The 56th Brunswick Ballmaster Open finished on Sunday in front of a packed Tali Bowling Hall crowd - the legendary 36-lane bowling center in Helsinki, where Finland’s own Santtu Tahvanainen lifted the trophy after a composed 204–170 victory over Rami Mukkula in the championship match.
The victory secured him the €10,000 first prize and placed his name on the wall at Tali Bowling Hall, alongside respected world-class bowlers such as Mika Koivuniemi and Parker Bohn III – champions of the tournament he grew up watching.
After the final, BowlingLife caught up with the new champion to talk about nerves, childhood memories inside Tali Bowling Hall, and what this win means heading into the upcoming PBA Tour season.
“Stressful… and then way less stressful.”
The TV finals did not start the way Tahvanainen had hoped. In the semifinal, the defending champion Jarno Lahti started with a four-bagger, while Tahvanainen was struggling to find the rhythm. But as the frames progressed, Tahvanainen found his footing.
The turning point came mid-match. The moment he reset mentally, the game shifted.
“Stressful and then way less stressful," Santtu said with a smile when asked about his performance in the TV finals. "I was actually stressing it and when Jarno left the split in the fifth frame, it was like kind of a relief. I struggled on my first two shots, I even changed to the four steps. But when he split, I thought I have a chance. And I collected my head, and it was way, way better bowling after that.”
In the title match, the 29-year-old met fellow Finn, 22-year-old rising star Rami Mukkula, who had been leading the tournament since the Top 32 and reached the final by edging Linus Boström 216–211 in the semifinal.
Moreover, Mukkula already knew what it takes to win at Tali Bowling Hall,
having taken the International Hammer Challenge title there in 2024.
Hands Were Not Shaking
Even though Tahvanainen began the title match striking only once in his first five frames, he was dealing with the pressure better, picking up spares with confidence, until finally found the rhythm again with three straight strikes in frames six through eight to seal the victory 204-170.
Santtu agreed that his PBA experience gave him an advantage under pressure as it kept his hands steady.
"I definitely felt it that I haven't bowl so much of tournaments because I injured my hand during the Hammer Challenge, so I haven't been able to bowl almost at all. I wasn't completely confident on my bowling, but my hands were not trembling or anything like that anymore, like they used to on the TV. So it definitely helped to have that experience on me.”
Why the Ballmaster Hits Differently
For many bowlers winning Ballmaster is a career highlight. For Santtu Tahvanainen, it is something else entirely - a childhood dream come full circle.
“I grew up here, I bowled my first Ballmaster when I was like 13 or 14, and I saw all kind of big names like a Dino Castillo and Sean Rash and Tommy Jones, and I met Parker when I was young, and we always chatted for years and years."
For Finnish bowlers, the Ballmaster Open carries a special weight. Winning at Tali Bowling Center means more than a title – it means becoming part of the history many grow up dreaming about.
"It has it's own meaning over here, like because it's an environment. And everyone always talked about it when I was a kid, how cool it is to win."
On Sunday, he had a chance to taste that win. For a kid who once watched the greats roll strikes on these lanes, lifting the Ballmaster trophy of his own means everything.
Momentum for the PBA Tour season
The new PBA season begins soon, and this victory couldn’t have come at a better time. After battling injury last year, Santtu finally feels the rhythm returning.
“The fact that I'm able to put some practice in before I go there is huge, because last year I came off the injury, so I didn't like get to practice at all.”
The PBA Tour season kicks off with the PBA Players Championship on January 16, with the televised finals set for February 22 on the CW Network.
