Four women, one Dutch and three Danes, led Squad 14 in the 7th Columbia 300 Vienna Open at Plus Bowling in Vienna, Austria. Ghislaine van der Tol (pictured left), Netherlands, currently the No. 10 in the EBT rankings, led the way with 1296 including 48 pins handicap, a standard for women on the European Bowling Tour, en route to move into 27th place in the overall qualifying standings. Lotte Huobo Pedersen, Denmark, was mere one pin behind with 1295 (28th overall) and was followed Britt Brøndsted and on her 24th birthday, Anja Ginge Jensen, both with 1293 (30th and 31st).
Hometown favorite Thomas Gross (pictured left) defeated tournament leader Stuart Williams, England, in a high scoring championship match, 246-231, en route to become the first Austrian winner in the Columbia 300 Vienna Open Sunday afternoon at Plus Bowling in Vienna, Austria. Gross earned the 6.000 top prize and 100 ranking points as the Vienna
Open is one of the "Majors" on the European Bowling Tour. Williams
received 4.000 Euro for second and split 1.600 Euro with Guerrero for
the Doubles victory.
The 7th Columbia 300 Vienna Open is the 11th stop of the 2009 European Bowling Tour and one of the Tour's "Majors". The tournament is being held from Tuesday Sept. 29 through Sunday Oct. 4, 2009 at the renovated 32-lane Plus Bowling in Vienna, Austria. More than 340 players will compete for an increased total prize money of 68.130 Euro. The singles champion receives the 6.000 Euro top prize . To watch our video with impressions from the Vienna Open in high and lower resolution
Three players moved to the top of the leaderboard in the 7th Columbia 300 Vienna Open during the 9th of 17 qualifying squads Thursday night at Plus Bowling in Vienna, Austria. PBA Hall of Famer Brian Voss, United States, former PBA exempt player Tore Torgersen, Norway, and Finnish national team member Joonas Jehkinen, who also took the lead with compatriot Juha Immonen. To watch the players from Squad 9 in high or lower quality
Stuart Williams (l.), England, earned the No. 1 seed for the stepladder of the 7th Columbia 300 Vienna Open starting 5pm at Plus Bowling in Vienna, Austria. Bowlingdigital will be providing live streaming throughout the four-player shootout. Williams finished with 2776 12-game total to lead second placed Thomas Gross (r.), Austria by 26 pins. In the opening match, Tobias Karlsson, Sweden will take on Rob Thurlby, England. The winner will receive the 6.000 Euro first-place check.
Norway's Tore Torgersen posted a huge 1429 series Saturday afternoon at Plus Bowling in Vienna, Austria, en route to lead the top 18 players - 15 men and 3 women - into the third an final round before the stepladder finals of the 7th Columbia 300 Vienna Open. 
Long-time Team USA member Lynda Barnes, United States, came out of the gates quickly Sunday morning at Plus Bowling in Vienna, Austria to lead Final Round One in the 7th Columbia 300 Vienna Open. The 2008 USBC Queens and Clash of Champions winner rolled games of 214, 233, 277, 213, 204 and 214 to lead the field of 56 players with 1403 pinfall total including 48 pins handicap and an average of 225.83. 
Two World Ranking Masters champions, Clara Juliana Guerrero, Colombia, and Stuart Williams, England, joined forces in the 17th and final squad to win the Doubles of the 7th Columbia 300 Vienna Open. PBA exempt player Williams led the duo with an outstanding 1488 series, which also propelled him atop the leaderboard in Singles, and two-time world champion Guerrero added 1307, for 2795 pinfall total. The duo will split the 1600 Euro top prize.
Lars Nielsen (l.) posted just the second 1400-plus series of the 7th Columbia 300 Vienna Open in the penultimate qualifying squad on Saturday afternoon. Nielsen started out commandingly with 246, 268, 259 and 256 (1029/4) and closed out his et with 176 and 209 for 1414, an average of 235.67. Mikko Hirvonen (r.), Finland, who had 1408 in the pervious squad, fell to second place with Dutch Lisanne Breeschoten, in third place with 1396. 
Finn Mikko Hirvonen (l.) posted the first 1400-series in the 15th qualifying squad of the 7th Columbia 300 Vienna Open Saturday afternoon at Plus Bowling in Vienna, Austria. Hirvonen used a high game of 289 to shoot into the lead in the overall Singles standings with 1408 pinfall total and an average of 234,67. Team USA's Lynda Barnes (r.) had high games of 254 and 256 to jump into 8th place with 1356. 
David Canady (pictured left) and Tina Hulsch (r.), both members of the German national team, set the tone in the 13th qualifying squad of the 7th Columbia 300 Vienna Open on Friday night. Canady moved into second place in the Singles event with 1393 six-game total and an average of 232.17 and teamed with Hulsch to also overtake second place in the Doubles competition with 2645. Qualifying will continue on Saturday with the final four squadsand the Desperado Squad. 
24-time PBA champion Brian Voss (pictred left) bowled his second qualifying squad in the 7th Columbia 300 Vienna Open and once gain, the PBA Hall of Famer was the best player. Voss had games of 222, 214, 243, 196, 197 and finished with a huge 278 to lead the squad with 1350 six-game total and an average of 225. The 1350 would have been good for sixth place in Singles. However, Voss' 1376 series from Squad 9 still stands and he remained in second place in the overall qualifying standings. Lisanne Breeschoten, Netherlands, held on to the lead with 1396.
Lisanne Breeschoten (l.), Netherlands, had a 1396 pinfall total Friday morning at Plus Bowling to jump into the lead in the 7th Columbia 300 Vienna Open. Breeschoten rolled games of 222, 200, 268, 256, 171 and 231 for 1348 scratch and added 48 pins handicap, a standard for women on the European Bowling Tour, for 1.396. Thomas Larsen, Denmark, and 15-year-old Austrian Rowby Rodriguez (r.), easily overtook the lead in Doubles after 10 of 17 squads with 2681. 
24-time PBA champion and PBA Hall of Famer Brian Voss (pictured) showed an outstanding performance Thursday night at Plus Bowling in Vienna, Austria, to shoot into the lead in the qualifying of the 7th Columbia 300 Vienna Open. Voss, rolled games of 219, 214, 263, 244, 213 and 223 for 1376 six game total and an average of 229.33. Former PBA exempt player Tore Torgersen, Norway, was 17 pins behind with 1359 followed by Joonas Jehkinen with 1332. Jehkinen and Juha Immonen, both Finland, overtook the lead in Doubles with 2603 (216.92).
Finland's Petra Korkiamäki (pictured left) finished the 8th squad with a huge 252 game which gave her the lead in the qualifying of the 7th Columbia 300 Vienna Open Thursday evening at Plus Bowling in Vienna, Austria. Korkiamäki tied Mik Stampe, Denmark at 1329 pinfall total and moved to the top due to the higher last game. Mike Quarry and Rob Thurlby, England, teamed to overtake the lead in Doubles with 2545 pinfall total and an average of 212,08. Qualifying continues on Thursday with Squad 9 at 8pm. 
Mik Stampe (pictured) from Denmark led his compatriot Anders Lousdal into the pole position in Doubles and also overtook the lead in Singles in the 7th Columbia 300 Vienna Open Thursday afternoon at Plus Bowling in Vienna, Austria. Stampe used two high games for a 1329 six-game series, an average of 221.50 over six games. He had a slow start into the day with games of 189 and 204, then fired 260 and 277 before he closed out the set with 190 and 209. Lousdal added 1164 for a pinfall total of 2493 and an average of 207.75.
Leo Grundschober (pictured), Austria, became the first player who cracked the 1300-bar in the 7th Columbia 300 Vienna Open to shoot into the lead after the sixth qualifying squad Wednesday night at Plus Bowling in Vienna, Austria.
The Austrian national team member had games of 256, 245, 203, 191, 179 and 236 to lead the field of 158 players with 1310 pinfall total and an average of 218.33 over six games. Qualifying continues on Thursday with Squads 7, 8 and 9 at noon, 4pm and 8pm. 
Austrian senior bowler Anton Stiel (pictured left) had games of 234, 190, 202, 223, 236 and 203 during the fifth squad to overtake the lead in the qualifying of the 7th Columbia 300 Vienna Open with 1288 six-game total and an average of 214-67. Stiel beat out Austrian national team member Rene Landl for the top spot in Squad 5 by 21 pins which earned him an automatic berth into the finals. The sixth and last spot will be at stake in Squad 6 on Wednesday night. 
Tim Friedrichs (pictured left), Germany, finished the fourth qualifying squad Wednesday afternoon at Plus Bowling in Vienna, Austria , with a double en route to overtake the lead in the 7th Columbia 300 Vienna Open. Friedrichs tied previous leader Franz Hahn at 1286, an average of 214.33 for six games, but edged the Austrian due to the higher last game, 193 to 191. Friedrichs teamed with Jens Grieger to lead Squad 4 also in the doubles competition. with 2446 but the two Gemans fell 21 pins short of the lead.