Helminen beats Mack to win Brunswick Ballmaster Open

    01/15/08

    2008 EBT #1

    Tali Bowling in Helsinki, Finland (Jan. 5-13, 2008)

    2008EBT1ChampionJouniHelminen.jpg Former Finnish Bowling Federation president Jouni Helminen (pictured left) started the 2008 European Bowling Tour season with victory in the most prestigious tournament in his country, the Brunswick Ballmaster Open at Tali Bowling in Helsinki, Finland.

    In the title match, Helminen defeated American Tim Mack, 223-189, to win the title and the 10.000 Euro top prize.

    Helminen, seeded third, eliminated fellow countryman Petteri Salonen in the semis, 247-236, while Mack sidelined Paul Moor, England, 179-172.

    Mack received 5.000 Euro for second place. Moor and Salonen earned 2.700 Euro each for third and fourth place, respectively.


    Brunswick Ballmaster Open


    Tali Bowling in Helsinki, Finland (Jan. 5-13, 2008)

    Championship Round:
    1. Jouni Helminen, Finland, 10.000 Euro
    2. Tim Mack, United States, 5.000 Euro
    3. Paul Moor, England, 2.700 Euro
    4. Petteri Salonen, Finland, 2.700 Euro

    Playoff Results:
    Semi-final Match #1: #7 Mack def. #8 Moor, 179-172
    Semi-final Match #2: #3 Helminen def. #15 Salonen, 247-236
    Title Match: #3 Helminen def. #7 Mack, 223-189.

    Men's rankings after one event
    Women's rankings after one event



    Roll-off for the 300 game bonus


    Right after the Ballmaster Open finals, Matias Kallio, and once again Tim Mack battled it out for the 300 game bonus - a 1350ccm Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle worth 17.490 Euro.

    The Finn and the American were the only players who achieved perfection during the tournament. The winner was decided in a one-ball roll-off.

    2008EBT1SuzukiTimMack2.jpg Kallio, starting first, fired a strike and the crowd went wild. But Mack remained cool and leveled the match with a strike. The American had to bowl first in the second roll-off. Mack, one of the best show man in the sport, threw a good shot and ran across the lanes that even the TV cameras six lanes away couldn't catch him.

    Kallio took a long time to concentrate for his answer, who wonders, with 17.490 Euro at stake. Kallio's second shot was good, but it went slightly high and left the four-pin standing. Tim Mack is the proud owner of the Suzuki Hayabusa (pictured).


    Brunswick Ballmaster Open Final Standings


    Places 5-48 with prize money

    5. Ville Holmström, Finland, 1.600 Euro
    6. Petri Mannonen, Finland, 1.600 Euro
    7. Joonas Jehkinen, Finland, 1.600 Euro
    8. Osku Palermaa, Finland, 1.600 Euro
    9. Timo Alho, Finland, 1.100 Euro
    10. Tomas Leandersson, Sweden, 1.100 Euro
    11. Peter Ljung, Sweden, 1.100 Euro
    12. Dominic Barrett, England, 1.100 Euro
    13. Stuart Williams, England, 1.100 Euro
    14. Jarno Blomberg, Finland, 1.100 Euro
    15. Pekka Mäyry, Finland, 1.100 Euro
    16. Martin Larsen, Sweden, 1.100 Euro
    17. Mika Oksanen, Finland, 900 Euro
    18. Jussi Turtiainen, Finland, 900 Euro
    19. Jari Ratia, Finland, 900 Euro
    20. Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 900 Euro
    21. Krista Pöllänen, Finland, 900 Euro
    22. Mikael Kanold, Sweden, 900 Euro
    23. Paavo Grönmark, Finland, 900 Euro
    24. Joonas Jähi, Finland, 900 Euro
    25. Mathias Årup, Sweden, 900 Euro
    26. Henry Vallo, Finland, 900 Euro
    27. Jenni Mäkelä, Finland, 900 Euro
    28. Matti Paasikoski, Finland, 900 Euro
    29. Robert Spigner, United States, 800 Euro
    30. Lasse Lintilä, Finland, 800 Euro
    31. Tobias Karlsson, Sweden, 800 Euro
    32. Mads Sanbakken, Norway, 800 Euro
    33. Teemu Raatikainen, Finland, 800 Euro
    34. Pasi Uotila, Finland, 800 Euro
    35. Dennis Eklund, Finland, 800 Euro
    36. Or Aviram, Israel, 800 Euro
    37. Kari Jehkinen, Finland, 800 Euro
    38. Artur Levikin, Latvia, 800 Euro
    39. Robert Andersson, Sweden, 800 Euro
    40. Toni Toivonen, Finland, 800 Euro
    41. Juha Immonen, Finland, 800 Euro
    42. Matias Kallio, Finland, 800 Euro
    43. Rene Landl, Austria, 800 Euro
    44. Sven Svensson, Sweden, 800 Euro
    45. Juhani Tonteri, Finland, 800 Euro
    46. Sami Salin, Finland, 800 Euro
    47. Martin Paulsson, Sweden, 800 Euro
    48. Ken Bland, Norway, 800 Euro


    It's down to four in Brunswick Ballmaster Open


    2007EBT05TimMack1.jpg Two Finns, one American and one Englishman will bowl for the first title on the 2008 European Bowling Tour in the Brunswick Ballmaster Open at Tali Bowling in Helsinki, Finland.

    2008EBT1PaulMoor_small.jpg It could be a big payday for high roller Tim Mack (pictured left), United States, who eliminated 2007 European ranking champion Osku Palermaa, Finland, three-games-to-one, to set up a semi-final match with three time European ranking champion Paul Moor, who came back from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 against Joonas Jehkinen.

    Besides targeting for the 10.000 Euro top prize, Mack will have a shot for the 300 game bonus, worth 17.490 Euro. The only other player, who accomplished the feat thus far was Matias Kallio from Finland.

    2008EBT1JouniHelminen_small.jpg The other semi-final match features Finns Jouni Helminen and Petteri Salonen. Helminen (left) came back from being down 2.-1 against compatriot Petri Mannonen and sealed the win with a huge 269-233 in the deciding fifth game.

    2007EBT18PetteriSalonen2_small.jpg Other than Mack, Moor and Helminen, who bypassed the first two rounds today, Salonen (right) has already bowled 19 games today. The four-time European champion from 2005 eliminated No. 1 seed, qualifying leader Ville Holmström, Finland, three-games-to-one.

    The semi-final and final matches will be decided in one game.


    Round of 8


    best-of-five games, losers eliminated, earn 1.600 Euro.




    Palermaa shoots 299 game in Round of 16


    2008EBT1OskuPalermaa_small.jpg 2007PITTimMack_small.jpg 2007 European ranking champion Osku Palermaa (l.), Finland, topped World Ranking Masters champion Stuart Williams, England, three-games-to-one in the Round of 16 in the Brunswick Ballmaster Open, the first stop of the 2008 European Bowling Tour. Palermaa nearly achieved perfection in game 2 when he rolled a 299 game. He will meet American Tim Mack in the Round of 8. Six of the eight matches went the distance, while the other two matches were decided in four games.


    Round of 16


    best-of-five games, losers eliminated, earn 1.100 Euro.




    Ljung refuses to fall in Round 2; Pöllänen wins women's rankings in Brunswick Ballmaster Open


    2008EBT1PeterLjung.jpg Peter Ljung refused to fall in the Final Round 2 and led the top eight players into the best-of-five games Round of 16 in the Brunswick Ballmaster Open in Helsinki, Finland.

    Ljung, who had an 1194 5-game series Sunday morning, added 1218, an average of 243.60, for 2412 10-game total.

    2007EBT18DominicBarrett_small.jpg The Swedish international outaveraged second-placed Dominic Barrett (right, 2312) by 10 pins. World Ranking Masters champion Stuart Williams, both England, was third with 2295.

    Places 4-7 belonged to Finnish bowlers Jarno Blomberg (2226), Petri Mannonen (2216), Pekka Mäyry (2215) and Petteri Salonen (2199).

    2007WRMMartinLarsen_small.jpg Martin Larsen (left), 3-time World Champion from Sweden, rolled a huge 256 in the final game to beat out Mika Oksanen, Finland, for the 8th and final spot by three pins, 2182 to 2179.

    2008EBT1KristaPollanen.jpg The two remaining women, Krista Pöllänen (2114) and Jenni Mäkelä (2012), both Finland, missed the cut and finished in 13th and 19th position.

    Pöllänen (right) won the women's rankings in the Ballmaster Open and will be listed as the first EBT ranking leader of the year 2008.

    Women's rankings after one event

    The top eight (seeded 9-16) will now meet the top 8 qualifiers in the best-of-five games Round of 16. The highest seeded player bowls the lowest seeded player and so on.

    2008EBT1Suzuki1350cc.jpg Once the field is cut to the top 4, players bowl single-game matches. The winners of the semi-final matches will bowl for the title and the 10.000 Euro top prize.

    The extra prize for perfect 300 game at the Brunswick Ballmaster Open is a Suzuki motorcycle with 1350cc and 198 horsepower (pictured). As more than one bowler has rolled a 300 game (thus far 2, Matias Kallio and Tim Mack), the winner of the Suzuki, worth 17.490 Euro, will be determined during the TV finals in a one-ball roll-off.


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    Match Play

    Moor, Leandersson lead Squad 7 and 8 in Brunswick Ballmaster Open
    Alho overtakes pole position in Brunswick Ballmaster Open after Day Two Qualifying


    Final Round 2


    The top 20 from Round 1 bowled five games with the previous pinfall being carried forward. The top 8 (seeded 9-19 meet the top 8 qualifiers in the next round.




    Ljung leads after first round of the finals in Brunswick Ballmaster Open


    2007BWCPeterLjung_small.jpg Swedish national team member Peter Ljung (left) used a high game of 280 in the first round of the finals in the Brunswick Ballmaster Open on Sunday morning at Tali Bowling in Helsinki, Finland to lead the top 20 into the second round. Ljung averaged 238.80 over five games and felled 1194 pins.

    2007EBT18StuartWilliams4_small.jpg Stuart Williams (right) and Dominic Barrett, both England, were close behind with 1177 and 1175. The two women, who made the first cut, Krista Pöllänen (14th, 1062) and Jenni Mäkelä (16th, 1057), both Finland, are still in the race for prize money and ranking points.

    2007MOMathiasArup2_small.jpg Mathias Årup (left), Sweden beat out Robert Spigner, United States, and 2-time Ballmaster champ Lasse Lintilä, Finland for the 20th place with 1049 (209.80)

    The top 20 will bowl another five games with the pinfall from round 1 being carried forward. The top eight (seeded 9-16) will meet the top 8 qualifiers, who earned two byes, in the best-of-five games Round of 16. The highest seeded player bowls the lowest seeded player and so on.

    2008EBT1Suzuki1350cc.jpg Once the field is cut to the top 4, players bowl single-game matches. The winners of the semi-final matches will bowl for the title and the 10.000 Euro top prize.

    The extra prize for perfect 300 game at the Brunswick Ballmaster Open is a Suzuki motorcycle with 1350cc and 198 horsepower (pictured). If more than one bowler rolls a 300 game, the winner of the Suzuki, worth 17.490 Euro, will be determined during the TV finals in a one-ball roll-off.


    Final Round 1


    Players seeded 9-48 bowled five games from scratch. The top 20 advanced to the next round with the pinfall total being carried forward.