European Bowling News Overview

Petteri Salonen (pictured) of Finland saw his name atop the qualifying standings of the Brunswick Italia Challenge after posting a 1447 series, a 241.17 average, Thursday afternoon at Bowling Red & Black in Asti, Italy. Salonen rebounded from a slow start in Squad 14 with a near-perfect 298 and closed out with 269, 257 and 232 to overtake previous leader Marek Talpa, Czech Republic, by 20 pins. England's Stuart Williams and Swedes Robert Andersson and Martin Larsen also cracked the top 8.

Marek Talpa (l.), Czech Republic, became the first player in the 2013 Brunswick Italia Challenge who cracked the 1400-bar as he posted 1427 in the 10th qualifying squad Wednesday afternoon at Bowling Red & Black in Asti, Italy. Talpa overtook previous leader Davide Spagnoli of Italy by 64 pins. The owner of the tournament's lone 300 game so far was followed by compatriot Marco Reviglio (r.), who toppled 1352 pins in Squad 11.

Davide Spagnoli of Italy rattled off twelve consecutive strikes in the fifth game of Squad 9 Tuesday evening at Bowling Red & Black in Asti, Italy en route to overtake the qualifying lead at the Brunswick Italia Challenge. Spagnoli's six-game series was a roller coaster ride including games of 248, 187, 246, 171, 300 and 211 for 1363 and an average of 227.17. Second place belonged to PBA champion Mike Machuga, United States, who paced Squad 8 with 1314.

Marco Zorzan of Italy finished the seventh qualifying squad Monday evening at Bowling Red & Black in Asti, Italy with a big game to overtake the lead in the Brunswick Italia Challenge. Zorzan rolled games of 188, 222, 215, 219, 204 and 265 for 1313, an average of 218,83, to beat out previous leader Marco Boccato, Italy, for the top spot by two pins. Two-time PBA champion Mike Machuga (pictured), United States, added his name to the leaderboard after finishing Squad 7 with 1289, good for sixth place overall.

Italian bowlers dominated the first two days of qualifying in the Brunswick Italia Challenge currently underway at Bowling Red & Black in Asti, Italy. With five of 23 qualifying squads in the books, the Italians occupy the top eight spots on the 55-player leaderboard. Marco Boccato (l.) and Pierfranco Fanizza took the early lead with 1311 and 1301, respectively. Third place belonged to Maurizio Celli (r.) with 1282.

Paul Moor (center) of England won his 12th European Bowling Tour title in the 1st Brunswick Madrid Challenge and the 6.000 top prize Sunday at Bowling Chamartín in Madrid, Spain. In the title match, top-seeded Moor defeated Pasi Uotila (left) of Finland, 212-161, to end a four-year title drought. Uotila, who received 3.000 Euro for second place, and ninth-place Joline Persson-Planefors of Sweden overtook the lead in the EBT point rankings.

English bowlers dominated the qualifying of the 1st Brunswick Madrid Challenge finishing 1, 2 and 3. Stuart Williams (l.) won the qualifying with 1435 total and an average of 239.17 to earn a 750 Euro bonus. Dominic Barrett (r.) posted the highest six-game series Saturday at Bowling Chamartín in Madrid, Spain, but fell 19 pins short to land in second place with 1416. Rounding out the top three was Paul Moor with 1378.

Stuart Williams (pictured) posted a 1435 total (239.17 ave.) in Squad 21 Friday at Bowling Chamartín in Madrid, Spain, to widen his lead in the 1st Brunswick Madrid Challenge to 57 pins. Williams, a six-time European Bowling Tour champion and England's first PBA titlist, rolled games of 241, 233, 225, 279, 223 and 234 to improve the previous high series of 1397 by 38 pins. The qualifying winner will receive a 750 Euro bonus. Qualifying concludes Saturday with Squads 23-26 and the one-game Desperado Squad.

PBA champion Stuart Williams (l.) of England posted a 1397 series in Thursday's Squad 17 to move to the top of the qualifying leaderboard at the Brunswick Madrid Challenge. Williams had games averaged  232.83, to overtake previous leader Pasi Uotila, Finland, by 19 pins. Two-time European champion Joline Persson-Planefors (r.) of Sweden was second to Williams in Squad 17 with 13125 including handicap to jump into fourth place.

Long-time Finnish national team member Pasi Uotila (pictured) of Finland averaged almost 230 in Wednesday's Squad 13 en route to take the pole position in the qualifying of the 1st Brunswick Madrid Challenge at Bowling Chamartín. The four-time European Bowling Tour titlist had games of 232, 236, 223, 236, 246 and 205 for 1378, an average of 229.67, to overtake previous leader Pablo Barriopedro of Spain by 30 pins. Barriopedro, who led the tournament since Squad 6, slipped to second place with 1348.

Venezuelan national team member Ildemaro Ruiz Jr. (l.) became the second player in the inaugural Brunswick Madrid Challenge who cracked the 1300-bar, en route to shoot into second place in the overall qualifying standings. Ruiz averaged 220.33 in Squad 12 for a 1322 series including games of 236, 230, 194, 247, 222 and 193. Pablo Barriopedro (r.) of Spain remained atop the 70-player leaderboard with 1348 total (224.67 avg.).

Oliver Morig (l.) of Germany and Raúl Jimenez (r.), Spain, led qualifying squads 9 & 10 Monday to add their names to the leaderboard of the 1st Brunswick Madrid Challenge. Morig started the day with a 1231 in Squad 9 but Jimenez rolled a 1269 series in Squad 10 to beat out Morig for second place overall by 38 pins. Pablo Barriopedro of Spain continued to lead field of 55 players with 1348 total and an average of 224.67.

Pablo Barriopedro (pictured) of Spain averaged 224.67 Sunday afternoon Bowling Chamartín in Madrid, Spain to take a dominating 138-pin lead in the 1st Brunswick Madrid Challenge. Barriopedro had games of 221, 236, 223, 188, 237 and 243 to move to the top of the leaderboard with 1348 total. Spanish bowlers occupied the top four places and earned automatic spots in finals on Sunday, June 30, if they finish qualifying below the cut line (top 38).

Paco Rodriguez (pictured) of Spain averaged 201.67 and posted a 1210 six-game total to take the lead in the 1st Brunswick Madrid Challenge after day one qualifying at Bowling Chamartín in Madrid, Spain. The tournament co-organizer had games of 254, 157, 186, 184, 215 and 214 in Squad 3 (1, 2 and 4 were cancelled) to beat out Ruben Orche, Spain, for the top spot by three pins. Orche, who started his series with a 259 game, the high game of the tournament so far, was in second place with 1207.

Alexander Kondratyev of Club Ultramarin, Kiev, and Olena Mishchenko (pictured left, l-r) of Club ABC-Brooklyn, Kiev, finished the 13th Ukrainian Championship atop the men's and women's point rankings en route to become the 2013 National Champions. The Ukrainian Championship runs from September to June and consists of 10 stages. Bowling club Papashon in Odessa hosted the 10th and last stage of XIII Ukrainian Championship 2013 from June 14-16.

Marianne Pelz of Germany and Italy's Luciano Lambertini (pictured left, r-l) took the women's and men's title at the Italian Senior Open, the fifth stop on the 2013 International Seniors Bowling Tour, which was held at Reno Bowling in Bologna, Italy, from June 1-9, 2013. Gisela Insinger of Germany and Ron Oldfield of England walked away the winners of the ISBT Masters for the 2012 season, which was held in conjunction with the ISO at the same time.

Dominic Neldner of Germany averaged over 240 and rolled his second perfect game in the final round of the 36th Grand Prix Zurich en route to cruise to the title and to win the 1.110 Swiss Franc top prize Sunday at Bowling Center BeSeCo in Rümikon, Switzerland. Neldner finished with the field-best 1689 total and 112 total points. German international Tanya Cuva (1556) beat out Swiss national team member Harn Chieh Kwan (1536) for second place by two points, 98 to 96.

Online registration for the Norwegian Open 2013 by Brunswick, an EBT "Satellite" event, is now open. The tournament will be held from Oct. 4-13 at Veitvet Bowling Center in Oslo. As a result of a sponsorship agreement with Brunswick, the NO 2013 has increased the total prize fund to 224.000 NOK (currently 29.425 Euro). Other than in 2012, 60 instead of 40 players will cash. Bowlingdigital.com will provide Live Coverage commencing Thursday Oct. 10 all the way through to the finals.

After 17 games in the finals of the Odense International, Danish national team members Mik Stampe (c.) and Thomas Larsen (l.) were deadlocked at 4056 pins including match play bonus. Stampe repeated as champion for the second time after 2011 by virtue of the higher last game (246 to 212) to win the title and the 4.000 Euro first prize. Frederik Øhrgaard (r.) was mere 30 pins behind in third place. Fourth-place Kamilla Kjeldsen won the women's ranking.

Thomas Larsen (l.) of Denmark led the field of 103 players from four countries with 1442 and an average of 240.33 for six games en route to lead a group of 32 players into Sunday's finals at Odense International in Odense, Denmark. Swedish bowlers dominated the last qualifying day. Total five players cracked the top 10 led by Squad 15 leader Peter Hellström (r.), who toppled 1413 pins including a pair of 265 games to rocket into second place.