USBC Communications
BATON ROUGE, La. – The number in Regular Singles at the 2025 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships now is up to 793, courtesy of Richie Benninghoff of South Bend, Ind.
The 32-year-old two-hander had games of 277, 259 and 257 to take over the top spot in exciting fashion Friday at the Raising Cane’s River Center. He edged the 789 posted Wednesday by Chris Karlin of Huntington, Indiana.
Benninghoff’s singles set started with nine strikes, before a 2-8 slowed him down on his first delivery in the 10th frame. He converted the spare and got nine on his fill ball to start his run toward the lead in Baton Rouge.
Making the turn at 536, Benninghoff kicked off Game 3 with seven strikes. A 7 pin halted that string in the eighth, but he stayed clean with a spare.
A 4-9 split briefly stood in the ninth before the 9 pin toppled over, allowing Benninghoff to convert another single pin and set the stage for the final frame.
He still had the chance at an 800 series with a double in the 10th, while a mark with good count would secure the lead. Benninghoff got to the pocket and left the 10 pin on his first delivery and covered the spare. Needing a seven count on his fill to take the outright lead, he rolled a strike to close the set.
Benninghoff nearly recorded a 300 at last year’s tournament in Las Vegas, posting 298 during his second game of doubles.
He made his fourth appearance at the USBC Open Championships this week and closed the 2025 event with an all-events score of 2,015. He had 617 in team and 605 in doubles.
NEW DOUBLES LEADERS
Success at the Open Championships has been synonymous with members of The Lakers (formerly Linds Lakers) over the years, and the talented group is looking to add another win to their collection after a strong showing Wednesday night at the 2025 event.
Joey Robillard of Farmington, Minn., and Robert Clements of Plymouth, Minn., took over the top spot in Regular Doubles with a combined score of 1,494, surpassing the 1,483 posted Monday by Scott Anderson of Cooper City, Fla., and Nathan Samuels of Pompano Beach, Fla.
Robillard, a 33-year-old right-hander, rolled games of 245, 226 and 279 for a 750 series during the performance, while Clements, a 52-year-old right-hander, had 268, 244 and 232 for 744.
The final frame of Game 3 started with Clements leaving a 7 pin on a pocket hit and covering the spare, putting Robillard in a must-strike position to keep their chance at the lead intact.
Robillard delivered the necessary strike, and after a nine count on the fill by Clements, he had two routes to secure the outright lead. A nine count, followed by a spare, would give them the lead by one pin. A second strike in the 10th would also do the trick.
Robillard elected the second route, rolling another strike and closing with a nine count to position the pair at the top of the standings by 11 pins.
The two-team group representing The Lakers on Tuesday and Wednesday at the 2025 event featured a pair of USBC Hall of Famers in Sam Lantto and Todd Savoy and five Eagle winners (Lantto, Savoy, John Eiss, Gary Green and Chuck Vashaw).
The team’s longevity also is a noting factor at the USBC Open Championships, as Thomas Corbett celebrated his 50th appearance Tuesday. Eiss leads the group with 51 appearances at the event.
Clements made headlines at the 2018 Open Championships in Syracuse, New York, with a perfect game in singles, but both he and Robillard are in search of their first win at the tournament.
Watch the video below to hear from Robillard and Clements on their performance at the River Center.
Robillard nearly added his name to the list for a 300 at the Open Championships as well during singles, finishing his set with 299 for a 702 series. He added 603 in team to finish his 10th tournament appearance with 2,055 – one pin higher than his performance last year in Las Vegas.
Clements closed his 22nd trip to the Open Championships with 687 in singles and 525 in team for an all-events score of 1,956.
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.