Bowls: Defending champion among big scalps

Defending champion Matt Gallop was beaten in yesterday's third round.Photo / Greg Bowker

Defending champion Matt Gallop was among a formidable group of high-profile bowlers who failed to make the men's singles play-offs when the New Zealand Open's tournament proper started at Henderson yesterday.

Gallop, a Marlborough product but now with Wellington's Eastbourne club, started with two easy wins but was downed in the third round by the Auckland centre representative, Pakuranga's Neil Fisher, 21-9.

National representative Ali Forsyth was another who failed to survive yesterday's third round, losing 21-9 to Dunedin's Ross Brown.

Two other recent national representatives, Gary Lawson and Shannon McIlroy, suffered even greater ignominy, being eliminated in the first round, although each had the misfortune to strike a tough early opponent.

The seasoned Waikato bowler Kevin Robinson, many times a national champion, beat McIlroy 17-12, and Aucklander Justin Goodwin, another multiple national titleholder, beat Lawson 21-16.

National representative and winner of the Open singles in 2007, Sydney-based Andrew Todd, was another who battled for his weight in a tricky wind. He was bundled out by the day's big giant-killer, Browns Bay's Colin Rogan, a long-serving member of North Harbour representative sides.

Having earlier knocked out Auckland's outstanding bowler of the 2008-09 season, Danny Delaney, Rogan achieved the same 21-8 scoreline over Todd, then toppled Henderson stalwart Tony Garelja on his home green.

Rogan attributed his success to a simple formula. "It's just a matter of consistent draw play and trying not to drop big shots," he said.

Auckland veteran Wally Marsic also proved a spoiler, beating Australian international Gerard Beath and then Wellingtonian Richard Corry, 18-17 and 19-18, benefiting from the fact that although games were the standard first to 21 shots, a two-hour time limit applied. That was not a popular policy with many of the bowlers, something acknowledged by Auckland centre manager Phil Vyver.

"We have no option because of our tight schedule," he said. The time limit will not apply to the semifinals and finals.

National squad member Richard Girvan, Fisher and a youngster from Canterbury, Alvin Gardiner, with wins respectively over Marsic, Brown and Robinson, became the first three into tomorrow's semifinals.

The women's singles will highlight today's programme. Defending champions Karen Murphy and Kay Moran started strongly in the women's pairs yesterday with a win over New Lynn's Reen Stratford and Hetty Bolscher.