2007 EBT

Stefan Nilsson (l.), who shot the first of seven 300 games in the qualifying of the Norwegian Open, rolled the first perfecto of the finals and the eighth of the tournament Sunday at Veitvet Bowling Center in Oslo, Norway. Nilsson feeld 946 pins, an average of 236.50, good for 4th place. Norwegian national team member Svein Roger Olsen (r.) lead the round with a huge 982 total including three 246 games and a 244 in game two. Martin Larsen (right), Sweden, hit the cutoff number of 899. 

Kim Bolleby (l.), Sweden, was the most consistent player early Sunday morning at Veitvet Bowling Center in Oslo, Norway en route to lead the Norwegian Open final round one with 973 four-game total and an average of 243.25. unior Team Norway member Martin Olsen (r.) started the finals with a 299 game and missed the tournament's 8th 300 game by mere one pin. The top 12 advanced to meet the players seeded 13th to 24th after qualifying in round two.

Robert Andersson (l.) remained unchallenged in the final qualifying squad of the Norwegian Open Saturday at Veitvet Bowling Center in Oslo. The Swede won the qualifying with 1497 six-game total and an average of 249.50. Four players from the final qualifying squad made the cut. Priscilla Maaswinkel (r.), Netherlands, hit the cutoff number for 40th place with 1373. The top 40 players from the qualifying plus the top four players from the first weekend plus the top 4 from the Desperado Squad advanced to the finals on Sunday, Oct. 7.

Needing a 245 final game to overtake qualifying leader Robert Andersson by one pin, Kenneth Haukås (left), Norway, closed out his six-game series with 232 to settle for third place with 1485 pinfall total and an average of 247.50. Next in the squad were three youngsters, Simen S. Jensen, 17, Norway, 1420; Kim Bolleby, 16, Sweden, 1404 and Tina Hulsch (right), 18, Germany, 1392. With one squad to go, World Doubles Champion Robert Andersson, Sweden, remained atop the leaderboard with 1497.  

Swedish national team member Tobias Karlsson (l.) put on a show in the second squad on Saturday, the 16th overall, en route to overtake the third position in the qualifying the Norwegian Open in Oslo. The defending champion, who admits he is primarily left-handed but prefers to bowl with the right hand, started his six-game series with 234 and 186 before he rolled the 7th perfect game of the tournament and one of many in his career. With the final two squads to go, Karlsson's compatriot Robert Andersson held on to the lead with 1497 or an average of 249.50.

Leonidas Maragkos from Greece,  currently the No. 10 in the European rankings, outaveraged his nearest competitor in Squad 15, Stefan Palmer, Norway, by more than 20 pins en route to move into 21st place in the overall qualifying standings of the high-scoring tournament with 1408. Robert Andersson, Sweden, leads the field on the final day of qualifying with 1497 pinfall total and an average of 249.50. Squad 16 update: Defending champion Tobias Karlsson shoots the 7th 300 game of the tournament.

Xavier Lotthe from France started the 14th qualifying squad in the Norwegian Open, the 17th event on the 2007 European Bowling Tour, with a bang as he fired the sixth 300 game of the tournament and the fifth on Friday at Veitvet Bowling Center in Oslo, Norway. Robert Andersson, Sweden, leads the field of 168 players since Squad 12 on Friday morning with 1497 pinfall total and an average of 249.50.  Qualifying concludes on Saturday, October 6 with Squads 15-18 and the ultimate one-game Desperado Squad scheduled for 11.30 p.m.

Norwegian shooting star Mads Sandbækken (l.) posted the fourth 300 game of the 2007 Norwegian Open in game #2 of Squad 13 Friday en route to shoot into second place in the overall qualifying standings with 1470 six-game total and an average of 245.00. Ghislaine van der Tol (r.), Netherlands, brought the number of 300 games to five and leaped into fifth place with 1455. Robert Andersson, Sweden, continued to lead with 1497 pinfall total and an average of 249.50.
Squad 14 Update: Xavier Lotthe, France starts with 300-279.

Robert Andersson (l.) from Sweden overtook the lead in the qualifying of the Norwegian Open in Squad 12 Friday at Veitvet Bowling Center in Oslo. Andersson had games of 247, 235, 257, 246, 244 and 268 for 1497 pinfall total, an average of 249.50. His compatriots Martin Larsen and Nina Flack (r.) rolled the second and third 300 game of the tournament in game 1 and 4, respectively.

Former Norwegian standout Tore Torgersen (l.) and Lars Lindbäck rolled six-game series of 1450 and 1448 Thursday at Veitvet Bowling Center in Oslo, Norway, but fell 16 and 18 pins short of the lead in the Norwegian Open to move into third and fourth place, respectively. Stefan Nilsson (r.), both Sweden,  rolled the first 300 game. Frederik Øhrgaard, Denmark, led Squad 9 with 1387. Ingunn Øien, Norway, continued to lead the field of 108 players with 1466. 

Five of the sixteen players in qualifying Squad 7 in the Norwegian Open scored 1340 and higher for their six games Wednesday at Veitvet Bowling Center in Oslo, Norway. Svein Åke Ek (l.) won his second consecutive squad with 1457 six-game total and an average of 242.83 en route to leap into second place in the overall qualifying standings. The Norwegian U23 national team member missed the high score of 1466, posted by Ingunn Øien (r.) in Squad 1, by nine pins.

Norwegian U23 international Svein Åke Ek (l.) posted a 1370 six-game total to move into ninth place in the qualifying for the Norwegian Open finals during the sixth of 18 squads Tuesday at Veitvet Bowling Center in Oslo. Ek (l.), the 2007 European Youth Championships Masters runner-up, played in his own league and outaveraged his nearest competitor in Squad 6, Frode Jørgen Aaneby, by more than 23 pins.  For the fourth consecutive day, Ingunn Øien (r.), all from Norway, remained atop the leaderboard with the1466 pinfall total. 

Just 13 players took on the lanes at Veitvet Bowling Center in Oslo, Norway, Monday in the fifth qualifying squad of the Norwegian Open. Owe Herrmann (l.) led the squad with 87 over par (based on a 200 average) thanks to a 290 in game #2, the highest game of the tournament thus far. Herrmann's 1287 six-game total was good for 19th place in the overall qualifying standings. Ingunn Øien (r.), all from Norway, is leading the tournament since Squad 1 with 1466 pinfall total and an average of 236.33.

The number 4 turned out to be Geir Ødegård's (l.) lucky number. The Norwegian led Squad 4 with 1398 six-game total to help grab the fourth place in the overall qualifying standings in the Norwegian Open after the first weekend. The top four players from the first weekend (squads 1-4) are automatically qualified for the finals next Sunday. As the experts in Norway expect the cutoff number close to 1350, leader Ingunn Øien (right, 1466) and the next seven players should be safe.

ECC champion Ingunn Øien (l.) had high games of 266, 258 and 247 en route to become the first leader in the European Bowling Tour's Norwegian Open at Veitvet Bowling Center in Oslo. Øien averaged 236.33 over six games to set the pace with 1466 pinfall total including handicap. Nils Christian Stensrud (r.) led Squad 2 with 1383 to move into fourth place. The Norwegian Open 2007 is the 17th stop of the 2007 European Bowling Tour.

The Norwegian Open 2007, the 17th stop of the 2007 European Bowling Tour, will be held at Veitvet Bowling Center in Oslo, Norway from September 29 through October 7, 2007. The tournament offers total prize money of 351.000 Norwegian Kronor, approx. 61.220 U.S. Dollar or 44.403 Euro. The winner will receive the 60.000 NOK top prize ($10.465/€7.590).  Bowlingdigital will cover the event live from Oslo.

Last Sunday, Nick Froggatt (left) won the Maribor Open in Slovenia and pocketed 8.000 Euro. One week later, the Englishman defeated European ranking leader Osku Palermaa (right), 441-423, to win the European Bowling Tour Ankara Open and another 10.000 Euro. In the title match over two games total pinfall, Froggatt, left-handed, topped the two-hander from Finland by 9 pins in each of the two games, 213-204 and 228-219. 

Robert Andersson (l.) from Sweden won his second European Bowling Tour title this season after the Husqvarna International in April when he defeated No. 1 seeded Krista Pöllänen (r.), Finland, in the title match of the 29th Trofeu Internacional Ciutat de Barcelona, 218-206 (including handicap). In the opening match of the three-player stepladder finals, Andersson topped his team mate, Martin Larsen, 208-174.

Ghislaine van der Tol tied Aaron Kong from Malaysia 477-477 in the title match of the 3rd Storm San Marino Open and was declared the winner due the "highest last game" ruling. In the final over two games total pinfall, Kong led after game #1 by 20 pins, 222-202 (including 8 pins handicap) but van der Tol rebounded with a 275-game to Kong's 255 to level the match. According to the rules the highest last game made the difference and the Dutch won the title and the 10.000 Euro top prize. Is was the second consecutive EBT title for van der Tol, who won the women's Malta Open last month.

Stuart Williams, England, and Ghislaine van der Tol, Netherlands claimed the men's and women's title in the Malta Open Championships at Eden SuperBowl in St. Julians, Malta. Williams, who won the World Ranking Masters last month, defeated his compatriot and No. 1 seed Nick Froggatt by the closest possible margin, 225-224, to earn the 4.400 Euro top prize. Van der Tol, seeded second, topped No. 1 seed Mai Ginge Jensen, Denmark, 198-191, for the women's title, worth 3.000 Euro. ##