After eight disappointing games at the 2006 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, Jim Ensminger of North Richland Hills, Texas, figured out that throwing strikes was the quickest way to get through the rest of the tournament.

In his final game of singles Saturday at the American Bank Center Exhibit Hall, the 57-year-old right-hander strung together 12 consecutive strikes for the 29th perfect game of this year's event and headed for the door.

"I felt like I was bowling so bad for this entire tournament that I was just ready to go home," said Ensminger, who made his third Open Championships appearance. "All I wanted to do was bowl and get out of here, so I started throwing strikes. Then I became a little more focused when my wife promised to take me out to dinner if I bowled well."

Ensminger opened singles with games of 191 and 216 and finished with a 707 series. He added 592 in doubles and 538 in team for 1,837 all-events.

"This is unbelievable," said Ensminger, who was a member of the Professional Bowlers Association from 1979 until 1989. "It's the ultimate accomplishment, and it just doesn't get any better than this. I've had many 300s in my career and none of them mean quite as much because this time I'm at the Open Championships."

At the 2005 event in Baton Rouge, La., the eight-time Senior All-Star Bowling Association champion teamed up with Trea Ward of Arlington, Texas, to finish fourth in Regular Doubles. But this year, Ensminger decided to bowl doubles with Del Ballard Jr., a 12-time PBA titlist who will make his return to the Tour next season after earning one of 10 exemptions up for grabs at the Tour Trials earlier this month. The pair only managed a 1,214 doubles total. Bobby Stives of El Paso, Texas, and Paul Yoder of Albuquerque, N.M., lead with 1,497.

Although he was struggling, Ensminger didn't make any adjustments and left his performance for fate to decide, just as he does when determining when to bowl the event each year.

"The pins just started falling like magic that last game and I got lucky and caught some nice breaks," Ensminger said. "I never actually schedule myself to compete in the Open Championships. I always get called at the last minute to fill in for somebody, but it's always fun."

Presenting sponsors for the 2006 USBC Open Championships are Eldorado, Silver Legacy and Circus Circus Hotel/Casinos in Reno, Nev. Other participating sponsors are Kegel, official lane maintenance provider, Texas State Aquarium, Majestic Ventures Yacht Charters, Inc., USS Lexington Museum and Texas Treasure Casino Cruises.



Top 10 division leaders with hometown and pinfalls:

Team
1, Browning Pontiac (Steve Fehr, George Gohagan III, Ken Jessee, Jon Murph, Ken Abner), Cincinnati, 3,496. 2, Bowlers Universe 1, Rockford, Ill., 3,472. 3, Brunswick Shox, Wichita, Kan., 3,436. 4, The Benik Corporation, Silverdale, Wash., 3,402. 5, Bowling Dynamics Inc., Phoenix, 3,400. 6, Trophy King Pro Shop, Davenport, Iowa, 3,394. 7, Red Carpet Waukesha, Waukesha, Wis., 3,387. 8, Fran's Pro Shop 3, Waterloo, Iowa, 3,382. 9, True Amateur Tournament 1, Upland, Calif., 3,372. 10, Chilton Billiard Supply, Wichita, Kan., 3,365.

Doubles
1, Paul Yoder, Albuquerque, N.M./Bobby Stives, El Paso, Texas, 1,497. 2, Pat McGainey Jr., Baltimore/Brian Bennett, Lewes, Del., 1,496. 3, Paul Zuehlke, Oshkosh, Wis./Jon Schure, Ripon, Wis., 1,461. 4, Kevin Adam/Jacques Jacobson, Reading, Pa., 1,447. 5, Shane Keefauver, Canton, Ill./Doug Manhart, Bloomington, Ill., 1,432. 6, Gary Skidmore, Albuquerque, N.M./John Weltzien, Wellington, Fla., 1,425. 7, Scott Terzo/Mark McClain, Rochester, N.Y., 1,421. 8, Aaron Pawloski, Volcano, Calif./Bobby Huckaby, Santa Cruz, Calif., 1,420. 9, Mike Friedman, Adams, Tenn./Tony Szeluga, Clarksville, Tenn., 1,413. 10, Ryan Lever, New Berlin, Wis./Chad Maas, Brookfield, Wis., 1.412.

Singles
1, Norm Titus, Columbia, Tenn., 811. 2, Dave Barker, Springfield Ill., 793. 3, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 792. 4, Michael Chontos, Finleyville, Pa., 791. 5, Janette Piesczynski, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 789. 6 (tie), Dave Hewitt, Fremont, Calif., and Jeff Carter, Springfield Ill., 788. 8, David Williams Jr., Omaha, Neb., 783. 9, Ernest Goedicke, Brigham City, Utah, 774. 10, Mike Danielson, Vancouver, Wash., 773.

All-Events
1, Dave Mitchell, Farmington, Minn., 2,189. 2, Andrew Neuer, Milton, Pa., 2,183. 3, Aaron Walsh, Amarillo, Texas, 2,180. 4, Kelly Ray, Arlington, Texas, 2,179. 5, Norm Titus, Columbia, Tenn., 2,177. 6, Shane Keefauver, Canton, Ill., 2,171. 7, Rob Schuh, Neenah, Wis., 2,161. 8, Robert Dillman, Albuquerque, N.M., 2,158. 9, Mitch Sacks, Mundelein, Ill., 2,156. 10, David Cirigliano, Phoenix, 2,154.

Team All-Events
1, Linds Lakers 1 (Sam Lantto, Gary Green, Charles Vashaw, Todd Savoy, John Eiss), Minneapolis, 9,940. 2, MoRich Ball Company, Milwaukee, 9,893. 3, Bowling Dynamics Inc., Phoenix, 9,866. 4, Montgomery Industries Inc., Braintree, Mass., 9,851. 5, Smith Barney 1, Madison, Wis., 9,849. 6, Warrior Lanes, Des Moines, Iowa, 9,837. 7, Browning Pontiac, Cincinnati, 9,829. 8, Ebonite HQ 1, Hopkinsville, Ky., 9,816. 9, On Track/Custom Thumb A, Brooklyn Center, Minn., 9,799. 10, Chilton Billiard Supply, Wichita, Kan., 9,793.

Team
1, Torkelson Construction (Greg Schipull, Roger Haupt, Troy Schultz, Dustin Elston, Eric Douglass), Clarion, Iowa, 2,878. 2, Suburban Lanes, Meade, Kan., 2,851. 3, Sportsman Bowling Club 3, Cerritos, Calif., 2,807. 4, Grogan's Dairy Queen, Dyersburg, Tenn., 2,789. 5, D&R Golf, New Iberia, La., 2,750. 6, Sparta Pro Shop, Sparta, Mich., 2,745. 7, Hole in the Wall 2, Newton, Iowa, 2,744. 8, Lucky-Lucky, Lubbock, Texas, 2,743. 9, Dos Amigos, Page, Ariz., 2,742. 10, Cardinal Lanes, Hoisington, Kan., 2,740.

Doubles
1, Robert Tukker, Mount Prospect, Ill./David Clauss, Chicago, 1,248. 2, Richard Cockerhan, Davison, Mich./Ron Caldwell, North Branch, Mich., 1,234. 3, Chris Lott, Murfreesboro, Tenn./Ronald Morris, Nashville, Tenn., 1,229. 4, Kevin Mitchell, Millbrae, Calif./Robert Stephens, San Francisco, 1,214. 5, Jared Gould, Jamestown, N.Y./Harvey Osterstuck, Perrysburg, N.Y., 1,212. 6, Kirby Lomax, Gainesville, Ga./Samuel Murray, Toccoa, Ga., 1,211. 7, Ron Hester/Ken Varner, Lexington, N.C., 1,209. 8, Leroy Bellemin, Grand Coteau, La./Rodney Leblanc, Lafayette, La., 1,201. 9 (tie), Larry Sorenson/Virgil Taylor, Streator, Ill., Tim Anderson, Dawson, Minn./Rob Bennett, Montevideo, Minn., and Glynn Arceneaux, Lafayette, La./Rob Clark, Duson, La., 1,198.

Singles
1, Shawn Fisher, Albuquerque, N.M., 684. 2 (tie), Steve Jacoby, Gowen, Mich., and Ted Skrzynecki Jr., Ida, Mich., 679. 4 (tie), Darlene Baker, Mahomet, Ill., and Todd Guidry, Lafayette, La., 675. 6, Rand Syverson, Onamia, Minn., 665. 7, Aaron Biagioni, Ottawa, Ill., 661. 8, Frederick Green, Waterford Township, Mich., 660. 9, Chris Case, Knoxville, Tenn., 657. 10, Greg Hidalgo, Austin, Texas, 655.

All-Events
1, Kirby Lomax, Gainesville, Ga., 1,861. 2, John Millet Jr., Greenland, N.H., 1,851. 3, Todd Guidry, Lafayette, La., 1,824. 4, John Murray, Pompano Beach, Fla., 1,802. 5, Jeffery Schrupp, Lester Prairie, Minn., 1,800. 6, Keith Braun, Celina, Ohio, 1,797. 7, Billy Haferkamp, Clifton, Texas, 1,788. 8, Michael Licko, Carol Stream, Ill., 1,787. 9, Robyn Haires, Panama City, Fla., 1,785. 10, James McLendon, Charlotte, N.C., 1,781.