Glenn Allison makes 71st appearance at USBC Open Championships
May 16, 2023
Pictured above (from left): USBC's Greg Moore, Suzanne Allison, Glenn Allison, Glenn Allison II, Mark Allison and USBC Executive Director Chad Murphy
RENO, Nev. – United States Bowling Congress and Professional Bowling Association Hall of Famer Glenn Allison tied the participation record at the USBC Open Championships on Saturday as he made his 71st appearance at the tournament.
Allison, of Corona, California, tied the mark set by USBC Hall of Famers Bill Doehrman and Joe Norris in 1981 and 2000, respectively, and Sylvester Thiel in 2016. Those four also are the only competitors in tournament history to reach 70 years on the championship lanes.
The 92-year-old right-hander made his tournament debut at the 1947 event in Los Angeles, and he’s now made his annual appearance each year since 1954. He’s a four-time champion at the event, winning Classic Doubles in 1962, Classic Team in 1964 and 1966 and Classic Singles in 1970.
Allison received a special plaque and chevron to commemorate the milestone, and he was joined by his family as he was honored during his march down Center Aisle at the National Bowling Stadium, where he addressed the many bowlers, fans and friends in attendance.
“I’m really very happy to have finally caught Joe Norris, Bill Doehrman and Sylvester Thiel,” said Allison during his presentation. “There are a couple more ahead of me on the pinfall list, and if I can knock down enough pins, I’ll pass them next year.
“It’s been a very wonderful trip for all 71, and I really appreciate all of you rooting for me, especially my daughter, Suzanne, my son, Mark, and my grandson, Glenn II. They’re here to bowl with me for my 71st tournament.”
Allison bowled three games in his team event and part of his doubles set during his trip to the 2023 event to bring his career pinfall total at the Open Championships to 122,954. He’s carried an average north of 191 for his 71 appearances.
He remains in third place on the all-time pinfall list at the Open Championships, trailing USBC Hall of Famer Bill Lillard Sr. (124,087) and Norris (123,770). Allison now is 817 pins away from passing Norris and 1,134 pins away from taking over the top spot from Lillard.
Allison became the ninth bowler at the Open Championships to join the 100,000-Pinfall Club during his 55th appearance at the 2006 event in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Only 27 competitors have reached 100,000 pins at the Open Championships through Allison’s appearance, with two more bowlers expected to join the club later this month.
The 2023 Open Championships kicked off March 4 and will conclude July 24. The 143-day tournament will feature more than 9,700 five-player teams and nearly 50,000 bowlers making their way to compete in The Biggest Little City in the World.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.
RENO, Nev. – United States Bowling Congress and Professional Bowling Association Hall of Famer Glenn Allison tied the participation record at the USBC Open Championships on Saturday as he made his 71st appearance at the tournament.
Allison, of Corona, California, tied the mark set by USBC Hall of Famers Bill Doehrman and Joe Norris in 1981 and 2000, respectively, and Sylvester Thiel in 2016. Those four also are the only competitors in tournament history to reach 70 years on the championship lanes.
The 92-year-old right-hander made his tournament debut at the 1947 event in Los Angeles, and he’s now made his annual appearance each year since 1954. He’s a four-time champion at the event, winning Classic Doubles in 1962, Classic Team in 1964 and 1966 and Classic Singles in 1970.
Allison received a special plaque and chevron to commemorate the milestone, and he was joined by his family as he was honored during his march down Center Aisle at the National Bowling Stadium, where he addressed the many bowlers, fans and friends in attendance.
“I’m really very happy to have finally caught Joe Norris, Bill Doehrman and Sylvester Thiel,” said Allison during his presentation. “There are a couple more ahead of me on the pinfall list, and if I can knock down enough pins, I’ll pass them next year.
“It’s been a very wonderful trip for all 71, and I really appreciate all of you rooting for me, especially my daughter, Suzanne, my son, Mark, and my grandson, Glenn II. They’re here to bowl with me for my 71st tournament.”
Allison bowled three games in his team event and part of his doubles set during his trip to the 2023 event to bring his career pinfall total at the Open Championships to 122,954. He’s carried an average north of 191 for his 71 appearances.
He remains in third place on the all-time pinfall list at the Open Championships, trailing USBC Hall of Famer Bill Lillard Sr. (124,087) and Norris (123,770). Allison now is 817 pins away from passing Norris and 1,134 pins away from taking over the top spot from Lillard.
Allison became the ninth bowler at the Open Championships to join the 100,000-Pinfall Club during his 55th appearance at the 2006 event in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Only 27 competitors have reached 100,000 pins at the Open Championships through Allison’s appearance, with two more bowlers expected to join the club later this month.
The 2023 Open Championships kicked off March 4 and will conclude July 24. The 143-day tournament will feature more than 9,700 five-player teams and nearly 50,000 bowlers making their way to compete in The Biggest Little City in the World.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.