Update 3^rd March  2015.

Comment on Bowls   by Denis Duffy.

The biggest club-organised tournament in the country has been in full swing this week. With seventy-eight teams in the field , this is the Palmerston North Club’s thirty-first Golden Oldies tournament. The event has enjoyed a charmed life over its first three decades, in that it has yet to experience any significant interruption from the weather gods. Its early years saw a remarkable period of domination by two legendary Skips – one local and one from Taranaki. Between the beginning in 1985 and 1991, only Vic Sellars and Dave Baldwin mounted the winner’s rostrum with their teams. Then followed an outstanding ‘threepeat’ of wins by Ray Dunn’s side from the host club. Since then, multiple wins have been few, and the current title-holders have returned with the same side, Skipped by Levin Central’s Ian Mahoney. The Golden Oldies is an iconic event which has managed to retain support through difficult times, and the Palmerston North club is proud to host its flagship tournament once again.

After a week of intense regional competition on the flawless greens at Gisborne Bowling Club, Manawatu managed to secure three spots in the Tauranga based national finals from a possible eleven. This is a mildly disappointing return in a region which is clearly not quite as competitive as some of the other five. However, our three winners came through only after some really tough contests and nailbiting differential-based outcomes. Congratulations go to Ross Ellery in Singles, the Pat Horgan/Dean Gilshnan Pair and Brian Little’s Four which included the Henn brothers and Eric Watson. Little was a replacement for the injured Brian Looker. The Singles and Pair have been rewarded by Selector Sharon Sims with the same positions in the Inter-Centre team for Christchurch.

Last weekend’s Under 5 Years Singles was an unqualified success. I was amazed to witness an apparent miracle as the requisite twenty-four markers somehow appeared for duty across the whole eight rounds, all of which were played to a finish by the eager field of novices. Special congratulations go to the unbeaten prizewinners, Phil Austin of Palmerston North and Dave Adams of Takaro, while two others merit special mention. These are Bevan Burt from the host club and Johnston Park’s Greg Oldridge. Burt was squeezed out of the prizemoney spots on differential, despite winning eight from eight, and Oldridge dropped only two games all weekend after taking up Bowls a mere four months ago.

Skoglund Triples Supremo Stan Goston reports that the field will now split into three sections of eight teams, which will begin Round 2 on March 10th. The Jack Tucker Trophy for Round One goes to Northern Gold with 99 points, who won narrowly from Terrace End Gold on 95, and Takaro A on 93.

Thanks Denis.