The tournament attracted 34 team nominations from centres as far afield as Mount Lewis and Blakehurst in Sydney and several south coast teams from Warilla, Albion Park, Woonona and Moruya.  

Other areas represented were Central Coast teams from Newcastle, Bar Beach and Toukley, along with Belconnen ACT, Portland and Tumut as well as other South West and local area teams.

Played over two days on both Saturday and Sunday on the three Cootamundra Country Club bowling greens, the tournament saw each team contest five games of bowls, each game of 15 ends.

In bleak cold and windy conditions on Saturday, after the first day’s play there were 11 teams that survived the first two games undefeated, with the Belconnen team skipped by Jamie Freeman being the standout performer with two wins and a +32 shot margin. 

Sunday’s play began under much more pleasant springtime conditions.

At the end of the first morning game, the intense competition of the tournament saw the number of undefeated teams suddenly reduced to seven teams, with the fancied Belconnen team suffering defeat. 

Previously undefeated teams continued to be toppled in the fourth game resulting in only four undefeated teams vying for the winner’s prize.

Heading into the final afternoon game, the leading contenders as undefeated teams were all South Coast teams; Matt Dart’s team (Moruya) four wins + 45 shots, Nathan Severino’s team (Corrimal/Warilla) four wins + 38 shots, Mal Pearson’s team (Old Shellharbour) four wins + 27 shots and S O’Neill’s team (Warilla) four wins + 13 shots.

The final fifth game saw tension being raised to a fever pitch after Joe Featherstone, Bob New and Mick Gibbons team (Newcastle / Cootamundra Ex-Services composite) convincingly trounced O’Neill’s (Warilla) previously undefeated side and Keith Hampton, Dennis O’Brien and Raz Porter’s team (Young/Cootamundra Ex-Services composite) narrowly defeating Mal Pearson’s (Old Shellharbour) team, also a previously undefeated side.

The demise of those two fancied teams even saw them completely miss out on even the minor placed prize winnings, as a number of other four game winners were suddenly thrust into the prizewinning mix.

Overall placings were as follows: Winners: Col Yandill, Tony Melrose and Matt Dart (Moruya) – five wins +50 shot margin;

Runners up: Casey Duggan, Darcy Duggan and Nathan Severino (Corrimal/Warilla) – five wins +44 shot margin; 3rd place: Rod James, Daryl Murphy, Peter Watts (Composite Harden, Boorowa, Young) – four wins +60 shots; 4th place: Geoff Horsborough, John Dickinson, Jamie Freeman (Belconnen) – four wins +48 shots; 5th place: Bill Manwaring, David Harris, Geoff Holt (Composite Coota/Young) – four wins +35 shots.

One game margin winners were as follows: Game 1 – Mal Pearson (Old Shellharbour); Game 2 – Stan Wilson (Warilla); Game 3 – Ted Wilkinson (Woonona); Game 4: Geoff Frost (Blakehurst); Game 5 – Mick Gibbons (Newcastle/Coota Ex-Services).

On the local front, the only other four game winners were Rodney Crowe, Kevin Breasley and “Coco” Anderson with four wins +5 shots. Local three game winners were Clive Miller, Roy Cleveland and Graham Davidson, along with Keith Hampton, Dennis O’Brien and Raz Porter, as well as Brad Lange, Don Manwaring and Ron Rosengreen.

Mention must be made of the Country Club team of Arthur Ward, Eddie Jarrott and Eric Thorburn with their average age of 84 years. 

Arthur (aged 90 years), after woolclassing all day on Friday and playing bowls at Harden on Friday night, backed up to play both Saturday and Sunday in the Classic Triples tournament – a mighty effort.

At the conclusion of the tournament, prize winners were presented their winnings by Country Club board chairman John O’Loughlin. Bowls president Graham Davidson and tournament director Don Manwaring both expressed their gratitude to the many volunteers, sponsors, caterers and employees who contributed enormously to the efficient functioning of the tournament.