Our in club tournaments are usually team affairs but today it was every man and woman for themselves in the annual “Cut Throat” tournament sponsored by Cobourg Honda.

Earlier in the week it looked like we may not have sufficient entries to make the tournament viable but with a number of late entries we had a respectable 20 competitors.

This format was new to lots of the players and for those who have never played it I should explain that In this version of the game  there are 10 points available as each end is played. The four bowls nearest to the jack all score. The player with the bowl nearest the jack scores 4 points, the next scores 3 points, the next 2 and the fourth 1 point. The player with the highest cumulative score after 3 rounds of 10 ends wins the tournament. To ensure that no player gets an unfair advantage the leading scorers are placed into the same pool as the day progresses, hence the cut throat element as the leaders are matched against one another and others are dropped into a lower pool.

In the first round of games, Dave Shirley built up a significant lead with an impressive 61 points and going into the final round of games he was still in the lead by 12 points. He was matched against the other top two players, David Brister and Bernice Klassen. Although  David Brister was the top scorer in the final game neither he nor Bernice scored enough points to overtake Dave Shirley.

 However, it is always possible in this format that someone may come out of the second pool with a high score and overtake the players in the first pool. Ann Tough nearly did that with her final round haul of 43 points which took her past David Brister and Bernice Klassen but she finished 3 points behind Dave who claimed the trophy.

The full results were: Winner Dave Shirley (134 points); second Ann Tough (131); third David Brister  (127); fourth Bernice Klassen (124) and fifth Bozana Brick (115).

Thanks to Dave for running the tournament. I have a copy of all the scores and results and can assure you that his additions were right and he did not fix it!!

The results page has the final placings and there are more photos on the photos page.

Ontario ladies triples championship

Good luck to Kathleen Shirley, Nan Hendren and Dianne Hawryszko in the ladies triples championships at Burlington this weekend.

Wilmot Creek

What can I say? The sun shone; it was a lovely day; we had fun; some of our members won wine in the free raffle for Cobourg members; and we lost by 13½ points to 2½! In the morning session we lost all 8 games!

Congratulations to the teams skipped by Ralph Stoffers and Dave Shirley who were the only winners out of the 16 games played.

Conclusion – must do better next year.

Juniors

Ben Van Steijn is currently tied first place for junior bowler of the year and Baylee is tied for second place. Several other  Cobourg juniors are in contention and if you follow this link you can view the full standings on the OLBA website. The next qualifying event is in Kitchener this weekend and we wish Ben and Baylee good luck in that.

Upcoming Tournaments

The anniversary tournament (our 106th birthday) is scheduled for Saturday August 3rd and the sign up sheet is on the bulletin board at the club. Given that this is a special tournament it would be great to have a big turn out so please consider signing-up.

We also have an in-club tournament on Thursday August 8th. We’ll be trying out a different format of 2x12 end games starting at 10.00am. The sign-up sheet will be on the board shortly.

We have a good entry for the open mixed pairs on August 10th although we could still take some more entries. Also there is an open mixed triples on Thursday August 15th and we’d like some more entries for that so please consider putting a team together. Let Eve Gorringe or me know if you want to enter.

The open mixed pairs (2-4-2) on Monday September 2nd has attracted a large entry form visiting teams and if Cobourg members wish to enter for this tournament they need to get their entries in soon. Again, let Eve or me know if you want to enter.

OLBA newsletter

The latest edition is available by following this link.

Lawn Bowling Rules

All members should have a basic knowledge of the rules of our sport. In most cases you will hopefully have been told about these during the new bowler lessons and you will learn from more experienced members as you play the game. Please ask for advice if you are unsure about any aspect of the rules and if you want to delve further into the rules follow this link to the World Bowls Laws

We took a break from running tournaments at our club this week but our members were out and about and enjoying success at other clubs.

Mens Senior Triples playdowns

I reported last week the success of Kathleen Shirley and Nan Hendren who, playing with Dianne Hawryszko of Port Hope, qualified for the Ontario ladies triples championships. Well, we men were not to be outdone and the formula for success was repeated as Ralph Stoffers and I joined forces with Port Hope President Stan Zuly to win the Seniors triples playdowns in Peterborough on Tuesday July 16th. We will now play in the Ontario championships at Sarnia in early August.  In our final game we had to beat  previous Ontario champions, Wayne Wallwork, Jim Butler and Gord Terwilligar to claim the championship and in extremely hot conditions the game itself became a hot one. In a 14 end game we had established a lead of 14-0 after seven ends but that lead was cut back to three by the tenth end! However we rallied and in a key twelfth end scored three to establish a lead of five going into the last two ends. In the end we won by six shots.

It was great to have further Cobourg presence in the playdowns as Bill MacNab, David Brister and Geoff Montgomery had also entered. They gave us a tough game in our first game and then came up against a dominant performance from Wallwork’s team. Commiserations to them.

Port Hope Plummer Trophy

Tuesday was also a good day for Cobourg members playing at Port Hope in a tournament that was changed to two fourteen end games because of the heat. I’m delighted to say that Ann Tough, Kathleen Shirley and Norma Stoffers won the trophy. Like our Milligan tournament last week the format was either ladies triples or two ladies with a man leading. Baylee Van Steijn skipped her team of Sharyl Ann Milligan and Dave Shirley to third place. And the team of Jean Livingston, Alma McKendrick and Heckie Langford was also in the prize money.

If you are playing away from the club and want to let members know about how you got on  please send me a report and photos, if possible, and I’ll publish them. If you don’t tell me about your successes I can’t report them here or in the Newspapers.

Since I joined the club in 2010 the Tuesday night jitney has always been the best attended. I guess it is the combination of nice summer nights, the band playing in Victoria Park and the knowledge that it will be well attended and therefore a good social as well as competitive evening.

I'm usually playing so don't therefore get the opportunity to take photos of the jitneys but this week I was on the verandah so here are some photos that I took with some light hearted observations!

Although I could not be at the Windmill tournament on Saturday I understand that there was a good turn out. We varied the format for this tournament to reduce it to 3x8 end games as opposed to the normal 3x10 for in club tournaments. Also we had a later start. It would be useful to have some feedback on whether these changes prompted more entries or whether the response would have been the same if we had left it unchanged. We really need your feedback so that we can find out what works best. Please let EC members have your views or email me with your thoughts.

After all the games the only team to emerge with a perfect 3 wins was that of Nancy MacNab and Louisa Arthur who are pictured with the trophy. I understand from my special correspondent (who is completely unbiased) that the crucial moment of the day for them was the last end of the second game when they were tied and facing defeat against Sara Barnett’s team but Nancy’s final bowl knocked out the shot bowl to claim the win. They went on to win their final game getting off to a great start by scoring seven in the first end. The full results are on the  results page and there are some more photos on the photos page.

In other news from the weekend I’m delighted to say that Kathleen Shirley and Nan Hendren, playing with Dianne Hawryszko of the Port Hope club qualified for the provincial ladies triples. There were three teams competing at Pickering on Saturday in the District 14 play downs and each team was 1 and 1 after two games, resulting in a play off. Hawryszko’s team came out on top in the play off and they will now represent the District  in the Ontario championships at Burlington in two weeks time.

There was no such joy for Ralph Stoffers, me and Stan Zuly of Port Hope in the mens play downs. In a strong four team round robin we were 0-3. We move on to the District seniors play downs in Peterborough on Tuesday. Bill MacNab, Geoff Montgomery and David Brister have also entered and we will be playing them in the first game!

Monday Night Bowling

On Monday July 8th we held our first evening of “something different”.  Twenty two members played two 8 end games but only the first and  last ends were “normal”. We had two ends where the roles were reversed, so skips led; two ends where only bowls in front of the jack counted and two ends where only bowls behind the jack counted. This was particularly tricky where a jack was at its maximum length as there was only  6 feet of green for the bowl to come to rest if it was to count. Apart from being fun it was good practice in varying the weight of the delivery.

There will be another event on Monday July 15th organized by Reg and Donna Longman and I’ll organize another  (different) on July 22nd. However we cannot rely on the same people organizing these Monday night events. If you have an idea for something different on a Monday night and are willing to run it please let me know.

Membership

We lost a number of existing members this year for a number of reasons but primarily through injuries and ill heath. However,  I am pleased to say that so far we have 13 new members.  They are

David Brister                                                      Dudley Leggett                                 Sarah Van Steijn              

Charlotte Craig                                                  Joan MacDonald                               Jean Wojciechowski

Becky Groves                                                    Julie Schillaci                                       Sara Woods

Robert La Brash                                                                Bonnie Sheridan                                              

Anne Leahy                                                        Ray Sheridan

I’m sure you will make them very welcome and give them all the help they need.

Equipment

When we advertise for new members we always say that the only equipment you need to get started is flat shoes.  But once you have started to bowl regularly there is one piece of equipment that I would advise you all to buy – a measure. It is not essential for Leads but quite often Leads will find themselves playing pairs or playing vice in a jitney if the numbers need to be made up. And if you are already a Vice then a measure is essential.

Sharyl Ann Milligan can supply measures through MVP Sports, so please contact her if you would like to order one.

Many of you will know Sharyl Ann Milligan and her brother Dan. They have been members of the club since the early 1970s. What many of you will not know is that their parents, Ron and Trudy were also members of the club having joined when they moved to Cobourg in 1972. We were therefore delighted when Sharyl Ann and Dan decided to sponsor a trophy in memory of Ron and Trudy.

The format for the trophy was ladies triples or two ladies with a man to lead and the inaugural event was yesterday July 10th. This format seems to be increasingly popular, possibly because the number of ladies entering triples teams in open tournaments appears  to be on the decline. A lady that I know well described the format as man can lead but must say nothing and stay off the green! This was not easy for those of us who are used to skipping and directing the game but in general I think we left it to the ladies and sat silently on the bench.

It was  a good turn out with 14 teams competing. There was  a last minute problem when one team had to drop out but we managed to put together a team of juniors; Baylee Van Steijn, Dara Killoran and Ben Van Steijn stepped into the breach and performed admirably. They lost their first two games narrowly and then claimed a famous win in their last game against Fran Marsh, Helen Beaton and Ralph Stoffers. Since Fran and Helen came second last week playing with Nancy MacNab it led me to wonder whether the weak link in their team may have been Ralph?!

Unfortunately none of the Cobourg teams had the same degree of success as they had in the Wicks trophy last week and the only team to claim a prize was that of Alma McKendrick and Jean Livingston, who with the help of Port Hope’s Ned Town, claimed the prize for the one game high.

The Peterborough team of Elaine Welch, Jan Young and Al Handlechner won the trophy and they are pictured with Sharyl Ann and Dan. This is the second Open this season in which Jan and Al have come to Cobourg and taken the trophy.

Thanks again to Sharyl Ann and Dan for  a great day and for keeping the rain away as Sharyl Ann promised.

Congratulations to Fran Marsh's team on a very well earned second place in yesterday's Wicks ladies triples. She said her team of Helen Beaton and Nancy MacNab were awesome!
The Wicks family has been sponsoring this ladies triples tournament for 25 years and it was rather disappointing to have only 10 teams competing this year. However the good news was that six of those teams were from Cobourg; the bad news was that the four visiting teams from Oshawa, Pickering and Peterborough were all excellent teams that would provide stiff competition. The tournament was two games of 14 ends and after the first round of games there were wins for three Cobourg teams – Ann Tough, Fran Marsh and Pat Andersen.

The wins by Ann and Fran were particularly notable with Ann beating one of the favourites, Anna Panton of Peterborough and Fran beating another favourite the Morrison team from Oshawa. Fran was two down with one end to play but scored three in the final end to claim victory. Pat Andersen’s win was against Eve Gorringe by 13-10.

Fran went on to win her second game, beating Barb Noble of Peterborough 10-7 to give her a total score of 26 points which was good enough to claim second place.

Ann Tough, playing with Norma Stoffers and Louisa Arthur could not emulate their first round win and lost out to the Morrison’s 15-9. Some good bowls from them here with Ann on the jack, Norma behind and Louisa to the right.

The final game on the green was Pat Andersen (playing with Pauline Patersen and Bernice Klassen) against Daphne Jansz of Pickering and by this time it was clear that whoever won this game would win the trophy. Pat’s team came close but lost 15-13 and that relegated them to fourth place

You can see from this picture that there were some very determined Cobourg ladies!
Well done Cobourg ladies for making the day a success and for the wonderful lunch that you provided.

I can’t finish this report without mentioning Bill Rowe. Bill cannot bowl at present but is a social member and I think he has been working in the kitchen at every tournament so far this year. He’s doing a great job and deserves our thanks. He was ably assisted yesterday by Geoff Montgomery and Jim Oldham and Ralph Stoffers took a break from greens keeping to take charge of the barbecue.

I would encourage those of you who never played in an open tournament to come down to the club and watch the play. Even if you just come for a short time it gives encouragement to the home players and may help you in improving your own game by watching how experienced players perform. And what better place to sit than the club veranda on a summer’s day!

More photos and full results on the respective pages

I hope you enjoyed the Canada Day tournament. We had a good turn out this year – 42 members plus substitutes  compared with 30 last year. There were a few last minute changes due to some injured players and we also had a few substitutes in some games but we managed to keep games of triples together through all three rounds. Thanks to all those who turned up early to decorate the club. Turning up early was also the only way to guarantee a parking spot – it seemed to me that it was busier than ever this year and the Town must have made a few dollars from the cars that were towed away!

Thanks to all those in the kitchen and  a particular thanks to Pat Andersen for organizing the Canada Day cake. Thanks also to Donna Ball for her selling  skills and maximizing the profit from the 50/50 draw. Thanks also to Gerry Childs who was once again on first aid duty but who can’t bowl himself because of back problems at present.

 I really think that the club is a big plus in the Cobourg Canada Day celebrations. It is amazing how many people were hanging over the fence watching the really colorful scene at the club and being interested in our sport.  I also noticed that there were lots of folk taking photographs – so even if they were not interested in bowling they found our club to be picturesque and interesting. I think this is something people often overlook and I was pleased to find an Internet report recently on the Highland Games which made reference to the lawn bowlers as part of the spectacle in Victoria Park.

The Canada Day tournament format was triples play and fourteen club teams competed for the trophy which was sponsored  by Thomas Buick GMC of University Avenue West.

So what about the bowling? My team with Jane Cornell leading and vice Sharon Clegg was quick out the blocks and was the leading team after the first game. But that was as good as it got and we came up against stiff opposition in Bill MacNabs’s and Eve Gorringe’s teams and did not record another win.

After the first round of games the seven winners were all within 6 points of one another so it was clear it would be a closely fought contest. After the second round of games only three teams had a perfect record of two wins. They were the teams skipped by Cash Richardson, Bill MacNab and  Eve Gorringe. Cash and Bill were tied with 26 points each to Eve’s 24. That meant that Cash and Bill would play off in the top game in the third round and Eve would play the highest scoring team with one win – my team. As so often happens the loser of the top game is always at risk of losing out completely on prize money as teams lower down the standings that win their final game can overtake them. And that is exactly what happened to Bill MacNab’s  team as  a result of their 12-5 loss to Cash Richardson.

Cash’s  team claimed the trophy as they finished with 3 wins and 38 points and although Eve’s team also won their final game (my team were the fall guys in this one as well) to finish with a perfect record of 3 wins they had a points total of 37 – one short of Cash’s..

For all the prize winners see the results page and more photos on the photo page