Brothers celebrate 50 years at USBC Open Championships
March 07, 2025
PHOTO (from left): Randy and David Gulley
BATON ROUGE, La. – The theme of family certainly was on display for the first 50-year celebration at the 2025 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships as brothers Randy and David Gulley marched into the tournament’s record book at the Raising Cane’s River Center.
The pair became the first brothers to reach 50 years during the same tournament with their milestone appearance at the 2025 event, and each received a plaque, chevron and diamond lapel pin while being surrounded by family and friends.
The first brothers to join the 50-Year Club at the USBC Open Championships were Pennsylvania’s Jules and Wayne Falcone. Jules reached 50 years in 2016, and Wayne followed in 2017. Jules made his 57th appearance in 2024, while Wayne celebrated his 56th trip to the tournament.
While many family members cheered from the stands at the River Center during their ceremonial march across the lanes, Randy and David also were joined in the presentation by their brother (Kenneth Gulley) and Randy’s son (Randy Gulley Jr.) and stepson (Scott Conaway).
“Getting to my 50th year has been really exciting,” said David, a member of the Citrus Belt USBC Hall of Fame. “Not just me, but my entire family has been getting ready for this day as I have all my grandkids, my daughter and daughter-in-law here to help celebrate. I was a little nervous getting here today as well as I had been battling some health issues involving my balance, but all tests came back OK and I was able to tough it out and hit the lanes.”
Randy planned to help David compete if needed, fulfilling his role as the older brother.
“A week ago, he couldn’t walk a straight line,” said Randy, who earned induction to the Colorado State USBC and Pikes Peak USBC Halls of Fame. “He wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to throw a bowling ball, so we were going to hold him up – that was our deal. I told him I’d hold him up, and he would just have to throw the ball.
“We’ve been looking forward to this. I called up my sons and asked if they wanted to bowl with dad for his 50th. They had not been bowling, so they went out and bought bowling balls to come out here.”
The team donned jerseys from I AM Bowling with photos from different trips to the Open Championships, which also gave them the chance to reflect on their starts at the event.
David was the first to experience the tournament, competing in the 1973 event in Syracuse, New York. Randy made his debut at the 1974 tournament in Indianapolis.
“I was working in California as a carpenter when some of my coworkers asked me if I wanted to bowl nationals,” said David, of Lake Elsinore, California. “I had never heard of such a thing, and the cocky young bowler in myself was interested so I joined with the guys. When I got to the stadium in Syracuse, it was unlike anything I had ever seen with the high ceilings and overall large venue. I enjoyed my experience so much that I just had to get my brother Randy to come with once I described it to him.”
Randy was living in St. Louis in 1974 when he was asked to join a group with Trio Bowling Supply, and they decided to travel in style to Indianapolis.
“In 1974, a law was enacted limiting vehicles to 55 mph to save gasoline in the United States, making driving much longer than today,” said Randy, now of Pahrump, Nevada. “That same year, my brother David and I were asked to bowl for one of the teams formed by Trio Bowling Supply of St. Ann, Missouri. As a group of teams, we decided to rent a bus to travel to nationals, leaving the long, slow drive to someone else to enjoy our teammates and ride in comfort.”
Across their journey to 50 years, both brothers have put together some strong sets on the tournament lanes. David currently holds bragging rights for the highest all-events score (1,873 in 1999), while Randy has posted the highest series at the Open Championships (684 in singles in 1988).
With their appearances complete in 2025, David now sits at a career pinfall of 83,097 (184.6 average). Randy’s pinfall total is at 77,276 (177.6 average).
“My brother and I have always been competitive against each other in a fun-loving way, but I have enjoyed getting to bowl with him all these years and seeing different parts of the country,” David said. “We are both in our 80s now, so every chance we do get to bowl with each other – whether it be a doubles tournament or this tournament each year – is a beautiful thing.
“My 50th year at the Open Championships is a huge milestone in my career. I have 300s and 800s, which are nice and all, but my 50th year is really important to me because I dedicated a lot of my life to traveling the country. Most of it being with my brother has really made it special, too.”
Traveling to see new parts of the country and having the chance to meet new people was a big part of the road to 50 years for Randy, too, and he’s been able to share a lot of his passion for the sport through his love of photography.
Bowlers from all over have likely come across some of his photos on Facebook through birthday posts, and he always knows where to find the photos in his collection.
“I was probably 11 years old when I started taking photos – I got a job delivering papers to get the money to buy the film to take the photos,” Randy said. “It’s a big passion. I started to take a lot of photos of bowlers when I was the head staff writer of The Colorado Bowler for 14 years. I donated all my time to do the paper and even delivered them. Same thing for the photos – I never asked for anything. I enjoy doing it.
“People ask how I know where to find all these photos. I’ll remember. If I took a photo of you here, it’s in my head, and I’ll go find it in my archives.”
While every picture shares a story, Randy is grateful to have shared his experience with his brother and all the bowling community has brought him over the years.
“Sharing this together with David was wonderful,” Randy said. “We were both really hurting but made sure we came here. It was a nice celebration.
“I love bowling. I’ve been involved so much in bowling. I’ve made a lot of friends, and some of them even showed up today. They moved to the Baton Rouge area, and I had bowled with them in 1982 in Redlands, California. They showed up and watched us. Bowling has been very good to me.”
The Open Championships is celebrating its third trip to Baton Rouge in 2025 and scheduled to feature more than 58,000 bowlers and 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.
BATON ROUGE, La. – The theme of family certainly was on display for the first 50-year celebration at the 2025 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships as brothers Randy and David Gulley marched into the tournament’s record book at the Raising Cane’s River Center.
The pair became the first brothers to reach 50 years during the same tournament with their milestone appearance at the 2025 event, and each received a plaque, chevron and diamond lapel pin while being surrounded by family and friends.
The first brothers to join the 50-Year Club at the USBC Open Championships were Pennsylvania’s Jules and Wayne Falcone. Jules reached 50 years in 2016, and Wayne followed in 2017. Jules made his 57th appearance in 2024, while Wayne celebrated his 56th trip to the tournament.
While many family members cheered from the stands at the River Center during their ceremonial march across the lanes, Randy and David also were joined in the presentation by their brother (Kenneth Gulley) and Randy’s son (Randy Gulley Jr.) and stepson (Scott Conaway).
“Getting to my 50th year has been really exciting,” said David, a member of the Citrus Belt USBC Hall of Fame. “Not just me, but my entire family has been getting ready for this day as I have all my grandkids, my daughter and daughter-in-law here to help celebrate. I was a little nervous getting here today as well as I had been battling some health issues involving my balance, but all tests came back OK and I was able to tough it out and hit the lanes.”
Randy planned to help David compete if needed, fulfilling his role as the older brother.
“A week ago, he couldn’t walk a straight line,” said Randy, who earned induction to the Colorado State USBC and Pikes Peak USBC Halls of Fame. “He wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to throw a bowling ball, so we were going to hold him up – that was our deal. I told him I’d hold him up, and he would just have to throw the ball.
“We’ve been looking forward to this. I called up my sons and asked if they wanted to bowl with dad for his 50th. They had not been bowling, so they went out and bought bowling balls to come out here.”
The team donned jerseys from I AM Bowling with photos from different trips to the Open Championships, which also gave them the chance to reflect on their starts at the event.
David was the first to experience the tournament, competing in the 1973 event in Syracuse, New York. Randy made his debut at the 1974 tournament in Indianapolis.
“I was working in California as a carpenter when some of my coworkers asked me if I wanted to bowl nationals,” said David, of Lake Elsinore, California. “I had never heard of such a thing, and the cocky young bowler in myself was interested so I joined with the guys. When I got to the stadium in Syracuse, it was unlike anything I had ever seen with the high ceilings and overall large venue. I enjoyed my experience so much that I just had to get my brother Randy to come with once I described it to him.”
Randy was living in St. Louis in 1974 when he was asked to join a group with Trio Bowling Supply, and they decided to travel in style to Indianapolis.
“In 1974, a law was enacted limiting vehicles to 55 mph to save gasoline in the United States, making driving much longer than today,” said Randy, now of Pahrump, Nevada. “That same year, my brother David and I were asked to bowl for one of the teams formed by Trio Bowling Supply of St. Ann, Missouri. As a group of teams, we decided to rent a bus to travel to nationals, leaving the long, slow drive to someone else to enjoy our teammates and ride in comfort.”
Across their journey to 50 years, both brothers have put together some strong sets on the tournament lanes. David currently holds bragging rights for the highest all-events score (1,873 in 1999), while Randy has posted the highest series at the Open Championships (684 in singles in 1988).
With their appearances complete in 2025, David now sits at a career pinfall of 83,097 (184.6 average). Randy’s pinfall total is at 77,276 (177.6 average).
“My brother and I have always been competitive against each other in a fun-loving way, but I have enjoyed getting to bowl with him all these years and seeing different parts of the country,” David said. “We are both in our 80s now, so every chance we do get to bowl with each other – whether it be a doubles tournament or this tournament each year – is a beautiful thing.
“My 50th year at the Open Championships is a huge milestone in my career. I have 300s and 800s, which are nice and all, but my 50th year is really important to me because I dedicated a lot of my life to traveling the country. Most of it being with my brother has really made it special, too.”
Traveling to see new parts of the country and having the chance to meet new people was a big part of the road to 50 years for Randy, too, and he’s been able to share a lot of his passion for the sport through his love of photography.
Bowlers from all over have likely come across some of his photos on Facebook through birthday posts, and he always knows where to find the photos in his collection.
“I was probably 11 years old when I started taking photos – I got a job delivering papers to get the money to buy the film to take the photos,” Randy said. “It’s a big passion. I started to take a lot of photos of bowlers when I was the head staff writer of The Colorado Bowler for 14 years. I donated all my time to do the paper and even delivered them. Same thing for the photos – I never asked for anything. I enjoy doing it.
“People ask how I know where to find all these photos. I’ll remember. If I took a photo of you here, it’s in my head, and I’ll go find it in my archives.”
While every picture shares a story, Randy is grateful to have shared his experience with his brother and all the bowling community has brought him over the years.
“Sharing this together with David was wonderful,” Randy said. “We were both really hurting but made sure we came here. It was a nice celebration.
“I love bowling. I’ve been involved so much in bowling. I’ve made a lot of friends, and some of them even showed up today. They moved to the Baton Rouge area, and I had bowled with them in 1982 in Redlands, California. They showed up and watched us. Bowling has been very good to me.”
The Open Championships is celebrating its third trip to Baton Rouge in 2025 and scheduled to feature more than 58,000 bowlers and 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.