2026 National Disability Championships Classic & Open Masters Preview
By Matt Stevens
The 2026 National Disability Championships Classic & Open Masters finals get underway this Friday and Saturday at Suncity Tenpin in Alexandra Headlands, Queensland.
The National Disability Championships has been in full swing since 1 June, with bowlers competing across Singles, Doubles, and Teams squads to lock in their best three-game series and secure a spot in the Masters field. The qualifying cutoff passed at the 4:30pm squad on Thursday 11 June – the field is set, and the nationally ranked event is ready to begin.
This preview focuses on the nationally ranked event portion of the Masters – the Classic and Open Masters, where performances count toward national ranking points. We wish all qualifiers for all three master’s that get underway today (Restricted, Classic, Open) the best of luck and high scoring in the finals.
Event Snapshot
- Event: 2026 National Disability Championships – Open & Classic Masters
- Ranked Event Status: TBA Nationally Ranked Event (Accreditation No. A26/0032)
- Venue: Suncity Tenpin, Alexandra Headlands, QLD, 4572
- Classic Masters Final: Friday 12 June 2026
- Open Masters Final: Saturday 13 June 2026
- Divisions: Open Masters (scratch) and Classic Masters (handicap) – Men’s and Women’s
Why this event matters
With championship squads concluding yesterday, the National Disability Championships Classic & Open All-Events rankings are now finalised – and the focus turns to the Masters finals.
The Classic and Open Masters is the third ranked event of the 2026 TBA Inclusion National Ranked Event season. The TBA Inclusion Cup at Coolangatta Tweed Tenpin in February opened the season, with Pino Mascetti and Amanda Threlfall claiming the men’s and women’s titles respectively. The All-Events have now concluded with ranking points ready to be calculated.
Two events remain on the calendar after this weekend – the Inclusion NSW Open and the Inclusion Australian Open – before the five-event season wraps up.
The Classic and Open Masters have carried TBA Ranked Event status for several years, with performances counting toward national ranking points across a combined Classic and Open All-Events standings and a combined Classic and Open Masters standings. But 2026 marks a new chapter for the master’s specifically.
Women’s Divisions make their debut this weekend across both events – new divisions, new champions to be crowned for the first time in the Masters’ history. It’s a genuinely significant milestone for the event.
The Open Masters is a scratch event open to all eligible bowlers with no average restrictions. The Classic Masters is a handicapped event based on 100% of 200, open to men averaging between 120-159 and women averaging between 110 and 149.
Format
Qualifying: Bowlers’ highest three-game series from any Singles, Doubles or Teams squad during the championship (1-11 June) determines their qualifying position. Handicap applies in the Classic division.
Finals: Eight games across four two-game blocks. Total pinfall determines seeding heading into the stepladder.
Stepladder: Top three advances. 3rd plays 2nd, with the winner facing the top seed. If the top seed loses, a deciding game is played. Ties broken via 9th and 10th frame playoff.
Field Size: Up to 16 bowlers per division, including automatic entries for the 2025 National Disability Championship Masters champions and State/Territory Masters winners.
How ranking points are determined: Ranking points will be based on performances in qualifying and games prior to the commencement of the stepladder finals as performances are ranked from both the Classic & Open Master fields combined.
The Classic Masters get things started today. Open Masters tomorrow.
Qualifiers
- * State/Territory Masters Rep
- # Defending Champion
Classic Masters
Both Female and Male Classic Masters had a tie for the 16th and final spot for the masters’ finals field.
Both conducted a 9/10 frame roll off to kick off proceeding this morning to finalise the field.
Rebecca Preedy Davidson (QLD) defeated Lyn Beebe (VIC) in the female roll off.
Joshua Zucchelli (QLD) defeated Andrew Edwards (ACT) in the male roll off.
The field is set!
Female
| POSITION | NAME | STATE |
| 1 | Reese Lancsar | ACT * |
| 2 | Simone Brady | VIC * |
| 3 | Charlotte King | TAS * |
| 4 | Anne-Marie Foster | WA * |
| 5 | Tiearra Giffin | QLD |
| 6 | Amy Rennick | NSW |
| 7 | Tamsyn Wheatly | QLD |
| 8 | Melina Spence | QLD |
| 9 | Cheryl Dennis | ACT |
| 10 | Madison Gardner-Hudson | QLD |
| 11 | Ebony Warner | VIC |
| 12 | Bree-Anna Henninghan | WA |
| 13 | Caitlin Beasley | ACT |
| 14 | Kura Nilon | WA |
| 15 | Aimee Smith | NSW |
| 16 | Rebecca Preedy Davidson | QLD |
Male
| POSITION | NAME | STATE |
| 1 | Josh Powell | WA * #DEF |
| 2 | Joseph Ware | ACT * |
| 3 | Tyler Atkinson | NSW * |
| 4 | Casey Wardrope | QLD * |
| 5 | William Hood | VIC * |
| 6 | Phillip Sims | TAS * |
| 7 | Luke Daniels | WA * |
| 8 | William Weir | QLD |
| 9 | Max Holden | WA |
| 10 | Michael Howe | NSW |
| 11 | Howard Goss | ACT |
| 12 | Hayden Bridgeland | QLD |
| 13 | Jyrah Sammut | ACT |
| 14 | John Dickerson | QLD |
| 15 | Corey Adams | NSW |
| 16 | Joshua Zucchelli | QLD |
Open Masters
Female
| POSITION | NAME | STATE |
| 1 | Belinda Hancock | ACT * |
| 2 | Erica Woodward | NSW * |
| 3 | Claire Gee | VIC * |
| 4 | Chloe Gee | VIC |
| 5 | Amanda Threlfall | VIC |
| 6 | Courtney Bucknell | QLD |
| 7 | Violet Martinsen | QLD |
| 8 | Mia Murrell | QLD |
| 9 | Raelea Duckwork | QLD |
| 10 | Maria Bailey | QLD |
| 11 | Catherine Lefranc | NSW |
Male
| POSITION | NAME | STATE |
| 1 | Pino Mascetti | VIC *#DEF |
| 2 | Malakai Sammut | ACT * |
| 3 | Jared Kirkland | NSW * |
| 4 | Matthew Hurst | QLD * |
| 5 | Anthony Myers | SA * |
| 6 | Adam Sutherland | TAS * |
| 7 | Zac Marshall | WA * |
| 8 | AJ Jamal | VIC |
| 9 | Tyler Allen | QLD |
| 10 | William Mison | QLD |
| 11 | Lachlan Dieth | VIC |
| 12 | Mitchell Meares | NSW |
| 13 | Ryan Ward | VIC |
| 14 | Ronan Oxley | QLD |
| 15 | Brian O’Leary | NSW |
| 16 | Corey Hanson | QLD |
Please note that the above qualifying list may change following the closure of check-in. All changes will be reflected in the recap on Monday.
Key Storylines to Watch
Mascetti. Threlfall and the Inclusion Cup Contingent Reunite
The 2026 TBA Inclusion Cup podium has largely reassembled at Alexandra Headlands. Pino Mascetti enters the Open Masters as defending champion, while Amanda Threlfall – who claimed her third Inclusion Cup title in four editions of the event at Coolangatta in February has also qualified. Violet Martinesen, runner-up in the Inclusion Cup Women’s final, AJ Jamal who led all men’s qualifiers at Coolangatta and rolled a perfect 300, and William Mison who finished third are also in the running. All bowlers will be looking to build on that momentum with the season rankings still wide open.
Powell Chases Back-to-Back Classic Masters Titles
Josh Powell enters the Classic Masters as both the Western Australia representative and defending champion. Powell will need to navigate a field that includes six other state/territory representatives alongside a strong group of qualifiers. His experience at the top of this event makes him the standout name in the Classic Men’s draw.
Giffin Leads the Classic Women’s Charge
Tiearra Giffin tops the Classic Women’s qualifying standings with an impressive 717 series in qualifying. The Queensland bowler leads a field that features strong QLD representation throughout. Tamsyn Wheatley (QLD, 709) was also featured in the Inclusion Cup top 10 at Coolangatta and will be one to watch heading into the finals.
History on the Line for the Women
Whoever wins the Women’s Classic and Women’s Open Masters on Friday and Saturday will become the first-ever champions of those divisions. For bowlers who have been competing at these championships for years, that’s not a small thing and it adds an extra layer of significance to every game bowled this weekend.
The Open Masters Women’s draw is the smallest of the four fields with 11 qualifiers, creating a compressed and competitive field. Victorian Chloe Gee leads the non-representative qualifiers with a 612 series, with Threlfall (589), Courtney Bucknell (548) and Violet Martinsen (544) all in the race.
All-Events Form Guide
The National Disability Championships Classic & Open All-Events have now concluded, and the standings offer a useful guide heading into the Masters finals. The All-Events leaders across each division were:
| Division | Athlete | State | Total |
| Open Men | Pino Mascetti | VIC | 2,208 |
| Open Women | Claire Gee | VIC | 1,973 |
| Classic Men | Ronan Oxley | QLD | 1,897 |
| Classic Women | Erica Woodward | NSW | 1,612 |
Mascetti’s All Events lead only reinforces his status as the man to beat in the Open Masters, while Claire Gee tops the Open Women’s standings ahead of her Masters final appearance. Ronan Oxley led the Classic Men’s All-Events and Erica Woodward did the same in the Women’s and enters the Masters as the State representative for NSW.
The standings are close across all four divisions. History shows that All-Events form doesn’t always translate to Masters success – but it’s as good a form guide as any heading into what shapes as a tightly contested weekend.
How to follow the event
The Classic Masters Final bowls this Friday 12 June from 8:15am, and the Open Masters Final bowls Saturday 13 June from 8:30am at Suncity Tenpin. Admission is free for spectators.
Results – Results will not be published on TenpinResults as usual protocol at this event. Please keep an eye out on the ADTI Facebook Page for any immediate news, and TBA will provide a recap on Monday following the conclusion of both masters. https://www.facebook.com/AustralianDisabilitiesTenpin
2026 TBA Inclusion Division Rankings Schedule
- TBA Inclusion Cup – COMPLETED
- National Disability Championships Classic & Open All-Events – COMPLETED
- National Disability Championships Classic & Open Masters – 12 & 13 June
- Inclusion NSW Open – 17-18 October
- Inclusion Australian Open – TBD
