Hall of Famer Jamie Brooks makes 65th appearance at Open Championships
July 17, 2025
BATON ROUGE, La. – United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer Jamie Brooks added another milestone achievement to his collection at the USBC Open Championships on Monday, as he made his 65th tournament appearance.
The 90-year-old right-hander was joined by his wife, Peggy, as he marched across the lanes at the Raising Cane’s River Center and received a chevron, plaque and custom gold ring to commemorate his entrance into the tournament’s 65-Year Club.
Brooks, of Fairview, Texas, became the 17th bowler in the 121-year history of the Open Championships to reach the milestone, and he is thankful to have been able to experience the tournament for all these years.
“First and foremost, I need to thank God for keeping me healthy enough and most importantly, alive, to see this day,” Brooks said. “Getting to 65 years here has been a goal of mine after reaching 60 years and knocking down 100,000 pins in consecutive years.
“The feeling of having your wife and friends here for this moment is something that keeps you going, and I am happy to be able to experience this.”
Brooks joined the 100,000-Pin Club during his 61st appearance in 2021, but his journey at the tournament started at the 1957 event in Fort Worth, Texas. He only missed a few years of the event along the way, as he managed his bowling centers.
“My first event was the year the American Bowling Congress used automatic pinsetters for the first time, and to see the changes our sport has gone through to get where we are today with technology is incredible,” Brooks said. “I really wish I would have set aside the time to make it to those years I missed in the 1960s. I feel like I would be in the conversation for having the record for most appearances if I had done so.”
Along with 65 years of participation and 100,000 pins (he’s one of 31 bowlers to achieve the feat), Brooks also is an Eagle winner at the Open Championships. He had his breakthrough during the 1973 event in Syracuse, New York, when he paired with Houston’s Jim Paine to claim the Regular Doubles title with a 1,337 total.
Paine posted a 686 series in the winning effort, and Brooks had 651.
“Getting that doubles win with Jim was a real highlight of my career, and I am glad he has been here for some of my moments at the tournament through all of these years,” Brooks said.
In 2023, Brooks was recognized with one of the highest honors, as he was inducted to the USBC Hall of Fame for meritorious service through his contributions to the bowling community.
In addition to his work as a proprietor, he also served as the president of the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America from 1984-1986. He received the Victor Lerner Memorial Medal from the BPAA in 2004 and was named the USBC Proprietor of the Year in 2010. He’s also been recognized with the USBC Joyce Deitch Unity Award (2016), Flowers for the Living Award (2018) and BPAA President’s Award (2019).
Past USBC President Melissa McDaniel and Jamie Brooks at the 2023 USBC Hall of Fame Ceremony
“I have been around the bowling industry for a long time, which includes owning multiple centers,” said Brooks, who also founded the Senior All-Star Bowling Association (SASBA) in 1990. “All I ever wanted to do was make the folks that come through my doors happy and satisfied, which in the end would make our centers thrive. To be honored with a spot in the USBC Hall of Fame was a surprise and extremely humbling.”
At 90 years of age, Brooks credits the sport of bowling and the bowlers he has come across over the years in helping him continue to love the tournament and the sport.
“I don’t know how many more years of this I have left in me at this age,” Brooks said. “Bowling at this age has become extremely hard and it takes a hit to your confidence when you can’t do something as well as you use to.
“However, I would like to thank any bowler that has come through my center doors in Texas, as well as the wonderful folks who work in the bowling world. Those are the people that have really made my life in the bowling industry a truly rewarding experience.”
With his 65th appearance now in the books, Brooks sits at a career pinfall of 106,203 at the Open Championships for an average of 182.4.
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.
The 90-year-old right-hander was joined by his wife, Peggy, as he marched across the lanes at the Raising Cane’s River Center and received a chevron, plaque and custom gold ring to commemorate his entrance into the tournament’s 65-Year Club.
Brooks, of Fairview, Texas, became the 17th bowler in the 121-year history of the Open Championships to reach the milestone, and he is thankful to have been able to experience the tournament for all these years.
“First and foremost, I need to thank God for keeping me healthy enough and most importantly, alive, to see this day,” Brooks said. “Getting to 65 years here has been a goal of mine after reaching 60 years and knocking down 100,000 pins in consecutive years.
“The feeling of having your wife and friends here for this moment is something that keeps you going, and I am happy to be able to experience this.”
Brooks joined the 100,000-Pin Club during his 61st appearance in 2021, but his journey at the tournament started at the 1957 event in Fort Worth, Texas. He only missed a few years of the event along the way, as he managed his bowling centers.“My first event was the year the American Bowling Congress used automatic pinsetters for the first time, and to see the changes our sport has gone through to get where we are today with technology is incredible,” Brooks said. “I really wish I would have set aside the time to make it to those years I missed in the 1960s. I feel like I would be in the conversation for having the record for most appearances if I had done so.”
Along with 65 years of participation and 100,000 pins (he’s one of 31 bowlers to achieve the feat), Brooks also is an Eagle winner at the Open Championships. He had his breakthrough during the 1973 event in Syracuse, New York, when he paired with Houston’s Jim Paine to claim the Regular Doubles title with a 1,337 total.Paine posted a 686 series in the winning effort, and Brooks had 651.
“Getting that doubles win with Jim was a real highlight of my career, and I am glad he has been here for some of my moments at the tournament through all of these years,” Brooks said.
In 2023, Brooks was recognized with one of the highest honors, as he was inducted to the USBC Hall of Fame for meritorious service through his contributions to the bowling community.
In addition to his work as a proprietor, he also served as the president of the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America from 1984-1986. He received the Victor Lerner Memorial Medal from the BPAA in 2004 and was named the USBC Proprietor of the Year in 2010. He’s also been recognized with the USBC Joyce Deitch Unity Award (2016), Flowers for the Living Award (2018) and BPAA President’s Award (2019).
Past USBC President Melissa McDaniel and Jamie Brooks at the 2023 USBC Hall of Fame Ceremony
“I have been around the bowling industry for a long time, which includes owning multiple centers,” said Brooks, who also founded the Senior All-Star Bowling Association (SASBA) in 1990. “All I ever wanted to do was make the folks that come through my doors happy and satisfied, which in the end would make our centers thrive. To be honored with a spot in the USBC Hall of Fame was a surprise and extremely humbling.”
At 90 years of age, Brooks credits the sport of bowling and the bowlers he has come across over the years in helping him continue to love the tournament and the sport.
“I don’t know how many more years of this I have left in me at this age,” Brooks said. “Bowling at this age has become extremely hard and it takes a hit to your confidence when you can’t do something as well as you use to.
“However, I would like to thank any bowler that has come through my center doors in Texas, as well as the wonderful folks who work in the bowling world. Those are the people that have really made my life in the bowling industry a truly rewarding experience.”
With his 65th appearance now in the books, Brooks sits at a career pinfall of 106,203 at the Open Championships for an average of 182.4.
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.