Chris Barnes beats 18-year-old Magnus Johnson Jr. to win 32nd AIK International Tournament
01/11/12
After ten hours of bowling including 20 games on the final day of the 32nd AIK International Tournament in Stockholm's Bowl-O-Rama, it came down to the very last frame to determine the champion. PBA superstar Chris Barnes (pictured left with the trophy) finally topped 18-year-old hometown favorite Magnus Johnson Jr. by 15 pins to escape with the victory and the first prize of 60,000 SEK (app. 8,300 USD).
Barnes started the last game with 70-cushion but when the 13-time PBA champion and PBA Player of the Year 2007-08 left the big four in the fifth frame, while Johnson reeled off four consecutive strikes, the Swede was back in the match.
Johnson, the son of legendary Swedish bowling coach Magnus Johnson, extended his string of strikes to eight to narrow the gap to just one pin heading into the last frame.
"After all that happened throughout the finals, I was not surprised that Magnus came up with a big last game," Barnes said afterwards.
The multiple world champion and reigning WTBA Masters champion was under pressure but struck on his first ball in the 10th frame to force the youngster to strike on his first ball. When Johnson failed to strike in the tenth, the match was over.
The final game of the tournament can be watched here.
American pros Barnes and Tommy Jones, also a 13-time PBA champion, dominated the earlier rounds of the final, but the tides turned in the final six games of round robin match play.
L-R Glenn Morten Pedersen (third), champion Chris Barnes and Magnus Johnson Jr. (second).
"The lanes were much harder during (Round Robin) and I had a hard time on all the pairs. It didn't take much for what seemed to be pretty easy to become very tough," said Barnes, who averaged 245 during the first 14 games.
When the field was cut down to 12 players (after ten games), Barnes, Jones and Johnson Jr. were joined by international stars such as Mika Koivuniemi, Osku Palermaa, Kimmo Lehtonen (all from Finland) as well as Swedes Tomas Leandersson and Martin Larsen.
But the only one who was able to challenge the Americans was the youngest player in the finals, who came up with a string of high games.
Johnson Jr. was in 12th place before he started to climb with games of 279, 263 and 289. He continued with the highest total in Round Robin (1401) averaging 248 for his last nine games.
"I looked at how the pros were moving, so I decided to make a ball change and move to the left. It worked out very well," Johnson said.
Norwegian national team member Glenn Morten Pedersen beat out Leandersson for third place by just one pin. Fifth place belonged to Tommy Jones while Larsen finished in sixth place.
The AIK International Tournament attracted 286 players, who bowled a total of 577 entries.
Top 6 with position, country, 20-game total including bonus and earnings.
1. Chris Barnes, United States, 4794, 60.000 SEK
2. Magnus Johnson Jr., Sweden, 4779, 30.000 SEK
3. Glenn Morten Pedersen, Norway, 4695, 20.000 SEK
4. Tomas Leandersson, Sweden, 4694, 15.000 SEK
5. Tommy Jones, USA, 4620, 12.000 SEK
6. Martin Larsen, Sweden, 4585, 10.000 SEK
L-R Larsen, Jones, Leandersson, Pedersen, Johnson and Barnes. Photos courtesy of Jonas Brändström/Swebowl.
Sweden
After ten hours of bowling including 20 games on the final day of the 32nd AIK International Tournament in Stockholm's Bowl-O-Rama, it came down to the very last frame to determine the champion. PBA superstar Chris Barnes (pictured left with the trophy) finally topped 18-year-old hometown favorite Magnus Johnson Jr. by 15 pins to escape with the victory and the first prize of 60,000 SEK (app. 8,300 USD). Barnes started the last game with 70-cushion but when the 13-time PBA champion and PBA Player of the Year 2007-08 left the big four in the fifth frame, while Johnson reeled off four consecutive strikes, the Swede was back in the match.
Johnson, the son of legendary Swedish bowling coach Magnus Johnson, extended his string of strikes to eight to narrow the gap to just one pin heading into the last frame.
"After all that happened throughout the finals, I was not surprised that Magnus came up with a big last game," Barnes said afterwards.
The multiple world champion and reigning WTBA Masters champion was under pressure but struck on his first ball in the 10th frame to force the youngster to strike on his first ball. When Johnson failed to strike in the tenth, the match was over. The final game of the tournament can be watched here.
American pros Barnes and Tommy Jones, also a 13-time PBA champion, dominated the earlier rounds of the final, but the tides turned in the final six games of round robin match play.
L-R Glenn Morten Pedersen (third), champion Chris Barnes and Magnus Johnson Jr. (second).
"The lanes were much harder during (Round Robin) and I had a hard time on all the pairs. It didn't take much for what seemed to be pretty easy to become very tough," said Barnes, who averaged 245 during the first 14 games.
When the field was cut down to 12 players (after ten games), Barnes, Jones and Johnson Jr. were joined by international stars such as Mika Koivuniemi, Osku Palermaa, Kimmo Lehtonen (all from Finland) as well as Swedes Tomas Leandersson and Martin Larsen.
But the only one who was able to challenge the Americans was the youngest player in the finals, who came up with a string of high games.
Johnson Jr. was in 12th place before he started to climb with games of 279, 263 and 289. He continued with the highest total in Round Robin (1401) averaging 248 for his last nine games.
"I looked at how the pros were moving, so I decided to make a ball change and move to the left. It worked out very well," Johnson said.
Norwegian national team member Glenn Morten Pedersen beat out Leandersson for third place by just one pin. Fifth place belonged to Tommy Jones while Larsen finished in sixth place.
The AIK International Tournament attracted 286 players, who bowled a total of 577 entries.
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32nd AIK International Tournament - Final Standings
Top 6 with position, country, 20-game total including bonus and earnings. 1. Chris Barnes, United States, 4794, 60.000 SEK
2. Magnus Johnson Jr., Sweden, 4779, 30.000 SEK
3. Glenn Morten Pedersen, Norway, 4695, 20.000 SEK
4. Tomas Leandersson, Sweden, 4694, 15.000 SEK
5. Tommy Jones, USA, 4620, 12.000 SEK
6. Martin Larsen, Sweden, 4585, 10.000 SEK
L-R Larsen, Jones, Leandersson, Pedersen, Johnson and Barnes. Photos courtesy of Jonas Brändström/Swebowl.
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