Former international Mary Campbell has had her share of victories. But she has two excited Robyns hoping to win the Bay of Plenty women's champion of champions triples title.
Robyn Mathews-Hunt is chasing her first centre championship, while Robyn Davis has just one under her belt - though Davis combined with Campbell to win the New Zealand Club women's pairs title last year.
The Tauranga South triple reached the last two at the Omokoroa club last weekend and are in the box seat with two lives. But an equally keen Papamoa Sports side of Mary Hingston, Lorraine Dun and Anne Box will be hoping to spoil the party when the championship is concluded on April 28.
Hingston, like Campbell, is an experienced bowler and she is joined by two juniors (five years and under playing experience) who are also chasing their first centre titles.
"It's a big surprise to get so far," said Lorraine. "Little old Papamoa, no one rates us but perhaps they do now."
Papamoa lost their first life to Tauranga South but then won their next four games to stay alive. In the sixth round, Papamoa beat Matua's Barbara Dickson, Lyn Donovan and Margaret Kershaw 16-15 on an extra end.
After the score was tied 15-all, Dun and Hingston drew close shots and Dickson could only remove one of the counters.
Tauranga South also had a close encounter in the sixth round, beating Omanu's Kath Steiner, Mary Conroy and Lynlie Edwards 13-12 after having a healthy lead. Davis drew the winning shot on the final end.
In the fifth round, Tauranga South had the bye, Omanu beat Rotorua East 16-6, Papamoa beat Arawa 15-10 and Matua beat Kawerau 14-2.
The men's champion of champions triples was down to the last three after two days' play at the Matua club. This time Rotorua's Stu Robertson, Chris Stanley and Greg Gould are in the box seat with two lives and they meet Omanu's Ron Parton, Lance Orsler and Ted Barker in the seventh round on April 28.
Rotorua took Omanu's first life in the previous round, winning 12-6, and Tauranga South's Tony Parkinson, John Bush and Graeme Heward beat the Jim Reeves-skipped Taupo side 15-8 to strike the bye and a possible final.
In the fifth round, Tauranga South had a dramatic victory over Mount Maunganui's Kevin Maxfield, Hugh Jorgensen and Maurice Hickey. The Mount were looking comfortable leading 12-4 and then 13-6. But Parkinson picked up five shots and then a four after moving the kitty to win 15-13.
Other fifth-round action saw Rotorua with the bye, Omanu beat Gate Pa 22-4, and Kawerau beat Taupo 15-9.
Clubs nowadays are thinking more about promoting good competition, and one new event is the SBS Bank men's open triples, hosted by the Omanu and Mount Maunganui clubs.
The organisers are hoping to make it a feature tournament of the season. Total prizemoney is $6300 and the tournament caters for 64 teams playing at both clubs on May 1-3.
Teams will be drawn into sections of four, and the top two from the round robin qualifying move into the Premier event while the bottom two contest the Classic event.