Las Vegas bowler makes milestone appearance at Open Championships
June 14, 2025
BATON ROUGE, La. – Competing for 50 years at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships is something that many bowlers do not anticipate accomplishing when they first start at the event.
For Las Vegas’ Allen Nelson, he was able to achieve that feat Monday at the Raising Cane’s River Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was celebrated for his longevity at the tournament and received a plaque, chevron and diamond lapel pin.
Nelson made his first appearance in 1969, when the tournament was being held in Madison, Wisconsin. Although he missed a few years of participation in the beginning, he has been able to come to the tournament each year since 1979, when the Open Championships was held in Tampa, Florida.
With his 50th tournament in the books, he’s been able to maintain an average of 174.1 and knockdown a total of 76,987 pins.
He has a lot of great memories from over the years of coming to the tournament, but one of the years that stands out to him the most is from Niagara Falls, New York, in 1983.
“We had two teams and were bowling opening night,” said Nelson, who also rolled his highest all-events total at the Open Championships that year (1,751). “One member of our team was selected as ‘Joe Bowler’ with the crown, scepter and cape. He had to throw the first ball, and it went in the left gutter.”
Just before Nelson and his team headed to Niagara Falls that year, a snowstorm had just occurred. Nelson noted, “It was minus 10 degrees the whole time we were there, and it was just cold.”
Nelson also had some great memories from the different cities he has been able to visit, with one of the most memorable experiences coming from his trip to Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1970.
Unknowingly, he made his trip to bowl during the area’s Dogwood Festival.
“They had dogwood (flowers) lined in the streets,” Nelson said. “You would follow the streets through developments and see all the beautiful flowers and trees and things like that.”
In 2010, Nelson joined the Stars & Strikes group, organized by Arman Prescott, and he credits that route to helping him in his journey to 50 years.
At the 2025 event, Prescott’s squad featured 38 teams from the Stars & Strikes crew helping to celebrate Nelson's milestone appearance.
“I never thought that I would get here,” said Nelson, when he reflected on his accomplishment. “If it wasn’t for Arman and the Stars & Strikes group, I seriously doubt I would have ever made it his far. I have been with them for 15 years.”
Even though Nelson has reached his 50th year of attendance at the Open Championships, he does not want to stop now. When he was asked about what was next, he simply stated, “60.” But first, his next goal is to make it to Greenville, South Carolina, in 2028.
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.
For Las Vegas’ Allen Nelson, he was able to achieve that feat Monday at the Raising Cane’s River Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was celebrated for his longevity at the tournament and received a plaque, chevron and diamond lapel pin.
Nelson made his first appearance in 1969, when the tournament was being held in Madison, Wisconsin. Although he missed a few years of participation in the beginning, he has been able to come to the tournament each year since 1979, when the Open Championships was held in Tampa, Florida.
With his 50th tournament in the books, he’s been able to maintain an average of 174.1 and knockdown a total of 76,987 pins.
He has a lot of great memories from over the years of coming to the tournament, but one of the years that stands out to him the most is from Niagara Falls, New York, in 1983.
“We had two teams and were bowling opening night,” said Nelson, who also rolled his highest all-events total at the Open Championships that year (1,751). “One member of our team was selected as ‘Joe Bowler’ with the crown, scepter and cape. He had to throw the first ball, and it went in the left gutter.”
Just before Nelson and his team headed to Niagara Falls that year, a snowstorm had just occurred. Nelson noted, “It was minus 10 degrees the whole time we were there, and it was just cold.”
Nelson also had some great memories from the different cities he has been able to visit, with one of the most memorable experiences coming from his trip to Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1970.
Unknowingly, he made his trip to bowl during the area’s Dogwood Festival.
“They had dogwood (flowers) lined in the streets,” Nelson said. “You would follow the streets through developments and see all the beautiful flowers and trees and things like that.”
In 2010, Nelson joined the Stars & Strikes group, organized by Arman Prescott, and he credits that route to helping him in his journey to 50 years.
At the 2025 event, Prescott’s squad featured 38 teams from the Stars & Strikes crew helping to celebrate Nelson's milestone appearance.
“I never thought that I would get here,” said Nelson, when he reflected on his accomplishment. “If it wasn’t for Arman and the Stars & Strikes group, I seriously doubt I would have ever made it his far. I have been with them for 15 years.”
Even though Nelson has reached his 50th year of attendance at the Open Championships, he does not want to stop now. When he was asked about what was next, he simply stated, “60.” But first, his next goal is to make it to Greenville, South Carolina, in 2028.
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.