Earns 15.000 Euro and takes the lead in the European Bowling Tour rankings

Mika Koivuniemi (pictured left) extended the winning streak of the Finns in the Brunswick Ballmaster Open when he defeated fellow PBA champion and No. 1 seed, Parker Bohn III (right), 248-203, Sunday evening at Tali Bowling Center in Helsinki, Finland.

It was the second victory in the Ballmaster for "The Big Finn" after 1998. Koivuniemi received 15.000 Euro and 250 ranking points for winning the first European Bowling Tour Platinum event, which will propel him to the top of the leaderboard in the 2010 EBT men's rankings.

The 8-time PBA champion and 2003-04 PBA Player of the Year claimed the fourth and last spot for the 4-player stepladder final and had to win three consecutive matches. And that was exactly what he did. In the opening match against long-time rival Tomas Leandersson, Sweden, Koivuniemi edged the Swedish national coach, 210-199.

The Finn then made quick work of women's ranking winner Cherie Tan in the semifinal as he flew past the Singaporean, , 270-195, for the right to bowl Bohn for the title.

Bohn received 8.000 for second place, Tan pocketed 5.000 Euro for third place and Leandersson garnered 3.000 Euro for fourth place.

The 40th Brunswick Ballmaster Open featured six perfect games. Two in qualifying (Karl Wahlgren, Sweden and Mike Koivuniemi, Finland), one in the Desperado Squad Joonas Maunula, Finland), and three in the first round of the finals (Gery Verbruggen, Belgium, Tomas Leandersson, Sweden and Sascha Hauchwitz, Germany).

Three players, Koivuniemi, Verbruggen and Leandersson, have paid the BBO 300eXtra entry fee (50 Euro) and battled it out for a 7.200 Euro (winner-takes it all) in a one-ball shootout. 4-time European ranking champion (200-03) Verbruggen eliminated after the first round as he was the sole player who failed to strike.

Leandersson (pictured left) started the next round with a 9-count and took full revenge for the first round loss as Koivuniemi but left the 2-10 split on a fast ball. Due to the Finnish tax regulations, 15% tax was deducted from the prizes money of all non-Finnish cashers.

Ballmaster organizer Kimmo Lehtonen announced that he will step down as the tournament organizer and has signed a contract with Bowling Ltd, who will continue to organize the Ballmaster Open in the future. Press officer Seija Lankinen will also leave the Ballmaster staff after 23 years.

2010 EBT Men's Ranking
2010 EBT Women's Ranking

The 40th Brunswick Ballmaster Open was held from Saturday, Jan. 2 through Sunday Jan. 10 at the 36-lane Tali Bowling Center in Helsinki, Finland. Pasi Uotila, Finland, was the defending champion. Norwegian Tore Torgersen was the last non-Finnish winner back in 1996.

Record 507 players competed for increased total prize money of 105.000 Euro or approximately 150.000 USD. The champion walked away with the 15.000 Euro top prize.

Qualifying ended Saturday Jan. 9 after 15 qualifying squads and the ultimate one-game Desperado Squad. Women receive 8 pins handicap each game.

Squad 1 was reserved youth bowlers, who must not have reached the age of 24 on Jan. 2, and Squad 5 was reserved for senior bowlers, who must have reached the age of 50 on Jan. 6.

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. 10. No byes were given in this tournament.

The finals were contested in a format similar to the old PBA tournaments. All 48 finalists bowled 8 games starting from scratch to cut to the top 16 who advance to match play portion.

Those 16 bowled 15 games of round robin match play plus one game position round with the pinfall from Round 1 being carried forward to determine the top 4 players for the stepladder finals.

The No. 4 seed met the No. 3 in the opening match and the winner took on the No. 2 seed for the right to bowl the top seed for the title, the 15.000 Euro top prize and 250 ranking points. (Note: The winner of a Satellite tournament gets 50, the winner of a Silver tournament gets 100, and the winner of a Gold tournament gets 150 ranking points.)

 

 

Brunswick Ballmaster Open

Tali Bowling Center in Helsinki, Finland (Jan. 2-10, 2010)

1. Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 728 (3 games), 15.000 Euro
2. Parker Bohn III, United States, 203 (1 game), 8.000 Euro
3. Cherie Tan, Singapore, 195 (1 game), 5.000 Euro
4. Tomas Leandersson, Sweden, 199 (1 game), 3.000 Euro

First Match: #4 Koivuniemi def. #3 Leandersson, 210-199
Second Match: Koivuniemi def. #2 Tan, 270-195
Championship: Koivuniemi def. #1 Bohn, 248-203.

L-R Koivuniemi, Bohn, Tan and Leandersson.

 

 

Final Standings (cashers): Places 5-48 with Earnings

5. Kimmo Lehtonen, Finland, 2.500 Euro
6. Mike Fagan, United States, 2.500 Euro
7. Tony Ranta, Finland, 2.500 Euro
8. Dominic Barrett, England, 2.500 Euro
9. Joonas Jehkinen, Finland, 2.000 Euro
10. Osku Palermaa, Finland, 2.000 Euro
11. Pekka Mäyry, Finland, 2.000 Euro
12. Gery Verbruggen, Belgium, 2.000 Euro
13. Peter Ljung, Sweden, 2.000 Euro
14. Ari Halme, Finland, 2.000 Euro
15. Mika Heino, Finland, 2.000 Euro
16. Mattias Wetterberg, Sweden, 2.000 Euro
17. Martin Larsen, Sweden, 1.500 Euro
18. Jesse Lindholm, Finland, 1.500 Euro
19. Petri Mannonen, Finland, 1.500 Euro
20. Mathias Ã…rup, Sweden, 1.500 Euro
21. Sascha Hauchwitz, Germany, 1.500 Euro
22. Jari Ratia, Finland, 1.500 Euro
23. Nina Manninen, Finland, 1.500 Euro
24. Joline Persson Planefors, Sweden, 1.500 Euro
25. Perttu Jussila, Finland, 1.500 Euro
26. Tim Mack, United States, 1.500 Euro
27. Toni Palermaa, Finland, 1.500 Euro
28. Mari Kalliokoski, Finland, 1.500 Euro
29. Joonas Huolman, Finland, 1.500 Euro
30. Tina Hulsch, Germany, 1.500 Euro
31. Mikael Kanold, Sweden, 1.500 Euro
32. Tore Torgersen, Norway, 1.500 Euro
33. Miikka Vaarala, Finland, 1.500 Euro
34. Joonas Jähi, Finland, 1.500 Euro
35. Johan Helldén, Sweden, 1.500 Euro
36. Timo Alho, Finland, 1.500 Euro
37. Matti Knutar, Finland, 1.500 Euro
38. Magnus Lönnroth, Finland, 1.500 Euro
39. Kai Virtanen, Finland, 1.500 Euro
40. Peter Hellström, Sweden, 1.500 Euro
41. Mika Määttä, Finland, 1.500 Euro
42. Joonas Maunula, Finland, 1.500 Euro
43. Ville Häggman, Finland, 1.500 Euro
44. Kert Truus, Estonia, 1.500 Euro
45. Jesper Agerbo, Denmark, 1.500 Euro
46. Jason Yeong-Nathan, Singapore, 1.500 Euro
47. Veli-Matti Tissarinen, Finland, 1.500 Euro
48. Lasse Lintilä, Finland, 1.500 Euro

 

 

Related Articles

Parker Bohn III earns No. 1 seed for Brunswick Ballmaster Open stepladder finals
Dominic Barrett leads top 16 into match play portion at Brunswick Ballmaster Open
Mike Fagan wins qualifying in Brunswick Ballmaster Open
Squad 12 and 13 leaders Timo Alho, Mathias Ã…rup move into top 10 in Brunswick Ballmaster Open
Agerbo, Koivuniemi, Barrett crack top 10 in Brunswick Ballmaster Open
Mika Heino, Tina Hulsch lead Squads 9 and 10 in Brunswick Ballmaster Open
PBA champ Joonas Huolman cracks top 10 in Squad 8 at Brunswick Ballmaster Open
PBA champ Mike Fagan powers his way into the lead in Helsinki
Toni Palermaa shoots into the lead in Squad 6 at Brunswick Ballmaster Open
No changes atop the leaderboard after the Seniors Squad in Helsinki
Knutar refuses to fall; leads Brunswick Ballmaster Open after first weekend
Knutar holds on to the lead in Brunswick Ballmaster Open after Squad 3
Matti Knutar sets the pace in Brunswick Ballmaster Open after Day One Qualifying
2010 European Bowling Tour season gets underway with 40th Brunswick Ballmaster Open