ROBINSON, WALKER CLOSE IN ON HILL

Wins in the International Open Singles qualifying tournaments at the end of June have pushed Waikato ’s Kevin Robinson and Dunedin ’s Ken Walker dramatically up the table and they are now very close to overhauling long time New Zealand number one Jamie Hill in the mid-year Professional bowls rankings released today. Robinson and Walker have been regular winners on the NZ Pro circuit and stamped their class on the respective Pukekohe and Dunedin fields last month. “Robbo” and “Stalker” as they are known in the game, each climbed several places and are a very real chance of claiming the NZ PBA Year End Number One Trophy for 2008.

The biggest climber into the top ten is Brian Cathro from Waikato . Cathro won a trip to the UK in 2007 though was unable to travel for health reasons, but bounced back in style at the start of June this year winning two titles in Hamilton . The two wins earned a trip to play in the World Bowls Tour in Scotland in November and also to the national pairs finals against the winners from the other three NZ venues scheduled for August 30^th in Hamilton .

New Zealand’s other representative in Scotland will be Manawatu’s Philip Skoglund who rises to just outside the top twenty in the rankings.

The top female remains Auckland ’s Linda Ralph, while the top rookie is Ken Fitness, also of Auckland . Fitness finished runner-up to Robinson in the Pukekohe International Open Singles qualifier.

NZ PROFESSIONAL BOWLS MID-SEASON RANKINGS:

(Year-end 2007 rank) Rank     Player               Centre              Points

(1)          1        Jamie HILL                              Auckland           390

(8)          2        Kevin ROBINSON                  Waikato            376

(11)        3        Ken WALKER                        Dunedin             371

(6)          4        Steve POSA                            Waikato            359

(7)          5        Ray BOFFA                            Kapiti Coast     338

(9)          6        Steve COX                              Auckland           328

(3)          7        Mark COWAN                       Dunedin             324

(2)          8        Chris LOURIE                         Waikato            321     

(24)        9        Brian CATHRO                       Waikato            308

(5)        10        Neil FISHER                            Auckland           302

(12)      11        Justin GOODWIN                   NSW               294

(13)      12        Rob ASHTON                         Wellington         288

(18)      13        Steve WOOD                          Manawatu        287

(4)        14        Robbie THOMSON                Dunedin             283

(15)      15        Eric PATILLO                         Northland         257

(14)      16        Andrew McCALLUM             Dunedin             245

(30=)   17        Kerry MARGAN                     Waikato            244

(10)      18        Ross STEWART                      Southland         243

(20)      19        Bruno LOURIE                        Bay of Plenty    239

(28)      20        Phillip BENNETT                     Waikato            236

Selected others:

(41=)   22        Philip SKOGLUND                 Manawatu        227

(36)      33        Linda RALPH                          Auckland           193

(-)        129=    Ken FITNESS                         Auckland             75

Thanks to Richard Corry