It is a pleasure for the ETBF Presidium to present the European Bowling Tour 2011, which is the 12th edition of the tour. The EBT 2011 includes 22 stops, presented at the following page. Detailed information of each stop is available at www.etbf.eu. Also in 2011, there will be four categories in the tour, namely EBT Platinum (minimum 100.000 € prize fund), EBT Gold (minimum 60.000 € prize fund), EBT Silver (minimum 40.000 € prize fund) and EBT Satellite (minimum 20.000 € prize fund).  

As much as 18 of the 19 tournaments included in the EBT 2010 are also included in the EBT 2011, while only the tournament in Luxembourg (Satellite) won't appear again in 2011. In addition to the 18 existing tournaments, we are able to present 4 new EBT Satellite's; which is Odense International (Denmark), Viborg International 2011 (Denmark), Chandra Open 2011 (Netherlands) and Norwegian Open 2011 (Norway). Norwegian Open presents a comeback after a three years break and four previous appearances in the years 2004-2007. The EBT 2011 consists of 1 platinum tournament and 21 tournaments divided equally between 7 gold tournaments, 7 silver tournaments and 7 satellite tournaments.  

The first stop in the tour is, as always, Brunswick Ballmaster Open in Helsinki, rich of traditions and the only tournament adopted in all 12 tours. Ballmaster presents the second highest international prize pool of 90.000 €, while the last stop of the tour (since 2007), Qatar Bowling Open, with its platinum status presents the highest prize pool of 120.000 €. The total prize fund in the EBT 2011, including tour prize money, will be approximately 1.160.000 €; an average prize fund of approximately 51.000 € per stop. It is very satisfying for the ETBF Presidium, in perspective of a European economy still in troubled waters, to be able to present another great European Bowling Tour, even including a record number of stops.

The 16 highest ranked women and the 16 highest ranked men, by the conclusion of the EBT 2011, will qualify for the 5th EBT Masters, which will be hosted by the organizer of the 3rd Dream Bowl Palace Open in Munich on 30 April and 1 May 2012. The final of the ongoing EBT 2010, the 4th EBT Masters, will be hosted by the organizer of the 5th Qubica/AMF Open in Ljubljana, Slovenia on 11-12 April 2011.    

Kim Thorsgaard Jensen EBT Director