By JUSTIN HAUSER and AARON SMITH
USBC Communications
BATON ROUGE, La. – With no shortage of strikes posted across the lanes inside the Raising Cane’s River Center on Friday evening, two competitors were able to record perfect games during singles at the 2025 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships.
Angelo Gentile of Utica, N.Y., was the first to roll 300 during the set, connecting for 12 strikes in Game 1. Less than an hour later, Chad Kuehmichel of Waunakee, Wis., put the finishing touches on his perfect performance to close Game 3. Nine 300s have now been thrown at the 2025 event.
Gentile, a 47-year-old right-hander, was making just his second appearance at the USBC Open Championships, and he started to see strikes adding up to close his doubles set.
After kicking off doubles with 145, Gentile bounced back with 221 and 231 for a 597 series, setting up the excitement awaiting in Game 1 of singles. He closed singles with 188 and 155 for a 643 series, and with 611 in team, he finished the year with an all-events score of 1,851.
Kuehmichel, a 48-year-old right-hander, had been incredibly steady leading into his run at perfection Friday, posting five games between 195 and 204. He finished doubles with a 605 series and had started singles with 195 and 204 prior to rolling 300 for a 699 series – his best set at the tournament across 23 years at the Open Championships.
His showing this week also served as his top overall performance at the tournament. Kuehmichel added 668 in team to finish with an all-events score of 1,972 at the River Center.
His previous top tally in all-events was during the 2022 event in Las Vegas with 1,892.
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.
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