by Bill Vint

Defending champion Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., averaged 242.8 to top the qualifying field in the 11th Kuwait International Open at Cozmo Bowling Center Wednesday.

Rash finished the 15-game qualifying portion of the tournament with 3,642 pins, topping Australia’s Jason Belmonte by 13 pins, in earning an automatic berth in Round Five as the tournament enters elimination rounds Thursday. Also earning byes all the way to Round Five were Finland’s Mika Koivuniemi; Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, N.Y.; Denmark’s Thomas Larsen at 2,347; England’s Dom Barrett and Khaled Al Dubyyan, the highest Kuwaiti qualifier.

The field has been reduced to the top 34 plus the four highest-placing Kuwaiti bowlers out of the cut. All qualifying pins will be dropped for the elimination rounds. The remaining schedule includes:

Round Two (Thursday morning): Qualifiers 23-34 plus four Kuwaiti players, six games (top eight advance to Round Three)

Round Three (Thursday afternoon): Qualifiers 15-22 plus top eight from Round Two, six games; (top eight advance to Round Four)

Round Four (Thursday evening): Qualifiers 8-14 plus top eight from Round Three, six games (top eight advance to Round Five)

Round Five (Friday morning): Qualifiers 1-7 plus top eight from Round Four, four games

Modified Match Play Round (Friday afternoon): All 15 players advance with Round Five pinfall. Three players on each pair will bowl a modified match play round whereby players will receive actual pinfall plus 20 bonus pins for having high game and second-place bowler will receive 10 bonus pins, each match game. Top five advance to stepladder finals.

Women’s Stepladder Finals (Friday evening): Top three women.

Men’s Stepladder Finals (Friday evening): Top five men; whomever reaches title match must defeat top qualifier twice to win the title.