Southern raid on Silver Nugget MEN
Best performed Queenslander in the 2015 Silver Nugget for development players aged 18-25 was Broadbeach’s Sean Ingham, who bowed out in the quarterfinals to Australian Open singles champ Aaron Teys 21-10.
Bester goes back-to-back MEN
Australian Male Bowler of the Year Ryan Bester from Broadbeach has done it again. The Canadian international has won consecutive Golden Nugget Prestige Singles, the first to go back-to-back in the competition’s 29-year history. Bester beat Queensland legend Kelvin Kerkow 25-13 in the final at Tweed Heads, the culmination of four days of high-octane lawn bowls (August 10-13). Kerkow himself is Nugget royalty, having won the title four times previously (1994, 1997, 2008 and 2011). Beaten semi finalists were Leif Selby (NSW), down by three shots to Bester 22-25, and Aron Sherriff (NSW), down three shots to Kerkow, 22-25. Other top talent in the men’s field included Australian singles rep Brett Wilkie, Golden Nugget 2014 runner up Mark Casey and former World Singles champs Jeremy Henry and Steve Glasson. Wildcard Scott De Jong Fitzpatrick from Broadbeach won a spot amongst Australia’s
Top 12 to contest Golden Nugget, as winner of the 2015 Tweed Prestige Open Mixed Singles.
WOMEN It was all-NSW in the women’s Golden Nugget decider. Australian Female Bowler of the Year Natasha Scott came so close to going back to back, bowing out in the semi 23-25 to eventual winner Anne Johns. In the other semi, five-time Nugget Queen Karen Murphy (1996-7, 1990, 2001, 2003) defeated two-time winner Carmen Anderson (2008. 2010) 25-19. In the final, Johns prevailed over the tenacious Murphy by one shot, 25-24, to claim her first Golden Nugget title. There were only two Queenslanders in the women’s field, Australian captain Lynsey Clarke and Kawana’s Emma Brown. Pictured above: 2015 champs Anne Johns and Ryan Bester with club chairman John Rayward. Top right: Silver Nugget winners Sarah Boddington and Jessie Noronha with Taylor Bowls’ Danny Keating.
Then it was Teys’ turn to go down to eventual winner Jesse Noronha in the semi, 21-11. Noronha went on to defeat NSW U25 singles champ Mason Lewis from Merrylands by just one shot in the tightly contested final, winning 25-24 to take his first title. Queenslanders Dean McWhinney and Eric Copeland were also in the starting 12.
WOMEN In the women’s Silver Nugget, 2013 inaugural winner Sarah Boddington was back on the dais, hanging on to defeat NZ U25 raider Tayla Bruce by just one shot, 25-24. Boddington had earlier defeated Samantha Noronha in the semi 21-11, while Bruce defeated Australian Open women’s singles champ Ellen Ryan 21-11. Queenslanders to play in the top 12 were Caloundra-based twins Bolivia and Cassandra Millerick. The 2015 Silver Nugget was played at Tweed Heads Bowls Club, July 21-22.
Gold Nugget 2015 competitors (from left) - Back row: Wayne Reudiger, Steve Glasson, Leif Selby, Kelvin Kerkow, Scott De Jong Fiotzpatrick, Dylan Fisher, Jesse Noronha, Jo Edwards. Middle row: Lynsey Clarke, Ryan Bester, Jeremy Henry, Karen Murphy, Aron Sherriff, Mark Casey, Anne Johns, Chloe Stewart. Front row: Carmen Anderson, Rebecca Van Asch, Sarah Boddington, Brett Wilkie, Val Smith, Natasha Scott, Emma Brown, Kelsey Cottrell
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queensland bowler
september 2015