Lakeside Superbowl Nuneaton in Nuneaton, England (Dec. 2-6, 2009)
Two women, Laura Marcham and Jo Cundy, took the lead in the qualifying for the Ebonite English Open 2009 Wednesday night at Lakeside Superbowl Nuneaton in Nuneaton, England. Marcham (pictured) overtook the lead during the third qualifying squad with 1335 including 48 pins handicap. Cundy was 11 pins behind to sit in second place with 1324. Another two players cracked the 1300-bar during squad 3. Rob Thurlby and Jo's husband Darren Cundy. Qualifying continues on Thursday with another four squads at 9am, 1pm, 5pm and 9pm.
Lakeside Superbowl Nuneaton in Nuneaton, England (Dec. 2-6, 2009)
The Ebonite English Open 2009 got underway this afternoon in Nuneaton. The first two qualifying squad were an all-English affair in which 15 men and 4 women took to the lanes. Gemma Tsappis (l.) led Squad 1 with 1282 including 48 pins handicap, but Squad 2 leader Dan French (r.) overtaookthe lead by 10 pins with 1291 pinfall total (215.33.). The Ebonite English Open 2009 is the 14th and penultimate stop of the 2009 European Bowling Tour.
PBA champion Bill O'Neill (l.), United States, who celebrated his 28th birthday on Wednesday, made himself a belated birthday present when he defeated Francois Louw, South Africa, 504-452, to win the Ebonite International Luxembourg Open and the 4.000 Euro top prize. Louw received 3.000 Euro for 2nd place, while 10-time PBA champion Doug Kent (r.) and Nicole Sanders, Netherlands, who won the women's rankings, pocketed 2.000 each for 3rd and 4th place.
Dutch Nicole Sanders (l.), who took the last spot in qualifying to advance to the finals of the Ebonite International Luxembourg Open, rolled six games between 208 and 227 in Final Round 1 on Sunday morning to lead the top 18 players into the match play portion. 9 of the 18 players were women. Sandra Matz, Germany, beat out PBA champion Mike Wolfe (r.) for the final spot, 1165 to 1160. The top 18 will join the top 14 qualifiers in the Round of 32.
X-Treme Bowling & Billard in Foetz, Luxembourg (Oct. 20-25, 2009)
Doug Kent (l.), United States, finished the qualifying of the Ebonite International Luxembourg Open atop the leaderboard en route to lead 50 players into the finals on Sunday. The 10-time PBA champion led the field of 183 players with 1427 pinfall total and an average of 237.83., just one pin ahead of Paul Moor (r.), England, who rolled a 1426 series in the penultimate qualifying squad on Saturday. A total of 50 players remained in the race for the 4.000 Euro top prize.
X-Treme Bowling & Billard in Foetz, Luxembourg (Oct. 20-25, 2009)
10-time PBA champion Doug Kent (left), United States, became the first player who cracked the 1400-bar in the qualifying of the Ebonite International Luxembourg Open. The 2006-07 PBA Player of the Year powered his way into the lead with 1427 pinfall total and an average of 237.83. Joining Kent were fellow PBAers Bill O'Neill and Mike Wolfe.
O'Neill (center) had a 1338 series to jump into fourth place while
Wolfe (right) checked in with 1293, good for 11th place overall.
X-Treme Bowling & Billard in Foetz, Luxembourg (Oct. 20-25, 2009)
Stuart Williams (l.), England, held on to the lead after the third day of qualifying in the Ebonite International Luxembourg Open with 1367 six-game total and an average of 227.83. Mats Maggi, Belgium, who rolled the tournament's sole 300 game thus far, remained in second place with 1325. Squad 6 leader Thomas Larsen, Denmark, chalked up 1321 pins to leap into third place, with Squad 4 leader Dominic Barrett (r.), England, in fourth with 1314.
Maggi earns 1.000€ bonus for the first perfect game of the tournament
Stuart Williams (l.), England, overtook the lead in the Ebonite International Luxembourg Open during the second qualifying squad Wednesday night X-Treme Bowling & Billard in Foetz, Luxembourg. The PBA exempt player felled 1367 pins, an average of 227.83 for six games. The big winner, however, was Mats Maggi (r.) from Belgium, who will receive a 1.000 Euro bonus from sponsor Ebonite for rolling the first 300 game of the tournamen.Â
X-Treme Bowling & Billard in Foetz, Luxembourg (Oct. 20-25, 2009)
38 players - 33 men and 5 women - from seven countries took to the lanes in the first of 14 qualifying squads in the Ebonite International Luxembourg Open Wednesday evening at X-Treme Bowling & Billard in Foetz, Luxembourg. Alexander Tarsoly from Hungary led the squad with 1279 six-game total, an average of 213.17 and pocketed a 250 Euro bonus. A total of 50 players will advance to the finals on Sunday,
Oct. 25. The winner will receive the 4.000 Euro top prize.
Swedish national coach Tomas Leandersson (pictured left) once again proved that he still has it when he defeated 8-time PBA champion Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 223-219, to win the Ebonite Lahti Open and the 8.000 Euro top prize. It was the first EBT title this season for Leandersson and the second since 2005. Leandersson, seeded second, eliminated Koivuniemi's compatriot Jari Ratia in the semifinal, 256-209. In the opening match Ratia sidelined 4-time PBA champion Mike Wolfe, United States, in a low-scoring encounter, 193-179.
8-time PBA champion Mike Koivuniemi (l.), Finland, earned the No. 1 seed for the TV finals in the Ebonite Lahti Open. Koivuniemi, who targets to win his second EBT title this season and the third of his career, finished the preliminaries with 2284 10-game total. Tomas Leandersson, Sweden, was second with 2205. In the opening match, 4-time PBA champ Mike Wolfe (r.), United States, meets #4 seed Jari Ratia, Finland. The winner will receive the 8.000 Euro top prize.
The top 12 from the first round of the finals in the Ebonite Lahti Open battled it out with the top 8 qualifiers for the top 10, who advanced to Final Round 3. Swedish national coach Tomas Leandersson (pictured) set the pace with 1142 (228.40). Among those joining Leandersson in Round 3 are two PBA champions, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland (2nd, 1113) and Mike Wolfe, United States (5th, 1062), as well as defending champion Osku Palermaa, Finland (7th, 1057) and qualifying leader Paul Moor, England, (6th, 1061).Â
Osku Palermaa (l.), Finland, rolled a 1293 series Sunday morning at Lahti Bowl in Lahti, Finland, en route to lead the top 12 players into Final Round 2 of the Ebonite Lahti Open. As Vanessa Timter (r.) is the only woman who advanced, the German has already won the women's rankings. Three players hit the cutoff number with 1250. Sergey Bogachev (196), Russia, beat out Bodo Konieczny (181), Germany, and Matias Kallio (170), Finland, due to the higher last game.
Paul Moor (l.), England, led a field of 228 players - 188 men and 40 women - from 13 countries after 14 qualifying squads which drew more than 500 entries with 1413 six-game total or an average of 235.50. Moor leads the top 36 qualifiers plus the top 4 from the Desperado Squad into the finals on Sunday. Mike Wolfe (r.), United States, bowled the highest series on Saturday but fell two pins short of the lead with 1411.
European Ranking Masters champion Paul Moor (l.) rolled a 1413 series in the 8th qualifying squad en route to overtake the lead in the qualifying of the Ebonite Lahti Open at Friday at Jouni Helminen's Lahti Bowl in Lahti, Finland. The English lefty posted three 240s and two 230s to overtake previous leader member Pasi Uotila (r.), Finland, by 9 pins. Qualifying ends on Saturday, Oct. 17, with Squads 11-14 and the ultimate one-game Desperado Squad.Â
Longtime Finnish national team member Pasi Uotila (pictured left) became the first player in the Ebonite Lahti Open who cracked the 1400-bar when he rolled a 1404 series in Squad 7 on Thursday evening at Lahti Bowl in Lahti, Finland. Uotila averaged 234.00 over six games en route to shoot into the lead in the overall qualifying standings. Thomas Larsen Denamrk, was 34 pins behind to leap into second place with 1370, while 8-time PBA champion Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, moved into third place with 1359.
Two players cracked the top 8 in the fifth qualifying squad of the Ebonite Lahti Open Monday evening at Jouni Helminen's Lahti Bowl in Lahti, Finland. Kari Hurri (l.) led the squad behind games of 236, 236, 215, 236, 198 and 194 to move into third place in the overall qualifying standings. Hurri tied second-place Matti Knutar with 1315 six-game total but had the lower last game. Krista Pöllänen leaped into 6th place with 1292. Day one leader Samu Valaranta remained atop the leaderboard with 1335 (222.50).
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.
Valaranta holds on to the lead in Ebonite Lahti Open
10 players added their names to the leaderboard during squads 3 and 4 Sunday at Lahti Bowl in Lahti, Finland, but day one leader Samu Valaranta held on to the lead in the qualifying of the Ebonite Lahti Open with 1335. Squad 4 leader Matti Knutar (l.) moved into second place with 1315 while Sqaud 3 leader Laura Tuomisalo (r.) is the top-ranked female bowler in third place with 1306. Qualifying continues on Monday with Squad 5 at 6.30pm.
The 2009 Ebonite Lahti Open got underway on Saturday with the first two qualifying squads. Samu Valaranta (l.) posted a fine 1335 six-game series including a high game of 290 to take the early lead. Matti Virta (r.), who led Squad 2, is a distant second with 1249. Qualifying runs through Saturday, Oct. 17. A total of 40 players will advance to the finals on Sunday. The Lahti Open offers an increased total prize fund of 49.200 Euro, or about 72,500 U.S. dollars.
Two women, Laura Marcham and Jo Cundy, took the lead in the qualifying for the Ebonite English Open 2009 Wednesday night at Lakeside Superbowl Nuneaton in Nuneaton, England. Marcham (pictured) overtook the lead during the third qualifying squad with 1335 including 48 pins handicap. Cundy was 11 pins behind to sit in second place with 1324. Another two players cracked the 1300-bar during squad 3. Rob Thurlby and Jo's husband Darren Cundy. Qualifying continues on Thursday with another four squads at 9am, 1pm, 5pm and 9pm. 
The Ebonite English Open 2009 got underway this afternoon in Nuneaton. The first two qualifying squad were an all-English affair in which 15 men and 4 women took to the lanes. Gemma Tsappis (l.) led Squad 1 with 1282 including 48 pins handicap, but Squad 2 leader Dan French (r.) overtaookthe lead by 10 pins with 1291 pinfall total (215.33.). The Ebonite English Open 2009 is the 14th and penultimate stop of the 2009 European Bowling Tour.
PBA champion Bill O'Neill (l.), United States, who celebrated his 28th birthday on Wednesday, made himself a belated birthday present when he defeated Francois Louw, South Africa, 504-452, to win the Ebonite International Luxembourg Open and the 4.000 Euro top prize. Louw received 3.000 Euro for 2nd place, while 10-time PBA champion Doug Kent (r.) and Nicole Sanders, Netherlands, who won the women's rankings, pocketed 2.000 each for 3rd and 4th place. 
Dutch Nicole Sanders (l.), who took the last spot in qualifying to advance to the finals of the Ebonite International Luxembourg Open, rolled six games between 208 and 227 in Final Round 1 on Sunday morning to lead the top 18 players into the match play portion. 9 of the 18 players were women. Sandra Matz, Germany, beat out PBA champion Mike Wolfe (r.) for the final spot, 1165 to 1160. The top 18 will join the top 14 qualifiers in the Round of 32.
Doug Kent (l.), United States, finished the qualifying of the Ebonite International Luxembourg Open atop the leaderboard en route to lead 50 players into the finals on Sunday. The 10-time PBA champion led the field of 183 players with 1427 pinfall total and an average of 237.83., just one pin ahead of Paul Moor (r.), England, who rolled a 1426 series in the penultimate qualifying squad on Saturday. A total of 50 players remained in the race for the 4.000 Euro top prize. 
10-time PBA champion Doug Kent (left), United States, became the first player who cracked the 1400-bar in the qualifying of the Ebonite International Luxembourg Open. The 2006-07 PBA Player of the Year powered his way into the lead with 1427 pinfall total and an average of 237.83. Joining Kent were fellow PBAers Bill O'Neill and Mike Wolfe.
O'Neill (center) had a 1338 series to jump into fourth place while
Wolfe (right) checked in with 1293, good for 11th place overall.
Stuart Williams (l.), England, held on to the lead after the third day of qualifying in the Ebonite International Luxembourg Open with 1367 six-game total and an average of 227.83. Mats Maggi, Belgium, who rolled the tournament's sole 300 game thus far, remained in second place with 1325. Squad 6 leader Thomas Larsen, Denmark, chalked up 1321 pins to leap into third place, with Squad 4 leader Dominic Barrett (r.), England, in fourth with 1314.
Stuart Williams (l.), England, overtook the lead in the Ebonite International Luxembourg Open during the second qualifying squad Wednesday night X-Treme Bowling & Billard in Foetz, Luxembourg. The PBA exempt player felled 1367 pins, an average of 227.83 for six games. The big winner, however, was Mats Maggi (r.) from Belgium, who will receive a 1.000 Euro bonus from sponsor Ebonite for rolling the first 300 game of the tournamen. 
38 players - 33 men and 5 women - from seven countries took to the lanes in the first of 14 qualifying squads in the Ebonite International Luxembourg Open Wednesday evening at X-Treme Bowling & Billard in Foetz, Luxembourg. Alexander Tarsoly from Hungary led the squad with 1279 six-game total, an average of 213.17 and pocketed a 250 Euro bonus. A total of 50 players will advance to the finals on Sunday,
Oct. 25. The winner will receive the 4.000 Euro top prize. 
Swedish national coach Tomas Leandersson (pictured left) once again proved that he still has it when he defeated 8-time PBA champion Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 223-219, to win the Ebonite Lahti Open and the 8.000 Euro top prize. It was the first EBT title this season for Leandersson and the second since 2005. Leandersson, seeded second, eliminated Koivuniemi's compatriot Jari Ratia in the semifinal, 256-209. In the opening match Ratia sidelined 4-time PBA champion Mike Wolfe, United States, in a low-scoring encounter, 193-179.
The top 12 from the first round of the finals in the Ebonite Lahti Open battled it out with the top 8 qualifiers for the top 10, who advanced to Final Round 3. Swedish national coach Tomas Leandersson (pictured) set the pace with 1142 (228.40). Among those joining Leandersson in Round 3 are two PBA champions, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland (2nd, 1113) and Mike Wolfe, United States (5th, 1062), as well as defending champion Osku Palermaa, Finland (7th, 1057) and qualifying leader Paul Moor, England, (6th, 1061). 
Osku Palermaa (l.), Finland, rolled a 1293 series Sunday morning at Lahti Bowl in Lahti, Finland, en route to lead the top 12 players into Final Round 2 of the Ebonite Lahti Open. As Vanessa Timter (r.) is the only woman who advanced, the German has already won the women's rankings. Three players hit the cutoff number with 1250. Sergey Bogachev (196), Russia, beat out Bodo Konieczny (181), Germany, and Matias Kallio (170), Finland, due to the higher last game.
European Ranking Masters champion Paul Moor (l.) rolled a 1413 series in the 8th qualifying squad en route to overtake the lead in the qualifying of the Ebonite Lahti Open at Friday at Jouni Helminen's Lahti Bowl in Lahti, Finland. The English lefty posted three 240s and two 230s to overtake previous leader member Pasi Uotila (r.), Finland, by 9 pins. Qualifying ends on Saturday, Oct. 17, with Squads 11-14 and the ultimate one-game Desperado Squad. 
Two players cracked the top 8 in the fifth qualifying squad of the Ebonite Lahti Open Monday evening at Jouni Helminen's Lahti Bowl in Lahti, Finland. Kari Hurri (l.) led the squad behind games of 236, 236, 215, 236, 198 and 194 to move into third place in the overall qualifying standings. Hurri tied second-place Matti Knutar with 1315 six-game total but had the lower last game. Krista Pöllänen leaped into 6th place with 1292. Day one leader Samu Valaranta remained atop the leaderboard with 1335 (222.50).
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.
10 players added their names to the leaderboard during squads 3 and 4 Sunday at Lahti Bowl in Lahti, Finland, but day one leader Samu Valaranta held on to the lead in the qualifying of the Ebonite Lahti Open with 1335. Squad 4 leader Matti Knutar (l.) moved into second place with 1315 while Sqaud 3 leader Laura Tuomisalo (r.) is the top-ranked female bowler in third place with 1306. Qualifying continues on Monday with Squad 5 at 6.30pm. 
The 2009 Ebonite Lahti Open got underway on Saturday with the first two qualifying squads. Samu Valaranta (l.) posted a fine 1335 six-game series including a high game of 290 to take the early lead. Matti Virta (r.), who led Squad 2, is a distant second with 1249. Qualifying runs through Saturday, Oct. 17. A total of 40 players will advance to the finals on Sunday. The Lahti Open offers an increased total prize fund of 49.200 Euro, or about 72,500 U.S. dollars.