Sweden’s Nora Johansson has made history at the 2025 Norwegian Open in Oslo, securing the European Bowling Tour title with a 229–191 victory over fellow Swede Carl Eklund in the championship match.With this result, Johansson became the first female bowler to win a EBT stop since 2019, when Cynthia Duca of Malta won the Dimitris Karetsos Tournament in Greece.Johansson also became the first female bowler ever to win Norwegian Open. Johansson, a two-handed player, began her run in qualification where she finished in 15th place. On Sunday, she gained momentum and finished first in Final Step 3, and then later earned her the No. 2 seed for the stepladder finals. In the semifinal, she faced Norway’s Christer Åker and came out on top in a close contest, 194–184. She then went on to defeat Eklund in the final to claim the trophy. For her victory, Johansson was awarded 50,000 Norwegian Kroner, which is approximately 4,200 euro.

Sweden has officially named its national bowling team for the upcoming 2025 IBF World Championships. National team coatch Robert Andersson and assictant coach Louise Sonne has selected six men and six women to represent the country. The men’s roster features Pontus Andersson, James Blomgren, Robin Ilhammar, Markus Jansson, Joachim Karlsson, and Jesper Svensson. On the women’s side, the team consists of Anna Andersson, Anneli Blomqvist, Hanna Engberg, Josefin Hermansson, Nora Johansson, and Victoria Johansson. Sweden did not participate in the 2023 IBF World Championships due to uncertainty around the event, but the country enjoyed major success at the 2021 edition in Dubai, winning seven medals including two gold. The 2025 IBF World Championships will feature singles, doubles, trios, and team of five events, gathering the best bowlers from around the world in Hong Kong. Competition is set for November 24 to December 5.In June, the Finnish Bowling Association has also announced the men’s and women’s national teams for the IBF World Championships 2025. also announced the men’s and women’s national teams

PBA Hall of Famer Sean Rash ended the 2025 PBA Tour season by winning his 18thcareer title in Helsingborg, Sweden on Sunday night. This marked his first PBATour title in four years since his 2021 PBA Chesapeake Open win.Ihave to tell you, fellow reader, that moments before the first match playround, a strange feeling wouldn’t let me go that Rash might go all the way tothe title. The idea was based more on feel than on solidarguments, but seeing how Rash was comfortable on a very simple, yet,demandingoil patternwe've been used to see 10-15 years ago, only strengthened that feeling.Rashseemed to be enjoying the conditions on the lanes. Even though he did not winany squad, he was scoring well right from the beginning, eventually earning abye to Final Step 2 after his second try on the lanes with 1,367 total.WhenI shared the idea with my colleagues, they nodded that they had the samefeeling. Rash’s calmness clearly showed he had found somethingothers didn’t. Plus, with his experience, he avoided the bad decisions,unnecesarry bal change and mistakes. It didn’t take long for the scoreboard toreflect it. What once was just a feeling started to take shapewhen Rash successfully passed both match play rounds, defeating Finland’sKaaron Salomaa 606-567 and later England’s Raymond Teece to advance to thefinal four. oil pattern Semifinal: Rash vs Purches Even without strikes, Purches managed to build a lead to the ninth frame. Thefeeling about Rash’s title started to fade. The veteran struck in the ninthand tenth frames to keep his hopes alive, but all Nate needed was a mark.Thefirst shot went way high, leaving the 3-6-9-10. Nate looked devastated, butCristian Azcona, sitting in the crowd, was quick to calculate that Nate neededa mark and shouted to Nate to calm down and take the spare.Natefired. The ball went right through the 3 and 6 pins, knocked down the 7, butthe 10 pin stayed. The crowd sighed as Nate’s dreams of playing for his firstPBA Tour title shattered in the most brutal way possible. Semifinal: Anderson vs Rissanen “Pretty cool,” Juho Rissanen said, summing up his feelings after defeatingAndrew Anderson to advance to the finals against Rash. Injury Almost Cost a Title “This one’s for the old guys, I guess,” Rash said claiming the trophy.Rightafter the win, Rash sat in a chair to absorb the moment. From the crowd, KyleTroup handed him a phone - on the line was the one person Rash most wanted toshare the victory with: his wife.“My anxiety started to take overmy mind. I called my wife, and she said, ‘Mind over matter. You got this, dowhat you can,’” Rash recalled claiming the trophy.For his triumph,Rash collected 165,000 SEK (about $17,500 USD).The award ceremonyfeatured Storm Products Inc. CEO Barbara Chrisman and President Tyler Jensen.Given that Storm and Rash parted ways earlier this year after his complaintregarding a vaping incident, receiving the prize and trophy from companyleaders added another layer to the moment.On his way to claim thetrophy, Rash embraced each tournament official, but when it came time toreceive the trophy from Tyler Jensen, the moment was noticeably more formalthan the rest of the celebrations. There’s a lot of talk around Rash as a player and as a human. You might lovehim or hate him, but Rash has bowled here in Europe for more than two decades,including numerous competitions at the Super Six Tour here in the early 2000s,showing how much it means to him to bowl not only in the U.S., where he nowhas 18 PBA Tour titles, but also in Europe. That is why he is in the Hall ofFame.

We’re down to the Final Four at the Storm Lucky Larsen Masters.After a tense quarterfinal round on a demanding pattern, thesemifinals are set. Nate Purches will face Sean Rashand Finland's Juho Rissanen will stand against Andrew Anderson. Nate Purches will face Sean Rash Juho Rissanen will stand against Andrew Anderson Quarterfinal highlights told the story of fine margins and late swings.Purches closed out Alec Keplinger,595–571. Rissanenedged Ethan Fiore by just five pins,606–601. Meanwhile,Anderson advanced convincingly over Joachim Karlsson,688–550, and Rashsurvived a thriller against Raymond Teece,586–584.With two Americans, a Finn, and an American who competes inSweden’s Elitserien, the semifinal mix blends tour pedigree with localfamiliarity. One game now separates each bowler from the title match atOlympia Bowling.The semifinals should start at 7:30PM CET. FollowBowlingLife for updates straight from Helsingborg!Tune in live ontheStorm Lucky Larsen Masters YouTube channel. 595–571 606–601 688–550 586–584 Storm Lucky Larsen Masters YouTube channel

We’re down to eight at the Storm Lucky Larsen Masters. A Round of 16 packed with upsets and razor-thin finishes set a compelling quarterfinal slate at Olympia Bowling. No past champion reached the quarterfinals, guaranteeing a first-time winner this year. After last year’s all-Swedish semifinals, only Joachim Karlsson remains from the home nation. Even though only one Swede made it to the quarterfinals, with Karlsson meeting Andrew Anderson - who competes in Sweden’s Elitserien - the home crowd is assured at least one local favorite in the semifinals. The quarterfinal field is led by five Americans, joined by one player each from Sweden, Finland, and England. Quarterfinal matchups:Alec Keplinger vs Nate PurchesEthan Fiore vs Juho RissanenJoachim Karlsson vs Andrew AndersonSean Rash vs Raymond Teece Quarterfinal matchups: Round of 16 results:No. 16 seed Alec Keplinger defeated No. 1 Ryan Barnes, 655–639.No. 2 Ethan Fiore defeated No. 15 Nora Johansson, 700–547.No. 3 Joachim Karlsson defeated No. 14 François Lavoie, 612–608.No. 4 Sean Rash defeated No. 13 Kaaron Salomaa, 606–567.No. 12 Raymond Teece defeated No. 5 Markus Jansson, 592–583.No. 6 Andrew Anderson defeated No. 11 Justin Knowles, 616–551.No. 7 Juho Rissanen defeated No. 10 Peter Hellström, 563–561.No. 9 Nate Purches defeated No. 8 Thomas Larsen, 653–611. Round of 16 results: Quarterfinals and semifinals feature three-game total pinfall in this phase, followed by a single-game final for the title. Watch live on the Storm Lucky Larsen Masters YouTube channel.All the Storm Lucky Larsen Masters pictures can be found here. Storm Lucky Larsen Masters YouTube channel.

Match play is set at the Storm Lucky Larsen Masters, the PBA Tour’s only titlestop outside the United States.Ryan Barnes paced the field inFinal Step 2 with a confident 1,351 and draws former Wichita State teammate, No. 16 seed  Alec Keplinger in the match play. Ethan Fiore, who spent muchof the qualification at the top, secured the No. 2 seed and will face Sweden’sNora Johansson - the only woman through to Final Step 2. Round of 16 pairings: No. 1 Ryan Barnes vs No. 16 Alec Keplinger; No. 2 Ethan Fiore vs No. 15Nora Johansson;No. 3 Joachim Karlsson vs No. 14 François Lavoie;No.4 Sean Rash vs No. 13 Kaaron Salomaa; No. 5 Markus Jansson vs No. 12Raymond Teece; No. 6 Andrew Anderson vs No. 11 Justin Knowles;No.7 Juho Rissanen vs No. 10 Peter Hellström; No. 8 Thomas Larsen vs No. 9Nate Purches.Match play features three-game total-pinfall matchesin the Round of 16 and quarterfinals, followed by single-game semifinals and asingle-game title match.All rounds stream live on theStorm Lucky Larsen Masters YouTube channel. Storm Lucky Larsen Masters YouTube channel

The final phase of the Storm Lucky Larsen Masters - the PBA Tour’s only eventoutside the United States - opened Sunday morning with 30 players bowling afive-game scratch block to determine 15 qualifiers for Final Step 2, wherethey join the top 25 seeds.Last year’s semifinalist James Blomgren set the pace at Olympia Bowling,posting 1,150 for five, sparked by a near-perfect 279 in Game 1. He followedwith 252, 211, 183, 225 to close the block on top.

After Saturday’s final four squads, qualifying at the Storm Lucky LarsenMasters is officially complete, with 55 players advancing to Sunday’s finals.With the last chance to improve position, the intensity jumped andre-entries surged, as bowlers fought for byes and final spots on a long,demanding pattern that has rewarded disciplined moves through transition andkept scores honest all week. Friday ended with astatement from Trevor Roberts. A late addition from the waiting list, he slipped into the final spot ofSquad 22 and delivered 1,444, surpassing previous leader Ethan Fiore’s 1,393by 51 pins and becoming the first to break 1,400. statement from Trevor Roberts eader Ethan Fiore’s 1,393 Saturday morning brought another push: Finland’s Niko Oksanen opened with anear-perfect 299 and finished on 1,404, climbing to second overall andbecoming just the second bowler to jump over the +200 mark for six games. In the day’s second squad, 2022 Storm Lucky Larsen Masters champion MathiasAnkerdal of Denmark posted 1,324, which proved enough to earn a bye straightto Final Step 2 on Sunday. Then, with only two squads remaining,the leaderboard flipped again. Kyle Troup - who arrived inHelsingborg straight from the aisle of his wedding - produced a sensational1,463 to set a new qualifying high. Fans instantly noticed a small face jewelhe wore during the block; Troup said it was a gift from Chase Nadeau’sdaughter, Skylar, and was sure it brought a little magic at just the righttime. Closing out the day,2023 Storm Lucky Larsen Masters champion AJ Johnsonwon the final squad with 1,309, securing 31st and a spot in the top 40. 2023 Storm Lucky Larsen Masters champion AJ Johnson Thedefending championand 2023 runner-up Jesper Svensson finished in the 75th place with 1,254 totaland did not make it to the finals.Full advancers list can be foundhere. defending champion Full advancers list can be foundhere. here. A total of 40 players qualify through the general standings, with another 15spots earned via the Early Bird, Seniors, U21, Women, High Game, and as one ofthree PBA Regional stop winners. The field now moves to Sunday’s finals: the top 25 advance directly to FinalStep 2, while the remaining 30 bowl a five-game scratch block in Final Step 1starting at 8:00 AM to decide the 15 who move on. In Final Step 2,40 players bowl six games scratch to determine the top 16. Those16 then bowl one three-game total-pinfall match in the round of 16 and thequarterfinals to decide the four semifinalists, and single-game matches in thesemifinals and final will determine the champion and award the PBA Tourtitle.The full finals will stream free on theStorm Lucky Larsen Masters YouTube channel. This year’s event has drawn more than 360 bowlers from 25countries and features a prize fund exceeding $136,000. It remains the onlyopportunity outside the United States to win a PBA Tour title. Storm Lucky Larsen Masters YouTube channel

Walking through Helsingborg’s old town on the way to Olympia Bowling, the talkbetween the guys at BowlingLife was simple: with two days left in qualifying,someone would surely crack 1,400. The long, demanding pattern has pushed players deeper inside and rewardeddisciplined moves through transition, keeping scores in check. With fewersquads left and everything on the line, we expected the numbers to rise.Formost of the week, the story belonged to Ethan Fiore. The young major championgrabbed the lead in Squad 14 with 1,379 and then bettered himself a few squadslater with 1,393. It started to feel like the only bowler likely to top Fiorewas.. Ethan Fiore himself. But everything changed in Friday’s Squad 22. 29-year-old TrevorRoberts, a late addition from the waiting list, slipped into the final spotand went to work without big expectations. He rolled games of 236, 289, 214,237, 223, and 245 for 1,444, vaulting past Fiore’s best by 51 pins and settingthe new tournament pace. It was an amazing performance on apattern that has punished even small mistakes. Roberts learned that the hardway days earlier.Roberts had bowled three squads earlier in theweek, barely topping 1,150. But, the reads from those blocks, plus watchingother PBA players, paid off. "I just noticed it you can't really send it too far right, because it's out ofbounds. The minute you grab it it wants to hook early, so the goal was to bereally soft with the hand," Roberts said after the squad.It wasn’tjust the soft hand. While many chased the transition left or started lofting,Roberts moved only a couple of boards the entire block - using a single ball.Even he couldn’t fully explain why the look held so well.“Ionly had to move six, seven boards the whole day, the breaks went my way, iused the same ball - [Brunswick] Mesmerize with polish on it. I don't knowwhy, but it just went my way.”With 1,444, Roberts is now wellpositioned for a bye into Final Step 2, even if he doesn’t finish as theoverall qualifying leader."Now i can take tomorrow off, dolaudry," Roberts laughed.We didn’t ask which detergent he uses,but he’d better nail the settings. He’ll need that jersey unshrunk forSunday’s Final Step rounds. If things break right, maybe a fresh one for thetitle match. A total of 40 players will qualify through the generalstandings, with another 15 spots earned via separate categories: Early Bird,Seniors, U21, Women, and High Game. As of now, Sweden’s Alexander Holm sits40th on the general list with 1,200 over six games. After qualification, the field is cut to 55. The top 25 advance directly toFinal Step 2. The remaining 30 bowl a five-game scratch block in Final Step 1to decide the 15 who move on. In Final Step 2, 40 players bowl six gamesscratch to determine the top 16. Those 16 then bowl one three-gametotal-pinfall match in the round of 16 and the quarterfinals to decide thefour semifinalists, and single-game matches in the semifinals and final willdetermine the champion and the PBA Tour title winner.This year’sStorm Lucky Larsen Masters has drawn more than 360 bowlers from 25 countriesand features a prize fund exceeding $136,000. It remains the only opportunityoutside the United States to win a PBA Tour title.

After Squads 14 and 15, the Storm Lucky Larsen Masters has crossed the midway point of qualifying. The long, demanding pattern continues to suppress scoring, forcing players deeper inside and rewarding disciplined moves through transition. Through 271 starters and 15 squads, no one has reached 1,400 for six games and only 15 players have posted 1,300 or better. The current cut to the top 40 sits at 1,247, held by 2025 USBC Masters champion Gary Haines.Yet the contest is sharper than ever, with every pin carrying extra weight.Malaysia’s Tun Hakim seized the lead in Squad 9 with 1,375 and held it through midweek, but Thursday’s action changed the picture. In Squad 14, major champion Ethan Fiore posted 1,379 to take over the overall lead. Fiore said his first try - rolled shortly after landing - wasn’t ideal, but it gave him and the MOTIV team the information they needed. Returning to the lanes Thursday morning, he attacked with a pair of MOTIV Steel Forge bowling balls and executed cleanly through transition. In fact, Fiore had his eye on the Thursday - Saturday squads. He only bowled earlier in the week to avoid boredness, sitting in the hotel.“These were just the ones that i wanned to bowl becuse i didn't feel like sitting at the hotel,” Fiore said after the block. “My other squads are Thursday through Saturday. Hopefully we can post an even better number there.” Hakim now sits second at 1,375, followed by Sweden’s William Svensson at 1,352. With the pattern playing tight and every pin proving critical, the race for byes and seeded positions remains wide open. Magnus Medal Thursday also featured off-lane highlights at Olympia Bowling. In a tradition honoring domestic excellence, Sweden’s bowling legend, coach, and columnist Magnus Johnson presented the Magnus Medal to Rasmus Edvall, who captured his first PBA Tour title at the Scorpion Championship in March. Edvall becomes the 17th Swedish bowler to receive the award. Format In Final Step 2, 40players will bowl six games scratch to determine the top 16. Those 16 thenbowl one three-game total-pinfall match in the round of 16 and thequarterfinals to decide the four semifinalists, and single-game matches in thesemifinals and final will determine the champion and the PBA Tour titlewinner. This year’s Storm Lucky Larsen Masters has drawn more than 360 bowlers from 25countries and features a prize fund exceeding $136,000. It remains the onlyopportunity outside the United States to win a PBA Tour title. Top 10 after 15/27 Squads Ethan Fiore — 1379Tun Hakim — 1375Ryan Barnes — 1374Sean Rash — 1367Dario Stein — 1366Nate Purches — 1363Kevin Melin — 1353William Svensson — 1352Noel Haglund Torgersen — 1327Andrew Anderson — 1321 Ethan Fiore — 1379 Tun Hakim — 1375 Ryan Barnes — 1374 Sean Rash — 1367 Dario Stein — 1366 Nate Purches — 1363 Kevin Melin — 1353 William Svensson — 1352 Noel Haglund Torgersen — 1327 Andrew Anderson — 1321 Check out our SLLM 2025 preview! From tournament's format, to our bold picks for who’s making the finals -and who could win it all! Check out our SLLM 2025 preview ! From tournament's format, to our bold picks for who’s making the finals -and who could win it all!

Three days into the Storm Lucky Larsen Masters, nine squads are complete andone third of qualifying is in the books.The long, demanding oil pattern has pushed players inside, leaving little room for error and requiringprecise moves during transition. But it was hard for everyone.After175 competitors, no one has cracked the 1,400 mark for six games, and only sixplayers have posted over 1,300. The long, demanding oil pattern Malaysia’s Tun Hakim, who won his first PBA Tour title in March, closed theopening weekend with 1,375 in Squad 9 to win the block and seize the overalllead. Hakim overtook Sweden’s William Svensson, who set the early standard on Friday in Squad 2 with 1,352. Three more Swedescurrently round out the top five: Noel Haglund Torgersen at 1,327, last year’s SLLM semifinalist James Blomgren at 1,317, and Anton Ahlgren at 1,312. who set the early standard on Friday in Squad 2 with 1,352 last year’s SLLM semifinalist Even though the whole weekend was full of bowling action, the race for the PBATour title is far from settled. Eighteen additional qualifyingsquads are scheduled next week, and the allowance of unlimited re-entriesmakes this PBA Tour stop uniquely challenging. Players still seeking asatisfactory score will have multiple chances to improve their totals andclimb the standings. Meanwhile, those just above the cut can’t sleep calmly,unsure they’ll still be above the line in the morning. A total of 40 players will qualify through the general standings, with another15 spots earned via separate categories: Early Bird, Seniors, U21, Women, andHigh Game. As of now, Sweden’s Alexander Holm sits 40th on the generalstandings with 1,200 total. After qualification, the field will be cut to 55. The top 25 will advancedirectly to Final Step 2. The remaining 30 will bowl a six-game scratch blockin Final Step 1 to decide the 15 who move on. In Final Step 2, 40players will bowl six games scratch to determine the top 16. Those 16 thenbowl one three-game total-pinfall match in the round of 16 and thequarterfinals to decide the four semifinalists, and single-game matches in thesemifinals and final will determine the champion and the PBA Tour titlewinner. This year’s Storm Lucky Larsen Masters has drawn more than 360 bowlers from 25countries and features a prize fund exceeding $136,000. It remains the onlyopportunity outside the United States to win a PBA Tour title. Top 10 after 9/27 Squads Tun Hakim - 1375William Svensson - 1352Noel Haglund Torgersen - 1327James Blomgren - 1317Anton Ahlgren - 1312Markus Jansson - 1301Anders Johansen - 1297Dan Harding - 1297Emanuel Jonsson - 1295Anton Persson - 1287 Tun Hakim - 1375 William Svensson - 1352 Noel Haglund Torgersen - 1327 James Blomgren - 1317 Anton Ahlgren - 1312 Markus Jansson - 1301 Anders Johansen - 1297 Dan Harding - 1297 Emanuel Jonsson - 1295 Anton Persson - 1287 Check out our SLLM 2025 preview! From tournament's format, to our boldpicks for who’s making the finals - and who could win it all! Check out our SLLM 2025 preview ! From tournament's format, to our boldpicks for who’s making the finals - and who could win it all!

The Odense International 2025 concluded in Denmark with home favorite MathiasAnkerdal lifting the trophy after a massive performance in the final rounds.Inthe championship match, Ankerdal defeated fellow Dane Sofie Kærgaard Nielsenby 237–187. After the match, Ankerdal expressed that this title is one to remember, not only because the competition was extremely hard to beat, but also because he was so close to win on European Bowling Tour but the fortune kept slipping through his fingers."The field this year was with a lot of talented and experienced bowlers from across the globe in Odense. This title means a lot to me, especially after my last title at SLLM 2022, and I have been close quite a lot of times on the EBT, but couldn’t be able to get the job done! But today was my day and I feel like I deserved this victory." Both Mathias Sofiehad already shown consistency during thequalification, with Ankerdal finishing third on 1,376 total and Nielsenplacing fourth with 1,365. Their results advanced them directly into the FinalStep 3.