Ohio bowler celebrates 50 years at 2025 USBC Open Championships
April 02, 2025
BATON ROUGE, La. – Family and friends served as the theme for Phil Baker’s milestone appearance Monday at the 2025 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships as he joined the tournament's 50-Year Club.
Baker, of Urbana, Ohio, was recognized prior to the start of his team event at the Raising Cane’s River Center and received a plaque, chevron and diamond lapel pin to honor his achievement.
He was joined by his daughters, Jessica Abel and Nicole Susberry, and their families on his special day.
“I’m glad I got to 50,” Baker said. “I had a lot of people that I bowled with over the years that were able to be here today.”
The 75-year-old started bowling the Open Championships during the 1974 event in Indianapolis. Since then, he has been to multiple cities and states, with one of his most memorable being his trip to Huntsville, Alabama, in 1997.
When Baker started bowling, his doubles partner was Jack Russell. During the 1997 event, they were sitting in the top 10 of Regular Doubles when they concluded their appearance and finished the event near the top 40. Baker rolled a 722 series during doubles that year – his highest set at the tournament.
Once Jessica was old enough to bowl the tournament, she became his doubles partner starting in 2009.
“It’s beautiful that I get to bowl with my family,” Baker said.
Abel, the Bowlers to Veterans Link (BVL) Executive Director, added, “We have bowled together since 2009, except for the years I had my son and last year, when I tore my ACL.”
Baker went on to say, “We have at least 20 more years to go.”
Baker also was very excited to be back in Baton Rouge this year for the tournament. He said, “It’s not so much the bowling that I like, but it’s the Cajun music and food. I like everything about this place. It’s my kind of place.”
He finished his 50th appearance with sets of 468 in team, 524 in doubles and 478 in singles for an all-events tally of 1,470. For his career, he’s knocked over 83,431 pins for an overall average of 190.4 at the Open Championships.
Baker joked that getting to 50 appearances “means that I’m old,” but he’s been a big part of helping grow the bowling community around him.
In his hometown, Baker had coached at Urbana High School for 18 years, and then went on to coach at Urbana University for 10 years. This fall, he is starting a new bowling program at Edison State Community College.
“Bowling has been a large part of my life,” Baker said. “I love bowling, and I love coaching and I’m still coaching.”
Baker doesn’t plan to stop competing anytime soon, either, saying, “I’m going to keep bowling until I can’t anymore.”
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.
Baker, of Urbana, Ohio, was recognized prior to the start of his team event at the Raising Cane’s River Center and received a plaque, chevron and diamond lapel pin to honor his achievement.
He was joined by his daughters, Jessica Abel and Nicole Susberry, and their families on his special day.
“I’m glad I got to 50,” Baker said. “I had a lot of people that I bowled with over the years that were able to be here today.”
The 75-year-old started bowling the Open Championships during the 1974 event in Indianapolis. Since then, he has been to multiple cities and states, with one of his most memorable being his trip to Huntsville, Alabama, in 1997.
When Baker started bowling, his doubles partner was Jack Russell. During the 1997 event, they were sitting in the top 10 of Regular Doubles when they concluded their appearance and finished the event near the top 40. Baker rolled a 722 series during doubles that year – his highest set at the tournament.
Once Jessica was old enough to bowl the tournament, she became his doubles partner starting in 2009.
“It’s beautiful that I get to bowl with my family,” Baker said.
Abel, the Bowlers to Veterans Link (BVL) Executive Director, added, “We have bowled together since 2009, except for the years I had my son and last year, when I tore my ACL.”
Baker went on to say, “We have at least 20 more years to go.”
Baker also was very excited to be back in Baton Rouge this year for the tournament. He said, “It’s not so much the bowling that I like, but it’s the Cajun music and food. I like everything about this place. It’s my kind of place.”
He finished his 50th appearance with sets of 468 in team, 524 in doubles and 478 in singles for an all-events tally of 1,470. For his career, he’s knocked over 83,431 pins for an overall average of 190.4 at the Open Championships.
Baker joked that getting to 50 appearances “means that I’m old,” but he’s been a big part of helping grow the bowling community around him.
In his hometown, Baker had coached at Urbana High School for 18 years, and then went on to coach at Urbana University for 10 years. This fall, he is starting a new bowling program at Edison State Community College.
“Bowling has been a large part of my life,” Baker said. “I love bowling, and I love coaching and I’m still coaching.”
Baker doesn’t plan to stop competing anytime soon, either, saying, “I’m going to keep bowling until I can’t anymore.”
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.