2012 EBT

Ronnie Russell (pictured), United States, finished the qualifying portion of the 42nd Brunswick Ballmaster Open atop the leaderboard to lead total 48 players into Sunday's finals at Tali Bowling Center in Helsinki, Finland. The PBA exempt player, who led the 425-player field from 17 countries with 1455, a 242.50 average, pocketed a 2.000 Euro bonus. Pasi Uotila, Finland, was mere one pin behind in second place with 1454 and Estonoa's Kert Truus was third with 1405, worth 1.000 and 500 Euro, resp.

Ronnie Russell (l.), United States, and Pasi Uotila (r.), Finland, set the tone on the penultimate qualifying day in the Brunswick Ballmaster Open Friday at Tali Bowling Center in Helsinki, Finland. Uotila started the day with with 1454 in Squad 10 en route to overtake the overall qualifying lead. Russell, who fell to second place with 1423, countered in the evening squad with 1455 (242.50) to regain the lead by one pin.

PBA pros set the tone in Thursday's qualifying of the Brunswick Ballmaster Open in Helsinki, Finland. PBA exempt player Ronnie Russell (l.), United States, moved to the top of the 349-player leaderboard with 1423 six-game total (237.17 avg.). Two-time world champion Robert Andersson (r.), Sweden, paced the eighth qualifying squad with 1386 to move into sixth place. Qualifying continues on Friday with Squads 10, 11 and 12.

Sean Rash (l.), United States, averaged 232.50 Tuesday evening at Tali Bowling Center in Helsinki, Finland to lead the sixth qualifying squad and to overtake second place in the overall standings in the Brunswick Ballmaster Open. The four-time PBA champion totaled 1395 pins to miss the pole position by ten pins. Kert Truus (r.), Estonia, held on to the lead with 1405 and an average of 234.17. Qualifying continues on Thursday with Squads 7-9.

Valcke Bowling, organizer of the 2012 Brunswick Euro Challenge, has announced that the number of players registered for this tournament nears 400. The BEC is the fourth tournament on the 2012 European Bowling Tour schedule and one of just two "Platinum" events, the EBT's highest category. The BEC will be held from March 16-25 in Saint Maximin near Paris, France and offers total prize money of 106.000 Euro (approx. US $150,000). Bowlingdigital.com will cover the event live.

Qualifying of the Brunswick Ballmaster Open heatened up Sunday at Tali Bowl in Helsinki, Finland, while it was minus 15 degrees Celsius (5 °F) outside the bowling center. Sunday's squads were reserved for senior and youth bowlers. Kert Truus (l.) stunned the Finns as the Estonian rolled six games between 202 and 266 to overtake the qualifying lead with 1405 (234.17). Squad 1 leader Petteri Salonen (r.), Finland, slipped to second place with 1393.

The Brunswick Ballmaster Open kicked off both the 2012 World Bowling Tour and the 2012 European Bowling Tour season when the first of 16 qualifying squads got underway on Friday evening at Tali Bowling Center in Helsinki, Finland's Petteri Salonen (oictured) took the early lead with 1393 six-game total and an average of 232.17. The multiple European champion posted games of 210, 246, 279, 196, 235 and 227 to lead compatriot Panu Nurmilo by 39 pins. Qualifying continues on Sunday with squads 4 and 5.

The Brunswick Ballmaster Open will kick off both the 2012 World Bowling Tour and the 2012 European Bowling Tour season when the 42nd edition of Europe's most prestigious tournament gets underway at Tali Bowling Center in Helsinki, Finland. The EBT Gold event offers 90.300 Euro total prize fund and a 12.000 Euro top prize,

The 2012 Brunswick Euro Challenge is the fourth tournament on the 2012 European Bowling Tour schedule and the 8th stop of the World Bowling Tour 2012. The EBT "PLatinum" event will be held from March 16-25 at 28-laner Le Plaza Bowling in Saint Maximin near Paris, France and offers total prize money of 106.000 Euro (approx. US $150,000). Online Registration is open since Nov. 1st. 225 players from 28 countries have registered within the first 36 hours.