Manawatu open triples gives Love wins third title of the season

Stephen Love won his third centre title of the season when his team won the Manawatu open triples on his home greens at Johnston Park on Saturday.

The final had been postponed from last weekend due to rain, but Love and his team-mates Tony Jensen and Michael Sinclair were too good for Palmerston North’s Brian Looker, Alan Morley and Paul Rowe, winning 22-5.

The Johnston Park team was up 10-0 before Looker’s team scored and they only scored on two ends.

Love has now won three centre titles this summer, a rare feat, and it is the second for Jensen, who won a gold star already this season.

Love has already won the singles and skipped the winning fours team before Christmas.

Ian Monaghan of Palmerston North wasn’t able to defend his title at the Taranaki open fours competition at New Plymouth last week.

Monaghan, who won the tournament when Brian Little skipped the team last year, was beaten by Wanganui great Peter Belliss 27-26 in the second round of post-section play.

Monaghan had held a 21-13 lead but Belliss slowly and methodically worked back into the lead and won the game.