RENO, Nev. - After a hip injury kept Jeffery Woodman of Grand Rapids, Mich., from competing at last year's USBC Open Championships, he made sure his return to the tournament lanes was a memorable one.

Not only did the 49-year-old right-hander inch one year closer to the 25-year participation plaque he's worked so hard for, he also flirted with the first perfect game of the 2011 Open Championships at the National Bowling Stadium on Wednesday.

Woodman started the third game of his team event with 11 consecutive strikes before a 9 pin on his final shot left him with a 299 game and just short of the first 300 of the this year's event.

"It's surprising, but very exciting," said Woodman, who made his 24th Open Championships appearance. "I've had some 299s and 300s before, but never anything near that level at the Open Championships. I always enjoy the challenge from this tournament, and I am much more satisfied when I do well bowling on the tournament condition. I hated to miss last year, but I'm happy that I was able to return this year feeling fresh."

Throughout the game, Woodman tried to stay focused and made sure to treat every shot the same.

"I was just trying to make good shots," said Woodman, who added games of 223 and 163 for a 685 series and helped Alro Steel 2 of Jackson, Mich., to a 2,839 total. "I felt confident that I had finally made the right adjustment following the second game. I had a good first game and was fishing during the second game for the right angle and speed. I finally found that in the third game. After that, I just focused on executing good shots."

Before making the trip to Reno, Woodman purchased a new bowling ball to help him battle the challenging tournament lane condition, and that proved to be a wise investment.

"I bought a new ball before I came out," Woodman said. "My pro shop operator recommended something for me, and I took his advice, which seemed to work. The last shot felt good off my hand, but my doubles partner said it looked like I may have a been a little slow, causing me to leave a 9 pin."

Woodman's biggest fans are his wife, Sheila, and his two children, Sydney, 13, and Trent, 11. Unfortunately, they were unable to attend, but they were very pleased to hear the exciting news.

"My wife and children were extremely excited," Woodman said. "My children are my biggest fans. I don't know if they fully understand the difference between bowling a 300 game on a house condition versus bowling one in the national tournament, but I certainly rank this as one of my biggest accomplishments. The challenge here is exactly why I continue to come to the tournament."

Woodman closed out his milestone campaign with 682 in singles and 640 in doubles for a career-best 2,007 all-events total. His previous high was 1,894 at the 1998 tournament, also at the National Bowling Stadium.

Click here to see video highlights from the 2011 Open Championships.

Presenting sponsors for the 2011 USBC Open Championships are Circus Circus, Eldorado Hotel Casino and Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno, Nev. Other sponsors include Sands Regency Casino Hotel, official brackets sponsor, Kegel, official lane maintenance provider, Humana, official registration sponsor, US Steltronic, official scoring system, and supporting sponsors Storm Bowling Products, UPS, Nationwide Insurance, Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa, Harrah's Reno Casino and Hotel and Peppermill Hotel Casino.