Smart money goes on McIlroy

Current New Zealand representative Shannon McIlroy is certain to attract a strong following at the Aotearoa national Maori bowls tournament in Wairarapa this coming Sunday and Monday.
At just 20 years of age, McIlroy, from Gisborne, has taken the sport by storm, so much so that many good judges have rated him as potentially the best bowler ever to come out of this country.
He demonstrated his class as the singles player in the New Zealand line-up in the recent test series with Canada. His 21-18 win over his Canadian opponent in the first test was a classic illustration of his ability to respond positively to pressure situations with McIlroy recovering from 9-17 down to win 21-18.
McIlroy picked up a silver medal in the fours at the recent Asia Pacific championships amd was a part of the winning team in the fours at the national championships in 2006, and runner-up in the same event this year
And his curriculum vitae also includes a victory in the prestigious Speights North East Valley invitation singles, played annually in Dunedin.He became the first Maori to win this title and did so in style, going through his 10 games without defeat.
The national Maori tournament is a fours event and McIlroy is skipping one of the 56 men's teams entered there. With him in his Kahutia line-up will be three players who have made a big impact in the Gisborne-East Coast area, Barry Allen, Mike Tuhaka and Vern Marshall, and they will be playing their qualifying games at the South End green.
Interestingly enough McIlroy's stiffest opposition could come from two other teams who will be attempting to qualify at South End, Eastbourne's Dave McArty, Matt Hunter, Mike Carroll and Wayne Coleman and Papakura's Junior Kororiki, Riaka Gregory, Dwayne Cameron and Fraser Maguire.
The women's section has attracted 58 teams and the favourites here would have to be a composite team including national reps Marina Khan at three and Mina Paul at skip, who will play their qualifying games at Lansdowne..
Khan, a daughter of perhaps the most famous name in New Zealand women's bowls, the late Millie Khan, combined with her sister Jan to win a bronze medal in the pairs at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games and was a part of the New Zealand fours team which won gold at the Asia Pacific championships in Christchurch.
She and Paul have won the national fours championship title on two occasions, both times with Jan Khan at lead and Millie Khan at skip
Well-performed Manawatu bowler Fran Frith and her Terrace End clubmates Marita Braven, Katrina Anderson and Elizabeth Tomlins should also do well. They will be attempting to qualify at Greytown.
Back too to defend their titles will be the successful teams in the 2006 tournament held in Christchurch. Baden Ashton, John Lovell, Mark McFadden and Terry Weir of the Christchurch club are drawn to play their qualifying games at Masterton while Emma Waerehu, Paddy Waerehu, Evelyn Toka and Moana Stainton will start their defence at Lansdowne.
Organising one of the biggest tournaments numbers-wise ever to be held in the Wairarapa-entries have come the Far North to Invercargill- has been a mammoth task but the secretary of the committee charged with that task, Karyn Burling, is confident everything will go according to plan.
" It's been a lot of hard work but the end result will make it all worthwhile," she said.
Qualifying games will be played at all nine greens in the Wairarapa region, ranging from Eketahuna in the north to Featherston in the south, with post-section play, which is due to get under way at 12.45pm on Monday, being at the Masterton greens. Teams will have to win at least four of their qualifying games to get that far.
All players, and their supporters, have also been invited to attend the official opening and powhiri to be held at the Te Ore Ore marae on Saturday, starting at 5pm.