Massachusetts bowler makes 50th consecutive trip to Open Championships
June 07, 2023
RENO, Nev. – Dedication and support – two things Robert Charette of Florence, Massachusetts, has covered and then some when looking at his career at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships.
The dedication is easy to see. The 2023 USBC Open Championships marked Charette’s 50th consecutive appearance at the tournament. He has made his annual appearance each year since his debut at the 1973 event in Syracuse, New York.
He wasn’t going to miss it, either, despite an injury to his bowling hand just a few weeks before his scheduled appearance. Charette, a right-hander, planned to bowl left-handed at the National Bowling Stadium.
After marching down the famed Center Aisle at the venue and receiving his plaque, chevron and diamond lapel pin to recognize his longevity at the event, Charette’s dedication again was tested as his wrapped right-hand began to bleed.
He would miss his team event after a quick trip to a local hospital for a few more stitches, but his support system had him covered. His teammate, Curk Burgess, gave up his spot to start doubles the following morning so Charette could officially compete in his 50th Open Championships.
“It was one of those things, but I originally was hoping to bowl right-handed,” said Charette, who now has knocked down 68,433 pins over 50 appearances for a career average of 164.8 at the event. “The last few days before I came out here, I knew that wasn’t the reality. To keep it going, I gave a call to one of the guys on the team and told him I needed to bowl left-handed. My team has been great, and they told me not to even worry about it. So, that was the plan. My plan was not to have the incident occur last night where I couldn’t bowl, so it was important to get here this morning.
“About three weeks ago, I got a cut in my right hand in the absolute wrong place. It took so long for it to heal, and it’s still not healed. Last night, the doctor put three more stitches in. I was back here by the time the guys finished (team event), and Curk told me to take his spot for the first game, so that’s what I did. He’s a great guy.”
Charette and his wife, Shirley, taught for 35 years, and after getting his initial tournament in the books in Syracuse, it became a way to have some fun in a different part of the country each year.
“They were having trouble filling the tournament, so the Massachusetts State association took a whole block of spots,” Charette said. “One of our association officers came into the bowling center and asked if anyone wanted to bowl nationals in Syracuse. We had a very good team, so we went because it sounded like fun. We had a great time, and it just became a fun adventure. My wife and I taught, so it became something to do as an April vacation. We were able to go to a different city and see what was going on, and it just kept rolling from there.”
The stories from the trips were plentiful – from a road trip in his Pontiac Firebird Formula to Indianapolis in 1974 during the oil embargo to a visit to Little Bighorn during the 2002 Open Championships in Billings, Montana.
The stories and trips don’t happen, especially for 50 consecutive appearances, without great support from those closest to you.
“You’re not going to make numbers like 50 unless you have a lot of support,” Charette said. “You have to have a team behind you, and you have to have a family behind you. It’s critical. Team and family are critical.”
Charette, who celebrated his 76th birthday just days after his appearance in 2023, plans to keep his streak intact at the Open Championships and already is looking forward to next year and beyond.
“You don’t think about 50 until you start getting up in the 30s,” Charette said. “Then, you realize you’re young enough to make 50, and that’s what I did. I just kept going. It’s been a good run.”
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.
The dedication is easy to see. The 2023 USBC Open Championships marked Charette’s 50th consecutive appearance at the tournament. He has made his annual appearance each year since his debut at the 1973 event in Syracuse, New York.
He wasn’t going to miss it, either, despite an injury to his bowling hand just a few weeks before his scheduled appearance. Charette, a right-hander, planned to bowl left-handed at the National Bowling Stadium.
After marching down the famed Center Aisle at the venue and receiving his plaque, chevron and diamond lapel pin to recognize his longevity at the event, Charette’s dedication again was tested as his wrapped right-hand began to bleed.
He would miss his team event after a quick trip to a local hospital for a few more stitches, but his support system had him covered. His teammate, Curk Burgess, gave up his spot to start doubles the following morning so Charette could officially compete in his 50th Open Championships.
“It was one of those things, but I originally was hoping to bowl right-handed,” said Charette, who now has knocked down 68,433 pins over 50 appearances for a career average of 164.8 at the event. “The last few days before I came out here, I knew that wasn’t the reality. To keep it going, I gave a call to one of the guys on the team and told him I needed to bowl left-handed. My team has been great, and they told me not to even worry about it. So, that was the plan. My plan was not to have the incident occur last night where I couldn’t bowl, so it was important to get here this morning.
“About three weeks ago, I got a cut in my right hand in the absolute wrong place. It took so long for it to heal, and it’s still not healed. Last night, the doctor put three more stitches in. I was back here by the time the guys finished (team event), and Curk told me to take his spot for the first game, so that’s what I did. He’s a great guy.”
Charette and his wife, Shirley, taught for 35 years, and after getting his initial tournament in the books in Syracuse, it became a way to have some fun in a different part of the country each year.
“They were having trouble filling the tournament, so the Massachusetts State association took a whole block of spots,” Charette said. “One of our association officers came into the bowling center and asked if anyone wanted to bowl nationals in Syracuse. We had a very good team, so we went because it sounded like fun. We had a great time, and it just became a fun adventure. My wife and I taught, so it became something to do as an April vacation. We were able to go to a different city and see what was going on, and it just kept rolling from there.”
The stories from the trips were plentiful – from a road trip in his Pontiac Firebird Formula to Indianapolis in 1974 during the oil embargo to a visit to Little Bighorn during the 2002 Open Championships in Billings, Montana.
The stories and trips don’t happen, especially for 50 consecutive appearances, without great support from those closest to you.
“You’re not going to make numbers like 50 unless you have a lot of support,” Charette said. “You have to have a team behind you, and you have to have a family behind you. It’s critical. Team and family are critical.”
Charette, who celebrated his 76th birthday just days after his appearance in 2023, plans to keep his streak intact at the Open Championships and already is looking forward to next year and beyond.
“You don’t think about 50 until you start getting up in the 30s,” Charette said. “Then, you realize you’re young enough to make 50, and that’s what I did. I just kept going. It’s been a good run.”
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.