Europe’s biggest bowling tournament begins Friday, August 21, when the Storm Lucky Larsen Masters 2026 opens at Olympia Bowling in Helsingborg, Sweden.
The tournament will run through August 31 and bring many of the world’s best bowlers to Sweden for the only international PBA Tour event of the 2026 season.
A record prize fund of approximately $148,500 will be awarded, with about $20,150 reserved for the champion.
Qualifying begins at 3 p.m. local time on Friday and continues through Saturday, August 29. The final steps will reduce the field to four players on Sunday before the semifinals and title match take place on Monday evening.
Oil Pattern
One of the final unanswered questions will be settled before the first ball is thrown. Organizers are scheduled to publish the complete oil pattern at 6 p.m. local time on Thursday, August 20.
Organizers have already revealed that it will measure 38 feet, with a possible difference of one foot in either direction.
PBA’s Top Three Head to the Swedish Riviera
The top three players in the current PBA Tour points standings will step on the lanes at Olympia Bowling. EJ Tackett leads the tour with 32,335 points, followed by Zach Wilkins with 18,143 and Brandon Bonta with 18,023.
The three-time defending PBA Player of the Year strengthened his case for a fourth consecutive award by winning the PBA World Championship in June, becoming the first bowler in PBA history to win this major four years in a row.
Tackett is now the clear favorite for the award, but the race remains open, with several players having already won twice this season. Another victory in Sweden would make his claim almost impossible to challenge.
Wilkins is one of those players who has lifted a trophy twice this season. He won his first PBA Tour title after wild roll-off drama at the PBA Scorpion Championship, and then partnered with AJ Chapman to win the Roth/Holman Doubles Championship.
The Canadian also came within one match of a major, finishing second to Tackett at the PBA World Championship.
Brandon Bonta also made his PBA Tour debut impossible to ignore. The rookie won the season-opening PBA Players Championship by rolling 300 in the title match, giving him a major title in his first event of the year. He remained very consistent throughout the season to put his name in the top three of the points standings.
Young Guns Have Already Proven They Can Win
While Bonta's rookie season was incredible, Alex Horton and Spencer Robarge took even bigger steps forward, with both winning twice on the PBA Tour in 2026.
Horton became the first rookie in PBA history to win two titles in one season after capturing a major at the PBA Tournament of Champions and winning the PBA Shark Championship.
Robarge, meanwhile, broke through at the PBA Ohio Classic before earning his second title alongside Annalise O’Bryant at the Storm PBA/PWBA Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles.
Do Not Underestimate Past Winners
Sean Rash returns to defend the title he won last year, while Jesper Svensson will again be one of the biggest threats on home soil. The Swedish left-hander won the tournament in 2024 after finishing second in 2023.
Andrew Anderson has reached the semifinals in two of the past three editions, in 2023 and 2025.
Former champions Kyle Troup and AJ Johnson are also in the field, ready to try to win this event for the second time - a feat no one has achieved before - and prove that finishing outside the top 20 in tour points this season was only a temporary setback.
It Is Still Not Too Late to Enter
Although many of the most popular squads are full or have waiting lists, some spots remain available.
It is a rare chance for any bowler to compete in the same tournament and on the same lanes as the best players in the world, so do not miss it. Entries are available on the official Storm Lucky Larsen Masters website.
Team Tackett and Team Iceman Meet for Charity
The main tournament will be joined by a special Swedish League-format charity match on Wednesday, August 26. Team Tackett and Team Iceman, led by Jesper Svensson, will face each other at 7:30 p.m. at Olympia Bowling.
Team Tackett will feature EJ Tackett, Brandon Bonta, Ryan Barnes, Eric Jones, Andrew Anderson, Kyle Troup, AJ Johnson and Sean Rash. Svensson’s team will include Zach Wilkins, Santtu Tahvanainen, Tomas Käyhkö, Thomas Larsen, Nora Johansson, François Lavoie and Richard Teece.
The evening will raise money for the Swedish Childhood Diabetes Foundation to support the fight against childhood type 1 diabetes. The program will also include a charity auction of the players’ special match jerseys at 9:30 p.m.
Tournament action and the charity match will be available on the Storm Lucky Larsen Masters YouTube channel.
Storm Lucky Larsen Masters Joins the Thunder Ranking
The Storm Lucky Larsen Masters is also the second stop in the new 2026 Thunder Ranking by Storm. The ranking connects the Storm 4th No Urethane Open in Finland, the Storm Lucky Larsen Masters in Sweden and the Norwegian Open by Storm.
Players will earn points in Helsingborg toward €1,000, €750 and €500 bonuses for the top three at the end of the season. Nine bowlers will also receive a free first squad in all three ranking events in 2027, adding another prize to chase during Europe’s biggest bowling week.
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