Osku Palermaa, Nicki Ainge win 2009 Men's and Women's European Bowling Tour Rankings

12/25/09

2009 European Bowling Tour Rankings

Top 16 qualify for EBT Masters in Vienna, Austria (May 3-4, 2010)

2009EBT14OskuPalermaa.jpg2009EBT14DominicBarrett.jpgFounded in the year 2000, the European Bowling Tour concluded its 10th season with the 9th Qatar International Open. Finn Osku Palermaa (pictured left) and Nicki Ainge (right) from England finished atop the men's and women's EBT rankings.

It marked the third consecutive year that the two-hander from Finland captured the men's ranking title, while Ainge led the women for the very first time in her career.

Palermaa survived a strong challenge from England's Dominic Barrett (right), who had a chance to overtake Palermaa with a 1st or 2nd place finish in Qatar after Palermaa finished in 26th place and 24th in the men's rankings.

As Barrett fell 4 places short of his goal, Palermaa took the EBT ranking title with 478 ranking points and Barrett finished as runner-up for the second consecutive season with 452 points.

2009EBT08PaulMoor2.jpg2009BWCMartinLarsen.jpgPalermaa's predecessor, 3-time EBT ranking champion Paul Moor (left), England (2004-06) landed in third place with 403 points. Seven out of the top 10 men were also among the top 10 in the 2008 season.

Besides the top 3, Martin Larsen (right), Sweden (4th, 390), Stuart Williams, England (6th, 353), Tore Torgersen, Norway (7th, 346) and Robert Andersson, Sweden (9th, 322). Newcomers are Mads Sandbækken, Norway (5th, 386), Dennis Eklund, Sweden (8th, 343) and Tobias Karlsson, Sweden (10th, 306).

2008EBT1PeterLjung.jpg2009BWCRemyOng2.jpgQatar Open runner-up Peter Ljung (left), Sweden, received 80 ranking points en route to crack the top 16, who earned a spot into the 2010 EBT Masters. 4-time EBT ranking champion Gery Verbruggen (2000-03) took the 16th and final post with 197 ranking points.

Qatar Open champion Remy Ong (right, 22nd, 150) was one of nine ranking winners this season, who didn't make it to the EBT Masters as there are no exemptions neither for the defending EBT Masters champion (Moor) nor for any ranking or tournament winner as in many other sports.

Others are Tomas Leandersson, Sweden (Istanbul and Lahti), Mika Koivuniemi, Finland (Barcelona), Michael Fagan, United States (St. Maximin), Luca Osella, Italy (Ljubljana), Thomas Gross, Austria (Vienna), Lucas Legnani, Argentina (Catalonia), Adrian Ang, Malaysia (Ankara) and Bill O'Neill, United States (Luxembourg).

2009VONickiAinge2.jpg2009EBT04NicoleSanders.jpgWhen Nicki Ainge (pictured left) made the cut to the finals in Qatar as one of just seven women she sealed the victory in the 2009 European Bowling Tour women's rankings.

As her nearest rival Nicole Sanders, Netherlands, failed to advance and with third-placed Nina Flack, Sweden, already 55 points off the pace for first place she had put the title out of reach for her rivals.

Ainge cashed 495 points in the 2009 ranking season to lead second-place Sanders (465) by 30 points. Third place went to defending ranking champion, Flack with 446.

2009VOBrittBrondsted.jpg2009EBT04KirstenPenny.jpgSix out of the top 10 from 2008 accomplished the feat again in 2009. Besides Sanders and Flack, there were Qatar ranking winner and past ranking champion (2004-06) Britt Brøndsted (left), Denmark (4th, 396), 2007 ranking champion Kirsten Penny (right), England (7th, 364), Patricia Luoto, Germany (8th, 356) and Ghislaine van der Tol, Netherlands ()10th, 318).

Newcomers were Ainge, Mai Ginge Jensen, Denmark (5th, 378), Diana Zavjalova, Latvia (6th, 367) and Veronica Lantto, Sweden (9th, 326).

Mai's sister Anja Ginge Jensen took the 16th and final spot to advance to the 2010 Masters with 264 ranking points.

2009EBT14VikkiBurbridge.jpg2009EBT02GhislainevanderTol.jpgFour out of 15 women's ranking winners missed the cut, Amanda Fagan, United States (San Marino), Janine Gabel, Germany (Ljubljana), Vanessa Timter, Germany (Lahti) and Vikki Burbridge, England (Nuneaton).

Burbridge (pictured left), who won the Ebonite English Open, was one of two women, who have won an EBT title this season. Ghislaine van der Tol (right), Netherlands, was the other after her victory in the 6th Istanbul Bowling Open.

The top 16 men and the top 16 women of the 2009 EBT ranking season qualified for the EBT Masters to be held in Vienna, Austria, from May 3-4, 2010. There will be no World Ranking Master 2010 as the WTBA hasn't received any host application in due time.

Men's EBT Ranking champions 2000-2009
2000 - Gery Verbruggen, Belgium
2001 - Gery Verbruggen, Belgium
2002 - Gery Verbruggen, Belgium
2003 - Gery Verbruggen, Belgium
2004 - Paul Moor, England
2005 - Paul Moor, England
2006 - Paul Moor, England
2007 - Osku Palermaa, Finland
2008 - Osku Palermaa, Finland
2009 - Osku Palermaa, Finland

Women's EBT Ranking champions 2000-2009
2000 - Kamilla Kjeldsen, Denmark
2001 - Bettina Lund, Denmark
2002 - Bettina Lund, Denmark
2003 - Kamilla Kjeldsen, Denmark
2004 - Britt Bröndsted, Denmark
2005 - Britt Bröndsted, Denmark
2006 - Britt Brøndsted, Denmark
2007 - Kirsten Penny, England
2008 - Nina Flack, Sweden
2009 - Nicki Ainge, England

 


2009 Men's Ranking - Top 16 after Qatar
1. Osku Palermaa, Finland, 478
2. Dominic Barrett, England, 452
3. Paul Moor, England, 403
4. Martin Larsen, Sweden, 390
5. Mads Sandbækken, Norway, 386
6. Stuart Williams, England, 353
7. Tore Torgersen, Norway, 346
8. Dennis Eklund, Sweden, 343
9. Robert Andersson, Sweden, 322
10. Tobias Karlsson, Sweden, 306
11. Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 295
12. Jesper Agerbo, Denmark, 265
13. Mathias Årup, Sweden, 230
14. Peter Ljung, Sweden, 216
15. Pasi Uotila, Finland, 205
16. Gery Verbruggen, Belgium, 197

2009 Women's Ranking - Top 16 after Qatar
1. Nicki Ainge, England, 495
2. Nicole Sanders, Netherlands, 465
3. Nina Flack, Sweden, 446
4. Britt Brøndsted, Denmark, 396
5. Mai Ginge Jensen, Denmark, 378
6. Diana Zavjalova, Latvia, 367
7. Kirsten Penny, England, 364
8. Patricia Luoto, Germany, 356
9. Veronica Lantto, Sweden, 326
10. Ghislaine van der Tol, Netherlands, 318
11. Kamilla Kjeldsen, Denmark, 288
12. Priscilla Maaswinkel, Netherlands, 281
13. Lisanne Breeschoten, Netherlands, 274
14. Rikke Holm Rasmussen, Denmark, 268
15. Krista Pöllänen, Finland, 265
16. Anja Ginge Jensen, Denmark, 264

 


2009 European Bowling Tour Rankings by Bowlingdigital


2009 EBT Men's Ranking
2009 EBT Women's Ranking

 


2009 EBT Rankings - Men's Division - Final Standings after Qatar


Players with country, ranking point total and number of top 50 finishes

 


2009 EBT Rankings - Women's Division - Final Standings after Qatar


Players with country, ranking point total and number of top 50 finishes