Matti Knutar from Kokkola started the Brunswick Ballmaster jubilee tournament with a six-pin shy perfect game. The shot that was pulled inward never looked like a strike, but Matti was only glad about it – he had not paid the 300-eXtra entry fee.

“The first ball in the 10th frame is the most difficult in making a 300-game, to my opinion. That one was a good shot, which feels good to me. Even more satisfied I am that the last shot was not a good one. For once”, Matti Knutar laughed. “Of course I did not throw a bad ball in purpose”, he stressed.

The six pin saved Matti from vain pondering. You can enter the 300 eXtra with 50 euro fee that cavers the entire tournament from that on. To Matti the 300 game would have caused the “what if-situation”. “Had that six pin fallen, I probably had started greasing the rope. For once it was lucky that it did not fall”, Matti chuckled his luck. In 300 eXtra the 10.000 euro first prize will be taken by the 300-game maker. If there are several of those, there will be one ball roll off after the Ballmaster Open finals on Sunday evening on January 10th. A full pot requires 210 entries.

The tournament was traditionally started with a youth squad, which gathered a record entry, 71 sub 24 old bowlers. The squad was filled by Toni Laine, who won a car with a 300 game in Ballmaster eXtra a couple of years ago.

Matti Knutar’s game was smooth all the time. The only stain was 181 that came after the 299 opening, but that was followed by 279. Guy from Kokkola took the top seed spot with 1416 an made sure he will bowl in the finals on January 10th.

Knutar drove to Helsinki with little expectations. “I have never been even close to the finals, so I did not expect much. I thought that it would be nice to make some kind of score”, he explained. “I found the right line and ball immediately. I was repeating well and the pins did not object.”

Matti Knutar was in his own class in the squad. Miro Pikkarainen of Pyörre Varkaus was second with 1339 and Perttu Jussila of TKK Tampere was third, 1325.

There will be another qualification squad today. On Sunday the tournament will continue with two squads at 11 AM and 3 PM.

- seija lankinen