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Bowling News USA - March 20, 2012 Osku Palermaa Wins 9th Kuwait International Open

Storm International star Osku Palermaa upset top qualifier Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, Mich., 267-232 and 268-226, in their best-of-three-game title match Monday to win the 9th Kuwait International Open and the first Professional Bowlers Association Tour title awarded internationally under a new alliance between the PBA and the World Tenpin Bowling Association.

Along with his third career PBA Tour title, and second of the 2011-12 season, the Finnish two-handed star collected a $25,000 first prize.

Palermaa's win was the fifth in a row for Storm/Roto Grip. It was the ninth victory for Storm and Roto Grip on the 2011/12 PBA Tour, and eighth win in the last ten events.

The Kuwait International Open was the sixth event on the 2012 WTBA World Bowling Tour schedule, a series that will culminate with the top three men and top three women in points bowling in the WBT Finals presented by the PBA during the 2012 PBA World Series of Bowling in Las Vegas in November. But it was the first of seven WBT events that will also award PBA Tour titles during the balance of the 2012 season.

Palermaa, who became the first international player to win the PBA World Championship earlier in the season, qualified third for the Kuwait Open finals. After Ronnie Russell of Marion, Ind., defeated Storm's Martin Larsen of Sweden in the opening stepladder match, 250-226, Palermaa edged Russell, 234-230, and routed Hong Kong’s Wu Siu Hong, 278-237, to advance to the title match.

Also among the match play finalists were PBA Tour regulars Dominic Barrett, England, sixth for $3,500; Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., seventh for $3,250; defending Kuwait Open champ Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, eighth for $3,000; rookie Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 11th for $2,700, and Venezuela’s Ildemaro Ruiz, 12th for $2,650.

Other PBA Tour exempt players who compete included Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas; Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa; Dan MacLelland, Canada; Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., and Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich.

Jazreel Tan won the women’s title, 257-206, over Shayna Ng in an all-Singapore final. Ng defeated Putty Armein of Indonesia in the women’s opening match.

Following the Kuwait Open, many of the top PBA and international players traveled to Paris for the Brunswick Euro Challenge at Plaza Saint Maximin where the second PBA Tour title in the series will be awarded Sunday.

Also included in the Brunswick Euro Challenge will be the stepladder finals of the inaugural WTBA International Open featuring top qualifier Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., No. 2 qualifier Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, and No. 3 Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, Fla., which will be conducted on Wednesday The WTBA International Open is not a PBA Tour title event. Qualifying was conducted in Las Vegas following the USBC Masters.

9TH KUWAIT INTERNATIONAL OPEN 
Cozmo Bowling Center, Kuwait City, Kuwait, Monday, March 19, 2012

FINAL STANDINGS 
1, Osku Palermaa, Finland, $25,000. (Storm)
2, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., $12,000. 
3, Wu Siu Hong, Hong Kong, $8,000. 
4, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., $6,000. 
5, Martin Larsen, Sweden, $5,000. (Storm)

STEPLADDER RESULTS: 
Match One – Russell def. Larsen, 250-226. 
Match Two – Palermaa def. Russell, 234-230. 
Semifinal Match – Palermaa def. Hong, 278-237. 
Championship: Palermaa def. Smallwood, 276-232, 268-226 (as lower seeded player, Palermaa had to beat Smallwood twice for the title).

(courtesy:pba.com)

Storm/Roto Grip Wins - 2012 PBA Tour

1. 2012 PBA Kuwait International Open - Osku Palermaa - Storm

2.. 2012 PBA Detroit Open - Norm Duke - Roto Grip Outlaw™

3. 2012 PBA GEICO Shark Open - Jason Belmonte - Storm Marvel Pearl™/Roto Grip Critical Theory™

4. 2012 U.S Open - Pete Weber - Storm Marvel™ Pearl/Frantic™

5. 2012 PBA Ricart Ford Open - Scott Newell - Storm Victory Road™ Solid

6. 2012 PBA Scorpion Open - Dominic Barrett - Storm Marvel Pearl™/Roto Grip Critical Theory™

7. 2012 PBA Chameleon Open - Jason Belmonte - Storm Marvel Pearl™/Roto Grip Outlaw™

8.  2012 PBA Viper Open  - Stuart Williams - Storm Victory Road™ Solid/Tropical Heat™

9. 2012 PBA World Championship - Osku Palermaa -  Storm Hy-Road™/Roto Grip Outlaw™/Defiant™

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March, 2012