With 15 out of 18 qualifying squads in the books,
Ghislaine van der Tol (pictured left), Netherlands, and
Nicki Ainge (right), England, lead the field of 182 players in the Hammer Bronzen Schietspoel Tournament 2009 at Dolfijn Bowling in Tilburg, Netherlands. Dennis Eklund, Sweden, Paul Moor, Dominic Barrett, both England, and Jesper Agerbo, Denmark, moved into 3rd through 6th place in Squads 13-15 on Friday. With three more qualifying squads to go on Saturday, the cutoff number for 54th place is 1240 or an average of 206.67.
Lucas Legnani (pictured) from Argentina, who qualified for the finals in the VII Catalonia Open - Trofeu Galasa in 17th place leaped 16 spots in a span of just four games in Sunday's Quarterfinal at Bowling Pedralbes in Barcelona, Spain. Legnani, who carried forward 700 pins or 50 per cent of his qualifying total, rolled games of 245, 278, 245 and 258 for 1026 (256.50) to overtake the lead with 1726 total. Legnani was the sole player in the 48-player field who cracked the 1000-bar over four games. Jesper Agerbo, Denmark, jumped from 11th to second place with 1713 with Dominic Barrett, England, in third with 1670. The remaining 24 will determine the top 3 for the stepladder finals in another 4-game bloc. 
Stuart Williams (pictured left), England, led the 120 player field after 12 qualifying squads in the VII Catalonia Open - Trofeu Galasa at Bowling Pedralbes in Barcelona, Spain. The 2007 World Ranking Masters champion led Squad 3 with 1474 including high games of 279, 258 and 256 for 1474 and an average of 245.67 and never looked back. Bowling in Squad 10 on Saturday, Williams led the squad with 1442. A total of 48 players advanced to the finals on Sunday and carry forward 50 per cent of their respective qualifying total. The tournament offers total prize fund of 55.000 Euro with 12.000 goin to the winner. 
Finns Osku Palermaa, Krista Pöllänen (r.), Heidi Manninen and Panu Nurmilo added their names to the leaderboard in the VII Catalonia Open - Trofeu Galasa on Friday at Bowling Pedralbes in Barcelona, Spain. Two-time defending ranking champion Palermaa (l.) had six games between 235 and 258 to lead Squad 6 and to move into second place in the overall qualifying standings with 1468, an average of 244.67 over six games. Stuart Williams, England, continued to lead with 1474 (245.67). Pierre Luc Sanchez, France, is the man on the bubble in 30th place with 1340 six-game total or an average of 223.33. 
Stuart Williams (l.), England, and Robert Andersson, Sweden, led qualifying squads #3 and #4 on Thursday to move into first and second place in the VII Catalonia Open - Trofeu Galasa. Williams used high games of 279, 258 and 256 for 1474 to grab the pole position with 1474 total and an average of 245.67. Andersson led Squad 4 to jump into second place with 1454. Dane Jesper Agerbo (r.) posted the first perfecto of the tournament in the last game Thursday night en route to overtake fifth place with 1432. 
Marcial Ovide (pictured left) fired a 1445 series Wednesday evening at Bowling Pedralbes in Barcelona, Spain en route to shoot in the lead after the second qualifying squad in the VII Catalonia Open - Trofeu Galasa. Ovide, who averaged 240.83 over six games, had high games of 278 in game #3 and 277 in game #6. Squad 1 leader Lluis Montfort is a distant second with 1359. The 12 qualifying squad leaders automatically secure a spot in Sunday's finals. The tournament is the third stop of the 2009 European Bowling Tour and one of the Tour's "Majors". The total prize fund is 55.000 Euro with 12.000 going to the winner.
18 bowlers, all from Catalonia, took on the lanes at Bowling Pedralbes in Barcelona, Spain, on Tuesday evening for the opening squad of the VII Catalonia Open - Trofeu Galasa, the third stop of the 2009 European Bowling Tour and one of the Tour's "Majors". Lluis Montfort started with a 186 game but bounced back with 223, 265, 247, 203 and 235 en route to take the early lead in the qualifying with 1359 six-game total and an average of 226.50. As each leader of the 12 qualifying squads earns an automatic berth into the finals, Montfort has already done his job.
Two-time defending European ranking champion Osku Palermaa rolled games of 231 and 236 en route to capture the title in the Hammer Bronzen Schietspoel Tournament 2009 at Dolfijn Bowling in Tilburg, Netherlands. The two-hander from Finland had a 467 two-game total to beat Dutch Peter Smits (442), Mads Sandbækken, Norway (436) and Tobias Karlsson, Sweden (419) in the final round. Palermaa received 12.000 Euro for the victory. Smits pocketed 6.000 Euro for second place. Sandbækken took home 4.000 Euro for third place and Karlsson garnered 2.000 Euro for fourth place.
Kamilla Kjeldsen (l.), Denmark, had six games between 202 and 258 to lead Squad 17 with 1361 including 48 pins handicap and to jump into 5th place in the overall qualifying standings in the Hammer Bronzen Schietspoel Tournament 2009 at Dolfijn Bowling in Tilburg, Netherlands.Squad 16 leader Anne Lorraine Gales (r.), Denmark, is 21st with 1302. With 17 out of 18 qualifying squads in the books, Ghislaine van der Tol, Netherlands, and Nicki Ainge, England, continued to lead the field of 199 players with 1418 and 1382, both including 48 pins women's handicap. 
Robert Andersson and Martin Larsen (r-l), Sweden, led the 10 and 11th squad en route to crack the top 10 in the overall qualifying standings in the Hammer Bronzen Schietspoel Tournament 2009 Thursday evening at Dolfijn Bowling in Tilburg, Netherlands. The 2006 World Champions in Doubles felled 1339 (Larsen) and 1307 (Andersson, right) pins over six games on dual lane condition to leap into third and seventh place, respectively. Two women, Ghislaine van der Tol, Netherlands, and Nicki Ainge, England, remained atop the 154-player field. Qualifying ends on Saturday evening. A total of 64 players will advance to the finals on Sunday. 
Mats Maggi (l.), Belgium, and Daniel French (r.), England, led the sixth and seventh qualifying squad in the Hammer Bronzen Schietspoel Tournament 2009 en route to move into third and fourth place in the overall qualifying standings on Wednesday. Maggi finished his six-game series with 244 and 238 for 1311 pinfall total, an average of 218.50, to jump into third place in the 100-player field. French used a high game of 268 to tie Squad 2 leader Erik Kok, Netherlands at 1297. The tournament offers total prize fund of 62.800 Euro. The top 64 players cash with 12.000 going to the winner.
Roel Mol and Eric Kok, both Netherlands, led the first two of 18 qualifying squads in the Hammer Bronzen Schietspoel Tournament 2009, which got underway Sunday at Dolfijn Bowling in Tilburg, Netherlands. Mol (l.) became the first player in this year's event, who cracked the 1300-bar, with 1323 six-game total and an average of 220.50. National coach and former Dutch standout Kok (r.) overtook second place with 1297. The Hammer Bronzen Schietspoel Tournament 2009, the 2nd stop of the 2009 European Bowling Tour and one of the Tour's "Majors", is contested on dual lane condition. 
Pasi Uotila (l.), Finland, defeated Dominic Barrett (r.), England, 214-212, in the title match of the Brunswick Ballmaster Open en route to win the prestigious title and the 12.000 Euro top prize. Uotila, who became the third 3-time winner in the 39-year history of the event, overtook the lead in the 2009 European Bowling Tour rankings. Nicole Sanders, Netherlands, the sole woman who reached the match play finals, finished in 8th place and overtook the lead in the EBT women's rankings. 