AJ Johnson rolls 823 in doubles at 2025 USBC Open Championships
June 27, 2025
BATON ROUGE, La. – Team USA’s AJ Johnson is no stranger to the spotlight. But at this year’s United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, it was a moment shared with family that stood above the rest.
Johnson, of Kenosha, Wisconsin, fired an 823 series during doubles competition at the Raising Cane’s River Center, marking his first honor score on the Open Championships stage. It was the fifth 800 of the 2025 event.
“The Open Championships is unique – you get one crack at it,” Johnson said. “You don’t get to bowl a couple squads to try and better your score. You get your one crack and that’s it. You can kind of judge a little bit based on what other people do, but you really have to make your guesses when you’re throwing your practice shots and commit to decisions, commit to the (bowling) balls and everything.”
This year’s event is expected to draw more than 58,000 bowlers from all 50 states and beyond, all grasping for the prestigious Eagle trophy – one of the most coveted honors in bowling.
“I’ve always enjoyed this tournament, because everyone gets to bowl,” said Johnson, who made his ninth appearance at the event. “I get to bowl with friends from back home and I also get to bowl with my dad. I don’t get to do that very often.”
Johnson has been bowling the Open alongside his father, Shawn, for several years, sharing the lanes with the man who first introduced him to the sport.
“It’s pretty special. My dad is the reason why I got into this sport,” he said. “I used to throw fits when I was little if I didn’t get to take off school to come with my dad when he bowled the Open Championships before I was allowed to.”
This year, the pair bowled together once again, finishing with a combined score of 1,361 in Regular Doubles. It was a memory that was made even more meaningful with Johnson’s mother in attendance.
“Getting to bowl with him is awesome, and I think this was the first time my mom came out to the Open Championships to watch,” he said. “To bowl a score and have her here as well, it was cool.”
After opening the tournament with a 572 series in team, Johnson rebounded in doubles with games of 277, 269 and 277. He finished singles with a 730 set, and the strong overall showing helped him to 11th place in Regular All-Events with 2,125 (he now sits in 12th place).
Johnson and his father currently are in the top 50 for Regular Doubles.
“If we could have put up some numbers and gotten into the top five or even taken over the lead, I think that would have been the icing on the cake,” he said. “I’m pretty sure my dad would have said, ‘All right, I’m done bowling,’ if we could have won an Eagle together, because that would have meant the absolute world.”
The 2023 Storm Lucky Larsen Masters champion now joins the ranks of bowlers whose names will be remembered at the Open Championships for years to come.
“I’ve had a couple cracks at 300, but never had a crack at 800,” he said. “Shooting 800 in this event was really cool. I think 800 means a little bit more than a 300 does because you have to put three games together instead of just one.”
Watch the video below for the full discussion with Johnson after his performance in Baton Rouge.
The Open Championships is celebrating its third trip to Baton Rouge in 2025 and scheduled to feature more than 11,600 five-player teams competing across 150 consecutive days at the River Center.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.
Johnson, of Kenosha, Wisconsin, fired an 823 series during doubles competition at the Raising Cane’s River Center, marking his first honor score on the Open Championships stage. It was the fifth 800 of the 2025 event.
“The Open Championships is unique – you get one crack at it,” Johnson said. “You don’t get to bowl a couple squads to try and better your score. You get your one crack and that’s it. You can kind of judge a little bit based on what other people do, but you really have to make your guesses when you’re throwing your practice shots and commit to decisions, commit to the (bowling) balls and everything.”
This year’s event is expected to draw more than 58,000 bowlers from all 50 states and beyond, all grasping for the prestigious Eagle trophy – one of the most coveted honors in bowling.
“I’ve always enjoyed this tournament, because everyone gets to bowl,” said Johnson, who made his ninth appearance at the event. “I get to bowl with friends from back home and I also get to bowl with my dad. I don’t get to do that very often.”
Johnson has been bowling the Open alongside his father, Shawn, for several years, sharing the lanes with the man who first introduced him to the sport.
“It’s pretty special. My dad is the reason why I got into this sport,” he said. “I used to throw fits when I was little if I didn’t get to take off school to come with my dad when he bowled the Open Championships before I was allowed to.”
This year, the pair bowled together once again, finishing with a combined score of 1,361 in Regular Doubles. It was a memory that was made even more meaningful with Johnson’s mother in attendance.
“Getting to bowl with him is awesome, and I think this was the first time my mom came out to the Open Championships to watch,” he said. “To bowl a score and have her here as well, it was cool.”
After opening the tournament with a 572 series in team, Johnson rebounded in doubles with games of 277, 269 and 277. He finished singles with a 730 set, and the strong overall showing helped him to 11th place in Regular All-Events with 2,125 (he now sits in 12th place).
Johnson and his father currently are in the top 50 for Regular Doubles.
“If we could have put up some numbers and gotten into the top five or even taken over the lead, I think that would have been the icing on the cake,” he said. “I’m pretty sure my dad would have said, ‘All right, I’m done bowling,’ if we could have won an Eagle together, because that would have meant the absolute world.”
The 2023 Storm Lucky Larsen Masters champion now joins the ranks of bowlers whose names will be remembered at the Open Championships for years to come.
“I’ve had a couple cracks at 300, but never had a crack at 800,” he said. “Shooting 800 in this event was really cool. I think 800 means a little bit more than a 300 does because you have to put three games together instead of just one.”
Watch the video below for the full discussion with Johnson after his performance in Baton Rouge.
The Open Championships is celebrating its third trip to Baton Rouge in 2025 and scheduled to feature more than 11,600 five-player teams competing across 150 consecutive days at the River Center.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.