WORLD BOWLS TOUR NEW ZEALAND QUALIFIERS DECIDED

The Tauranga South Club played host for the first time for the New Zealand Professional Bowls Association Finals Weekend over the weekend showcasing its impressive

undercover facility and warm hospitality under the leadership of coordinator Frank Aldridge.

The Sunday finals began with the Ambassador Cruise Lines Scottish Singles where Laurie Guy (Wellington) dominated Mike Isaacson (Hawkes Bay) 14-3, 9-5 to win a trip to Edinburgh. Guy’s only previous international PBA ventures were two Trans-Tasman Challenges against the Australian PBA in 2016 and 2017.

The UK Singles final was a tense drawn-out affair with Garry Cotter (Waikato) outlasting New Plymouth PBA coordinator Kevan Sellers 3-10, 9-4, 2-0. Cotter will play in a newly resurrected UK Singles in a new World Bowls Tour venue in Cambridge, England. Cotter previously visited the UK in the 2023 World Indoor Pairs.

The World Indoor Singles had two dark horses make the final with Clayton Simpson (Manawatu) beating Thomas Cockerill (Southland) 6-8, 11-7, 2-1. This was Cockerill’s second appearance at the NZ Finals Weekend, and Simpson’s first having not been past a quarterfinal in any other event in his two years playing out of the Hastings PBA branch. Simpson will play at the World Indoor Singles at the Potter’s Leisure Resort in Norfolk, England in January.

The weekend culminated in the World Indoor Pairs final with last year’s NZ representative Anthony Ouellet (Bay of Plenty) and new lead Cotter needing to re-group after winning the UK Singles, taking on Southland’s Ron Plunkett and Aaron Tribe. Ouellet won a match at the World Indoor Pairs in January with then lead Chris Smith who tragically passed away a few weeks later. And he will be back to Potter’s with a 11-4, 5-10, 2-0 win meaning Cotter will have two trips to the UK this northern winter.

The Pairs final ended up deciding the Inter-Branch Trophy played for at each Finals Weekend with hosts Tauranga pipping last year’s winner Invercargill by one point.

The Year End Number One trophy was decided before Finals Weekend with 2018, 2023 and 2024 number one Craig Merrilees (Southland) retaining a healthy lead at the top of the New Zealand rankings. Dunedin coordinator Niel Louw, last year’s representative to the Scottish Singles Kaylin Huwyler, Cotter, and 2020 World Indoor Singles NZ rep Craig Tinker round out the top five.

The Top Woman trophy was remarkably one by rookie Selina Goddard (North Harbour) in her first year of PBA play despite the rankings covering the last two years of competition. This was decided once Dunedin’s Anna Louw was pipped in her World Indoor Pairs quarterfinal. Goddard will be nominated to receive the Overseas branches spot in the Ladies Invitation Singles and Mixed Pairs at the World Indoor Champs.

The Best Rookie trophy was a three-way contest going into Finals Weekend with Goddard and John O’Shea (Bay of Plenty) sharing the lead, and North Harbour’s Chad Nathan in striking distance. However neither O’Shea nor Nathan were able to improve on their position so the trophy is shared for the first time between Goddard and O’Shea.

Information including an application form, entry forms, dates and venue contact details for the NZ PBA can be found on the worldbowlstour dot org site under PBA – New Zealand.

RESULTS

Shanghai Singles:

Main Event Final: Bart Robertson (Taranaki) 31 bt Richard Corry (Wellington) 25 & Jean Morris (Bay of Plenty) 16.

Plate Final: Frank Aldridge (Bay of Plenty) 27 bt Jason Northe (Hawkes Bay) 23 & Tony Terry (Bay of Plenty) 23.

Scottish International Open qualifier

Quarterfinals: Matt Berry (Auckland) bt Niel Louw (Dunedin) 8-7, 7-3; Mike Isaacson (Hawkes Bay) bt Andre Hudson (Bay of Plenty) 10-1, 5-10, 2-0; Craig Merrilees (Southland) bt Kelvin Francis (Wanganui) 11-5, 11-5.

Semi Finals:

Isaacson bt Berry 11-4, 5-9, 2-0; Laurie Guy (Wellington) bt Merrilees 8-7, 9-4.

Final: Laurie Guy (Wellington) bt Mike Isaacson (Hawkes Bay) 14-3, 9-5.

World Indoor Pairs qualifier 

Quarterfinals: Bart Robertson & Craig DeFaria (Taranaki) bt Paul Daniels & Kevin Rainsford (North Harbour) 14-1, 8-8; Aaron Tribe & Ron Plunkett (Southland) bt Hein Pharenqua & Jason Northe (Hawkes Bay) 12-2, 3-9, 2-0; Garry Cotter (Waikato) & Anthony Oullet (Bay of Plenty) bt Graham Cook & Anna Louw (Dunedin) 5-8, 12-1, 2-1.

Semi Finals: Tribe & Plunkett bt Robertson & DeFaria 4-9, 7-6, 2-1; Cotter & Ouellet bt Richard Corry & Ian McLeod (Wellington) 7-5, 10-7.

Final: Garry Cotter (Waikato) & Anthony Ouellet (Bay of Plenty) 11-4, 5-10, 2-0.

Garry Cotter & Anthony Ouellet will play in the World Indoor Pairs in Norfolk Jan 9^th-26^th.

UK Open qualifier:

Chad Nathan (North Harbour) bt Jason Wong (Hawkes Bay) 9-3, 2-11, 2-1; Garry Cotter (Waikato) bt David Natta (Dunedin) 10-4, 8-3; Craig Merrilees (Southland) bt Gavin Hamlyn (Wairarapa) 6-10, 12-5, 2-1.

Semifinals: Cotter bt Nathan 7-6, 9-2; Kevan Sellers (Taranaki) bt Merrilees 10-5, 7-5.

Final: Garry Cotter (Waikato) bt Kevan Sellers (Taranaki) 3-10, 9-4, 2-0.

Garry Cotter will play in the UK Singles in Cambridge, England Mar 3^rd-5^th.

World Indoor Singles qualifier

Quarterfinals: Laurie Guy (Wellington) bt Jason Wheal (Southland) 8-7, 8-2; Clayton Simpson (Manawatu) bt Colin Rogan (North Harbour) 8-8, 9-3; Thomas Cockerill (Southland) bt Bart Robertson (North Harbour) 7-6, 5-11, 2-1.

Semi Finals: Simpson bt Guy 7-7, 8-7; Cockerill bt John O’Shea (Bay of Plenty) 10-5, 9-9.

Final: Clayton Simpson (Manawatu) bt Thomas Cockerill (Southland) 6-8, 11-7, 2-1.

Clayton Simpson will play in the World Indoor Singles in Norfolk, England Jan 9^th-26^th.