Bester breaks his singles drought
BROADBEACH’S Ryan Bester has claimed an elusive national bowls singles title on the final day of the Australian Open on the Gold Coast.
The $250,000 event came to an end for a fourth consecutive year on the Gold Coast, with the blue-ribbon event’s silverware set to stay in the region for the next 12 months.
Canadian international and local favourite Bester, 33, secured the men’s singles crown and accompanying $10,000 prize purse in front of a boisterous crowd at the his home club, defeating a gallant Sean Baker 21-18.
Baker, also 33, had his own contingent of supporters rinkside, as the man Bester replaced as the club’s full-time bowls co-ordinator.
By also contesting the semiEarlier
final in the men’s pairs, Bester earnt the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award and a bonus $2500 prize.
Bester’s win on the televised rink followed that of the Victorian mother-daughter combination
of Gayle and Brooke Edwards in the women’s pairs.
Gayle, of the Altona club, produced arguably the shot of the tournament on the final end of play to turn the match on its head.
in the day, an all-star men’s fours contest between teams skippered by recent Gold Coast convert Aron Sherriff and Scotland’s Alex Marshall saw the latter’s foursome triumph 13-10.
Young gun Jono Davis, from Dubbo in country NSW, earned an incredible fourth under-18 boys crown.
He scored a nailbiting 21-20 finish over fellow rising star Josh Studham to round out a three-peat, in addition to his 2012 title as a 12-year-old,
Helensvale’s Jessie Cottel secured her first under-18 girls title with victory over former state teammate and close friend, Rebecca Rixon, from Kawana.
The Australian Open will return to the Gold Coast in June next year.