Dane and Israeli lead Thursday's qualifying squads to advance to the finals on Sunday
Dane Jesper Agerbo (l.) and Or Aviram (right), Israel led the third and fourth qualifying squad of the 9th Catalonia Open Thursday at Bowling Pedralbes in Barcelona, Spain with 1403 and 1357 en route to qualify for the finals on Sunday. PBA Hall of Famer Brian Voss, United States, was sandwiched between the two squad leaders with 1387, good for second place overall. Qualifying continues on Friday, March 18 with Squads 5-8.
Brunswick Euro Challenge champion Guerrero becomes top-ranked woman
Vincent Cayez (l.), France, became the second player who earned berth into Sunday's finals of the 9th Catalonia Open when he led the second qualifying squad Wednesday at Bowling Pedralbes in Barcelona, Spain with 1313 pinfall total. Fresh off her victory in the Brunswick Euro Challenge, Clara Juliana Guerrero, Colombia (r.) missed out on direct qualification to the final by one pin. Qualifying continues on Thursday, March 17 with Squads 3 and 4.
Finn is automatically qualified for finals on Sunday, March 20
Twenty players from Catalonia, one of the Kingdom of Spain's seventeen autonomous communities, and Finn Joonas Jehkinen took to the 14 lanes at Bowling Pedralbes in Barcelona, Spain, for the first of twelve qualifying squads of the 9th Catalonia Open - Trofeu Galasa. Jehkinen (pictured) averaged 220 for six games to take the early lead in the tournament with 1320 pinfall total. As a squad leader, Jehkinen is automatically qualified for finals on Sunday, March 20. Qualifying continues on Wednesday, March 16 with Squad 2.
Defeats Carolyn Dorin-Ballard in the title match to pocket 15.000 Euro
Two-time World Champion and World Ranking Masters champion Clara Juliana Guerrero (pictured) won yet another big title when the Colombian defeated Syafiq Ridhwan of Malaysia and top seeded Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, United States, en route to win the 2011 Brunswick Euro Challenge Sunday evening at Le Plaza Bowling in Saint Maximin, France. Latest News: The stepladder finals will air on Eurosport 2 on Thursday, April 14 at 11.30 p.m. CEST (10.30 p.m. in the UK).
Three women and five men to determine the three spots for the TV finals at 6.30 pm CET
Marco Baade (l.), Germany, led the remaining eight players into round robin match play of the Brunswick Euro Challenge starting at 4 p.m. CET with 1290 six-game total and an average of 215. Trailing Baade by seven pins to land in second place was Syafiq Ridhwan (r.). Reigning European Bowling Tour ranking champ Dominic Barrett,
England, finished with 290 to grab the eighth and
last spot to advance with 1237.
Top 16 players to meet top 12 qualifiers in second round
Robert Andersson (l.) set the tone in Final Round One Sunday morning at Le Plaza Bowling in Saint Maximin, France to lead the top 16 players into the second round of the Brunswick Euro Challenge. The Swede Led the round with 1308 pinfall total. Marilyn Planchard (r.), the back-up specialist of the host country France, had 296 scratch in game #3 to help grab second place with 1287. The top 16 will meet the top 12 qualifiers in round two to bowl six games scratch.
Cut for 52nd place is 1246 (207.50 average) 164 pins less than last year
After 25 qualifying squads Jouni Helminen (l.) of Finland,, who has led the field of 395 players - 323 men and 72 women - from 37 countries since Squad 3 with 1435 and an average of 239.17, has won the qualifying of the 2011 Brunswick Euro Challenge. Vincent Cayez (r.), France, led the 25th and final qualifying squad with 1301 and not only made the first cut but even moved into the top 12 to earn one bye for the finals on Sunday morning.
Reigning EBT ranking champion Dominic Barrett (l.) led the 24th qualifying squad of the Brunswick Euro Challenge with 1278 total to leap one spot into 21st place Saturday evening at Le Plaza Bowling in St. Maximin, France. Barrett's compatriot Darren Cundy (r.) was mere seven pins behind to jump from 94th to 24th place with 1271. With the final qualifying squad to go, Swede Karl Wahlgren holds the 52nd and last spot to advance with 1242.
Final game propels PBA champion into ninth place; cut for 52nd place is currently 1240
Heading into the last game of qualifying squad 23, Osku Palermaa needed a 230-plus game to move into the top 52 in the qualifying of the 106.000 Euro Brunswick Euro Challenge. Playing deep inside on lanes 9 and 10, the two-hander fired 12 powerful strikes for the tournament's first 300 game. Palermaa, who has won his first PBA titel this season, rocketed from 109th into ninth place in the overall qualifying standings with 1308 six-game total and an average of 218.
Three players crack the 1300-bar; cut for 52nd place is now 1236 (206 average)
German national team member Marco Baade (pictured) posted a 1333 six-game series Saturday morning at Le Plaza Bowling in Saint Maximin, France to leap 195 places from 199th to fourth in the qualifying of the Brunswick Euro Challenge. Jouni Helminen, Finland, remained unchallenged atop the field of 389 players from 37 countries with 1435 and an average of 239.17. Another three players in Squad 22 cracked the top 12, who will earn a bye for the finals, and six more stayed above the cut line (1236).
The 2011 Brunswick Euro Challenge is the fourth tournament of the 2011 European Bowling Tour and also the fourth event of the inaugural World Bowling Tour. The BEC will be held from March 4-13, 2011 at 28-laner Le Plaza Bowling in Saint Maximin near Paris, France, and offers total prize money of 106.000 Euro with 15.000 Euro going to the winner. To watch the video
Nina Flack, Wendy Kok atop Squad 19 with 1291 and 1287
Two Brunswick staff members, Nina Flack (l.) of Sweden and Dutch Wendy Kok (r.) set their sights on the finals of the EBT "Platinum" Brunswick Euro Challenge Friday evening at Le Plaza Bowling in St. Maximin, France. Flack closed out her six-game series with a huge 266 game for 1291 to overtake tenth place in the overall qualifying standings. Kok finished four pins behind Flack with 1287 to move into 12th place.
No changes atop the leaderboard; cut for 52nd place is now 1213 (202.17 average)
No changes atop the leaderboard in the qualifying of the Brunswick Euro Challenge after the 56 players of Squad 18 have finished their six-game block Friday afternoon at Le Plaza Bowling in St. Maximin, France. Artur Levikin (l.), Latvia, led the squad with 1266, a 211 average, to move into 17th place of the 339-player field from 35 countries. Cassie Staudinger (r.), Australia was nine pins behind Levikin with 1257 and leaped to 20th place.
Hee Kar Yen, Syafiq Ridhwan and Finn Krista Pöllänen move into the top 10
Malaysian national team members set the tone in the qualifying of the Brunswick Euro Challenge Friday morning at Le Plaza Bowling in Saint Maximin, France. Hee Kar Yen (l.) led Squad 17 with 1324 en route to moved into fifth place on the leaderboard. Reigning World Games champion Krista Pöllänen (r.), Finland, was close behind with 1320 to leap into sixth place. Pöllänen was followed by another four Malaysian bowlers, two men and two women.
Finn Tony Ranta (l.), Alexandre Vahidi (r.) of Iran, and England's Dominic Barrett moved into the top 10 in the qualifying of the Brunswick Euro Challenge Thursday night at Le Plaza Bowling in Saint Maximin, France. Finn Jouni Helminen continued to lead the field of now 315 players from 32 countries with 1435 six-game total, while Midnight Squad 16 leader Andreas Hristoforou, Cyprus, missed the top 52 by 37 pins.
The 2011 Brunswick Euro Challenge Youth Clinic was organized by Valcke Bowling Service and led by coaches Pat Mitchell and Brian Graham, United States, was held on Wednesday, March 9, 2011 at Le Plaza Bowling in St. Maximin, France featuring Brunswick staff players Gery Verbruggen, Belgium; Nicole Sanders, Netherlands; Wendy Kok, Netherlands; Nina Flack, Sweden; David Canady, Germany; and Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela.
Robert Andersson, Thomas Larsen join Jensen in the top 7; cut is 1195 (199.17)
Mai Ginge Jensen (l.) of Denmark became the first woman and just the fourth player who has cracked the 1300-bar in the qualifying of the Brunswick Euro Challenge Thursday evening in Squad 14 at Le Plaza Bowling in Saint Maximin, France. Jensen jumped into fourth place overall with 1325 including handicap. Finn Jouni Helminen (r.) leads the field of now 276 players from 25 countries with 1435. Qualifying continues on Thursday, March 10 with Squad 15.
Morning Squad 12 has been cancelled; cut for 52nd place is 1183 (197.17 average)
Kimmo Lehtonen (pictured) of Finland led the 13th qualifying squad in the Brunswick Euro Challenge at noon Thursday with 1285 six-game total but failed to improve on the 1298 he bowled last night at Le Plaza Bowling in Saint Maximin, France. Just three players from the 238-player field from 22 countries have surpassed the 1300-mark this year including tournament leader Jouni Helminen, Finland, who held on to the lead lead with 1435. Qualifying continues on Thursday, March 10 with Squad 14 and 15 scheduled for 4 and 8 p.m. CET.
Qualifying Squad 12 on Thursday morning has been cancelled
Fresh off his victory in the Hammer Bronzen Schietspoel Tournament in Tilburg, Netherlands, last Sunday, Gery Verbruggen (l.) of Belgium posted a 1391 series in qualifying squad 11 Wednesday night to jump into second place in the qualifying of the Brunswick Euro Challenge. Fellow lefty Kimmo Lehtonen (r.), Finland, totaled 1298 pins to overtake fourth place. Qualifying continues on Thursday, March 10 with Squad 13-15 scheduled for noon, 4 and 8 p.m. CET.
Adrian Ang shoots 1371 to move into second place; cut for 52nd place is now 1163
The Malaysian national team dominated qualifying squad 10 in the Brunswick Euro Challenge Wednesday evening at Le Plaza Bowling in Saint Maximin in the outskirts of Paris, France with five team members finishing atop the leaderboard. Adrian Ang (pictured) led the way with 1371 six-game total, an average of 228.50, to jump into second place in the overall qualifying standings. Qualifying continues on Wednesday, March 9 with Squad 11 scheduled for 9 p.m. CET.
Dane Jesper Agerbo (l.) and Or Aviram (right), Israel led the third and fourth qualifying squad of the 9th Catalonia Open Thursday at Bowling Pedralbes in Barcelona, Spain with 1403 and 1357 en route to qualify for the finals on Sunday. PBA Hall of Famer Brian Voss, United States, was sandwiched between the two squad leaders with 1387, good for second place overall. Qualifying continues on Friday, March 18 with Squads 5-8.
Vincent Cayez (l.), France, became the second player who earned berth into Sunday's finals of the 9th Catalonia Open when he led the second qualifying squad Wednesday at Bowling Pedralbes in Barcelona, Spain with 1313 pinfall total. Fresh off her victory in the Brunswick Euro Challenge, Clara Juliana Guerrero, Colombia (r.) missed out on direct qualification to the final by one pin. Qualifying continues on Thursday, March 17 with Squads 3 and 4. 
Twenty players from Catalonia, one of the Kingdom of Spain's seventeen autonomous communities, and Finn Joonas Jehkinen took to the 14 lanes at Bowling Pedralbes in Barcelona, Spain, for the first of twelve qualifying squads of the 9th Catalonia Open - Trofeu Galasa. Jehkinen (pictured) averaged 220 for six games to take the early lead in the tournament with 1320 pinfall total. As a squad leader, Jehkinen is automatically qualified for finals on Sunday, March 20. Qualifying continues on Wednesday, March 16 with Squad 2. 
Two-time World Champion and World Ranking Masters champion Clara Juliana Guerrero (pictured) won yet another big title when the Colombian defeated Syafiq Ridhwan of Malaysia and top seeded Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, United States, en route to win the 2011 Brunswick Euro Challenge Sunday evening at Le Plaza Bowling in Saint Maximin, France. Latest News: The stepladder finals will air on Eurosport 2 on Thursday, April 14 at 11.30 p.m. CEST (10.30 p.m. in the UK).
Marco Baade (l.), Germany, led the remaining eight players into round robin match play of the Brunswick Euro Challenge starting at 4 p.m. CET with 1290 six-game total and an average of 215. Trailing Baade by seven pins to land in second place was Syafiq Ridhwan (r.). Reigning European Bowling Tour ranking champ Dominic Barrett,
England, finished with 290 to grab the eighth and
last spot to advance with 1237. 
Robert Andersson (l.) set the tone in Final Round One Sunday morning at Le Plaza Bowling in Saint Maximin, France to lead the top 16 players into the second round of the Brunswick Euro Challenge. The Swede Led the round with 1308 pinfall total. Marilyn Planchard (r.), the back-up specialist of the host country France, had 296 scratch in game #3 to help grab second place with 1287. The top 16 will meet the top 12 qualifiers in round two to bowl six games scratch. 
Reigning EBT ranking champion Dominic Barrett (l.) led the 24th qualifying squad of the Brunswick Euro Challenge with 1278 total to leap one spot into 21st place Saturday evening at Le Plaza Bowling in St. Maximin, France. Barrett's compatriot Darren Cundy (r.) was mere seven pins behind to jump from 94th to 24th place with 1271. With the final qualifying squad to go, Swede Karl Wahlgren holds the 52nd and last spot to advance with 1242. 
Heading into the last game of qualifying squad 23, Osku Palermaa needed a 230-plus game to move into the top 52 in the qualifying of the 106.000 Euro Brunswick Euro Challenge. Playing deep inside on lanes 9 and 10, the two-hander fired 12 powerful strikes for the tournament's first 300 game. Palermaa, who has won his first PBA titel this season, rocketed from 109th into ninth place in the overall qualifying standings with 1308 six-game total and an average of 218.
The 2011 Brunswick Euro Challenge is the fourth tournament of the 2011 European Bowling Tour and also the fourth event of the inaugural World Bowling Tour. The BEC will be held from March 4-13, 2011 at 28-laner Le Plaza Bowling in Saint Maximin near Paris, France, and offers total prize money of 106.000 Euro with 15.000 Euro going to the winner. To watch the video
Two Brunswick staff members, Nina Flack (l.) of Sweden and Dutch Wendy Kok (r.) set their sights on the finals of the EBT "Platinum" Brunswick Euro Challenge Friday evening at Le Plaza Bowling in St. Maximin, France. Flack closed out her six-game series with a huge 266 game for 1291 to overtake tenth place in the overall qualifying standings. Kok finished four pins behind Flack with 1287 to move into 12th place. 
No changes atop the leaderboard in the qualifying of the Brunswick Euro Challenge after the 56 players of Squad 18 have finished their six-game block Friday afternoon at Le Plaza Bowling in St. Maximin, France. Artur Levikin (l.), Latvia, led the squad with 1266, a 211 average, to move into 17th place of the 339-player field from 35 countries. Cassie Staudinger (r.), Australia was nine pins behind Levikin with 1257 and leaped to 20th place.
Malaysian national team members set the tone in the qualifying of the Brunswick Euro Challenge Friday morning at Le Plaza Bowling in Saint Maximin, France. Hee Kar Yen (l.) led Squad 17 with 1324 en route to moved into fifth place on the leaderboard. Reigning World Games champion Krista Pöllänen (r.), Finland, was close behind with 1320 to leap into sixth place. Pöllänen was followed by another four Malaysian bowlers, two men and two women. 
Finn Tony Ranta (l.), Alexandre Vahidi (r.) of Iran, and England's Dominic Barrett moved into the top 10 in the qualifying of the Brunswick Euro Challenge Thursday night at Le Plaza Bowling in Saint Maximin, France. Finn Jouni Helminen continued to lead the field of now 315 players from 32 countries with 1435 six-game total, while Midnight Squad 16 leader Andreas Hristoforou, Cyprus, missed the top 52 by 37 pins. 
The 2011 Brunswick Euro Challenge Youth Clinic was organized by Valcke Bowling Service and led by coaches Pat Mitchell and Brian Graham, United States, was held on Wednesday, March 9, 2011 at Le Plaza Bowling in St. Maximin, France featuring Brunswick staff players Gery Verbruggen, Belgium; Nicole Sanders, Netherlands; Wendy Kok, Netherlands; Nina Flack, Sweden; David Canady, Germany; and Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela. 
Kimmo Lehtonen (pictured) of Finland led the 13th qualifying squad in the Brunswick Euro Challenge at noon Thursday with 1285 six-game total but failed to improve on the 1298 he bowled last night at Le Plaza Bowling in Saint Maximin, France. Just three players from the 238-player field from 22 countries have surpassed the 1300-mark this year including tournament leader Jouni Helminen, Finland, who held on to the lead lead with 1435. Qualifying continues on Thursday, March 10 with Squad 14 and 15 scheduled for 4 and 8 p.m. CET. 
The Malaysian national team dominated qualifying squad 10 in the Brunswick Euro Challenge Wednesday evening at Le Plaza Bowling in Saint Maximin in the outskirts of Paris, France with five team members finishing atop the leaderboard. Adrian Ang (pictured) led the way with 1371 six-game total, an average of 228.50, to jump into second place in the overall qualifying standings. Qualifying continues on Wednesday, March 9 with Squad 11 scheduled for 9 p.m. CET. 