Three days into the Storm Lucky Larsen Masters, nine squads are complete and
one third of qualifying is in the books.
The long, demanding oil pattern has pushed players inside, leaving little room for error and requiring
precise moves during transition. But it was hard for everyone.
After
175 competitors, no one has cracked the 1,400 mark for six games, and only six
players have posted over 1,300.
Malaysia’s Tun Hakim, who won his first PBA Tour title in March, closed the
opening weekend with 1,375 in Squad 9 to win the block and seize the overall
lead.
Hakim overtook Sweden’s William Svensson, who set the early standard on Friday in Squad 2 with 1,352.
Three more Swedes
currently round out the top five: Noel Haglund Torgersen at 1,327, last year’s SLLM semifinalist James Blomgren at 1,317, and Anton Ahlgren at 1,312.
Even though the whole weekend was full of bowling action, the race for the PBA
Tour title is far from settled.
Eighteen additional qualifying
squads are scheduled next week, and the allowance of unlimited re-entries
makes this PBA Tour stop uniquely challenging. Players still seeking a
satisfactory score will have multiple chances to improve their totals and
climb the standings. Meanwhile, those just above the cut can’t sleep calmly,
unsure they’ll still be above the line in the morning.
A total of 40 players will qualify through the general standings, with another 15 spots earned via separate categories: Early Bird, Seniors, U21, Women, and High Game. As of now, Sweden’s Alexander Holm sits 40th on the general standings with 1,200 total.
After qualification, the field will be cut to 55. The top 25 will advance
directly to Final Step 2. The remaining 30 will bowl a six-game scratch block
in Final Step 1 to decide the 15 who move on.
In Final Step 2, 40
players will bowl six games scratch to determine the top 16. Those 16 then
bowl one three-game total-pinfall match in the round of 16 and the
quarterfinals to decide the four semifinalists, and single-game matches in the
semifinals and final will determine the champion and the PBA Tour title
winner.
This year’s Storm Lucky Larsen Masters has drawn more than 360 bowlers from 25
countries and features a prize fund exceeding $136,000. It remains the only
opportunity outside the United States to win a PBA Tour title.
Top 10 after 9/27 Squads
- Tun Hakim - 1375
- William Svensson - 1352
- Noel Haglund Torgersen - 1327
- James Blomgren - 1317
- Anton Ahlgren - 1312
- Markus Jansson - 1301
- Anders Johansen - 1297
- Dan Harding - 1297
- Emanuel Jonsson - 1295
- Anton Persson - 1287
