Ulrich and Helene are Graaff-Reinet Bowling Club's Open Singles winners

GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - On 22 and 23 February, spectators were entertained by bowls of a high calibre at the Graaff-Reinet Bowling Club.

Men

14 bowlers took part in the men's competition, with the bowlers competing in three sections, on a round-robin basis.

After Saturday's play, the section leaders were as follows:

Section 1 - Niel Colyn on 3 game points and + 25 shots (after 4 games). Johan Jansen on 3 + 8 still had one game to play on Sunday morning and victory would see him as the section winner.

Section 2 - Stefan Ittershagen-Strauss on 2 + 12 (after 2 games), with Wally Koetaan on 2 + 11 (after three games). Ittershagen-Strauss still had two games to play, whereas Koetaan only had one game to play on Sunday morning.
Section 3 - Ulrich Steynberg remained unbeaten for the day and claimed the section on 3 + 25.

On Sunday morning, Johan Jansen won his last game in Section 1 to win the section on 4 + 19.

Stefan Ittershagen-Strauss won one of his two games on Sunday to edge out Wally Koetaan as the winner of Section 2 on 3 + 28.

The Men's Open now had three semi-finalists and Martin Verwey filled the fourth spot as the 'best' runner-up in the three sections with a plus factor of 1.66, edging out Colyn and Koetaan.

Semi-finals

Ulrich Steynberg defeated Stefan Ittershagen-Strauss in one of the semi-finals by 21 - 7, while Martin Verwey edged out Johan Jansen by 21 - 19.

Ladies

The ladies competition started out with eight bowlers, playing in two sections on a round-robin basis.

Section 1 was reduced to three bowlers as a bowler was forced to withdraw due to health reasons.

This left Charlene Colyn as the section winner on 2 + 32.

In Section 2, Helene de Wet remained unbeaten on 3 + 30 and qualified for the final.

Finals

Ulrich Steynberg defeated Martin Verwey by 21 shots to 14 in an entertaining men's final, although the score is no reflection of the quality of bowls played.

The ladies' final was a ding-dong battle from the start between Charlene Colyn and Helene de Wet.

With the score at 19 - 19, Colyn was holding shot millimetres from the jack.

De Wet had one bowl remaining and played a 'perfect' shot to edge out Colyn's bowl, pick up two shots and win the title as 2025 Ladies Open Singles Champion.