Georgia bowler competes in 50th USBC Open Championships
April 20, 2023
RENO, Nev. – Influenced by some of those closest to him, Paul Bratten of Brunswick, Georgia, proudly made his way into the record book at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships after making his 50th tournament appearance Tuesday at the National Bowling Stadium.
The 71-year-old right-hander was accompanied by his wife, Susan, for his march down Center Aisle to receive his chevron, plaque and diamond lapel pin. Bratten credited Susan as an inspiration and supporter of his bowling all these years.
“Along with my father, my wife has been a big influence on me to keep the years going here at the Open Championships,” said Bratten, who made his tournament debut at the 1971 event in Detroit and has made his annual appearance each year since 1974.
This year was special to Bratten, not only because it was his milestone appearance, but also because he has a love for Reno with his friends and family.
“Reno has always been a good place to visit,” Bratten said. “I bowled my best all-events set ever here (1,812 in 2010), and this is the first place my wife, Susan, joined me on my trip to nationals.”
Bratten recalls traveling to many cities across the United States, and he often would turn the bowling trip into an all-out vacation.
“We would try to visit all the popular spots in each city we traveled to for the Open, and I would rank my favorites by the destination that had the best steak dinner,” said Bratten, who also mentioned that El Paso, Texas, ranks near the top of the list for this very reason. “We turn the trip into a vacation, with two days of bowling in it every year.”
He also thanks his father, Melvin, for getting him involved in bowling and bringing him along on many trips to the Open Championships before he even began to compete.
Melvin Bratten made 35 appearances at the Open Championships from 1966 through 2003.
“My dad would be extremely proud of this day,” Bratten said. “Simply because I have kept bowling the tournament all these years after he introduced me to the game and having fun along the way.”
Bratten rolled sets of 440 in doubles, 429 in singles and 418 in team to finish his 50th appearance with a 1,287 total, bringing his lifetime pinfall at the tournament to 79,862 (177.4 career average).
When he was asked what the best advice would be to keep the longevity going to make it to 50 years at an event like the Open Championships, Bratten attributed his good health and exercise routine in being able to keep bowling.
“I ride my bike a lot and also love to kayak in the summer,” Bratten said. “I usually average around 20 miles a ride and 16 miles on a kayak ride, and it has really helped me stay in shape.”
The 2023 Open Championships kicked off March 4 and will conclude July 24. The 143-day tournament will feature more than 9,700 five-player teams and nearly 50,000 bowlers making their way to compete in The Biggest Little City in the World.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.
The 71-year-old right-hander was accompanied by his wife, Susan, for his march down Center Aisle to receive his chevron, plaque and diamond lapel pin. Bratten credited Susan as an inspiration and supporter of his bowling all these years.
“Along with my father, my wife has been a big influence on me to keep the years going here at the Open Championships,” said Bratten, who made his tournament debut at the 1971 event in Detroit and has made his annual appearance each year since 1974.
This year was special to Bratten, not only because it was his milestone appearance, but also because he has a love for Reno with his friends and family.
“Reno has always been a good place to visit,” Bratten said. “I bowled my best all-events set ever here (1,812 in 2010), and this is the first place my wife, Susan, joined me on my trip to nationals.”
Bratten recalls traveling to many cities across the United States, and he often would turn the bowling trip into an all-out vacation.
“We would try to visit all the popular spots in each city we traveled to for the Open, and I would rank my favorites by the destination that had the best steak dinner,” said Bratten, who also mentioned that El Paso, Texas, ranks near the top of the list for this very reason. “We turn the trip into a vacation, with two days of bowling in it every year.”
He also thanks his father, Melvin, for getting him involved in bowling and bringing him along on many trips to the Open Championships before he even began to compete.
Melvin Bratten made 35 appearances at the Open Championships from 1966 through 2003.
“My dad would be extremely proud of this day,” Bratten said. “Simply because I have kept bowling the tournament all these years after he introduced me to the game and having fun along the way.”
Bratten rolled sets of 440 in doubles, 429 in singles and 418 in team to finish his 50th appearance with a 1,287 total, bringing his lifetime pinfall at the tournament to 79,862 (177.4 career average).
When he was asked what the best advice would be to keep the longevity going to make it to 50 years at an event like the Open Championships, Bratten attributed his good health and exercise routine in being able to keep bowling.
“I ride my bike a lot and also love to kayak in the summer,” Bratten said. “I usually average around 20 miles a ride and 16 miles on a kayak ride, and it has really helped me stay in shape.”
The 2023 Open Championships kicked off March 4 and will conclude July 24. The 143-day tournament will feature more than 9,700 five-player teams and nearly 50,000 bowlers making their way to compete in The Biggest Little City in the World.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.