Douce and Simpson take out Senior Fours Championships
In high-quality grand finals, Latrobe’s Greg Douce and Port Sorell’s Rae Simpson led their teams to victory to take out the State Senior Men’s and Women’s Fours Championships at the Burnie Bowls Club today.
Latrobe’s Greg Douce teamed up with Burnie’s Joe Simpson, John Neal and Pat Saltmarsh and were crowned State Senior Men’s Fours Champions when they defeated Penguin’s Ricki Richardson, David Jeffrey, Grant Youd and Harvey Clark 16-13 in a great grand final. Douce was never headed and led by five shots after six ends. This lead was extended to six shots after fifteen ends before Richardson picked up five shots on the last four ends to reduce Douce’s winning margin to three shots.
In two very tight Men’s semi-finals, Richardson defeated a composite Wynyard and Railton combination of Paul Bugg, Graeme Hodgetts, Noel Purton and Don Ralston 19-17 and Douce finished just one shot in front of Devonport Country Club’s Ian Moore, Dean Martin, John Heger and Leon Wenn 17-16.
Port Sorell’s Rae Simpson and Invermay’s Kim Saunders, Debbie Lee and Jean Claridge defeated the reigning champions , an Orford and Sandy Bay composite team of Carol Bannister, Robyn Leggett, Jacqueline Phillips and Jan Hobbs to take out the State Senior Women’s Fours Championship winning convincingly 24-13. Bannister jumped out to lead by three shots after five ends but losing three fours and two threes cost Bannister dearly, as Simpson led by two shots after seven ends and never relinquished the lead to win 24-13 without the need to play the final end.
In the semi-final, Simpson defeated a composite Buckingham, Kings Meadows, Bridport and South Burnie combination of Jeanette Lane, Judy Gurr, Maxine Monson and Helen Sturzaker 18-8.
The Seniors Championships conclude on Wednesday with quarterfinals, semi-finals and the grand finals in the Men’s and Women’s Pairs Championships.
