Osku Palermaa wins Bahrain Open in all-Finnish affair

    03/11/12

    Bahrain

    Defeats compatriot Perttu Jussila in the deciding game to claim the title

    2012BahrainOpenPerttuJussila.jpg2012BahrainOpenOskuPalermaa.jpgIn an all-Finnish affair, Osku Palermaa (pictured left) topped Perttu Jussila (right), 289-255, in the deciding game to win the 10th Kingdom of Bahrain International Open Saturday at Ozone Entertainment Center in Manama, Bahrain.

    Four-time European Bowling Tour ranking champion Palermaa, who won his second career and his first "major" PBA title in the PBA World Championship, had a 1519 six-game pinfall the Round of 12 with games of 288, 257, 248, 211, 268 and 247 to earn the No. 1 seed for the three-player stepladder finals.

    In the opening match, Jussila, seeded second prevailed by one pin over No. 3 seed, three-time PBA champion Pat Healey Jr. (below), 191-190, for the right to bowl Palermaa for the title.

    2012BahrainOpenPatrickHealey.jpgJussila, a one-time European Bowling Tour titlist and the No. 10 in the 2011 EBT ranking, carried the momentum into the title match to win the first game, 263-207. As is most of the Asian tournaments, the No. 1 seed had to be defeated twice to win the title. Palermaa took full advantage and struck on his first ten shots to cruise to the title.

    The two-hander received the 7,500 Bahraini dinar or $19,500 top prize. Jussila earned $9,100 for second place and Healey took $5,200 for third place.

    The 10th Kingdom of Bahrain International Open was also the qualifying event for the opening tournament of the 2012 Asian Bowling Federation Tour. None of the finalist was eligible as only Asian bowlers are allowed to participate in the ABF Tour.

    The top 16 Asian in the finals standings made the cut for the 2012 ABF Tour Bahrain leg. Mahmood Al-Attar, UAE, was the top ABF representative in fifth place while Yousif Falah, was the top Bahraini in seventh place.

    Other Asians in the top 12 were Hussain Al-Suwaidi, UAE (8th); Andrew Frawley; Australia (9th) and Mohammed Janahi, Bahrain (12th).

     


    10th Kingdom of Bahrain International Open


    Ozone Entertainment Center in Manama, Bahrain (March 4-10, 2012)

    Championship Round:
    1. Osku Palermaa, Finland, 496 (2 games), 7,500 BD ($19,500)
    2. Perttu Jussila, Finland, 708 (3 games), 3,500 BD ($9,100)
    3. Pat Healey Jr., United States, 190 (1 game), 2,000 BD ($5,200)

    Playoff Results:
    Semifinal Match: No. 2 Jussila def. No. 3 Healey, 191-190
    Championship Match: Jussila def. No. 1 Palermaa, 263-207,
    and in the deciding game, Palermaa def. Jussila, 289-255.

     


    Round 5 Results


    The top 3 advance to the stepladder finals.

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