Osku Palermaa wins first PBA Tour international title in 9th Kuwait Open

    03/20/12

    2012 World Bowling Tour #6

    Finnish two-hander shoots four big scores to capture his third career PBA title; Jazreel Tan, Singapore claims women's title; Abdulrahman Suwayed wins Kuwaiti youth final

    2012KOOskuPalermaa2.jpg201112PBARonnieRussell.jpgTwo-hander Osku Palermaa (pictured left with ABF and Kuwait Bowling Federation President, Sheik Talal) averaged 263.75 in the stepladder finals of the 9th Kuwait International Open en route to win the first PBA Tour international title and the $25,000 top prize Monday evening at Cozmo Bowling Center in Kuwait City, Kuwait.

    It was the third career PBA title for Palermaa, who won the PBA GEICO Shark Championship for his first Tour title during the World Series of Bowling in 2010 and became the first international player to win the PBA World Championship earlier this season.

    Palermaa, who led the Kuwait Open qualifying and earned the No. 3 seed for the five-player stepladder final, rolled four big scores on his way to the title.

    201112PBAMartinLarsen.jpg2011BWCWuSiuHong.jpgAfter watching No. 5 seed, Ronnie Russell (above right), United States, defeating three-time WTBA World Champion and PBA exempt player Martin Larsen (left), Sweden, in the opening match, 250-226, Palermaa eliminated the three PBA Regional champion, in the closest match of the finals, 234-230, to advance to semifinal against Wu Siu Hong (right) of Hong Kong.

    The No. 2 seed, who was looking for his second title in Kuwait within six days after winning his second ABF Tour Tournament of Champions title at Cozmo Bowling Center in Kuwait City last Wednesday, fell to Palermaa, 278-237.

    201112PBA05TomSmallwood.jpg201112PBA05OskuPalermaa3.jpgIn the title match between two PBA Word Championship winners, Palermaa (left) had to defeat top seeded Tom Smallwood (right), United States, twice to win the title. The Finn averaged over 270 to do so. He won the first game, 276-232, to force the deciding second game and sealed the victory with a 268-226 win.

    Palermaa, who finished fifth in last year's Kuwait Open, toppled 1055 pins over 4 games. PBA record for four-game series on national TV is 1,129 (Bob Learn Jr. in Erie, Pa., 1996 - 300, 270, 280, 279).

    2012KOJazreelTanShaynaNg.jpgIt was the second consecutive title for Palermaa in the Middle East after winning the 10th Kingdom of Bahrain International Open ten day ago.

    Smallwood, who won the 2009 PBA World Championships for his lone PBA title thus far, received $12,000 for second place. Wu earned $8,000 for third place. Russell got $6,000 for fourth place and Larsen pocketed $5,000 for fifth place.

    In an extra women's stepladder final, top-seeded Jazreel Tan (left) of Singapore defeated her fellow national team member Shayna Ng (right), 257-206, to claim the $2,850 top prize.

    In the youth stepladder final (for Kuwait bowlers only), second-seeded Abdulrahman Suwayed topped No. 1 seed, Ahmed Abdulla, 223-194, to capture the $1,000 top prize.

    Photos courtesy of Kuwait Bowling Federation.

    The 9th Kuwait International Open drew 110 players, 99 men and 11 women, from 19 countries. All players - men and women in the same division - bowled 15 games of qualifying (three 3 blocks of 5 games) over three days. Women received 5 pins handicap each game.

    A total of 38 players advanced to the second round: The top 6 plus the best Kuwaiti (ranked 7th), the next 27 players in the overall standings plus the next four Kuwaitis (ranked 35 to 38).

    Places 1-7 earned three byes, places 8-14 got two byes and places 15-22 received one bye. The remaining 16 players (places 23-38) bowled six games scratch with the top 8 advancing to Round 3.

    Qualifiers 15-22 and the top 8 of Round 2 bowled another six games scratch to cut to the top 9, who met qualifiers 8-14 in Round 4. Those 16 bowled another six games scratch with the top 8 advancing to fifth Round.

    Those eight and the top six qualifiers plus the top Kuwaiti bowled four games with the pinfall total being carried forward into a "Modified Match Play Round". Match play consisted of seven games and one game position round with three bowlers on each pair of lanes. The winner of each match on a pair of lanes received 20 bonus pins while the second place received 10 bonus pins.

    The top 5 after match play advanced to the stepladder finals. The No. 1 seed must be defeated twice to win the title. Since the PBA Tour's new alliance with the World Tenpin Bowling Association (WTBA) the winner of the 9th Kuwait International Open will be awarded the first PBA Tour international title, the $25,000 top prize and 50 points in the World Bowling Tour ranking.

    Women who compete in World Bowling Tour events on equal terms with men are eligible to win PBA Tour titles, but women who accept "handicap" pins which are commonly awarded to women in WTBA tournament are not eligible to win PBA titles.

    WBTLogo_small.jpgThe ninth edition of the Kuwait International Open is also the sixth event of the 2012 World Bowling Tour organized by the World Tenpin Bowling Association. After the Bahamas Classic has been postponed the 2012 WBT consists of 13 tournaments in America, Asia, Europe and Australia - five in the United States and one each in Australia, Austria, Finland, France, Japan, Korea, Kuwait and Thailand.

    Players earn ranking points based on how they finish in each event. The current points system is based on a continuous two-year cycle, so points earned in 2011 are added to points earned in 2012 to determine the points list.

    The top three men and top three women will be invited to compete in the World Bowling Tour Finals presented by the Professional Bowlers Association at the end of 2012 featuring total prize fund of $70,000.

    World Bowling Tour Rankings
    WBT Women's Ranking
    WBT Men's Ranking

    The World Tenpin Bowling Association, which is made up of 115 bowling federations, governs the sport throughout the world. For more information on WTBA and the World Bowling Tour, visit WorldTenpinBowling.com.

     


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    Swede Osku Palermaa wins qualifying in 9th Kuwait International Open
    2012 World Bowling Tour Schedule

     


    9th Kuwait International Open- Stepladder Finals


    Cozmo Bowling Center in Kuwait City, Kuwait, (March 15-19, 2012)

    2012KOMenTop5.jpgChampionship Round:
    1. Osku Palermaa, Finland, 1055 (4 games), $25,000
    2. Tom Smallwood, United States, 458 (2 games), $12,000
    3. Wu Siu Hong, Hong Kong, 237 (1 game), $8,000
    4. Ronnie Russell, United States, 480 (2 games), $6,000
    5. Martin Larsen, Sweden, 226 (1 game), $5,000

    L-R Palermaa, Wu, Smallwood, Larsen and Russell.

    Playoff Results:
    First Match: No. 5 Russell def. No. 4 Larsen, 250-226
    Second Match: No. 3 Palermaa def. Russell, 234-230
    Third Match: Palermaa def. No. 2 Wu, 278-237
    Championship: Palermaa def. No. 1 Smallwood, 276-232 and 268-226.

    Note: The top seed must be defeated twice to win the title.

     


    9th Kuwait International Open - Women's Stepladder Final


    Championship Round:
    1. Jazreel Tan, Singapore, 257 (1 game), $2,850
    2. Shayna Ng, Singapore, 454 (2 games), $1,850
    3. Putty Armein, Indonesia, 209 (1 game), $1,400

    Playoff Results:
    Semifinal: No. 3 Ng def. No. 2 Armein, 248-209
    Championship: No. 1 Tan def. Ng, 257-206

     


    9th Kuwait International Open - Youth Stepladder Final (Kuwaitis only)


    Championship Round:
    1. Abdulrahman Suwayed, Kuwait, 428 (2 games), $1,000
    2. Ahmed Abdulla, Kuwait, 194 (1 game), $750
    3. Aseel Roomi, Kuwait, 354 (2 games), $500
    4. Mustafa Mousawi, Kuwait, 180 (1 game), $300

    Playoff Results:
    First Match: No. 3 Roomi def. No. 4 Mousawi, 182-180
    Second Match: No. 2 Suwayed def. Roomi, 205-172
    Championship: Suwayed def. No. 1 Abdulla, 223-194

     


    9th Kuwait International Open - Places 6-38 (cashers)


    6. Dominic Barrett, England, $3,500
    7. Sean Rash, United States, $3,250
    8. Chris Loschetter, United States, $3,000
    9. Sayed Al-Hashemi, UAE, $2,900
    10. Khaled Al-Dubyyan, Kuwait, $2,800
    11. Josh Blanchard, United States, $2,700
    12. Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, $2,650
    13. Keith Saw, Singapore, $2,600
    14. Ahmed Abdulla, Kuwait, $2,550
    15. Basel Al-Anzi, Kuwait, $2,500
    16. Shaker Al-Hassan, UAE, $2,000
    17. Lonnie Waliczek, United States, $2,000
    18. Jazreel Tan, Singapore, $2,000
    19. Putty Armein, Indonesia, $2,000
    20. Shayna Ng, Singapore, $2,000
    21. Badin Lerdpiriyasakulkit, Thailand, $2,000
    22. Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, $2,000
    23. Sharon Limansantoso, Indonesia, $2,000
    24. Mathias Ã…rup, Sweden, $1,500
    25. Mohamad Janahi, Bahrain, $1,500
    26. Ryan Lalisang, Indonesia, $1,500
    27. Rakan Al-Amiri, Kuwait, $1,500
    28. Tannya Roumimper, Indonesia, $1,500
    29. Muhammad Jaris Goh, Singapore, $1,500
    30. Chris Barnes, United States, $1,500
    31. Fadhel Al-Mousawi, Kuwait, $1,200
    32. Yannaphon Larp-apharat, Thailand, $1,200
    33. Wicky Yeung, Hong Kong, $1,200
    34. Hareb Al-Mansoori, UAE, $1,200
    35. Annop Aromsaranon, Thailand, $1,200
    36. Kim Bolleby, Sweden, $1,200
    37. Jassem Darwish, Kuwait, $1,200
    38. Mohannad Ebrahim, Kuwait, $1,200

     


    Modified Match Play Round


    Seven games plus one game position round, three bowlers on each pair of lanes. The winner of each match receives 20 bonus pins while the second place gets 10 bonus pins. The top 5 advance to the stepladder finals.

     


    Round Five


    All players advance to the Modified Match Play Round with the pinfall of Round Five being carried forward.

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