The seventh squad of Ballmaster Open completely changed the qualification results list. There were a whole bunch of world stars on the lanes and it really looked like that.

PBA-pro Mike Fagan hammered the lanes with unbelievable 262 average and scored the new lead, 1572. There were no bad games in his score sheet, unless you want to count the second, where he slipped to 224, bad. Others bowled big scores, too. Martin Larsen, the national Team star from Sweden, hung around tenth position, until in the fifth game he started to string strikes. That string only ended with the 12th ball that opened far too much to the right and left pins 1 and 2 standing. That 298 winged Larsen to 1505 and to the second spot in the qualification.

Finnish bowlers also rolled high. Good friends Jari Ratia and Osku Palermaa came next with fine scores 1469 and 1445. In the qualification they occupy palces three and five. Number four is the previous leader, Osku’s younger brother Toni. 13 bowlers topped the predicted cut, 1330. After this squad the cut jumped to 1340.

There was also a perfect game in this squad, first and so far the only one. Swedish Karl Wahlgren rolled his ball 12 times deep in the pocket and knocked the rack every time. His joy is probably diminished by the fact that he had not paid the entry fee to the 300-eXtra, so he is out of the big money.

Michael Fagan, 29, lives in Long Island, New York, so the weather in Helsinki was not a shock to him.

- I have seen snow and cold weather, but nothing quite like this. We may have cold a day or two, Mike told.
- You have had this weather for weeks and more is coming. In USA all schools and shops are closed in this kind of weather, but you go on as usual, Fagan wondered.

- Tali is a wonderful place, the youth admired. Even we in the USA have nothing like this, except maybe the Bowling Stadium in Reno, but the feeling here is better. Of course I liked the lanes. I played the AIK-tournament in Stockholm las weekend and it did not go well at all. Now I decided to start with my smoothest finishing ball and it worked really great, Mike explained his squad.

- I only bowled with one ball and slowly moved to the left. Totally maybe 20 boards with my feet. I always managed to move before the ball hooked too much and I never got in trouble. I think I will not bowl any more in qualification. This is how I have done in both the tournaments in Europe I have won. Sunday will be a long day – hopefully, and now I let my hand rest, Fagan told.

Tim Mack rushed to the press room and he demanded the credit for making Fagan to play in the afternoon squad. All the good players were on it and it would make the lanes change more logically – and they did.

- seija lankinen