of his march down Center Aisle. "Of all the years I've bowled and all the Center Aisles I've walked down. Knowing this was the big one, my 50th in a row, was very special to me."
Rehnberg first was asked to bowl in the Open Championships after putting together a solid on-lane performance during his college years in Florida, and after getting to see the venue in Rochester, he was hooked.
"I was going to college in Fort Pierce, Florida, and bowled on a house team," said Rehnberg, a member of the Martin County USBC Hall of Fame. "Back in those days, we bowled home-and-home matches against other centers. We were bowling a match against a team from Vero Beach, we happened to win and I bowled fairly well. The captain of the other team asked me if I wanted to bowl in the ABC Tournament, and I said, 'what's that?' When I got there and saw the format and layout, it was very exciting. I've always been a tournament bowler, and this became the highlight every year."
Rehnberg has enjoyed visiting many new places as he followed the tournament each year, and a career-best performance and chance encounter at the 1974 event in Indianapolis sticks out as a top memory.
"In 1974, I was bowling the Bowlers Journal and hurt my back the day before team event," Rehnberg said. "I was exercising and trying to loosen up my back, and it finally did. Then we went out, moved into, I believe, seventh in team, and ended up 15th. I also shot my highest all-events total, 1,944. Plus, I met my future in-laws for the first time. They were in town at a convention, so in between bowling, I went to meet them, and I guess it went OK because I married their daughter, and we've almost been married 40 years."
Over the course of his bowling career, Rehnberg ranks his lifetime average at the Open Championships just as high as any of his other accomplishments on the lanes.
In his 50th appearance, he put together scores of 585 in doubles, 555 in team and 439 in singles for a 1,579 all-events total, giving him a career pinfall of 85,505 for a 190 lifetime average.
"People know how tough it is to consistently bowl well over the years," said Rehnberg, who still bowls regularly at Jensen Beach Bowl in Jensen Beach, Florida, which also is frequented by nine-time Open Championships titlist and USBC Hall of Famer Nelson Burton Jr. "I'm just as proud of my 190 average as I am any of my 300s, 800s or senior titles I've won. It means a lot to me."
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open/Women's Championships page.
The 73-year-old right-hander has made it back to the event every year since his debut, and he celebrated his 50th consecutive tournament appearance Saturday at the El Paso Convention Center.
Rehnberg is the 11th of 12 bowlers scheduled to reach the milestone at the 2015 USBC Open Championships, and he received a plaque, chevron and diamond lapel pin to commemorate the achievement.
"It brought back a lot of memories," said Rehnberg of his march down Center Aisle. "Of all the years I've bowled and all the Center Aisles I've walked down. Knowing this was the big one, my 50th in a row, was very special to me."
Rehnberg first was asked to bowl in the Open Championships after putting together a solid on-lane performance during his college years in Florida, and after getting to see the venue in Rochester, he was hooked.
"I was going to college in Fort Pierce, Florida, and bowled on a house team," said Rehnberg, a member of the Martin County USBC Hall of Fame. "Back in those days, we bowled home-and-home matches against other centers. We were bowling a match against a team from Vero Beach, we happened to win and I bowled fairly well. The captain of the other team asked me if I wanted to bowl in the ABC Tournament, and I said, 'what's that?' When I got there and saw the format and layout, it was very exciting. I've always been a tournament bowler, and this became the highlight every year."
Rehnberg has enjoyed visiting many new places as he followed the tournament each year, and a career-best performance and chance encounter at the 1974 event in Indianapolis sticks out as a top memory.
"In 1974, I was bowling the Bowlers Journal and hurt my back the day before team event," Rehnberg said. "I was exercising and trying to loosen up my back, and it finally did. Then we went out, moved into, I believe, seventh in team, and ended up 15th. I also shot my highest all-events total, 1,944. Plus, I met my future in-laws for the first time. They were in town at a convention, so in between bowling, I went to meet them, and I guess it went OK because I married their daughter, and we've almost been married 40 years."
Over the course of his bowling career, Rehnberg ranks his lifetime average at the Open Championships just as high as any of his other accomplishments on the lanes.
In his 50th appearance, he put together scores of 585 in doubles, 555 in team and 439 in singles for a 1,579 all-events total, giving him a career pinfall of 85,505 for a 190 lifetime average.
"People know how tough it is to consistently bowl well over the years," said Rehnberg, who still bowls regularly at Jensen Beach Bowl in Jensen Beach, Florida, which also is frequented by nine-time Open Championships titlist and USBC Hall of Famer Nelson Burton Jr. "I'm just as proud of my 190 average as I am any of my 300s, 800s or senior titles I've won. It means a lot to me."
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open/Women's Championships page.