Leaders change again at Brunswick Ballmaster Open

    01/11/13

    2013 European Bowling Tour #1

    Ronnie Russell, Jouni Helminen, Thomas Larsen move to the top of the leaderboard in Helsinki; cut for 44th place is now 1294 (215.67 average)

    2013EBT01RonnieRussell.jpg Ronnie Russell, United States, Jouni Helminen of Finland and Dane Thomas Larsen moved to the top of the 380-player leaderboard of the 43rd Brunswick Ballmaster Open Thursday at Tali Bowling Center in Helsinki, Finland.

    Russell (pictured left), who owns five PBA Regional titles, rolled games of 209, 232, 254, 234, 266 and 237 in Squad 7 to overtake the lead with 1432 total and an average of 238.67 for six games.

    2013EBT01ThomasLarsen.jpg Helminen, who has won three European Bowling Tour titles including the 2008 Ballmaster Open, was mere 13 pins behind with 1419 (236.50) including high games of 278 and 255.

    201213PBAMikaKoivuniemi.jpgLarsen (right), a two-time EBT titlist, used high games of 277 and 267 to lead Squad 8 with 1406 (234.33) en route to leap into third place in the overall qualifying standings. Previous leader Mika Koivuniemi (left) of Finland slipped to fourth place with 1404.

    The two-time PBA Player of the Years was followed by fellow Finnish national team member Pasi Uotila, who improved his high series to 1400. Koivuniemi (1998, 2010 & '11) and Uotila (2000, '04 & '09) are members of the elite four-player group, who have won the Ballmaster Open on three occasions (Lasse Lintilä and Simo Vähäkorpela are the others).

    201213PBAOskuPalermaa.jpgTwo-hander Osku Palermaa (right), Finland, who has won record 13 EBT titles, toppled 1385 pins including a near-perfect 299 game in Squad 7, to sit in sixth place. Multiple European champion Petteri Salonen, Finland, slipped from second to seventh place with 1385 but the lower last game than Palermaa (221 to 229).

    201213PBAChrisLoschetter.jpgPBA's Chris Loschetter (left), who has two EBT titles to his credit but is still looking for his first PBA title, leaped into eighth place with 1380 and was followed by another two-time EBT champion, Peter Hellström of Sweden with 1375.

    Rounding out the top 10 was four-time PBA champion Mike Fagan, United States, with 1374. Fagan has won two of his five EBT titles last season including the Brunswick Euro Challenge, which also awarded his fourth PBA title.

    2013EBT01ReijaLunden.jpgFormer World Champion Reija Lundén (right), Finland, remained the best of 31 women in the field and one of only four women in the top 44 so far in 18th place with 1347 including 48 pins handicap. Vesa Villman, Finland, holds the 44th and last place to advance with 1294 and an average of 215.67. The projected cut, which was revised from 1277 to 1296 after six squads, has to be adjusted again.

    Qualifying continues Friday, Jan. 11, with squad 9, 10 & 11 at 11 a.m., 3 and 7 p.m. local time (CET +1).

    2013BallmasterLogo_small.jpg The 43rd Brunswick Ballmaster Open is the first of six "EBT Gold" events this season, the second-highest out four EBT categories. The tournament will be held from Friday Jan. 4 through Sunday Jan. 13, 2013 at 36-lane Tali Bowling Center in Finland's capital city Helsinki.

    The BBO 2013 features a 37.5 feet lane conditioning pattern.

    Players will compete for total prize money of 90.300 Euro with 12.000 Euro going to the winner, 8.000 to the runner-up and 4.000 and 3.000 to the third and fourth place finishers, respectively. Low to cash is 48th place, worth 1.100 Euro.

    In addition, the 2013 BBO offers a 20.000 Euro Extra Prize for a 300 game thrown on the final day (Jan. 13). In the event that a 300 game will be rolled, the total prize fund will be more than 110.000 Euro.

    Due to an agreement between the World Tenpin Bowling Association (WTBA) and the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA), the Ballmaster will award a PBA international title, if won by a PBA member or a PBA international member.

    Qualifying (six games, unlimited re-entries) of the 2013 Brunswick Ballmaster Open runs through Saturday, Jan. 12, and ends with Squad 15 and the ultimate one-game Desperado Squad slated for 11.30 p.m. local time (CET +1) on Saturday night. Women will receive 8 pins handicap each game (up to 292 - maximum score is 300), a standard for women on the European Bowling Tour.

    A total of 48 players - the top 44 from the overall qualifying standings plus the top 4 from the Desperado Squad - will qualify for the finals on Sunday, Jan. 13.

     


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    Qualifying Standings after Squad 8/15

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