Recap– Gunspray Salisbury Open

Sam Cooley storms home in a thriller to win the inaugural event

The brand new Gunspray Salisbury Open made its debut at Bowland Salisbury over the weekend to help sign off the 2025 TBA Open Division tournament season with something fresh and it delivered everything: a tight opening stage, a runaway leader in the middle stage, a youth-star surge, and a nail-biting matchplay finish that went right down to the wire.

With long-time South Australian bowling supporters Lorraine and Leon Brady backing the event with their local champion Gunspray and GIPS Pipes showing support, the final tournament of the year had a major buzz and high expectations for a grand finish.

Stage 1

The opening ten-game block couldn’t have been tighter at the top.

The weekend opened with fireworks as Victorian Bernie Grueso Jnr set the early pace. Grueso was rock-solid through all ten games, posting eight scores over 200 and closing with 2,148 at a slick 214.8 average. But the story of the round was just how razor-thin the gap was – one pin.

Sitting right behind him was none other than Sam Cooley, making his third national ranked event appearance of 2025. Cooley threw nine games over 200 and missed the 10^th by just single pin on 199 to finish at 2,147. Behind them, local South Australian talent Nick Vale from Zone Bowling Woodville kept the home crowd invested early, ending Stage 1 in third on 2,104.

Stage 2

If Stage 1 was tight, Stage 2 was all about separation.

The top 28 qualifiers from round one returned for six more games in Stage 2, and this is where Grueso Jnr put his foot down. Another five games above 200 helped Bernie push his total to 3,529, extending his lead to 112 pins and looking every bit in control.

Like he has all year, young rising star Julian Dinham produced one of the strongest blocks of the stage, leaping from fourth to second at 3,417, while Cooley held firm in third on 3,391, still well within striking distance by needing a big Sunday to flip the script. 

Stage 3

Matchplay has a funny way of rewriting everything and that’s what happened on Sunday.

With 11 head-to-head games, 30 bonus pins per win, and the pressure of a brand-new title on the line, the final stretch belonged to Sam Cooley.

After opening the day with a 171 and a loss, Cooley caught fire and never looked back, stringing together six straight wins, piling up 270 bonus pins, and finishing with 9 wins from 11 matchups.

His total of 5,748 pins plus 270 bonus for 6,018 was enough to complete the comeback and lift the first-ever Gunspray Salisbury Open crown.

Grueso Jnr battled ferociously to protect his lead but two costly games – a 169 and 165 in back-to-back losses, opened the door just enough for Cooley to surge ahead. Bernie’s final tally of 5,985, just 33 pins shy, is tough to swallow, but reinforces why he’s one of the most consistent forces in the Open Division.

One of the weekend’s biggest revelations was South Australian Youth High Performance Squad athlete Liam Cochrane. Starting the final stage in eighth, Cochrane exploded through matchplay with his own 270 bonus performance, winning nine of eleven to punch his way onto the podium. His final total of 5,852 capped off a breakout weekend and another reminder that his star continues to rise.

The Dinham brothers made their presence known once again, with Justin Dinham finishing fourth after a strong matchplay run and Julian Dinham rounding out the top five. Both were in the mix deep into the day, adding another chapter to the family’s growing legacy.

For a brand-new addition to the national calendar, the Gunspray Salisbury Open couldn’t have asked for a richer storyline.

A one-pin battle to open the event. A runaway leader in the middle stages. A matchplay shootout that swung the podium wide open. And a world-class champion claiming the inaugural title.

South Australia showed up. The format delivered drama, and the field proved once again the Open division remains unpredictable, demanding, and stacked with talent capable of catching fire at any moment.

If this is what was produced in year one, the Gunspray Salisbury Open is going to become a must-attend event for years to come. Congratulations to Sam for winning the inaugural event and to Gunspray and GIPS pipes showing the support to begin a new tradition.

Winners Journey – Sam Cooley (Shellharbour Tenpin Bowl – NSW)

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3