Florida bowler celebrates 50 years at the USBC Open Championships
April 12, 2024
LAS VEGAS – James Ord of Sarasota, Florida, became the latest bowler to reach a major milestone on the tournament lanes at the 2024 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships as he celebrated 50 years of participation Sunday in Las Vegas.
Feeling a sense of relief to finally get to 50 years, Ord also was excited to join his daughter, Wendy, on the lanes for the first time at the tournament, making the moment incredibly special.
“I have gotten to bowl with my daughter in leagues and other tournaments, but never at the national tournament,” said Ord, who started his journey at the tournament during the 1970 event in Knoxville, Tennessee. “Being able to share this moment with her means a lot to me.”
Following a celebratory march to the lanes at the South Point Bowling Plaza, Ord was presented with a plaque, chevron and diamond lapel pin to commemorate the milestone.
Moving from the New England area to Florida was tough on Ord, with falling out of daily contact with some of his friends. His yearly trip to the USBC Open Championships gives him the opportunity to bowl with the friends he has gained along the way.
“One of the highlights of my career at the Open Championships is the number of different teammates I have bowled with from New England and Florida,” Ord said. “So many of the friends I gained have been supportive and became good friends after spending 25 years only bowling with my New England friends.”
Other memories Ord holds near and dear include trips to a few of the cities he bowled in throughout the years, including Salt Lake City and Niagara Falls, New York.
“I really like how clean Salt Lake City was, and I bowled fairly well there in 1996 (1,896 all-events score),” Ord said. “Bowling in Niagara Falls also was a good time, as we got to see the falls and event visited Toronto while we were there.”
Now that Ord has reached the 50-year mark at the Open Championships, he still plans on bowling but doesn’t have any specific goals looking ahead to his tournament career.
“I have done all I’ve wanted to do here but still enjoy bowling the tournament,” Ord said. “When I started bowling the tournament, getting to 50 years was never on my radar. Once COVID hit as I was getting closer to 50 years, I began to get concerned I would not make it. I am relieved I was able to stay healthy and get to this moment, but I’m glad it’s over as it was such an overwhelming experience in a good way.”
Ord finished his milestone appearance with 503 in team, 500 in singles and 415 in doubles for an all-events score of 1,418.
In 50 years on the tournament lanes, Ord has knocked down 79,501 pins for a career average of 184.
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.
Feeling a sense of relief to finally get to 50 years, Ord also was excited to join his daughter, Wendy, on the lanes for the first time at the tournament, making the moment incredibly special.
“I have gotten to bowl with my daughter in leagues and other tournaments, but never at the national tournament,” said Ord, who started his journey at the tournament during the 1970 event in Knoxville, Tennessee. “Being able to share this moment with her means a lot to me.”
Following a celebratory march to the lanes at the South Point Bowling Plaza, Ord was presented with a plaque, chevron and diamond lapel pin to commemorate the milestone.
Moving from the New England area to Florida was tough on Ord, with falling out of daily contact with some of his friends. His yearly trip to the USBC Open Championships gives him the opportunity to bowl with the friends he has gained along the way.
“One of the highlights of my career at the Open Championships is the number of different teammates I have bowled with from New England and Florida,” Ord said. “So many of the friends I gained have been supportive and became good friends after spending 25 years only bowling with my New England friends.”
Other memories Ord holds near and dear include trips to a few of the cities he bowled in throughout the years, including Salt Lake City and Niagara Falls, New York.
“I really like how clean Salt Lake City was, and I bowled fairly well there in 1996 (1,896 all-events score),” Ord said. “Bowling in Niagara Falls also was a good time, as we got to see the falls and event visited Toronto while we were there.”
Now that Ord has reached the 50-year mark at the Open Championships, he still plans on bowling but doesn’t have any specific goals looking ahead to his tournament career.
“I have done all I’ve wanted to do here but still enjoy bowling the tournament,” Ord said. “When I started bowling the tournament, getting to 50 years was never on my radar. Once COVID hit as I was getting closer to 50 years, I began to get concerned I would not make it. I am relieved I was able to stay healthy and get to this moment, but I’m glad it’s over as it was such an overwhelming experience in a good way.”
Ord finished his milestone appearance with 503 in team, 500 in singles and 415 in doubles for an all-events score of 1,418.
In 50 years on the tournament lanes, Ord has knocked down 79,501 pins for a career average of 184.
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.