Rickard sensational in Robieson win

close final: Dylan Foster (left) and Malcolm Trowell won the Clarke Schollum Open Pairs when they beat David Lynn and Lois Lamont in a close final.

Andrew Rickard was in sensational form in the final of the biggest tournament of the year, the Robieson Open Fours.

He got his team out of trouble time and time again on their way to an 11-8 victory over Keith Setter, Alex Reed, David Lynn and Lois Lamont.

Rickard's team of Bryan Pulley and the skip's son and daughter, Adam and Rachael Rickard, chipped in with some great bowls too, but Andrew Rickard played the shots that counted.

His dominance started on End 2 of the nine-end final, where he was one down on the head. Rickard played a top shot to remove a Setter bowl and gain four shots.

By the time End 5 had finished, Rickard's team led 6-3, but on End 6, Setter's team finally came together to dominate the end and score five shots to go ahead 8-6.

But then it was all Team Rickard. They shut out Setter's team repeatedly, recording two shots on ends 7 and 8 and one point on the last end for the win.

Andrew Rickard has been sitting on four-gold-star status titles since 2016, and needing just one more to earn his gold star for five titles.

Celebrations were held, and Rickard was awarded his gold star. This was his 16th centre title overall, Pulley's 66th (he won his first title in 1987), Adam Rickard's second centre title and Rachael's third.

Rickard's team were way too good in their semifinal against Warren Gibb, Bruce Easton, Doc Tipene and Ta Whai Moran-Tumene, winning 14-3.

In the other semifinal, Setter's team were in control against young guns Nathan Trowell, Matthew Foster, Dylan Foster and Hina Preddey, winning 11-2.

Malcolm Trowell and Dylan Foster won the Clarke Schollum Open Pairs when they beat David Lynn and Lois Lamont in a close nine-end final.

Trowell and Foster got away to a good start — 3-0 up after two ends — but then Lynn and Lamont picked up a point on each of ends 3 and 4 to close it to 3-2 after four ends.

One point to Trowell on End 5 followed by one to Lynn on End 6 had Trowell leading 4-3. The teams picked up one point each on ends 7 and 8 for Trowell to lead 5-4.

On the last end, though, Foster took command of the end to hold three shots when players changed ends. Although Lynn got close with his bowls, it wasn't enough. Trowell's team got one point, which gave them the victory.

In the semifinals, Trowell and Foster were way too good for Keith Setter and Alex Reed, winning 10-3, while Lynn and Lamont defeated King Country's Mike Proffit and Gisborne's Kayla Trowell 12-4.

This success earned Trowell his 44th centre title and Foster his 11th.