Illinois bowler celebrates 50 appearances at USBC Open Championships
July 16, 2024
LAS VEGAS – Howard Cornish of Sherman, Illinois, became the 23rd bowler to reach 50 years of participation with his recent appearance at the 2024 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships.
Cornish was recognized for his consecutive years of participation with a special march out to the lanes at the South Point Bowling Plaza and was presented with a plaque, chevron and diamond lapel pin to help celebrate his milestone.
“I just want to say that I am thoroughly pleased with my experience here for the 50-year celebration,” Cornish said. “The staff here has been very accommodating and really make you feel important when you get here for your 50th tournament.”
Coming to the USBC Open Championships is significant to Cornish for many reasons, but his favorites are tied to his wedding anniversary with his wife, Colleen, and the birth of his granddaughter in 2018.
“I have been married for 49 years to my wife, and our anniversary is around the time I usually bowl this event each year, with our 50th anniversary next month,” Cornish said. “We are going to celebrate our anniversary a little bit earlier this year while we are here in Las Vegas, and we’re really looking forward to that.
“Also, our granddaughter was born in 2018 right when we were starting our doubles and singles event that year in Syracuse, and I love that this tournament always reminds me of that moment.”
Cornish made his tournament debut at the 1974 event in Indianapolis, and he has enjoyed the overall experience from traveling to the different host cities to being able to witness a winning score during the 1983 Open Championships in Niagara Falls, New York.
“One of my favorite things about this tournament is that we were able to go to so many different places and turn it into a vacation every year,” said Cornish, a member of the Central Illinois USBC Hall of Fame. “I don’t know if I ever would have traveled to some places like Mobile, Alabama, or Jacksonville, Florida, without this event.
“One of the coolest things I have seen in the years I have bowled was getting a front-row seat to Rickey Kendrick’s singles event win in 1983. He was asked at the last minute to sub that year and showed up to the event shooting the lights out, which ended up being enough to win.”
Some of Cornish’s highlights on the lanes included leaving the 1975 event in Dayton, Ohio, in fourth place in Regular Team competition on the way to finishing in the top 35 with his Fairview Tavern teammates.
At the 1992 tournament in Corpus Christi, Texas, Cornish posted 10 consecutive strikes before a 4 pin slowed his run at 300. He finished the game with 289.
Now that he has reached 50 years and has maintained his health, Cornish plans on continuing to bowl for as long as he can.
“I didn’t really think this was a possibility until I got to my 40th year of bowling,” Cornish said. “Once I got to 40 years, I told myself I am just going to keep on going because I still enjoy bowling and want to see my name on the short list of bowlers with 50-plus years. Here I am today, with no plans to stop coming anytime soon.”
Cornish finished his milestone appearance with sets of 564 in doubles, 453 in singles and 400 in team for an all-events score of 1,417. In 50 years on the tournament lanes, Cornish has knocked down 78,157 pins for a career average of 176.
The 2024 Open Championships got underway Feb. 23 and will run through July 29 at the South Point Bowling Plaza. The tournament is scheduled to feature more than 11,000 teams and 55,000 bowlers making their way to compete in Las Vegas.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.
Cornish was recognized for his consecutive years of participation with a special march out to the lanes at the South Point Bowling Plaza and was presented with a plaque, chevron and diamond lapel pin to help celebrate his milestone.
“I just want to say that I am thoroughly pleased with my experience here for the 50-year celebration,” Cornish said. “The staff here has been very accommodating and really make you feel important when you get here for your 50th tournament.”
Coming to the USBC Open Championships is significant to Cornish for many reasons, but his favorites are tied to his wedding anniversary with his wife, Colleen, and the birth of his granddaughter in 2018.
“I have been married for 49 years to my wife, and our anniversary is around the time I usually bowl this event each year, with our 50th anniversary next month,” Cornish said. “We are going to celebrate our anniversary a little bit earlier this year while we are here in Las Vegas, and we’re really looking forward to that.
“Also, our granddaughter was born in 2018 right when we were starting our doubles and singles event that year in Syracuse, and I love that this tournament always reminds me of that moment.”
Cornish made his tournament debut at the 1974 event in Indianapolis, and he has enjoyed the overall experience from traveling to the different host cities to being able to witness a winning score during the 1983 Open Championships in Niagara Falls, New York.
“One of my favorite things about this tournament is that we were able to go to so many different places and turn it into a vacation every year,” said Cornish, a member of the Central Illinois USBC Hall of Fame. “I don’t know if I ever would have traveled to some places like Mobile, Alabama, or Jacksonville, Florida, without this event.
“One of the coolest things I have seen in the years I have bowled was getting a front-row seat to Rickey Kendrick’s singles event win in 1983. He was asked at the last minute to sub that year and showed up to the event shooting the lights out, which ended up being enough to win.”
Some of Cornish’s highlights on the lanes included leaving the 1975 event in Dayton, Ohio, in fourth place in Regular Team competition on the way to finishing in the top 35 with his Fairview Tavern teammates.
At the 1992 tournament in Corpus Christi, Texas, Cornish posted 10 consecutive strikes before a 4 pin slowed his run at 300. He finished the game with 289.
Now that he has reached 50 years and has maintained his health, Cornish plans on continuing to bowl for as long as he can.
“I didn’t really think this was a possibility until I got to my 40th year of bowling,” Cornish said. “Once I got to 40 years, I told myself I am just going to keep on going because I still enjoy bowling and want to see my name on the short list of bowlers with 50-plus years. Here I am today, with no plans to stop coming anytime soon.”
Cornish finished his milestone appearance with sets of 564 in doubles, 453 in singles and 400 in team for an all-events score of 1,417. In 50 years on the tournament lanes, Cornish has knocked down 78,157 pins for a career average of 176.
The 2024 Open Championships got underway Feb. 23 and will run through July 29 at the South Point Bowling Plaza. The tournament is scheduled to feature more than 11,000 teams and 55,000 bowlers making their way to compete in Las Vegas.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.