The first day of the iconic 55th Brunswick Ballmaster Open is in the books. Today, Tali Bowling Hall in Helsinki, Finland, welcomed 96 players across two squads competing on a challenging 46-foot oil pattern.
While some found this year’s oil pattern tricky, players demonstrated a strong adaptability from the outset. Brunswick Ballmaster Open 2019 champion Joonas Jehkinen surpassed the symbolic 1400-mark in the first squad, scoring 1422 to secure the top spot.
However, Jehkinen’s score was soon eclipsed—not just by others but by himself. During the second squad, Jehkinen improved his performance by five pins, achieving 1427. Yet, the spotlight ultimately belonged to Finland’s bowling legend Mika Koivuniemi.
The 57-year-old PBA Hall of Famer delivered a masterful performance, scoring a 1449 total to finish Day 1 at the top of the leaderboard.
“I'm feeling quite tired after flying and not sleeping so well the last couple of nights. Today I woke up like 4 AM. So I'm really happy for my score,” Koivuniemi told BowlingLife after the game. “My performance was good also. So it's a good start for this great event.”
While many players use the early squads to test strategies and fine-tune their games, Koivuniemi appeared fully prepared. His consistency throughout the six-game block was remarkable, as he avoided spare errors and skillfully managed lane transitions.
"It doesn’t matter how much you strike; if you keep missing spares, there’s always someone who strikes as much as you and don't miss those spares," Koivuniemi explained. "That's what some of the young people don't understand. Best bowlers in the world are also the best spare shooters."
Throughout the entire game block, Koivuniemi relied on a reactive bowling ball—a choice shared by most players on day 1, as only a few opted for urethane balls. When asked about this trend and whether it might change as more competitors joined the event, Koivuniemi expressed confidence that urethane balls were unnecessary and without it, both squads had smoother lane transitions. However, the 14-time PBA Tour titleholder predicted that urethane balls would become increasingly common as the competition progressed.
“I'm expecting guys using more and more urethane, because there's one generation in Europe, who don't know how to ball without purple ball,” Koivuniemi noted. "It's easy now, but it's not easy if you don't know how to use reactive balls and use your speed. So that's the only way for them. But I kind of like it because I expect the scoring pace go lower, especially in the end if they keep using urethanes. Time will tell.”
The shift away from urethane balls has been a point of discussion among bowling community in Europe in the past few months. It was also a key factor behind the Brunswick Ballmaster Open’s decision to leave the European Bowling Tour this year. Koivuniemi supported the move, highlighting the tournament’s increased prize fund as a benefit for players.
"I noticed that they [tournament organizers] put more money for that, which is great for the players, in my mind. European tour, it's not what it used to be. I totally understand the decision what they [tournament organizers] made. Of course, there's probably part of that is the fight between a couple of ball companies, but I think it was smart move and I support the decision, especially when they add money for the prize fund, so I think that should make everybody happy."
Even without its EBT status, the Brunswick Ballmaster Open retains its prestige.
“It’s a tradition,” Koivuniemi affirmed. “When you look at the list of winners, they represent the best players from every era of bowling. This is the most prestigious tournament in the world. There’s no doubt about that.”
The competition continues tomorrow with two more squads at Tali Bowling Hall, starting at 2 PM.Fans can catch all the action via live streams and stay updated through regular posts on BowlingLife, the tournament's official media partner, across their website and social media platforms.
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