Swedish national team member Peter Ljung (left) defeated three great bowlers on his way to the title in the €90.000 Brunswick Euro Challenge at Plaza Bowling in Saint Maximin, France.

In the title match, Ljung, seeded fourth, defeated No. 1 seed, PBA champion Mike Fagan (right), 220-187, to win the fifth stop of the 2008 European Bowling Tour and the 16.000 Euro top prize.

Ljung, one of a handful lefties who have survived the first cut of the tournament, started the 4-player stepladder match with a 232-217 win over fellow Team Pergamon member Osku Palermaa, Finland.

Ljung advanced to the semi-final match against PBA exempt player Ronnie Russell. Russell (left) struggled the entire match and Ljung stayed clean until the final frame to oust the American, 194-160, for the right to bowl Fagan for the title.

Scroll down to read the stepladder report.

Fagan, who won the 2005 Viernheim Open worth 25.000 Euro, received 9.000 Euro (approx. 13,870 USD) for second place in the BEC. Russell pocketed 6.000 Euro for second place and Palermaa (right) received 4.300 Euro for fourth.

Missy Bellinder (left), United States, was the best of 94 women in 10th place overall to receive 1.280 € plus a 1.300 € bonus for the top woman.

Bowlingdigital has taped the title match of the 2008 Brunswick Euro Challenge between Peter Ljung Sweden and Mike Fagan, United States. To watch the 10-minute video please click here.

For the complete videos (Impressions from Plaza Bowl, Players in Action, Slow Motion, Match Play) check out our video section.

Both players started with a strike and traded the lead every other frame. Palermaa led after three frames due to a double in frames 4 and 5, 69 to 55. Ljung rebounded with three consecutive strikes after he spared a huge washout in frame #3 to take the lead after five frames with 114 to 109. Palermaa countered with a double and then thrilled the crowd when he spared the 4-9 split with one of his high speed shots to regain the lead after seven frames with 157 to 154. Ljung finished with a turkey and spared a baby split to force Osku to throw a double and a six-count in the 10th. Bowling on the right lane (#14) where he was working on three strikes, the match came to a sudden death, when the two-hander lost the ball and threw it in the right gutter. He spared and finished with a strike, but Ljung advanced, 232-217.

Semi-final Match:
The match was easier as expected … for Peter Ljung. PBA exempt bowler Ronnie Russell struggled from the first till the last ball and all ball changes didn't help. Russell didn't strike until the 9th frame but suffered open frames in the second, fifth and sixth. The Swede alternated strikes and spares in the first five frames, then threw two consecutive spares and two consecutive strikes and put the match out of reach for Russell with ... a 4-7-10 split in the final frame, 194-160.

Peter Ljung started the title match commandingly and silenced the Fagan fans with a four-bagger. The American, who won his first career PBA title this season when he teamed with Danny Wiseman to win the PBA Exempt Doubles Classic in Las Vegas, sandwiched a double between two opens in the second and fourth frame. The Swede opened the door for Fagan with back-to-back open frames and the pro bowler jumped on it and narrowed the gap with another double to 13 pins in the sixth frame. However, it was Ljung's day and the Swede rallied off another turkey in frames 7-9. Fagan spared in his 8th frame but put some pressure on Ljung with a strike in 9th. The lefty, who needed a mark, left the 2-4-7 combination on his first ball but remained cool and spared it to cruise to victory.

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The Brunswick Euro Challenge is the fifth stop on the 2008 European Bowling Tour and one of the Tour's "majors". The BEC offers total prize fund of 90,000 Euros (currently approx. $136,500) and offers special prizes that will be given in categories such as youth encouragement, "B" bowlers and ladies.

The 2008 Brunswick Euro Challenge sponsored by Brunswick Bowling is organized by Brunswick distributor Valcke Bowling.

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