Aust Indoor Qualifiers – Men
Gold Coasters take four of the five men’s qualifying spots. The Gold Coast will be well-represented at the Australian Indoor Championships after four of the five available spots for the men were snapped up by Gold Coast bowlers in the Queensland Indoor qualifying rounds held over the weekend.
Paul O’Brien from Broadbeach, Brett Wilkie from Helensvale, Gary Pearson from Burleigh Heads and Paul Girdler from Tweed Heads all secured spots including Kurt Brown from Pine Rivers.
They will join women qualifiers Christine Baxter (Mt Gravatt), Jane Bush (Kawana), Barbara Townsend (Mooloolaba), Maria Rigby (Manly) and Natasha Jones (Bribie Island).
The Australian Indoor Championships will take place from July 29 to August 1 at Tweed Heads with just 32 bowlers from around the country competing.
MEN:
Mooloolaba:
Twelve men took to the greens at Mooloolaba to vie for one Australian Indoors qualifying spot.
Mooloolaba’s Bradley Andrews, Robert Blanco and Geoff Lawler, Graham Beswick from Wynnum Manly, Paul O’Brien from Broadbeach, Raymond Whittaker and Ken Milzewski from Maryborough, Mark Skelton from Carina, Club Marooby’sIan Dufty, Nigel Melbourne from Kawana, Darren Redman from Doonwilla and Yeppoon’s Keith Lindsay.
Heading into the semi finals were Keith Lindsay, Nigel Melbourne, Paul O’Brien and Ian Dufty.
Lindsay defeated Melbourne 12-7, 7-5, while O’Brien defeated Lufty 8-1, 4-6, 4-2.
O’Brien went on to qualify after defeating Lindsay in the final 11-6, 10-4
Paradise Point:
With just one spot up for grabs in the Australian Indoors, competition was fierce at Paradise Point with 15 bowlers.
Dean McWhinney and Kelvin Kerkow from South Tweed, Ray Hodges from Victoria Point, Dennis Margan from Broadbeach, Brett Wilkie from Helensvale, Robert Edwards, Peter Thompson, Adam Taylor and Ken Roberts from Paradise Point, Peter Ward from Moorooka, John Tavendale from Greenslopes, Theo Haaima from Belmont, Todd McIntosh from Hamilton, Wayne Masters from Bramble Bay and Ralph Allan from Mt Gravatt.
Brett Wilkie, Kelvin Kerkow, Ken Roberts and Todd McIntosh all proceeded to the semi finals.
Wilkie defeated Kerkow in three close games 8-6, 6-9, 3-2, while Roberts and McIntosh had an equally intense semi with Roberts winning 3-11, 11-3, 3-2.
Wilkie took the sole qualifying spot after winning the Grand Final against Roberts 11-6, 9-4.
Pine Rivers:
Just 10 bowlers took to the greens at Pine Rivers to play for one qualifying spot.
Daniel Keogh from Windsor, Edward Bognar and Richard Strawbridge from Bribie Island, John and Paul Kajewski from Burnett, Troy Casey from North Ipswich, Michael Newton from Kawana, Perry Vaccaro from Sandgate, Kurt Brown from Pine Rivers and Robert Chauvier from Tansey.
It was local Kurt Brown who qualified after defeating Daniel Keogh 12-6, 4-11, 3-2.
Tweed Heads:
With 32 bowlers and just two qualifying spots up for grabs, the competition was tough at Tweed Heads. The winner from Section 1-4 progressed along with the winner from Section 5-8.
In the first four sections were Phil Brandon and Nathan Heap from South Tweed, Sean Ingham, Clinton Bailey and Dave Gardiner from Broadbeach, Jamie Anderson from Capalaba, Jamie Smith from Wynnum Manly, Nic Gosley from Beenleigh, Paul Girdler, Steve Massey and John Millington from Tweed Heads, Hayden Vogler from West Toowoomba, Ross Linneman from Tarragindi, Ken Laverty from Dalby, Dean Smith from Burleigh Heads and Kane Nelson from Cleveland.
Paul Girdler, Jamie Anderson, John Millington and Steve Massey all proceeded to the semi final.
Girdler defeated Anderson 7-8. 10-2. 4-0, while Tweed Heads mates Millington and Massey had a close semi final with Millington coming out on top 8-8, 10-7.
In the final it was Girdler who won defeating Millington 12-3, 12-1.
In the final four sections were Eric Famsworth from Beenleigh, Scott DeJongh from Broadbeach, Gary Pearson and Ian Law from Burleigh Heads, Stephen Halmai, Les Rootsey and Brendan Wilson from Tweed Heads, John Balzarolo from Helensvale, Paul Rafton from Tugun, Jacob Nelson from Cleveland, Jim Bentley from Tarragindi, Trevor Broadbent from Wynnum Manly, Michael Geronimos from Mt Gravatt, John Irvine from Jindalee, Bevan Bishop from North Toowoomba and Jim Hamilton from RainbowBeach.
Gary Pearson, Jacob Nelson, Trevor Broadbent and Ian Law all progressed to the semi finals.
Pearson defeated Nelson 10-6, 8-3, while Broadbent defeated Law 2-9, 10-7, 6-0.
It was Pearson whotook the second qualifying spot winning against Broadbent 12-5, 10-9.
LADIES:
Pine Rivers:
There was just one spot available at Pine Rivers with 10 bowlers competing.
Linda Morish, Emma Brown and Madison Styles from Kawana, Mary Geddes, Natasha Jones and Billie Bognar from Bribie Island, Cheryl Lorkin and Carol Watters from Murgon,Rachelle Matthias-Harkness from Broadbeach and Elizabeth McCleary from Bramble Bay.
It was Natasha Jones who qualified after she defeated Mathias-Harkness 10-2, 12-2.
She will join other women qualifiers from June 8 including Christine Baxter (Paradise Point qualifier), Barbara Townsend and Jane Bush (Mooloolaba qualifiers) and Maria Rigby (Tweed Heads qualifier).
