Former World Cup champion Schmidt leads Men's Division after Qualifying Block 1/3

    11/17/09

    2009 BWC

    Melaka International Bowling Center in Melaka, Malaysia (Nov. 13-20, 2009)

    2009BWCMichaelSchmidt2.jpg2009BWCMartinLarsen.jpg2005 QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup champion Michael Schmidt (pictured left), Canada, overtook the lead in the men's division after the first qualifying round of the 45th edition in Melaka, Malaysia, with 1880 8-game total and an average of 235.00. Schmidt, who also finished third in 2006, had a high game of 267, two 250s and three 230s as well as low games of 202 and 198.

    Videos #7 Interview with Day One Leader Michael Schmidt

    The Canadian holds a slim 2-pin lead over Choi Yong-Kyu, Korea, who had eight games between 212 and 249 and a 1978 total (234.75). Last year's runner-up Martin Larsen (right), Sweden, finished with a huge 280 game to move into third place with 1838 (229.75). Danish national team member Thomas Larsen (below left) was a distant fourth with 1767 (220.88) including a 266 opening game.

    2009BWCThomasLarsen.jpg2009BWCZulmazranZulkifl.jpgLast year's second runner-up, Zulmazran Zulkifli (right), Malaysia, is another three pins behind Larsen in fifth place with 1764 (220.50). Zulkifli, who fell to Martin Larsen in the semifinal in 2008, had seven games between 203 and 257 but suffered a 176 in the sixth game. Mark Kerr, Scotland, rolled the highest game of the day, 287, in the fourth game to help grab the sixth spot with 1762 (220.25).

    Some of the favorites have positioned themselves among the top 24 such as Asian Games champion Ryan Lalisang, Indonesia (11th, 1728), Asian Ranking champion Hussain Al-Suwaidi (14th, 1721), Paul Trotter, Australia (19th, 1698), the man, who rolled an 896 3-game block in the BWC in Latvia 2002, and English international Darren Cundy (21st, 1684).

    2009BWCPaengNepomuceno.jpg2009BWCWalterRayWilliams2.jpgOther had a slow start into the tournament such as Qatar standout Mubarak Al-Muraikhi (30th, 1647), 4-time World Cup champion Paeng Nepomuceno, Philippines (left, 31st, 1626), 46-time PBA champion Walter Ray Williams Jr., United States (right, 36th, 1617), multiple American Zone champion Daniel Falconi, Mexico (tied for 38th, 1606) and 3-time Asian Games and 2-time World champion Remy Ong, Singapore (44th, 1583).

    Disaster for Thierry Sacco from France (tied for 61st, 1487) and 2006 BWC runner-up Petter Hansen, Norway (68th, 1458), who had six and seven sub-200 games, respectively, and have to make a lot of ground in the second and third qualifying block to survive the first cut.

    Click here to view a slide show with action shots from all 88 players
    taken during the men's official practice on Sunday morning.
    Note: Taisier Nazmei, Palestine, withdrew before the first qualifying round.


    The 87 men from 87 countries are done for today and will return on Tuesday morning for the second qualifying block.

    2009BWCLogo_small.jpg The 45th QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup drew 153 players - 87 men and 66 women - from 91 countries.

    All players in each division, men and women, will bowl 24 qualifying games over three days. As the 52-lane center is split in two sections, each 8-game block will be divided into two blocks with 4 games being bowled on lanes 1-26 and 4 games on lanes 27-52. The top 24 qualifiers in each division will advance to the intermediate round with the 24-game total being carried forward.

    Those 24 men and 24 women will bowl a further 8 games to cut to the top 8 who will advance to the quarterfinals with the 32-game total being carried forward.

    Those 8 men and 8 women will determine the three finalists in round robin match play plus position round (total 8 games).

    The semifinals and the finals will be decided in best-of-three games format. No. 3 bowls No. 2 for the right to bowl No. 1 for the title. The highest seed player will have the choice of starting lane. The United States (men) and Singapore (women) are the defending champions.

    To view Bowlingdigital's videos from the 45th QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup click here
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    Men's Qualifying after the first block of 8 games