HE’S THE ONE: Te Karaka’s Adam McIlroy won the Bowls Gisborne East Coast men’s open singles title on the Kahutia greens at the weekend. He beat brother Brendon in the final. Herald file picture
BOWLS by Starweed
TE Karaka’s Adam McIlroy won the Bowls Gisborne East Coast men’s open singles centre title and Tolaga Bay’s Sharon Olsen her first women’s crown in a weekend full of surprises.
McIlroy beat brother and clubmate Brendon 21-14 in the men’s final at Kahutia while Olsen defeated Wairoa’s Donna Smith 21-11 in the women’s final.
Paige Richter (Kahutia) emerged the only unbeaten player (four wins from four games) in women’s section play held at Gisborne Bowling Club on Saturday, and earned herself top seeding for Sundays post-section play at Kahutia.
She faced Del Tamanui (Te Karaka) in the first round of post-section. Tamanui was consistent throughout which forced Richter to up her game.
With time running out and a shot in arrears, Richter managed to get the white down before the bell and claimed two shots to send Tamanui to the plate and herself into the last eight.
Next up for Richter was Olsen, a long-standing Tolaga Bay member and an under-rated player in the GEC bowling fraternity.
Olsen, having dashed the hopes of Dianne Phillips (Gisborne) in Round 1, comfortably beat Richter, then went on to topple Lucy Shanks (Kahutia) in one semi to book her place in the final.
The other side of the post-section play draw was full of past open and champ of champs winners.
Glenda Kapene (Wairoa) had it all ahead of her when she took on Dayvinia Mills (Gisborne) in the first round but took her chances when she could.
All locked up playing their last end, Mills looked to have the end under control until Kapene stepped up with her final bowl and ran the white to the ditch with her bowl in tow.
Her win set up a meeting with reigning champion Marie Wright (Kahutia). However, having discarded Mills, Kapene’s confidence was up and she overcame Wright 21-14 to book a semi against clubmate Donna Smith, who ousted Queenie Takarua (Gisborne) and Joy Davis (Poverty Bay) en route to the last four.
Maybe the pressure of the morning took its toll. Maybe Smith had a superior mindset. Maybe Smith simply played well.
Whatever the reason, Smith was better than Kapene and advanced to a final that proved one-way traffic.
Smith couldn’t find her range and Olsen capitalised for a convincing 21-11 victory.
It was Olsen’s first singles title, and a well-earned one, and gave her three titles towards her star.
Section play in the men’s competition at Kahutia produced no surprises among the 16 qualifiers.
Top qualifier was defending champion Robin Jefferson (Gisborne), who cruised through his first post-section round against clubmate and Gisborne Bowling Club president Tim Sherriff.
Brendon McIlroy overcame clubmate July Williams, who managed to pull a hamstring.
Jamey Ferris (Gisborne) beat Mick Maunder (Tolaga Bay); Leighton Shanks (Kahutia) was too good for Andrew Ball (Poverty Bay); Bob McIlroy (Te Karaka) — father of the McIlroy brothers — cruised past Andy Tamanui (Kahutia); Don Williams (Tolaga Bay) knocked out Ray Young (Kahutia), Charlie Ure (Gisborne) defeated Bruce Gledhill (Poverty Bay) and Adam McIlroy was too strong for Mark Walker (Tolaga Bay)
The quarterfinals saw Brendon take out Jefferson, Ferris outplay Shanks, Bob have no problems with Williams and Adam never in any trouble against Ure.
The semis produced interesting battles, with Bob facing Adam and Brendon up against Ferris.
In the first semi, Adam led 9-3 after eight ends only for Bob to charge back to lead 11-10 after 12 ends.
It looked like being a tight match only for Adam to pick up nine shots over in the next four ends.
Bob scored another four but that was as much as Adam would let him get and he won 21-15.
The other semi was close and unusual. Brendon and Ferris played some good bowls but also struggled with the gusty winds.
Brendon picked up a maximum four shots, then a single and another four to lead 9-2 and looked set to run away with the game. There is no denying Ferris’s ability and tenacity but after finding himself in this catch-up position how was he going to get himself back into the game?
Answer: Plug away, don’t try and get the shots all in one go. Which is what he did.
After 22 ends, Ferris held a 20-18 advantage only for it all to go haywire again.
Brendon put four bowls within a metre of the white, leaving Ferris with just one bowl in hand to rectify the situation.
With a metre-wide target and the opportunity to either draw or drive, he elected instead to run the head.
An experienced campaigner will tell you, when the wind is gusting on a fast green or heavy, uneven track, never play a fiddly shot. Draw or drive or play a firm shot — nothing in between. Your percentage will be higher.
Ferris chose to run and sent his bowl wide of the target, leaving Brendan with four shots and the win.
Adam is no stranger to the big stage. He won the title in 2015 and his experience and confidence showed in the 2020 final.
He was never in trouble in his 21-14 win after 18 ends.
Brendon was unable to put any pressure on his brother although Adam was in another zone.
Congratulations to the women’s and men’s finalists. Eight rounds of singles makes for a long weekend.
Same goes to those in the plate — Mills beating Tamanui 21-14 in the women’s final and Walker overcoming Ball 21-20 in the men’s final.
Bowls Gisborne East Coast was grateful to those who gave up their time to mark for the players. It took a lot of pressure off them.
Olsen received the Brown Whanau Trophy as women’s champion and McIlroy the Martin Cup as men’s winner.