After Squads 14 and 15, the Storm Lucky Larsen Masters has crossed the midway point of qualifying.
The long, demanding pattern continues to suppress scoring, forcing players deeper inside and rewarding disciplined moves through transition.
Through 271 starters and 15 squads, no one has reached 1,400 for six games and only 15 players have posted 1,300 or better.
The current cut to the top 40 sits at 1,247, held by 2025 USBC Masters champion Gary Haines.
Yet the contest is sharper than ever, with every pin carrying extra weight.
Malaysia’s Tun Hakim seized the lead in Squad 9 with 1,375 and held it through midweek, but Thursday’s action changed the picture.
In Squad 14, major champion Ethan Fiore posted 1,379 to take over the overall lead. Fiore said his first try - rolled shortly after landing - wasn’t ideal, but it gave him and the MOTIV team the information they needed. Returning to the lanes Thursday morning, he attacked with a pair of MOTIV Steel Forge bowling balls and executed cleanly through transition.
In fact, Fiore had his eye on the Thursday - Saturday squads. He only bowled earlier in the week to avoid boredness, sitting in the hotel.
“These were just the ones that i wanned to bowl becuse i didn't feel like sitting at the hotel,” Fiore said after the block. “My other squads are Thursday through Saturday. Hopefully we can post an even better number there.”
Hakim now sits second at 1,375, followed by Sweden’s William Svensson at 1,352. With the pattern playing tight and every pin proving critical, the race for byes and seeded positions remains wide open.
Magnus Medal
Thursday also featured off-lane highlights at Olympia Bowling. In a tradition honoring domestic excellence, Sweden’s bowling legend, coach, and columnist Magnus Johnson presented the Magnus Medal to Rasmus Edvall, who captured his first PBA Tour title at the Scorpion Championship in March. Edvall becomes the 17th Swedish bowler to receive the award.
Format
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 15/27 Squads
- Ethan Fiore — 1379
- Tun Hakim — 1375
- Ryan Barnes — 1374
- Sean Rash — 1367
- Dario Stein — 1366
- Nate Purches — 1363
- Kevin Melin — 1353
- William Svensson — 1352
- Noel Haglund Torgersen — 1327
- Andrew Anderson — 1321
