Thomas Larsen and Michael Bai Ernst, both Denmark, rolled six-game series of 1416 and 1377 to lead Squad 11 in the Brunswick Euro Challenge Thursday afternoon at Le Plaza Bowling in Saint Maximin, France.

Larsen (pictured left) had five games between 205 and 245 before he finished with his high game of 275 to become the second player who cracked the 1400-bar in this year's event with 1416, an average of 236.00.

Photos: Beat Grauwiler.

Mike Fagan, United States, continues to lead the field of 136 players with 1473 pinfall total and an average of 245.50. Alain Nicolas, France, slipped to third place with 1377.

Ernst (right) had a slow start into the tournament with 194 and 179 but rebounded with 276, 268, 247 and a final 200 game to overtake fourth place with 1364 (227.33).

Marie Gauton, France, fell one spot but remained the top-ranked woman in fifth place with 1360 including 48 pins handicap, a standard for women on the European Bowling Tour.

Two more players added their names to the leaderboard in Squad 11. Two-time defending European ranking champion Osku Palermaa (pictured left), the two-hander from Finland, and 2007 World Ranking Masters champ Stuart Williams (right, with Palermaa), England, checked in with 1354 and 1352 to leap into sixth and seventh place in the overall qualifying standings.

Lucas Legnani, Argentina, who won the last stop of the European Bowling Tour, the Catalonia Open in Spain 10 days ago, sits in 8th place with 1350, followed by Christian Chemery, France, in 9th place with 1347.

Rounding out the top 10 is Jason Belmonte, the two-hander from Australia, with 1344. The cut for 52nd place went up 36 pins to 1174 (195.67) posted by Anthony Fabre, France.

In 2008, the first time that the BEC was staged at Le Plaza Bowling Saint Maximin, Swede Martin Larsen won the qualifying with 1448 (241.33) and the cutoff number for 52nd place was 1263 (210.50). Peter Ljung (pictured right) from Sweden is the defending champion.

The Brunswick Euro Challenge is the fourth stop of the 2009 European Bowling Tour and one of the Tour's "majors". The total prize fund is 90,000 Euro (currently about US$114,000), and includes special prizes that will be given in categories such as youth encouragement, B Bowlers, and Women. In addition Brunswick offers up to $1,000 bonus for shooting a 300 game with the new Brunswick "Wilde Ride" bowling ball in the 2009 BEC.

The Brunswick Euro Challenge 2009 sponsored by Brunswick Bowling is organized by Brunswick distributor Valcke Bowling.

Qualifying will run through Saturday, March 14, with the final qualifying squad 23 scheduled for 8pm and ends with the ultimate Desperado Squad at 11pm.

A total of 64 players will qualify for the finals on Sunday, March 15. The top 16 players will receive one bye and will seeded 1-16 in Round 2.

The following 48 players will qualify for Round 1:

• Players positioned 17th-52nd in qualifying
• the top 6 from a separate standing for the squads conducted March 6-8, who are not among the top 52
• the top 6 from the Desperado Squad.

Those 48 will bowl six games starting from scratch to cut to the top 16, who will meet the top 16 qualifiers in the first match play round. Match play is best-of-three games single-elimination. The No. 1 seed will take on No. 32, No. 2 bowls No. 31, etc. The field will be cut to 16, 8 and then four, who will determine the champion in a stepladder final. The winner will receive the 16.000 Euro top prize.


Bowlingdigital will cover the event live from Le Plaza Bowling in Saint Maximin with results and updates after each round commencing March 12 all the way through to the finals on Sunday, March 15.