NZ PROFESSIONAL BOWLS RACE TO OZ 2012

The latest New Zealand Professional Bowls Association Race to Oz rankings have been released in lead-up to this weekend's World Indoor Singles qualifiers in Hamilton, Hastings and Dunedin. Players will be eager to not only win an entry to Finals Weekend in Hamilton in September, but also to earn ranking points to make their way into next year's Australia v New Zealand PBA Challenge on the Gold Coast. Earlier this week the NZ PBA beat Australia at the Tweed Heads Bowls Club and the defending team next year will likely include the top four ranked players from 2011 and this year's winner Raika Gregory. Gregory has missed two singles qualifiers so far this winter having spent time helping out family in earthquake-stricken Christchurch and has slipped down to 34th in this year's rankings.

Waikato's Chris Lourie leads the rankings from fellow NZ PBA team members Peter Wilson and Ken Walker both from Dunedin. The best rookie is another Dunediner in Dave Hodges rising to 21st and the best woman is Wellington's Tania Wheeler at 32nd who became just the second female to play in a singles qualifier final in NZ last month in Hastings.

(2010 Rank) 2011 Rank Name (Centre) Points
( 1) 1 Chris Lourie (Waikato) 232
( 3) 2 Peter Wilson (Dunedin) 204
( 6) 3 Ken Walker (Dunedin) 200
( 9) 4 Jamie Hill (Auckland) 194
( 24) 5 Mark Watt (Dunedin) 186
( 2) 6 Murray Glassey (Hawke's Bay) 161
( 13) 7 Denis Leeden (Dunedin) 138
( 47=) 8 Ross Stewart (Southland) 130
( 8) 9 Rob Ashton (Wellington) 120
( 14) 10 George Ngametua (Hawke's Bay) 113
( 17) 11 Stephen Zino (Wellington) 112
( 82=) 12 Emrys Parry (Dunedin) 106
(114=) 13 Graham Fitzpatrick (Waikato) 92
( -) 14= Kevin Rice (Wellington) 90
( 18) 14= Doug Thomas (Dunedin) 90
( 5) 16= Neil Fisher (Auckland) 88
( 32=) 16= Mike Isaacson (Hawke's Bay) 88
( 12) 18 Phil Bennett (Waikato) 86
( 11) 19 Alvin Gardiner (Canterbury) 85
( 15) 20 Geoff Wilson (Dunedin) 84

Thanks to Richard Corry