2025 USBC Open Championships closes 150-day run in Baton Rouge
August 01, 2025
BATON ROUGE, La. – The final ball of the 2025 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships was rolled July 28 at the Raising Cane’s River Center, marking the conclusion of the tournament’s third trip to Baton Rouge, Louisiana (2005 and 2012).
The 121st edition of the event kicked off March 1 and ran for 150-consecutive days. A total of 11,684 five-player teams registered for the 2025 event – the largest team total since the tournament’s last visit to Baton Rouge in 2012.
The River Center was transformed into a 54-lane bowling venue over the course of two-plus months to host the event and will be returned to its natural state in less than two weeks. Salvageable materials will be donated to Baton Rouge’s Habitat for Humanity.
Bowlers competed in team, doubles and singles across three average-based divisions (Regular, Standard, Classified) and used their nine-game totals to determine the top spots in all-events. Teams also used their combined all-events scores (45 games) to see which group would claim the Team All-Events title in 2025.
All standings are unofficial and pending final verification.
Marc McDowell of Black River Falls, Wisconsin, is in position to claim his third Eagle at the USBC Open Championships – and second win in Baton Rouge – after his incredible performance in Regular Singles on May 3.
The five-time Professional Bowlers Association Tour champion rolled games of 299, 196 and 300 to finish with the top score by two pins with a 795 series.
“It’s an amazing feeling, and I’m amazed it held up,” McDowell said. “I had commented in the original video interview (after taking the lead) that I didn’t think it would hold up, but you never know. With every week and month that passed, it became more and more possible. I’ll tell you the last few weeks have been a little nerve-wracking, but now it just feels amazing, and I’m very thankful.”
McDowell’s first win at the Open Championships took place in 2005, as he joined USBC Hall of Famers Jeff Richgels and Mike Shady, Gail Myers Jr. and Steve Richter to win Team All-Events with a 9,698 total.
He collected his second Eagle with the same group during the 2011 event in Reno, as the teammates fired a then-record game of 1,281 to win Regular Team with a 3,473 total.
“I’m blessed to be on a great team with great teammates,” said McDowell, who was 62 at the time he bowled and turned 63 in June. “I didn’t think about it much until I kind of looked at my history and realized we won in Baton Rouge before. It’s very cool to have two of them there, and I performed a little better in this one. It was such a unique series with the games I had. At this point in my career, at my age, to get an Eagle is unreal.”
McDowell also joined his father, Larry McDowell, with a perfect game at the Open Championships with his performance in the final game. Larry McDowell rolled his 300 in doubles during the 1997 Open Championships in Huntsville, Alabama.
Team USA’s Andrew Anderson is looking for his second victory at the tournament after posting the top all-events total in the Regular Division – 2,184.
Anderson – a six-time PBA Tour champion and 2018 PBA Player of the Year – had sets of 763 in team, 754 in doubles and 667 in singles.
He posted the top individual team series at the 2025 Open Championships and averaged more than 242 across his nine games to take the lead June 14 at the River Center.
Anderson, of Chesterfield Township, Michigan, won his first Eagle in 2021, recording the top score in Regular Singles with games of 269, 277 and 256 for an 802 series.
“Anytime you leave in the lead, you feel good about it … but you always remember how many pins you left out there or any mistakes you made,” Anderson said. “I’ll admit I didn’t feel so good about this one – I think I was more confident for my first one in 2021 when I won singles. It’s always a sweat, but that’s also what it’s all about. It’s so cool to have a second one. I’m very proud of my performance for those nine games, and the three games I put together during the team event might go down as the best three games I’ll ever bowl at the Open Championships.”
Anderson also is the owner of two perfect games at the Open Championships. He connected for his first 300 in singles during the 2019 event and added the second in team competition in 2022.
The members of Hansen Hardscapes of Alexandria, Minnesota, put themselves in an enviable spot for the second consecutive year at the Open Championships – at the top of the leaderboard in Classified Team.
After claiming the win at the 2024 event in Las Vegas, four of the five teammates returned for another memorable performance in 2025, rolling games of 843, 743 and 836 for a 2,422 total on May 7.
Ashley Ohlrogge, Jessica Cook, Christopher Cook and Eric Ohlrogge joined Lauren Johnson in 2024. Johnson was unable to attend in 2025, so David Nelson stepped in to help the team return to the top spot.
The group is in position to become the first team to successfully defend a title in the Classified Division.
“It’s very exciting, but it was a long wait again,” Eric Ohlrogge said. “I looked at the scores daily to see if anything happened and watched the Facebook page for posts. A long wait, but it was definitely worth it.”
Eric Ohlrogge led the way for Hansen Hardscapes in 2025 with a 565 series, and he was followed by Jessica Cook (496), Ashley Ohlrogge (494), Christopher Cook (452) and Nelson (415).
The members of Bowlers Headquarters of Neenah, Wisconsin, posted the top score in Team All-Events by 166 pins in 2025, finishing with a 10,053 total.
The talented crew – comprised of William Welch, James Tucker III, Joseph Vrobel, Chad Kloss and 2019 Regular Singles champion Mitch Beasley – started their journey to the top spot May 8 by rolling 3,242 in their team event (fifth place in Regular Team).
They finished doubles the following day with 3,440, and after a slow start in singles, Bowlers Headquarters fired 1,252 in the final game to finish with 3,371.
“It’s amazing,” Kloss said. “I didn’t think it was going to happen, to be honest. With so many close calls and top fives and top 10s, it just seemed like every year it was something. It’s unreal, and to be able to do it with the guys we have makes it even better. We’re like a family, and it will be awesome to be able to celebrate with them.”
Tucker led the team with an all-events total of 2,092 and was followed by Welch (2,057), Kloss (1,987), Beasley (1,971) and Vrobel (1,946).
Since Beasley’s first win in 2019, the group had made several runs at the top spot in Team All-Events, recording multiple top 10s.
In Regular Team, the members of Phat Kidz Crew of Pekin, Illinois, surged to the top spot on April 13 and maintained the lead for more than 100 days with a 3,300 total at the River Center.
The team – featuring Travis Anderson, Andrew Stone, Anthony Recsnik, Thomas Barnwell and Steven Taylor – rolled games of 1,118, 1,140 and 1,042. All five teammates now are in position to claim their first win at the Open Championships.
“Shooting that score that early and having the lead was definitely stressful for three-plus months,” Taylor said. “We were definitely scoreboard watching with so many great teams still going through there. We were holding our breath, but in the end, we got the Eagle. To me, it’s the ultimate prize in bowling.
“It means everything to share it with those four guys. They’re four of my best friends, and we’ve bowled together for a long time. I’m still pinching myself. It’s a feeling I can’t describe right now, but I’m just so glad that I get to share it with them.”
Barnwell led the way with a 715 series and was followed by Stone (705), Taylor (656), Recsnik (632) and Anderson (592).
The group also finished the year in third place for Team All-Events, posting a 9,879 total.
Joey Robillard of Farmington, Minnesota, and Robert Clements of Plymouth, Minnesota, took over the top spot in Regular Doubles on April 30, combining for a 1,494 total.
Robillard rolled games of 245, 226 and 279 during the performance for a 750 series, while Clements – the owner of a perfect game at the Open Championships (2018 – singles) – had 268, 244 and 232 for a 744 series.
Both players are looking to secure their first win at the tournament, while also adding to the legacy of their group – The Lakers (formerly Linds Lakers) – at the Open Championships.
“It was a very long three months, but it means a lot,” Robillard said. “We owe a lot to the team. The chemistry to start, and just a lot of guidance, experience and Eagles. I don’t think we would have gotten to where we were without them.”
The two-team group representing The Lakers in 2025 featured a pair of USBC Hall of Famers in Sam Lantto and Todd Savoy and five Eagle winners (Lantto, Savoy, John Eiss, Gary Green and Chuck Vashaw).
“We were proud of ourselves for leaving with the lead but weren’t sure if we were going to make it or not – there were a lot of good teams and bowlers still going through and thought someone might hit 1,500,” Clements said. “We are really fortunate and blessed to be able to hold on, and it’s a testament to Joey and the whole Lakers team.
“It means everything. They’ve had such great success, and to be part of that tradition with them … I can’t put it into words.”
Two of the top scores in the Standard Division (for bowlers with entering averages from 156-175) took place during the first month of the 2025 event.
Jeff Dent of Glade Hill, Virginia, had the longest tenure at the top of the leaderboard, taking the lead in Standard All-Events on March 13 with a 1,981 total. He posted scores of 695 in team, 655 in singles and 631 in doubles.
A family connection led the way in Standard Doubles, as the brother-and-sister team of Brandyn Cox of Chesterfield, Virginia, and Emily Cox of North Dinwiddie, Virginia, combined for a score of 1,290 on March 28.
Brandyn fired games of 269, 203 and 300 for a 772 series, and Emily added 189, 159 and 170 for a 518 total.
In Standard Team, the Colorado-based members of Leave Your Mark Pro Shop #3 ascended to the top of the standings May 3 with a 2,845 total at the River Center.
Steven McCracken led the group with a 698 series as they rolled games of 963, 991 and 891. He was joined by Russ Schafer (614), Amanda Nowasell (570), Joshua Dundas (550) and Michelle Schafer (413).
The shortest wait in 2025 belonged to Kory Cockrum of Grand Junction, Colorado, in Standard Singles. Cockrum took the lead July 20 with games of 278, 244 and 224 for a 746 series.
The top scores in Classified Singles, Doubles and All-Events all were secured before the middle of April at the 2025 Open Championships. The Classified Division features competitors with entering averages of 155 and below.
On March 24, the father-and-daughter pairing of Shane and Alaina Moore of Reno, Nevada, posted a combined score of 1,172 to pace Classified Doubles. Shane had games of 223, 264 and 201 during the performance for a 688 series, while Alaina added 145, 133 and 206 for 484.
Later that day, Kenneth Hurst of Dayton, Ohio, made his way to the top spot in Classified Singles with a 645 total. Hurst had games of 235, 178 and 232 at the River Center.
Nolan Hartl of Cannon Falls, Minnesota, secured his spot at the top of the leaderboard in Classified All-Events on April 13, finishing with a 1,764 total in Baton Rouge. He had sets of 707 in doubles, 574 in singles and 483 in team.
Hartl’s big score in doubles also helped him tie for third place in Standard Doubles with Justin Dahlke of Eagan, Minnesota. They combined for a 1,244 score.
The 2025 Open Championships featured a total of 18 perfect games and five 800s. The top set for the year was authored by two-time Eagle winner Jeffrey Mersch of Orlando, Florida, on April 12 during doubles. Mersch rolled games of 289, 258 and 279 for an 826 series.
Several major participation milestones also took place in Baton Rouge, highlighted by Clinton Zavakos of Henderson, Nevada, celebrating 70 consecutive appearances in 2025.
The 88-year-old became just the fifth bowler to reach the participation mark at the Open Championships. He joined USBC Hall of Famers Glenn Allison (72 appearances), Bill Doehrman (71 appearances) and Joe Norris (71 appearances), along with Sylvester Thiel (71 appearances) with 70 years at the tournament.
Zavakos also joined Doehrman in reaching the milestone in consecutive appearances, making his debut during the 1955 event in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Across 70 years, Zavakos has a career pinfall of 107,064 (179.3 average).
USBC Hall of Famer Jamie Brooks of Fairview, Texas, made his 65th tournament appearance, becoming the 17th bowler to reach the number.
Brooks – a 1973 Regular Doubles champion – also is a member of the tournament’s 100,000-Pin Club and has knocked down 106,203 pins through 65 years (182.4 average).
A total of 30 bowlers made their 50th appearance at the Open Championships in 2025, bringing the all-time total to 385 competitors.
The 2026 Open Championships will return to Reno, Nevada, and the famed National Bowling Stadium for the 122nd edition of the tournament. The event is scheduled from March 14 – July 5. Register and learn more about the Open Championships by visiting BOWL.com/OpenChamp.
Follow us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.
The 121st edition of the event kicked off March 1 and ran for 150-consecutive days. A total of 11,684 five-player teams registered for the 2025 event – the largest team total since the tournament’s last visit to Baton Rouge in 2012.
The River Center was transformed into a 54-lane bowling venue over the course of two-plus months to host the event and will be returned to its natural state in less than two weeks. Salvageable materials will be donated to Baton Rouge’s Habitat for Humanity.
Bowlers competed in team, doubles and singles across three average-based divisions (Regular, Standard, Classified) and used their nine-game totals to determine the top spots in all-events. Teams also used their combined all-events scores (45 games) to see which group would claim the Team All-Events title in 2025.
All standings are unofficial and pending final verification.
Marc McDowell of Black River Falls, Wisconsin, is in position to claim his third Eagle at the USBC Open Championships – and second win in Baton Rouge – after his incredible performance in Regular Singles on May 3.
The five-time Professional Bowlers Association Tour champion rolled games of 299, 196 and 300 to finish with the top score by two pins with a 795 series.
“It’s an amazing feeling, and I’m amazed it held up,” McDowell said. “I had commented in the original video interview (after taking the lead) that I didn’t think it would hold up, but you never know. With every week and month that passed, it became more and more possible. I’ll tell you the last few weeks have been a little nerve-wracking, but now it just feels amazing, and I’m very thankful.”
McDowell’s first win at the Open Championships took place in 2005, as he joined USBC Hall of Famers Jeff Richgels and Mike Shady, Gail Myers Jr. and Steve Richter to win Team All-Events with a 9,698 total.
He collected his second Eagle with the same group during the 2011 event in Reno, as the teammates fired a then-record game of 1,281 to win Regular Team with a 3,473 total.
“I’m blessed to be on a great team with great teammates,” said McDowell, who was 62 at the time he bowled and turned 63 in June. “I didn’t think about it much until I kind of looked at my history and realized we won in Baton Rouge before. It’s very cool to have two of them there, and I performed a little better in this one. It was such a unique series with the games I had. At this point in my career, at my age, to get an Eagle is unreal.”
McDowell also joined his father, Larry McDowell, with a perfect game at the Open Championships with his performance in the final game. Larry McDowell rolled his 300 in doubles during the 1997 Open Championships in Huntsville, Alabama.
Team USA’s Andrew Anderson is looking for his second victory at the tournament after posting the top all-events total in the Regular Division – 2,184.
Anderson – a six-time PBA Tour champion and 2018 PBA Player of the Year – had sets of 763 in team, 754 in doubles and 667 in singles.
He posted the top individual team series at the 2025 Open Championships and averaged more than 242 across his nine games to take the lead June 14 at the River Center.
Anderson, of Chesterfield Township, Michigan, won his first Eagle in 2021, recording the top score in Regular Singles with games of 269, 277 and 256 for an 802 series.
“Anytime you leave in the lead, you feel good about it … but you always remember how many pins you left out there or any mistakes you made,” Anderson said. “I’ll admit I didn’t feel so good about this one – I think I was more confident for my first one in 2021 when I won singles. It’s always a sweat, but that’s also what it’s all about. It’s so cool to have a second one. I’m very proud of my performance for those nine games, and the three games I put together during the team event might go down as the best three games I’ll ever bowl at the Open Championships.”
Anderson also is the owner of two perfect games at the Open Championships. He connected for his first 300 in singles during the 2019 event and added the second in team competition in 2022.
The members of Hansen Hardscapes of Alexandria, Minnesota, put themselves in an enviable spot for the second consecutive year at the Open Championships – at the top of the leaderboard in Classified Team.
After claiming the win at the 2024 event in Las Vegas, four of the five teammates returned for another memorable performance in 2025, rolling games of 843, 743 and 836 for a 2,422 total on May 7.
Ashley Ohlrogge, Jessica Cook, Christopher Cook and Eric Ohlrogge joined Lauren Johnson in 2024. Johnson was unable to attend in 2025, so David Nelson stepped in to help the team return to the top spot.
The group is in position to become the first team to successfully defend a title in the Classified Division.
“It’s very exciting, but it was a long wait again,” Eric Ohlrogge said. “I looked at the scores daily to see if anything happened and watched the Facebook page for posts. A long wait, but it was definitely worth it.”
Eric Ohlrogge led the way for Hansen Hardscapes in 2025 with a 565 series, and he was followed by Jessica Cook (496), Ashley Ohlrogge (494), Christopher Cook (452) and Nelson (415).
The members of Bowlers Headquarters of Neenah, Wisconsin, posted the top score in Team All-Events by 166 pins in 2025, finishing with a 10,053 total.
The talented crew – comprised of William Welch, James Tucker III, Joseph Vrobel, Chad Kloss and 2019 Regular Singles champion Mitch Beasley – started their journey to the top spot May 8 by rolling 3,242 in their team event (fifth place in Regular Team).
They finished doubles the following day with 3,440, and after a slow start in singles, Bowlers Headquarters fired 1,252 in the final game to finish with 3,371.
“It’s amazing,” Kloss said. “I didn’t think it was going to happen, to be honest. With so many close calls and top fives and top 10s, it just seemed like every year it was something. It’s unreal, and to be able to do it with the guys we have makes it even better. We’re like a family, and it will be awesome to be able to celebrate with them.”
Tucker led the team with an all-events total of 2,092 and was followed by Welch (2,057), Kloss (1,987), Beasley (1,971) and Vrobel (1,946).
Since Beasley’s first win in 2019, the group had made several runs at the top spot in Team All-Events, recording multiple top 10s.
In Regular Team, the members of Phat Kidz Crew of Pekin, Illinois, surged to the top spot on April 13 and maintained the lead for more than 100 days with a 3,300 total at the River Center.
The team – featuring Travis Anderson, Andrew Stone, Anthony Recsnik, Thomas Barnwell and Steven Taylor – rolled games of 1,118, 1,140 and 1,042. All five teammates now are in position to claim their first win at the Open Championships.
“Shooting that score that early and having the lead was definitely stressful for three-plus months,” Taylor said. “We were definitely scoreboard watching with so many great teams still going through there. We were holding our breath, but in the end, we got the Eagle. To me, it’s the ultimate prize in bowling.
“It means everything to share it with those four guys. They’re four of my best friends, and we’ve bowled together for a long time. I’m still pinching myself. It’s a feeling I can’t describe right now, but I’m just so glad that I get to share it with them.”
Barnwell led the way with a 715 series and was followed by Stone (705), Taylor (656), Recsnik (632) and Anderson (592).
The group also finished the year in third place for Team All-Events, posting a 9,879 total.
Joey Robillard of Farmington, Minnesota, and Robert Clements of Plymouth, Minnesota, took over the top spot in Regular Doubles on April 30, combining for a 1,494 total.
Robillard rolled games of 245, 226 and 279 during the performance for a 750 series, while Clements – the owner of a perfect game at the Open Championships (2018 – singles) – had 268, 244 and 232 for a 744 series.
Both players are looking to secure their first win at the tournament, while also adding to the legacy of their group – The Lakers (formerly Linds Lakers) – at the Open Championships.
“It was a very long three months, but it means a lot,” Robillard said. “We owe a lot to the team. The chemistry to start, and just a lot of guidance, experience and Eagles. I don’t think we would have gotten to where we were without them.”
The two-team group representing The Lakers in 2025 featured a pair of USBC Hall of Famers in Sam Lantto and Todd Savoy and five Eagle winners (Lantto, Savoy, John Eiss, Gary Green and Chuck Vashaw).
“We were proud of ourselves for leaving with the lead but weren’t sure if we were going to make it or not – there were a lot of good teams and bowlers still going through and thought someone might hit 1,500,” Clements said. “We are really fortunate and blessed to be able to hold on, and it’s a testament to Joey and the whole Lakers team.
“It means everything. They’ve had such great success, and to be part of that tradition with them … I can’t put it into words.”
Two of the top scores in the Standard Division (for bowlers with entering averages from 156-175) took place during the first month of the 2025 event.
Jeff Dent of Glade Hill, Virginia, had the longest tenure at the top of the leaderboard, taking the lead in Standard All-Events on March 13 with a 1,981 total. He posted scores of 695 in team, 655 in singles and 631 in doubles.
A family connection led the way in Standard Doubles, as the brother-and-sister team of Brandyn Cox of Chesterfield, Virginia, and Emily Cox of North Dinwiddie, Virginia, combined for a score of 1,290 on March 28.
Brandyn fired games of 269, 203 and 300 for a 772 series, and Emily added 189, 159 and 170 for a 518 total.
In Standard Team, the Colorado-based members of Leave Your Mark Pro Shop #3 ascended to the top of the standings May 3 with a 2,845 total at the River Center.
Steven McCracken led the group with a 698 series as they rolled games of 963, 991 and 891. He was joined by Russ Schafer (614), Amanda Nowasell (570), Joshua Dundas (550) and Michelle Schafer (413).
The shortest wait in 2025 belonged to Kory Cockrum of Grand Junction, Colorado, in Standard Singles. Cockrum took the lead July 20 with games of 278, 244 and 224 for a 746 series.
The top scores in Classified Singles, Doubles and All-Events all were secured before the middle of April at the 2025 Open Championships. The Classified Division features competitors with entering averages of 155 and below.
On March 24, the father-and-daughter pairing of Shane and Alaina Moore of Reno, Nevada, posted a combined score of 1,172 to pace Classified Doubles. Shane had games of 223, 264 and 201 during the performance for a 688 series, while Alaina added 145, 133 and 206 for 484.
Later that day, Kenneth Hurst of Dayton, Ohio, made his way to the top spot in Classified Singles with a 645 total. Hurst had games of 235, 178 and 232 at the River Center.
Nolan Hartl of Cannon Falls, Minnesota, secured his spot at the top of the leaderboard in Classified All-Events on April 13, finishing with a 1,764 total in Baton Rouge. He had sets of 707 in doubles, 574 in singles and 483 in team.
Hartl’s big score in doubles also helped him tie for third place in Standard Doubles with Justin Dahlke of Eagan, Minnesota. They combined for a 1,244 score.
The 2025 Open Championships featured a total of 18 perfect games and five 800s. The top set for the year was authored by two-time Eagle winner Jeffrey Mersch of Orlando, Florida, on April 12 during doubles. Mersch rolled games of 289, 258 and 279 for an 826 series.
Several major participation milestones also took place in Baton Rouge, highlighted by Clinton Zavakos of Henderson, Nevada, celebrating 70 consecutive appearances in 2025.
The 88-year-old became just the fifth bowler to reach the participation mark at the Open Championships. He joined USBC Hall of Famers Glenn Allison (72 appearances), Bill Doehrman (71 appearances) and Joe Norris (71 appearances), along with Sylvester Thiel (71 appearances) with 70 years at the tournament.
Zavakos also joined Doehrman in reaching the milestone in consecutive appearances, making his debut during the 1955 event in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Across 70 years, Zavakos has a career pinfall of 107,064 (179.3 average).
USBC Hall of Famer Jamie Brooks of Fairview, Texas, made his 65th tournament appearance, becoming the 17th bowler to reach the number.
Brooks – a 1973 Regular Doubles champion – also is a member of the tournament’s 100,000-Pin Club and has knocked down 106,203 pins through 65 years (182.4 average).
A total of 30 bowlers made their 50th appearance at the Open Championships in 2025, bringing the all-time total to 385 competitors.
The 2026 Open Championships will return to Reno, Nevada, and the famed National Bowling Stadium for the 122nd edition of the tournament. The event is scheduled from March 14 – July 5. Register and learn more about the Open Championships by visiting BOWL.com/OpenChamp.
Follow us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.