Mika Koivuniemi already has a Masters title under his belt, and he recently claimed the $250,000 top prize at the Tourna- ment of Champions. Can he hold off some of today’s hottest bowlers hungry for their first Masters win?

MASTERS NEXT?

M

ika Koivuniemi is bowling out of his mind. He’s on fire. If Vegas oddsmakers bet

on bowling, they’d be sure to have the best odds on him to win the USBC Masters on Feb. 13. But the veteran pro from Finland

remains as low key and down to earth as he always is. “Winning the Tournament

of Champions is unbelievable, of course,” he said in his pronounced

Finnish accent when contacted at his Hartland, Mich., home a few days after the big win. “It’s a dream come true.” Koivuniemi’s win came just a

week after making the TV show and coming in sixth at the PBA World Championships, which Team USA star Chris Barnes won. Now, the USBC Masters looms large. It’s the third major on the PBA schedule in a one-month period and the only open one, drawing amateurs and pros

16 USBOWLERFEBRUARY 2011