Iowa bowler celebrates 50 years at USBC Open Championships
May 20, 2026
RENO, Nev. – Marc Lineberry of Davenport, Iowa, recently added his name to another chapter of United States Bowling Congress Open Championships history by celebrating his 50th tournament appearance.
Lineberry was joined down the famed center aisle at the National Bowling Stadium by longtime friends Jay and Cindy Garvey as he received a plaque, chevron and diamond lapel pin to commemorate his entrance into the tournament’s 50-Year Club.
“It feels great,” Lineberry said. “It doesn’t really feel like 50 years. I’m just glad I made it to this point.”
While reaching the milestone was significant, Lineberry said the accomplishment wasn’t something he initially planned for when his tournament journey began at the 1975 event in Dayton, Ohio.
“This was never really a destination or goal until more recently,” Lineberry said. “The most important part has always been the journey, the people you meet, the friendships, the experiences and all the memories you make over the years.”
The friendships created through the tournament played a major role in Lineberry’s milestone moment, particularly with the Garvey/Voda family, who shared decades of tournament trips and memories with him.
Lineberry first started at the Open Championships because of Robert Voda, who later became one of his longtime teammates and closest friends.
“A few years after I started bowling the tournament, I bowled with Bob Voda for a long time,” Lineberry said. “He was a great competitor, had a great sense of humor and just made everybody laugh. Through him, I met Cindy Voda when she was still in high school.”
Years later, Cindy married Jay Garvey, who became part of the same tournament group and now has 38 years of participation at the Open Championships. Their son also has joined the tournament tradition, giving Lineberry the opportunity to bowl alongside three generations of the same family.
“That’s one of the coolest things about all of this,” Lineberry said. “I started bowling with Bob, then Jay came along, and now their son bowls with us, too. It’s been an incredible journey with that family.”
While the memories and friendships stand above everything else, Lineberry’s tournament credentials also include several notable performances on the lanes.
Among his highlights are a third-place finish in doubles at the 1982 tournament in Baltimore and a 300 game during singles competition at the 1993 event in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the first perfect game of his career.
“That was actually my first 300,” said Lineberry, a member of the Iowa State USBC and Camanche USBC Halls of Fame. “I had 298s and 299s before that, but when I threw the last shot, I turned around before it even hit the pins because I knew it was either going to be cheers or everybody groaning.”
Another memorable performance came during singles at the 1989 event in Wichita, Kansas. He shot 792 and narrowly missed a chance at the title after leaving a split late in the final game.
“If I strike there, I probably win singles that year,” said Lineberry, who finished the year in eighth place. “But those moments still stick with you.”
Now that he has reached the 50-year milestone, Lineberry has turned his attention toward another prestigious benchmark – 100,000 pins at the Open Championships. After sets of 628 in singles, 583 in team and 582 in doubles for 1,793 in 2026, Lineberry has knocked over 87,385 pins for a career average at the event of 194.1.
“I’d really like to get to 100,000 pins,” Lineberry said. “Your name stays on those banners forever, and that would be pretty special.”
After undergoing knee replacement surgery just over a year ago, Lineberry admitted he was uncertain how much longer he would continue competing. A strong performance at the 2025 tournament in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, renewed his confidence.
“I still shot 1,800 all-events last year when scoring was tough, and that gave me confidence that I can still compete,” Lineberry said. “As long as I’m healthy and feel like I’m not hurting the team, I want to keep bowling.”
Even with the milestone now complete, Lineberry says the tournament remains about far more than scores and standings.
“Getting to 50 kind of takes the pressure off now,” Lineberry said. “From here on out, it’s really just about the memories and experiences. We’ve always had fun people around us, and whether we bowl well or not, we always leave with great memories.”
The Open Championships is celebrating its 122nd edition in 2026 and making its 15th trip to Reno, Nevada. The 2026 event is scheduled to feature more than 55,000 bowlers and 11,000 five-player teams competing across 128 consecutive days at the National Bowling Stadium.
Follow the action from the tournament’s official Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Lineberry was joined down the famed center aisle at the National Bowling Stadium by longtime friends Jay and Cindy Garvey as he received a plaque, chevron and diamond lapel pin to commemorate his entrance into the tournament’s 50-Year Club.
“It feels great,” Lineberry said. “It doesn’t really feel like 50 years. I’m just glad I made it to this point.”
While reaching the milestone was significant, Lineberry said the accomplishment wasn’t something he initially planned for when his tournament journey began at the 1975 event in Dayton, Ohio.
“This was never really a destination or goal until more recently,” Lineberry said. “The most important part has always been the journey, the people you meet, the friendships, the experiences and all the memories you make over the years.”
The friendships created through the tournament played a major role in Lineberry’s milestone moment, particularly with the Garvey/Voda family, who shared decades of tournament trips and memories with him.
Lineberry first started at the Open Championships because of Robert Voda, who later became one of his longtime teammates and closest friends.
“A few years after I started bowling the tournament, I bowled with Bob Voda for a long time,” Lineberry said. “He was a great competitor, had a great sense of humor and just made everybody laugh. Through him, I met Cindy Voda when she was still in high school.”
Years later, Cindy married Jay Garvey, who became part of the same tournament group and now has 38 years of participation at the Open Championships. Their son also has joined the tournament tradition, giving Lineberry the opportunity to bowl alongside three generations of the same family.
“That’s one of the coolest things about all of this,” Lineberry said. “I started bowling with Bob, then Jay came along, and now their son bowls with us, too. It’s been an incredible journey with that family.”
While the memories and friendships stand above everything else, Lineberry’s tournament credentials also include several notable performances on the lanes.
Among his highlights are a third-place finish in doubles at the 1982 tournament in Baltimore and a 300 game during singles competition at the 1993 event in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the first perfect game of his career.
“That was actually my first 300,” said Lineberry, a member of the Iowa State USBC and Camanche USBC Halls of Fame. “I had 298s and 299s before that, but when I threw the last shot, I turned around before it even hit the pins because I knew it was either going to be cheers or everybody groaning.”
Another memorable performance came during singles at the 1989 event in Wichita, Kansas. He shot 792 and narrowly missed a chance at the title after leaving a split late in the final game.
“If I strike there, I probably win singles that year,” said Lineberry, who finished the year in eighth place. “But those moments still stick with you.”
Now that he has reached the 50-year milestone, Lineberry has turned his attention toward another prestigious benchmark – 100,000 pins at the Open Championships. After sets of 628 in singles, 583 in team and 582 in doubles for 1,793 in 2026, Lineberry has knocked over 87,385 pins for a career average at the event of 194.1.
“I’d really like to get to 100,000 pins,” Lineberry said. “Your name stays on those banners forever, and that would be pretty special.”
After undergoing knee replacement surgery just over a year ago, Lineberry admitted he was uncertain how much longer he would continue competing. A strong performance at the 2025 tournament in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, renewed his confidence.
“I still shot 1,800 all-events last year when scoring was tough, and that gave me confidence that I can still compete,” Lineberry said. “As long as I’m healthy and feel like I’m not hurting the team, I want to keep bowling.”
Even with the milestone now complete, Lineberry says the tournament remains about far more than scores and standings.
“Getting to 50 kind of takes the pressure off now,” Lineberry said. “From here on out, it’s really just about the memories and experiences. We’ve always had fun people around us, and whether we bowl well or not, we always leave with great memories.”
The Open Championships is celebrating its 122nd edition in 2026 and making its 15th trip to Reno, Nevada. The 2026 event is scheduled to feature more than 55,000 bowlers and 11,000 five-player teams competing across 128 consecutive days at the National Bowling Stadium.
Follow the action from the tournament’s official Facebook and Instagram accounts.