Martin Larsen, Sweden, defeated the world's best two-handers en route to claim his second European Bowling Tour title this season in the Brunswick Belgian Open at Bowling De Meibloem in Gent, Belgium.

In the semi-final Larsen ousted Osku Palermaa from Finland, 487-448, and secured the title and the 13.000 Euro top prize with a 473-428 win over Jason Belmonte, Australia.

Belmonte pocketed 6.500 for second place while Palermaa, who will overtake the lead in the men's EBT rankings, and Jouni Helminen, Finland, received 3.500 each for third and fourth place, resp.

L-R Belmonte, winner Larsen, Palermaa and Helminen. Click on the image to enlarge it. Photos courtesy of Arny Goossens.

This is the fourth EBT title after Luxembourg (Larsen), Tilburg (Mikael Kanold) and Paris (Peter Ljung) for a Swedish bowler this season . The other four titles went to Finnish bowlers, who won the EBT events in Helsinki (Helminen), Barcelona (Jari Ratia), Istanbul (Lasse Lintilä) and Aalborg (Palermaa).

Jason Belmonte (left), Australia, won the qualifying of the Brunswick Belgian Open, the 8th event on the 2008 European Bowling Tour currently underway at Bowling De Meibloem in Gent, Belgium.

The two-hander was the sole player in the high-scoring tournament who has felled more than 1500 pins with 1513 six-game total and an average of 252.17.

Squad 1 leader Gery Verbruggen, Belgium, posted the second-highest score with 1492 including one of six 300 games in the tournament thus far.

Another two-hander, 2007 EBT ranking champion Osku Palermaa (right), Finland, moved into third place on the final qualifying day. Palermaa totaled 1482 pins including high games of 290 and 278.

Rounding out the top 6, who earned one bye for the finals on Sunday, June 1, were 4. Chris Van Damme, Belgium (1479), 5. Dirk Dreyer, Germany (1476) and 6. Tore Torgersen, Norway (1470).

Torgersen as well as Robert Andersson (r.), Sweden; Bill O'Neill (l.), United States; Frederik Øhrgaard, Denmark and Nicole Sanders (center), Netherlands had the other 300 games.

All but Øhrgaard, who missed the cut by one place, have a shot for the grand extra prize: a Peugeot 207. If any of the five rolls another 300 game in the finals he or she will drive away with the car. If more than one player accomplishes the feat the winner will be determined in a roll-off game at the end of the tournament.

The top 26 players cracked the 1400-bar. Dane Jesper Agerbo took the 44th and final qualifying spot with 1354 pinfall total and an average of 225.67. A total of 54 players advanced to the finals on Sunday - 45 men and 9 women.

Nina Flack, Sweden, was the best woman with 1457 including 48 pins handicap in 8th place. Marie Gauton (l.) and Nadège Maitre (r.), both France, had 1427 and 1423 Saturday to land in 16th and 17th place, respectively.

Also surviving the first cut were three ladies from England, Nicki Ainge (21st), 2007 EBT ranking champion Kirsten Penny (22nd) and Jo Allsebrook (39th), as well as three meisjes from The Netherlands, Ghislaine van der Tol (26th), Nicole Sanders (40th) and Wendy Kok (42nd).

Joining the top 44 players from the overall qualifying standings in the finals were the top 6 from a separate standing of the May 24-25 squads, who were not among the top 44.

Lee Cocker (254), Richard Gregson (248), both England, Bernd Timm (247), Germany and Xavier Milet (246), Belgium, rolled games between 254 and 246 in the Desperado Squad to help grab the final four spots.

All but the top six qualifiers, who will be seeded 1-6 into match play, will bowl six games from scratch. The top 26 will meet the top 6 qualifiers in the first match play round.

Match play is single-elimination, best-of-three games. The Round of 32 starts on Sunday, June 1 at 13.30 (1.30 p.m.) local time (GMT +1). The field will be cut to 16, 8, 4 and then 2, who will determine the champion in the title match at 20.00 (8 p.m.). Top prize is 13.000 Euro.

The top 44 players from the overall qualifying standings plus the top 6 from a separate standing of the May 24-25 squads (places 46-50), who are not among the top 44, and the top 4 from the Desperado Squad (places 51-54) advanced to the finals. The top 6 receive one bye.

Jason Belmonte held on to the lead in the qualifying for the Brunswick Belgian Open Friday at Bowling De Meibloem in Gent, Belgium. The Aussie is the sole player in the high-scoring event who has felled more than 1500 pins with 1513 six-game total and an average of 252.17.

The next 18 players however have toppled more than 1400 pins including three women, who have received 48 pins handicap.

Places 2-6 belong to Gery Verbruggen, Belgium (1492), Chris Van Damme, Belgium (1479), Dirk Dreyer, Germany (1476), Tore Torgersen, Norway (1470), and Glenn Vansteenbrugge, Belgium (1464).

Nina Flack (pictured right), Sweden, remained top-ranked women in the field of 189 players from 20 countries with 1409 scratch (234.83) and 1457 including handicap.

Two English players cracked the top 20 yesterday, as Nicki Ainge and 2007 EBT ranking champion Kirsten Penny (left) moved into 16th and 17th place with 1410 and 1407 totals.

The number of 300 games stands at six with Gery Verbruggen, Nicole Sanders, Robert Andersson, Bill O'Neill, Frederik Øhrgaard and Tore Torgerson having accomplished the feat.

Kevin Seve (left), France, almost achieved perfection in the first game of squad 20 but used the 299 game to leap into 18th place with 1405.

Jean-Marc Lebon (right), Belgium, also had the front eleven in squad 19, but finished with a six-count for 296 and 32nd place in the overall qualifying standings with 1358.

Qualifying ends on Saturday, May 31 with the final five qualifying squads and the ultimate chance to qualify, the one-game Desperado Squad. A total of 54 players will advance to the finals on Sunday: The top 44 players from the overall qualifying standings (cut is currently 1334 or a 222.33 average) plus the top 6 from a separate standing of the May 24-25 squads, who are not among the top 44, and the top 4 Desperados. The top six qualifiers will receive one bye and will be seeded 1-6 into match play.

Match play is single-elimination, best-of-three games. The Round of 32 starts on Sunday, June 1 at 13.30 (1.30 p.m.) local time (GMT +1). The field will be cut to 16, 8, 4 and then 2, who will determine the champion in the title match at 20.00 (8 p.m.). Top prize is 13.000 Euro.

Jason Belmonte, the two-hander from Australia, fired games of 246, 243, 280, 233, 278 and 233 to overtake the lead in qualifying squad 14 in the Brunswick Belgian Open with 1513 six-game total and an average of 252.17.

Belmonte (pictured with his wife Kimberley), a USBC ambassador and silver level coach, was the first player who beat Gery Verbruggen's 1492 pinfall total which the Belgian lefty had posted in the very first qualifying squad.

The 4-time European Bowling Tour ranking champion (right) slipped to second place, followed by The scores went through the roof on Thursday as five players rolled 300 games at Bowling De Meibloem in Gent, Belgium.

Bill O'Neill, United States; Nicole Sanders, Netherland; and Robert Andersson, Sweden (pictured left from left to right) accomplished the feat in squad 15.

Tore Torgersen, Norway and Frederik Øhrgaard (right from left to right), Denmark had their 300s, No. 5 and 6 of the tournament, in squad 16. Verbruggen was the first player who achieved perfection in this year's event.

If any of those six rolls another 300 game in the finals he or she will drive away with the grand extra prize: a Peugeot 207. If more than one player accomplishes the feat the winner will be determined in a roll-off game at the end of the tournament.

Torgersen (left), who closed out his series with the perfecto, moved into fifth place in the overall qualifying standings with 1470 (245.00).

Chris Van Damme, Belgium, is third with 1479 and Dirk Dreyer, Germany, is fourth with 1476.

Andersson (right) had his 300 in game #3 and finished with 1450, good for 9th place.

One day after conducting a youth clinic at Bowling De Meibloem, PBA exempt player O'Neill (left), second-place finisher in Aalborg last week, rebounded from back-to-.back sub-200s with a 300 in game #5 to manage 1380 en route to move into 22nd place.

Sanders (right) started her qualifying block with a 300 game and to become the sole woman in the elite club thus far. The Dutch international checked in with 1317 and an average of 219.50. She added 48 pins handicap, a standard for women on the European Bowling Tour, to move into 25th place with 1365 pinfall total.

Øhrgaard (left) used a 300 in game #2 to leap into 28th place with 1352.

Belmonte is the sole player, who has reached the 1500-plateau, while the top 16 players have cracked the 1400-bar and the top 51 have cracked the 1300-bar.

Nina Flack (right), world champion in trios, is the top woman in the field in 7th place with 1457 including handicap. Jannick Staelens is the "man on the bubble" in 44th place with 1314 or an average of 219.00.

Qualifying for the 2008 Brunswick Belgian Open continues until Saturday, May 31. A total of 54 players will qualify for the final steps: The top 44 players from the overall qualifying standings plus the top 6 from a separate standing of the May 24-25 squads, who are not among the top 44, and the top 4 from the Desperado Squad. The top six qualifiers will receive one bye and will be seeded 1-6 into match play.

Match play is single-elimination, best-of-three games. The Round of 32 starts on Sunday, June 1 at 13.30 (1.30 p.m.) local time (GMT +1). The field will be cut to 16, 8, 4 and then 2, who will determine the champion in the title match at 20.00 (8 p.m.). Top prize is 13.000 Euro.

Two of Europe's best bowlers, Mads Sandbækken (l.), Norway, and Dominic Barrett (r.), England, led the 12th qualifying squad Wednesday at Bowling De Meibloem in Gent, Belgium en route to move into 7th and 14th place in the overall qualifying standings in the Brunswick Belgian Open.

Sandbækken, the reigning World Youth Championships and European Championships (adults) Masters champion, had a slow start into the tournament with a 182 game but rebounded with 259, 224, 247, 246 and 245 to crack the top 10 with 1403 six-game total and an average of 233.83. The Norwegian is the seventh player with a 1400-plus series.

Gery Verbruggen (pictured right), Belgium, continued to lead the field of 123 players with 1479 six-game total and an average of 246.50. The lefty, who bowled last Saturday in the very first squad, hit the sole 300 game thus far. If he rolls another 300 game in the finals and no other player accomplishes the feat, Verbruggen will drive away with the grand extra prize: a Peugeot 207.

Barrett, who finished third in the Aalborg Int'l last weekend after a semi-final loss against Bill O'Neill, United States, started his block with four games between 213 and 236 before he suffered a 181 in game #5. The No. 3 in the European ranking finished with a huge 267 game to overtake the 14th place in qualifying with 1352 and an average of 225.33.

O'Neill, an exempt player on the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour, was also present at Bowling De Meibloem on Wednesday. The 26-year-old PBA Rookie of the Year (2005-06 season) held a youth clinic that attracted about 30 youth bowlers from all over Belgium.

The picture shows the BBO Youth Clinic with PBA exempt bowler Bill O'Neill (front row, white slacks) and Arny Goossens (fsar right) from the BBO committee, flanked by Amanda and Eline, two finalists of the Miss Belgian Coast election.


"Actually, PBA champion Michael Fagan should have joined Bill, but he had to fly back home to the United States due to health problems of his mothering-law," said Arny Goossens from the BBO committee, organizers of the clinic.

But O'Neill, a 3-time BWAA Collegiate Bowler of the Year and 2-time NCBCA Most Valuable Player, did his best to improve the kid's game. "In a first session the youngsters could demonstrate their game on a typical oil pattern (left) and O'Neill watched, corrected mistakes (right) and gave some tips", said Goossens.

"In a second session they were allowed to play on the tournament oil pattern. For many of them it was the first experience on a sport pattern and it became obvious that they would need a lot of knowledge and practice to handle such conditions.

The clinic concluded with a little competition, a strike contest, in which the player, who made the most strikes won a bowling ball, signed by 2003-04 PBA Player of the Year Mika Koivuniemi and Bill O'Neill.

Kevin François (r.), member of the Belgian national youth team, was the proud winner who received the bowling ball from Bill O'Neill. "In addition all kids received a lot of presents from the official tournament sponsor, VALCKE", Goossens added. "Due to the great success we already promised to hold another clinic during the 2009 Brunswick Belgian Open.

Qualifying for the 2008 Brunswick Belgian Open continues until Saturday, May 31. A total of 54 players will qualify for the final steps: The top 44 players from the overall qualifying standings plus the top 6 from a separate standing of the May 24-25 squads, who are not among the top 44, and the top 4 from the Desperado Squad. The top six qualifiers will receive one bye and will be seeded 1-6 into match play.

Match play is single-elimination, best-of-three games. The Round of 32 starts on Sunday, June 1 at 13.30 (1.30 p.m.) local time (GMT +1). The field will be cut to 16, 8, 4 and then 2, who will determine the champion in the title match at 20.00 (8 p.m.). Top prize is 13.000 Euro.