Denmark's Thomas Larsen (pictured left) defeated Dominic Barrett (right) of England, 208-205, to win his second PBA International title in three months in the 11th Kuwait International Open Friday at Cozmo Bowling Center.

As the top qualifier after Friday's modified match play round, Larsen had to be defeated twice to win the title, but sealed the victory in the first game after Barrett suffered a split in the ninth frame which resulted in an open.

Larsen, whose previous PBA title came in the 1st Abu Dhabi WBT in December 2013, received the $25,000 first prize.

Barrett, a three-time PBA Tour titlist including the 2013 PBA World Championship, advanced to the championship match by defeating fellow Englishman and PBA champion Stuart Williams (left), 243-202, in the semifinal match.

Williams started the five-man stepladder finals by eliminating a pair of PBA Player of Year, defending Kuwait Open champion Sean Rash (right), United States, 256-200, and Jason Belmonte (below left), Australia, 178-148.

In a special women's stepladder final for the top three women who bowled in the tournament, five-time world champion Shannon O'Keefe (right), United States, one of nine women who have won PBA Regional titles, defeated last year's women's champion Sandra Andersson of Sweden, 242-196, for the $2,850 first prize.

The championship match of the youth stepladder final for Kuwaiti bowlers was a re-match from last year's final. Aseel Al-Roomi took revenge as he defeated 2013 winner Mustafa Al-Mousawi, 233-222, for the $1,000 first prize.

The 11th Kuwait International Open 2014 was held from March 10-14 at Cozmo Bowling Center, a 16-laner in Salmiya, Kuwait. The tournament was the ninth stop on the 2014 World Bowling Tour and offered a PBA international title if won by a PBA member. Players competed for total prize money of US$130,400.

Qualifying (15 games) ran from March 10-12 and featured three blocks of 5 games (5 games per day). Women received five pins handicap each game.

After 15 games, the field was cut to 34 players plus the four highest-placing Kuwaiti bowlers out of the cut (seeded 35th to 38th). All qualifying pins was dropped.

The top 6 qualifiers plus the highest Kuwaiti (seeded 7th) received three byes. Qualifiers 8-14 earned two byes and qualifiers 15-22 got one bye.

Qualifiers 23-38 advanced to Round Two on Thursday morning to bowl six games scratch with the top 8 advancing to Round 3. Qualifiers 15-22 plus top eight from Round Two bowled another six games in Round Three on Thursday afternoon. The top nine advanced to Round Four.

Those eight met qualifiers 8-14 in Round Four on Thursday evening. The top 8 after six games advanced to Round Five on Friday morning, where they faced the top seven qualifiers in a four-game round.

All 15 players advanced to a modified match play round on Friday afternoon with Round Five pinfall carried forward.

Three players on each pair bowled a modified match play round whereby players received actual pinfall plus 20 bonus pins for having high game and second-place bowler received 10 bonus pins, each match game. The top five advanced to the stepladder finals. Whoever reaches title match must defeat the top qualifier twice to win the title.

The top three women and the top four Kuwaiti youth bowlers in the tournament bowled a separate Stepladder final prior to the men's stepladder.

The 2014 World Bowling Tour, which actually got underway in November 2013 with the PBA World Championship, consists of 15 tournaments in Arabia (6), Asia (3), United States (3), Europe (2) and Australia (1).

Players earn ranking points based on how they finish in each event. The current points system is based on a continuous two-year cycle, so some points earned in 2012 and all points from the 2013 and 2014 are added to determine the points list.

The top three men and top three women in the WBT Point Ranking will be invited to compete in the 2014 World Bowling Tour Finals, which will be held in conjunction with the PBA World Series of Bowling VI from Oct. 24 through Nov. 2 at South Point in Las Vegas.

The World Tenpin Bowling Association, which is made up of 111 bowling federations, governs the sport throughout the world. For more information on WTBA and the World Bowling Tour, click here.

Next on the World Bowling Tour schedule is the 11th Brunswick Euro Challenge at Dream Bowl Palace in Munich, Germany, March 15-23. Ronnie Russell, United States, who won his first PBA title in last year's event, is defending champion.

Bowlingdigital.com will be in Munich to provide Live Coverage & Live Streaming of the last day of qualifying and the whole finals. The stepladder final will be broadcast live on Bowlingdigital TV Sunday, March 23, from 17:00 to 18:00 Central European Time (starts at noon Eastern Daylight Time or Monday, March 24, at 0.00 a.m. Hong Kong Time).

Photos courtesy of Asian Bowling Federation.