Champion of Champions 2024

Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th September 2024

From my point of view the perfect number of attendees for this tournament would be 16; 2 games for each player on the Saturday and then the semifinal and final on the Sunday. Well at Leigh Park 15 club champions turned up so it almost worked perfectly. Sean Taylor (Vos) was the lucky or unlucky soul who received a bye but it also meant that he had to hang around for hours before his first game. Apologies Sean, it shouldn’t have been like that. Anyway the 7 first round matches didn’t really produce any shocks with the 4 debutants all losing, Martin Gale (HI) to Bryan Cherry, Phil Tamba (Emsworth) to Jamie Cooke (although they were level at 10-10 when Phil was unwell and Jamie pulled clear, Bryan English (Crofton) to David Brookes and Liam Strickland (Row) to Carter Blandford. In two other matches Derek Holt (Wv) beat Ron Jacobs (Cos) and Mike Wright (Den) beat Tony Wall (PH). Karl Stanley (Gosport) who doesn’t get out much and is not really known to his own club let alone the rest of the community beat Richard Smalley (Pr) in a mini shock but then in the quarter finals was beaten by Carter Blandford who was playing well on his home green. In the other three QF’s Mike Wright made short work of Sean Taylor, Jamie Cooke (A) despatched Bryan Cherry (MP) and David Brookes (PG) made it through to yet another semi by beating Derek Holt.

Also taking place on the Saturday was the under 18 final where Alfie Smith (PWC) had too much experience for Harry Webb (PH) who came straight from a football match to bowls and then onto his 11th birthday party. Oh, to be young again!

So, on Sunday morning our 4 semi finalists gathered on what was supposed to be an awful day but the weather Gods relented and the few spectators present were treated to 3 excellent matches. David Brookes played Jamie Cooke which seems to be an annual event with David prevailing by 21-17 after letting a lead of 11 shots get away only to pull away at the end. In the other semi final Carter Blandford was always just ahead of Mike Wright and pulled clear to win by 21-10.

This set up a tense final between the home player Carter and David who, surprisingly has made the final at Leigh Park on all three occasions. Carter won this 21-16 a score predicted by his father and P&D President John Blandford.