Chris Loschetter wins Qualifying and a 2.000 Euro bonus in Brunswick Ballmaster Open

    01/12/14

    2014 European Bowling Tour #1

    PBA bowlers rolls 1479 series (246.50 average) in Squad 16; Dominic Barrett & Tomas Leandersson earn 1.000 and 500 Euro for finishing second and third, resp.; Osku Palermaa hits cutoff number (1327) and advances by highest last game

    2014EBT01ChrisLoschetter.jpg2013EBT15DominicBarrett.jpgChris Loschetter (pictured left), United States, led the penultimate squad 16 with 1479 Saturday at Tali Bowling Center in Helsinki, Finland en route to win the qualifying of the 44th Brunswick Ballmaster Open and to earn a 2.000 Euro bonus.

    Two-time European Bowling Tour titlist Loschetter, who won his lone PBA title in the 2013 Lucas Oil Wolf Open, had 252, 217, 278, 226, 278 and 228. Heading into the last game, Loschetter trailed Dominic Barrett (right) of England by seven pins.

    The eight-time EBT and three-time PBA champion, who started his set with 227, 262, 245, 255 and 269 finished with 204 to settle for second place with 1462, worth 1.000 Euro.

    2014EBT01TomasLeandersson.jpg2014EBT01MikaKoivuniemi.jpgPrevious leader Tomas Leandersson (left) of Sweden slipped to third place with 1420 to receive a 500 Euro bonus. His compatriots Mattias Wetterberg and defending BBO champion Jesper Svensson slipped out of the bonus ranks to fourth and fifth place with 1411 and 1408, respectively.

    Three-time Ballmaster Open champion Mika Koivuniemi (right; 1998, 2010 & '11) of Finland, who got a 3.000 bonus Thursday for the tournament's first 300 game, led Squad 15 with 1402 including a 280 to leap into sixth place.

    2014EBT01MarcusTidbeck.jpg2013EBT18JolinePerssonPlanefors.jpgSquad 14 winner Marcus Tidbeck of Sweden finished qualifying in 11th place with 1390. His compatriot Pontus Andersson, who topped the last squad (#17) on Saturday night with 1368 jumped into 18th place.

    Two-time European champion Joline Persson Planefors (right), Sweden, was the best of six women, who survived the first cut in 9th place with 1391 including 48 pins handicap.

    Finnish two-hander Osku Palermaa (below right), who owns 13 EBT titles and three PBA National titles, was tied with Bodo Konieczny of Germany for 44th place at 1327. Palermaa advanced to the finals by the higher game, 256 to 200.

    2013EBT16OskuPalermaa.jpg Joining the top 44 in the finals were the top four of the one-game Desperado Squad, Kert Truus, Estonia (288); Harri Määttä, Finland (277); Karl Wahlgren, Sweden (245); and Magnus Johnson Jr., Sweden (243).

    2014BallmasterLogo_small.jpg The 44th Brunswick Ballmaster Open is the opening event of the 2014 European Bowling Tour and the first of six "EBT Gold" events this season, the second-highest of the four EBT categories. The tournament is held from Friday, Jan. 3, through Sunday, Jan. 12, 2014 at 36-lane Tali Bowling Center in Finland's capital city Helsinki.

    Players 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.

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

    Qualifying (six games, unlimited re-entries) of the Brunswick Ballmaster Open ran from January 3-11. Women receive 8 pins handicap each game (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 - qualified for the finals on Sunday, Jan. 13. The qualifying winner received a 2.000 Euro bonus. The first and second runner-up got 1.000 and 500 Euro, respectively.

    All 48 finalists bowl eight games scratch with the top 16 advancing to the match play portion. Those 16 bowl further 15 games of round robin match play (no position round) with the Round 1 total carried over.

    Players earn 30 bonus pins for each match won and 15 for a tie. The top 4 players after 23 games including bonus pins determine the champion in a traditional stepladder final.

    The No. 4 seed meets the No. 3 in the opening match. The winner takes on the No. 2 seed for the right to bowl the top seed for the title, the 12.000 Euro top prize and 150 EBT and 50 WBT ranking points.

     


    Related Articles


    Joline Persson Planefors adds her name to the leaderboard in Brunswick Ballmaster Open
    Strong finish propels Tomas Leandersson into the lead in Helsinki
    Samu Valaranta takes over lead in Brunswick Ballmaster Open
    Perttu Jussila, Heidi Manninen crack the top 5 in Brunswick Ballmaster Open Qualifying
    Joonas Jähi, Pasi Uotila lead Saturday's qualifying to crack the top 10 in Helsinki
    Timo Alho leads 44th Brunswick Ballmaster Open after the opening day
    2014 European Bowling Tour Schedule
    2014 World Bowling Tour Schedule & Champions

     


    Standings after Qualifying and Desperado Squad


    The top 44 plus the top four of the Desperado Squad (places 45-48) advance to the finals.

    Â