Michigan bowler makes 50th consecutive appearance at Open Championships
April 25, 2023
RENO, Nev. – Richard Clark of Okemos, Michigan, walked down the famed Center Aisle at the National Bowling Stadium on Sunday to celebrate his 50th consecutive appearance at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships.
Clark was joined in the moment by his stepson, Ray Kemmer, as he received his chevron, plaque and diamond lapel pin to commemorate the milestone.
“Coming here for my 50th consecutive Open Championships appearance was quite the experience, but I’m actually really happy it’s behind me due to all the nerves beforehand,” said Clark, who was grateful for the recognition but isn’t one to relish in the center of attention.
Helping ease the nerves for Clark as he joined the 50-Year Club was the chance to share the moment with Kemmer.
“I’m really glad my son was able to join me today,” said Clark, a 67-year-old right-hander. “Ray is a self-taught bowler and a pretty darn good one at that, so the fact I was able to share this day with him is special to me.”
Clark started his journey at the USBC Open Championships at the 1973 event in Syracuse, New York. His best all-events set came at the 1992 event in Corpus Christi, Texas, where he put together scores of 680 in doubles, 632 in singles and 587 in team for a nine-game total of 1,899.
Over the 50 years he has been coming to the Open Championships, Clark recalls all the destinations he was able to visit with friends.
“Traveling to all of the different cities was awesome,” Clark said. “Two places come to mind when thinking of my all-time favorite locations for the tournament. Mobile, Alabama, was great. Not only was that a nice city, but the setup at the stadium was really spectacular as well. Corpus Christi also was good to me, since that is the best I have bowled at the tournament.”
In looking at goals moving forward at the event, Clark says he would like to keep bowling in hopes of reaching the 100,000-pin mark at the event.
He finished his 50th Open Championships with a 566 set in singles, 554 in team and 499 in doubles for a grand total of 1,619, bringing his lifetime pinfall at the tournament to 84,907 for a career average of 191.2.
“I am going to need to pick up the pace here with those pins, but that accomplishment still is a goal of mine,” Clark said. “You have to want to compete at your highest level, and luckily, I still do after all these years, which is one of the main reasons I am still coming out. I am just lucky to have a good group of friends who still want me to bowl with them.”
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.
Clark was joined in the moment by his stepson, Ray Kemmer, as he received his chevron, plaque and diamond lapel pin to commemorate the milestone.
“Coming here for my 50th consecutive Open Championships appearance was quite the experience, but I’m actually really happy it’s behind me due to all the nerves beforehand,” said Clark, who was grateful for the recognition but isn’t one to relish in the center of attention.
Helping ease the nerves for Clark as he joined the 50-Year Club was the chance to share the moment with Kemmer.
“I’m really glad my son was able to join me today,” said Clark, a 67-year-old right-hander. “Ray is a self-taught bowler and a pretty darn good one at that, so the fact I was able to share this day with him is special to me.”
Clark started his journey at the USBC Open Championships at the 1973 event in Syracuse, New York. His best all-events set came at the 1992 event in Corpus Christi, Texas, where he put together scores of 680 in doubles, 632 in singles and 587 in team for a nine-game total of 1,899.
Over the 50 years he has been coming to the Open Championships, Clark recalls all the destinations he was able to visit with friends.
“Traveling to all of the different cities was awesome,” Clark said. “Two places come to mind when thinking of my all-time favorite locations for the tournament. Mobile, Alabama, was great. Not only was that a nice city, but the setup at the stadium was really spectacular as well. Corpus Christi also was good to me, since that is the best I have bowled at the tournament.”
In looking at goals moving forward at the event, Clark says he would like to keep bowling in hopes of reaching the 100,000-pin mark at the event.
He finished his 50th Open Championships with a 566 set in singles, 554 in team and 499 in doubles for a grand total of 1,619, bringing his lifetime pinfall at the tournament to 84,907 for a career average of 191.2.
“I am going to need to pick up the pace here with those pins, but that accomplishment still is a goal of mine,” Clark said. “You have to want to compete at your highest level, and luckily, I still do after all these years, which is one of the main reasons I am still coming out. I am just lucky to have a good group of friends who still want me to bowl with them.”
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.