2024 TBA50 National Masters Recap
By Matt Stevens
The 2024 TBA50 National Masters wrapped up an exciting weekend of bowling at the AGL National High Performance Centre on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, with two Victorians standing tall. Dena Buxton captured her second consecutive title in the women’s division, while Barry Dodds celebrated his 54th birthday in style, securing his first men’s division title.
The three-day event showcased fierce competition, pivotal performances, and dramatic shifts in the standings, culminating in a thrilling conclusion.
Qualifying: A Strong Start for the Defending Champions
The competition began on Friday with the first block of six games on the opening 40ft lane pattern. The Defending champions from 2023 wasted no time reminding the field of their talent.
In the men’s division, Tony Hamilton (QLD) opened with an explosive 268 game, finishing the block with 1,371 pins (+171) and leading the standings. On the women’s side, in the second squad of the day, Dena Buxton (VIC) showcased her consistency, closing her first block with 1,221 pins (+21) at an average of 203.5, claiming the top spot.
The stakes rose on Saturday, as the second lane pattern (45ft) challenged the bowlers in their final qualifying block. Buxton extended her dominance, finishing with a mammoth 2,514 pins at an impressive average of 209.5, providing a commanding 236-pin lead over South Australia’s Jo Babic (2,278) and Madeline FitzRoy (2,242).
Meanwhile, in the men’s division, Barry Dodds (VIC) surged into the lead with a total of 2,524 pins, averaging 210.3. Even though his second block was 28 pins lower than his first, all bowlers struggled on the longer pattern with the Victorian edging out Mike Gibbs (NZ) by just 6 pins, with Hamilton slipping to third, only 16 pins off the pace.
Stage 2: The Battle for the Final 8
On Saturday afternoon, the top 16 qualifiers returned for a crucial four-game block to decide the final eight bowlers advancing to Sunday’s Matchplay Finals.
Buxton maintained her dominance in the women’s division, with three games over 200 solidifying her top seed. However, the battle for the remaining spots was intense. Babic fell to fifth, while Madeline FitzRoy, Christine Clark, and Suzanne Wenzel all moved up one spot.
In a surprising turn, Western Australia’s Samantha Matthews, the top-ranked senior bowler heading into the event, dropped out of contention, falling from 7th to 9th and missing the cut by a mere 23 pins. TBA Hall of Famer, Sue Cassell quality bowling rose to the occasion, climbing from 10th to equal 5th, while Karen Commane (TAS) secured the final spot.
In the men’s division, Dodds strengthened his hold on the top spot with a solid +45 block, finishing with an 87-pin advantage over Ashley Riley (TAS), who climbed from 5th to 2nd. Michael Muir (WA) also made a strong push, moving from 7th to 3rd.
Final Day: Victorians Take the Crown
The final day on Sunday brought high-stakes drama as the top 8 bowlers in each division faced off in a seven-game matchplay format, rewarding performances with 20 bonus pins for a win and 10 for a tie adding extra weight to every matchup.
Women’s Division
Buxton’s dominance was unshaken.
Despite winning only two matches and tying one, her massive 278-pin lead from Stage 2 proved insurmountable. She finished with 4,676 pins, claiming her second consecutive TBA50 National Masters title by a comfortable 219-pin margin.
Madeline FitzRoy delivered a stellar matchplay performance, winning five of seven games and earning 100 bonus pins to secure second place. Jo Babic’s consistency and three victories and one tie in matchplay helped her claim third place with 4,367 pins.
Men’s Division
Dodds capitalised on his lead, winning five of seven matches and collecting 100 bonus pins to finish the runaway winner with 4,865 pins at an average of 207.2, securing his first TBA50 National Masters title.
The runner-up spot went to Michael Muir, who edged out Riley with a strong final day performance to finish with 4,744 pins, while Riley claimed bronze 5 pins behind Muir.
Special Recognition and Rankings Impact
The event concluded with additional honours for bowlers eligible for the TBA65 division (ages 65+):
- Women’s TBA65: 🥇 Julie Harrison, 🥈 Heather Robertson, 🥉 Robyn Flynn
- Men’s TBA65: 🥇 Jim Karakostas, 🥈 Jim Bakirtzidis, 🥉 Garry Crick
A big congratulations to all the Grand Senior bowlers.
In the rankings race, points will be processed in coming days with preliminary standings sent to participants before the public announcement for final rankings for 2024 will be released next week. In the meantime, a few notes:
- Buxton’s win solidifies her position as the top-ranked senior bowler for the second consecutive year.
- Dodds, who entered the event in 14th, is set to make a significant leap into the top 10.
- Tasmanian Ashley Riley is expected to edge Michael Muir for the top men’s ranking after the two hotly contested the final rankings over the weekend. Entering as the top ranked bowler prior to the event, Ashley Riley is expected to earn 65 points for his third place finish meaning the Tasmanian will finish on 291 points to be crowned the top ranked senior male bowler for 2024. Entering the event in third place with 178 points, Michael Muir’s second place is set to award Muir with 80 points to produce a final tally of 258 points to be ranked second in the country.
Congratulations to all bowlers on a fantastic event!
Please Note: The top 4 performing athletes who registered their interest in joining the NTS50 and NTS65 for 2025 will be worked out in coming days while we continue to run the Championships. We thank you for your patience and will do a public congratulations once finalised.
DENA BUXTON
WYNCITY MORWELL, VICTORIA
FEMALE CHAMPION
STAGE 1- QUALIFYING BLOCK 1 (40FT)
| 181 | 208 | 193 |
| 248 | 198 | 193 |
| Total Block 1 | 1,221 |
| Average | 203.5 |
| High Game | 248 |
| +/- | +21 |
STAGE 1- QUALIFYING BLOCK 2 (45FT)
| 189 | 207 | 226 |
| 255 | 194 | 222 |
| Total Block 2 | 1,293 |
| Average | 215.5 |
| High Game | 255 |
| +/- | +93 |
STAGE 2
| 203 | 166 | 226 | 225 |
| Total Stage 2 | 820 |
| Average | 205 |
| High Game | 226 |
| +/- | +20 |
STAGE 3 – MATCHPLAY FINALS
| 202 | 160 | 185 |
| 138 | 204 | 203 |
| 200 |
| Total Stage 3 | 1,292 |
| Average | 184.57 |
| High Game | 204 |
| Win/Loss | 2 wins 1 tie |
| Bonus | 50 |
| +/- | -108 |
| Games | 23 |
| Total Pinfall | 4,626 |
| Overall Average | 201.1 |
| +/- | +26 |
| Bonus | 50 |
| Total | 4,676 |
| High Game | 255 |
TOP 8
| Highest Game for Female Division: |
| 258 – Madeline FitzRoy (ACT) |
BARRY DODDS
OZ TENPIN CHIRNSIDE PARK, VICTORIA
MALE CHAMPION
STAGE 1- QUALIFYING BLOCK 1 (40FT)
| 172 | 233 | 158 |
| 278 | 257 | 178 |
| Total Block 1 | 1,276 |
| Average | 212.7 |
| High Game | 278 |
| +/- | +76 |
STAGE 1- QUALIFYING BLOCK 2 (45FT)
| 242 | 205 | 181 |
| 223 | 191 | 206 |
| Total Block 2 | 1,248 |
| Average | 208 |
| High Game | 242 |
| +/- | +48 |
STAGE 2
| 224 | 208 | 212 | 201 |
| Total Stage 2 | 845 |
| Average | 211.25 |
| High Game | 224 |
| +/- | +45 |
STAGE 3 – MATCHPLAY FINALS
| 199 | 178 | 201 |
| 179 | 196 | 226 |
| 217 |
| Total Stage 3 | 1,396 |
| Average | 199.43 |
| High Game | 226 |
| Win/Loss | 5 wins |
| Bonus | 100 |
| +/- | -4 |
| Games | 23 |
| Total Pinfall | 4,765 |
| Overall Average | 207.17 |
| +/- | +165 |
| Bonus | 100 |
| Total | 4,865 |
| High Game | 278 |
TOP 8
| Highest Game for Male Division: |
| 287 Mike Gibbs (NZ) |
TBA50 NATIONAL MASTERS
CHAMPIONS LIST
| Year | Men | Women |
| 1986 | John Zoratti (ACT) | Muriel Smith (QLD) |
| 1987 | John Zoratti (ACT) | Muriel Smith (QLD) |
| 1988 | Graham Bacon (NSW) | B. Pauschmann (NSW) |
| 1989 | Graham Bacon (NSW) | Lillian Bruce (NSW) |
| 1990 | John Zoratti (ACT) | P. Thompson (QLD) |
| 1991 | Keith Caddy (NSW) | Margaret Condon (QLD) |
| 1992 | Keith Caddy (NSW) | June Marks (NSW) |
| 1993 | Ron Gray (NSW) | June Marks (NSW) |
| 1994 | George | June Marks (NSW) |
| 1995 | Ian Castle (VIC) | Dawn Hall (WA) |
| 1996 | Bob Bruce (SA) | Renato Maglieri (NT) |
| 1997 | Renzo Pellegrini (SA) | Joan Dillon (NSW) |
| 1998 | Brian May (QLD) | Bev Freestone (NSW) |
| 1999 | Barry Lonsdale (NSW) | Ronnie Petersen (NT) |
| 2000 | Stephen Bell (VIC) | Penny Strik (NSW) |
| 2001 | Jeff Elliott (SA) | Maxine Forrest (WA) |
| 2002 | Kevin Quinn (NSW) | Maxine Forrest (WA) |
| 2003 | Allan Smith (NSW) | Cecily Walton (NSW) |
| 2004 | Rod Stewart (VIC) | Sue Raphael (VIC) |
| 2005 | Brian Looby (QLD) | Barbara Richmond (QLD) |
| 2006 | Vaughan White (QLD) | Jeanette Baker (VIC) |
| 2007 | Ray Krueger (ACT) | Christene Webster (QLD) |
| 2008 | Fred Housham (NZ) | Jeanette Baker (VIC) |
| 2009 | Mike Kennedy (VIC) | Jeanette Baker (VIC) |
| 2010 | Tony Stoppel (SA) | Julie Hird (NSW) |
| 2011 | Paul Terry (WA) | Jeanette Baker (VIC) |
| 2012 | Kevin Webb (NSW) | Julie Hird (QLD) |
| 2013 | Chris Kirwin (NT) | Jeanette Baker (VIC) |
| 2014 | Andrew Frawley (NSW) | Jeanette Baker (VIC) |
| 2015 | Andrew Frawley (NSW) | Julie Harrison (QLD) |
| 2016 | Chris Kirwin (NT) | Julie Harrison (QLD) |
| 2017 | Mick Talevski (VIC) | Jeanette Baker (VIC) |
| 2018 | Greg Nicolas (NZ) | Jeanette Baker (VIC) |
| 2019 | Andrew Lloyd (NSW) | Cheryl Womack (QLD) |
| 2021 | Morty Douglass (QLD) | Jo Babic (SA) |
| 2022 | Andrew Lloyd (NSW) | Jenny Burton-Douglas (ACT) |
| 2023 | Tony Hamilton (QLD) | Dena Buxton (VIC) |
| 2024 | Barry Dodds (VIC) | Dena Buxton (VIC) |
