Diamond earns crystal pin at USBC Open Championships
April 16, 2026
RENO, Nev. – Dale Diamond of Chatham, Illinois, became the 32nd member of the illustrious 100,000-Pin Club at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships during his team competition Saturday at the 2026 event.
The 84-year-old right-hander needed 147 pins to earn the crystal pin awarded for the milestone, and he quickly got to work at the National Bowling Stadium.
Diamond stayed clean through his first six frames, and a strike in the seventh put the achievement within distance for the eighth. A nine count in the frame would have been enough to secure the crystal pin, but Diamond saved his best shot for the moment – he delivered a perfect strike to once again place his name in the tournament’s record book.
Making his 62nd tournament appearance, Diamond already was one of 36 to reach 60 years at the USBC Open Championships. Now, his name will be displayed annually on a banner hanging over the lanes at the event alongside some of the greatest competitors in the history of the sport for joining the elite group.
With his 2026 appearance in the books, Diamond now has knocked down 101,224 pins for a career average at the Open Championships of 181.4.
Watch the video below for the clinching strike and presentation at the National Bowling Stadium, followed by an interview with the Cedar Falls Bowling (now Greater Cedar Valley USBC), Greater Springfield USBC (now Central Illinois USBC) and Iowa State USBC Hall of Famer.
Diamond made his tournament debut at the 1962 event in Des Moines, Iowa, and he’s made his annual trip to compete at each edition of the event since 1967.
In 1977, he was elected to serve as the American Bowling Congress (ABC) director for the state of Iowa, and in the early 1980s, he purchased bowling centers in Cedar Falls, Iowa (Valley Park Lanes), and Mason City, Iowa (Rose Bowl Lanes), before moving to Illinois later in the decade.
On his way to 100,000 pins at the Open Championships, Diamond also accrued some strong performances along the way.
He had 298 in doubles during the 1989 tournament in Wichita, Kansas, and recorded his top series and all-events tally during the 1993 event in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Diamond’s 738 in singles that year helped him close the tournament with 1,906.
During his 58th appearance at the 2022 Open Championships in Las Vegas, he authored a 589 set to help Dale Diamond Team 2 to third place in the Standard Division with a 3,079 total at the South Point Bowling Plaza.
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 84-year-old right-hander needed 147 pins to earn the crystal pin awarded for the milestone, and he quickly got to work at the National Bowling Stadium.
Diamond stayed clean through his first six frames, and a strike in the seventh put the achievement within distance for the eighth. A nine count in the frame would have been enough to secure the crystal pin, but Diamond saved his best shot for the moment – he delivered a perfect strike to once again place his name in the tournament’s record book.
Making his 62nd tournament appearance, Diamond already was one of 36 to reach 60 years at the USBC Open Championships. Now, his name will be displayed annually on a banner hanging over the lanes at the event alongside some of the greatest competitors in the history of the sport for joining the elite group.
With his 2026 appearance in the books, Diamond now has knocked down 101,224 pins for a career average at the Open Championships of 181.4.
Watch the video below for the clinching strike and presentation at the National Bowling Stadium, followed by an interview with the Cedar Falls Bowling (now Greater Cedar Valley USBC), Greater Springfield USBC (now Central Illinois USBC) and Iowa State USBC Hall of Famer.
Diamond made his tournament debut at the 1962 event in Des Moines, Iowa, and he’s made his annual trip to compete at each edition of the event since 1967.
In 1977, he was elected to serve as the American Bowling Congress (ABC) director for the state of Iowa, and in the early 1980s, he purchased bowling centers in Cedar Falls, Iowa (Valley Park Lanes), and Mason City, Iowa (Rose Bowl Lanes), before moving to Illinois later in the decade.
On his way to 100,000 pins at the Open Championships, Diamond also accrued some strong performances along the way.
He had 298 in doubles during the 1989 tournament in Wichita, Kansas, and recorded his top series and all-events tally during the 1993 event in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Diamond’s 738 in singles that year helped him close the tournament with 1,906.
During his 58th appearance at the 2022 Open Championships in Las Vegas, he authored a 589 set to help Dale Diamond Team 2 to third place in the Standard Division with a 3,079 total at the South Point Bowling Plaza.
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.