Newly installed Bowls New Zealand CEO, Mark Cameron, was present to see Wanganui maestro, Ray Park, win his first Golden Oldies and become the second name on the Keith McMurtrie Cup first presented in 2017.
It was the worst weather in the Golden Oldies’ Open Fours 34-year history, and it became a challenge to complete the tournament within the allocated four days.
Mark Stevenson, Bowls Napier. Photo Credit : David Unwin, Stuff/Manawatu Standard
Day one kicked off fine for the 68 teams competing in the country’s biggest club tournament, but gales and intermittent bouts of torrential rain set in for the duration. The first round of post section play at headquarters was completed by the top three sections in arctic conditions on partly flooded greens. While at the Northern club, the remaining sides were unable to step out for three rounds until the final day. The composition of the five sections to contest the latter stages had to be determined on the basis of wins and points differentials earned on the first day only.
The winning team of Park, Anderson, A Spence and R Spence made no race of the contest within the elite A section, winning his last three games comfortably after a narrow escape in the first. Park has long been a feared opponent around the country’s major tournaments and on this occasion his lethal drive had to be used only sparingly.
Second place in A Section went to John Granger’s Havelock North side skipped by former Palmerston North real estate manager Peter Rochester. John is a former Manawatu Centre President and Dominion Councillor - as well as a past winner of the prestigious Taranaki Open Fours. But he’s only played sparingly in recent years. P Ramsey and P Kennedy completed the Rochester combination.
Ian Jamieson, Bowls Palmerston North. Photo Credit : David Unwin, Stuff/Manawatu Standard
Third place in the top bracket was earned by the Levin team of J Adams, P Brown, P Gardner and B Cooper.
B Section went to a strong host club side skipped by Bar Manager/ Secretary and recent Taranaki Open winner Brian Little. Club President Eric Cairncross played at three – and previous three times winners Trevor Butcher and Paul Rowe completed the side.
D Hunt’s Havelock North team placed second, and third was the current holder of the McMurtrie Cup, D Scrivener’s composite side including the much-respected Paul ‘Kumera’ Selby.
It was a surprise to local pundits to find bowls legend Peter Belliss, with his team of K Coombe, G Petersen and M Morgan, contesting Section C. But they ‘cleaned up’ at that level with an unbeaten run of four wins.
D Section was won by Levin’s A Janssen, G Law, L Judd and M Howse. While John Tiddy’s Woodville quartet of G Read, D Clark and P Goldsworthy took out E Section.
