Minnesota bowler leads Classified All-Events at 2026 Open Championships
March 28, 2026
RENO, Nev. – Alan Haugen of St. Paul Park, Minnesota, put together three steady sets across his appearance this week at the 2026 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships to take over the top spot in Classified All-Events with a 1,770 total.
The 28-year-old left-hander saw his scores trend up with each event at the National Bowling Stadium, posting 575 in team, 587 in doubles and 608 in singles. Jesus Miguel Herrera of San Bruno, California, previously held the lead with 1,744.
Haugen’s 608 in singles marked his first series over 600 at the USBC Open Championships, and his nine-game score was 75 pins higher than his previous best at the tournament (1,695 in 2022).
The southpaw has no problem generating ball speed when he’s bowling, but he’s recently been working on having a few different gears available depending on the situation.
“One of the houses that we bowl at has a very tough shot, so these past couple months I’ve been focusing on speed,” said Haugen, who made his ninth tournament appearance. “I throw it very fast in a normal league setting, so I’ve been working on slowing down, developing a good cadence and good hand.
“Normally I’m lost when I’ve been at the Open Championships, but this year, I could see a shot. I knew if I could hit my mark, I would throw a good ball.”
To go along with working on his physical game, Haugen also showcased his mental toughness during singles. After starting the set with 155, he was able to get back on track with games of 218 and 235 to also move into the top 10 of Classified Singles.
“After shooting 155, I made sure I didn’t get in my own head,” Haugen said. “I’ve had some bad years here where I’ve shot 155 and spiraled from there. To start Game 2, I cleared my mind. I made sure Game 1 was out of the way and just focused on hitting my mark and speed. The people around me helped, too – having my dad and teammates around was nice.”
Haugen’s father, Lee, was his doubles partner in 2026 and made his 24th tournament appearance at the Open Championships.
Getting to share the achievement alongside his father certainly made for a great moment.
“He’s the guy I look up to,” Haugen said. “He’s always been my coach, and I’ve been bowling with him probably since I was 12. I had my first 300 this year, and I kind of always wanted to make sure he was there for it, but he was out of town on a hunting trip. To have him here and take over the lead is really special.”
With his score standing at the top of the leaderboard, Haugen hopes to celebrate his father’s 25th appearance in 2027 with an added bonus for the family – his name on a championship banner at the tournament venue.
“It’d mean everything,” Haugen said. “It’s his 24th year, so it’d be special if we could come to the tournament next year and be able to take that photo and have my family with me. I’ve been seeing these banners at all of the different places, so it would be pretty cool to look up there and see my name.”
The Classified Division features bowlers with entering averages of 160 and below.
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.
The 28-year-old left-hander saw his scores trend up with each event at the National Bowling Stadium, posting 575 in team, 587 in doubles and 608 in singles. Jesus Miguel Herrera of San Bruno, California, previously held the lead with 1,744.
Haugen’s 608 in singles marked his first series over 600 at the USBC Open Championships, and his nine-game score was 75 pins higher than his previous best at the tournament (1,695 in 2022).
The southpaw has no problem generating ball speed when he’s bowling, but he’s recently been working on having a few different gears available depending on the situation.
“One of the houses that we bowl at has a very tough shot, so these past couple months I’ve been focusing on speed,” said Haugen, who made his ninth tournament appearance. “I throw it very fast in a normal league setting, so I’ve been working on slowing down, developing a good cadence and good hand.
“Normally I’m lost when I’ve been at the Open Championships, but this year, I could see a shot. I knew if I could hit my mark, I would throw a good ball.”
To go along with working on his physical game, Haugen also showcased his mental toughness during singles. After starting the set with 155, he was able to get back on track with games of 218 and 235 to also move into the top 10 of Classified Singles.
“After shooting 155, I made sure I didn’t get in my own head,” Haugen said. “I’ve had some bad years here where I’ve shot 155 and spiraled from there. To start Game 2, I cleared my mind. I made sure Game 1 was out of the way and just focused on hitting my mark and speed. The people around me helped, too – having my dad and teammates around was nice.”
Haugen’s father, Lee, was his doubles partner in 2026 and made his 24th tournament appearance at the Open Championships.
Getting to share the achievement alongside his father certainly made for a great moment.
“He’s the guy I look up to,” Haugen said. “He’s always been my coach, and I’ve been bowling with him probably since I was 12. I had my first 300 this year, and I kind of always wanted to make sure he was there for it, but he was out of town on a hunting trip. To have him here and take over the lead is really special.”
With his score standing at the top of the leaderboard, Haugen hopes to celebrate his father’s 25th appearance in 2027 with an added bonus for the family – his name on a championship banner at the tournament venue.
“It’d mean everything,” Haugen said. “It’s his 24th year, so it’d be special if we could come to the tournament next year and be able to take that photo and have my family with me. I’ve been seeing these banners at all of the different places, so it would be pretty cool to look up there and see my name.”
The Classified Division features bowlers with entering averages of 160 and below.
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.