BWD bowlers excelled at the #AusOpenGC

by admin on June 25, 2015

Bowlers with a disability competed for three days during the 2015 Australian Open with 16 champions crowned at the worlds biggest festival of bowls. The BWD events provided the crowds at Musgrave Hill and Broadbeach with plenty of entertainment and high quality bowls over the three days of competition during the 2015 Australian Open.

With $18,000 prize-money on offer there were a number of talented bowlers who took home a slice of the prize pool and sparkling medals from the world’s biggest festival of bowls. 

Bowlers with disability events have concluded with tonight at Broadbeach with East Shepparton’s Joshua Thornton claiming the golden double, winning the BWD Physical disability singles and BWD disability pairs alongside James Reynolds. 

In the last final of the entire 2015 Australian Open it was Reynolds and Thornton who got the better of Nathan Appleton and Josh Barry under lights in front of a large contingent of spectators who stayed back to watch the best of the best in action.  

Earlier in the day, Thornton had a hard fought singles final against accomplished Victorian champion Josh Barry, claiming the spoils 21-10 in a match that demonstrated all the shots. 

Debra McGarry is no stranger to the winner’s circle; however this year she was challenged in her final against local star Serena Nicholls from Burleigh Heads, falling over the line 21-20 in their high quality women’s final. 

In the hearing impaired events, Fitzroy Victoria’s Tiffany Brodie topped off a fantastic week with her BWD gold medal after also making it to the quarter-final of the coveted open women’s singles event; a future star has emerged here on the Gold Coast.   

In the men’s hearing impaired division, Brian Taylor from Logan City defeated Graeme Findlay from Tuncurry Beach two games to nil in their sectional encounters. 

Taylor will be heading to Belfast, Northern Ireland in September as part of the Australian hearing impaired team to compete in the World Hearing Impaired Championships. 

Brisbane’s Dennis Wormald was successful in the vision impaired men’s singles and then later teamed up with Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Joy Forster to finish runner-up in the vision impaired mixed pairs. 

Their victors in tonight’s final were Marian Morrison and Peter Uther who needed an extra end to claim the spoils. 

Joy Forster showed why she is Australia’s leading vision impaired female bowler by taking the honours in the women’s singles 21-9 over Christine Henry. 

Nathan Appleton walked away from the 2015 Australian Open with silver from tonight’s pair’s finals and a gold medal from the intellectual disability men’s singles. 

In another closely fought final, Tugan’s Crystal Martin won 21-20 over Joanna Lomagro from Victoria in the intellectual disability women’s singles. 

All the players who competed in this year’s BWD events are a credit to the sport and whilst they all compete in their individual divisions, the Australian Open has been able to showcase the best of the best gracing the greens here on the Gold Coast. 

Big congratulations to all the competitors and we can’t wait to see the BDW events grow in the years to come as bowls is such an inclusive sport. 

All BWD results-

Physical disability men’s singles: Josh Thornton (East Shepparton, VIC) defeated Josh Barry (Tathra Beach, NSW) 21-10 

Physical disability women’s singles: Debra McGarry (Rathdowney, QLD) defeated Serena Nicholls (Burleigh Heads, QLD) 21-20

Multi-disability pairs: Josh Thornton (East Shepparton, VIC) & James Reynolds (Sebastopol, VIC) defeated Nathan Appleton (North Toowoomba, QLD) and Josh Barry (Tathra Beach, NSW) 14-12

Vision impaired men’s singles: Dennis Wormald (Narangba, QLD) defeated Jake Fehlberg (Tugun, QLD) 21-14

Vision imparied mixed pairs: Marian Morrison (Aspley, QLD) and Peter Uther (Coolangatta, QLD) defeated Joy Forster (Chermside, QLD) and Dennis Wormald (Narangba, QLD) 12-11

Vision impaired women’s singles: Joy Forster (Chermside, QLD) defeated Christine Henry (Moorooka, QLD) 21-9

Hearing impaired women’s singles: Tiffany Brodie (Fitzroy Victoria, VIC) defeated Janet Hogan (Boyne-tannum, QLD) 21-1

Hearing impaired men’s singles: Brian Taylor (Logan City, QLD) defeated Graeme Findlay (Tuncurry Beach, NSW) 2-0 

Intellectual disability men’s singles: Nathan Appleton (North Toowoomba, QLD) defeated Brendan Elliot (Somerville, VIC) 21-19   

Intellectual disability women’s singles: Crystal Martin (Tugun, QLD) defeated Joanna Lomagno (Korumburra, VIC) 21-20