Mika Koivuniemi powers his way into the lead in 31st Trofeu Internacional Ciutat de Barcelona

    07/17/09

    2009 European Bowling Tour #9

    Montfort, Alix roll the first 300 games in Squad 7

    2009EBT09MikaKoivumiemi.jpg2009EBT09LluisMontfort.jpgPBA super star Mika Koivuniemi (pictured left) from Finland fired games of 246, 243, 275, 238, 268 and 214 in Thursday's Squad 5 to shoot into the lead in the qualifying of the 31st Trofeu Internacional Ciutat de Barcelona.

    The 8-time PBA champion and 2003-04 PBA Player of the Year felled 1484 pins and averaged 247.33 over six games to overtake previous leader Dan MacLelland, Canada, by 64 pins. MacLelland slipped to second place with 1420.

    Yoan Alix, France, was one of two players, who achieved perfection in Squad 7. Lluis Montfort Rifé (right), Catalonia, rolled the first 300 game of the tournament in game #1 en route to finish with 1352 pinfall total, good for 13th place overall.

    Alix accomplished the feat in game #2 and led the squad with 1410 to leap into third place in the overall qualifying standings.

    2009EBT09MartinLarsen.jpg2009EBT09KimBrondsted.jpgMartin Larsen (left), Sweden, who has won the tour stop in Aalborg this season, led Squad 6 with 1399 to sit in fourth place. Kim Brøndsted (right), Denmark, started Thursday qualifying session with 1383, good for 5th place overall.

    The squad leaders are automatically qualified for the finals on Sunday. Raul Galvez, Catalonia, currently mans the 27th and final qualifying post with 1289 or an average of 214.83. Amanda Fagan , United States, is the top-ranked woman in the field in 32nd place with 1273 including 48 pins handicap, a standard for women on the European Bowling Tour.

    The 31st Trofeu Internacional Ciutat de Barcelona is the 9th stop of the 2009 European Bowling Tour and one of the Tour's "Majors". The tournament will be held at Bowling Pedralbes in Barcelona, Spain from July 14-19, 2009.

    The total prize fund is minimum 55.000 Euro with 12.000 Euro going to the winner. Women receive 8 pins handicap each game. As an EBT Major, there are 100 ranking points at stake for the winner of the men's and women's rankings, respectively.

    Qualifying continues until Saturday, July 18th. A total of 48 players will advance to the finals on Sunday: The 15 squad leaders plus the top 27 from the overall qualifying standings (if any player wins more than one squad 28 or more) and an additional six women.

    Those 48 players will carry forward 50 per cent of their qualifying total and bowl four games to cut to the top 24, who will bowl another four games to cut to the top 3 for the stepladder finals. The No. 3 seed bowls No. 2 and the winner takes on No. 1 to determine the champion. All stepladder matches are one-game matches.

     


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    Qualifying Standings after Squad 7

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