Julian Dinham Claims 2026 Kegel Queensland Open Title

Dinham defeated Jackson Buckingham, Jarrod Langford and Connor Frith in a dominant stepladder run at Caboolture Bowl.

At A Glance

Event	2026 Kegel QLD Open
Dates	6-8 March 2026
Venue	Caboolture Bowl
Division	Open Division
Edition	16th Edition
Status	TBA Nationally Ranked Event
Full Results	View Here

Overview

The 2026 Kegel QLD Open marked the 16^th edition of one of Queensland’s most prestigious tenpin bowling events, returning to Caboolture Bowl from 6-8 March 2026. The tournament drew competitors from across Australia and New Zealand for three days of high-level competition across a multi-stage format comprising qualifying, matchplay, and a stepladder final.

New Zealander Connor Frith cast a long shadow over the event, leading after each of the first three stages and averaging a remarkable 237.2. With a New Zealander taking the crown in 2025, the stage appeared set for another trans-Tasman triumph – until the stepladder final rewrote the script entirely.

Julian Dinham of Bowlarama Wetherill Park, NSW, entered the stepladder as the third seed and proceeded to win three consecutive one-game matches without defeat – dispatching Jackson Buckingham 227-177, demolishing Jarrod Langford 223-164, and edging Frith 237-227 in a tightly contested title match to claim the title.

Julian Dinham becomes the second member of his family to win the Kegel QLD Open – following older brother Justin’s victory at the same event in 2024.

Stage-by-Stage

Stage 1 – Qualifying (12 Games)

Julian Dinham opened the event averaging 220.6 across the 12-game qualifying block, placing him 13^th at the end of Stage 1 and 298 pins behind leader Connor Frith. While that gap may have looked daunting, the high-scoring conditions that lifted Frith’s pace also signaled opportunities ahead for bowlers with the temperament to build momentum across the remaining stages.

Stage 2 – Moving Day (6 Games)

Stage 2 lived up to its billing. Dinham moved all the way from 13^th to 7^th, narrowing the gap to the leader to 269 pins. With a top five finish required to advance to the stepladder, the objective was clear. Frith continued to hold his lead at the conclusion of Stage 2, extending his advantage over the chasing pack.

Stage 3 – Tri-Matchplay

Stage 3 introduced head-to-head matchplay, and Dinham rose again – finishing in third place by winning four of his seven matches. The result confirmed his place in the stepladder final as the third seed. Frith maintained top spot through Stage 3, finishing the first three stages averaging an exceptional 237.2 including a 240 bonus for winning five of his seven matches and finishing second in the other two.

Stepladder Final

The stepladder format saw the top five finishers face off in a winner- advances, loser-eliminated one-game matches. Dinham needed to win three times to claim the title. He did so in dominant fashion.

Schedule	Scoreline	Winner
5 v 4	Jackson Buckingham def. Ashley Warren 256-234	Buckingham
W v 3	Julian Dinham def. Jackson Buckingham 227-177	Dinham
W v 2	Julian Dinham def. Jarrod Langford 223-164	Dinham
W v 1	Julian Dinham def. Connor Frith 237-227	Dinham

Results

Open Division

Podium

Position	Athlete	Bowl	State
🥇	Julian Dinham	Bowlarama Wetherill Park	NSW
🥈	Connor Frith	New Zealand	NZ
🥉	Jarrod Langford	Caboolture Bowl	QLD

Stepladder Final

• Stepladder 5v4 – Jackson Buckingham defeated Ashley Warren 256-234
• Stepladder Wv3 – Julian Dinham defeated Jackson Buckingham 227-177
• Stepladder Wv2 – Julian Dinham defeated Jarrod Langford 223-164
• Stepladder Wv1 – Julian Dinham defeated Connor Frith 237-227

Julian becomes the second Dinham to win the event in three years with older brother Justin winning in 2024.

Performance Highlights

Beyond the podium, several athletes delivered standout performances across the qualifying and matchplay stages including two bowlers recording perfect 300 games.

Connor Frith (NZ)

For much of the event, it appeared a New Zealander was on course to claim the title for the second consecutive year. Connor Frith was the standout performer across the qualifying and matchplay stages, leading all challengers at the conclusion of Stages 1, 2, and 3 – extending his advantage at each stage.

Frith averaged 237.2 across the stage phases, including a 240-bonus score from winning five of his seven tri-matchplay matches – finishing second in the other two.

Despite the dominant lead heading into the stepladder, Frith was ultimately edged out by Dinham in a closely contested title match, 237-227.

Top 10 Standings

Open Division

Position	Athlete	Pins (Stg 1-3)	Bowl	State
1	Julian Dinham	5,840	Bowlarama Wetherill Park	NSW
2	Connor Frith	6,171	New Zealand	NZ
3	Jarrod Langford	6,032	Caboolture Bowl	QLD
4	Jackson Buckingham	5,730	Logan City Tenpin	QLD
5	Ashley Warren	5,726	iPlay Sunset Superbowl	QLD
6	Tony Hamilton	5,722	Caboolture Bowl	QLD
7	Connor Raines	5,667	Mackay Leisure Centre	QLD
8	Bernie Grueso Jnr	5,647	ZONE BOWLING Frankston	VIC
9	Minhee Kim	5,611	Logan City Tenpin	QLD
10	Luke Doyle	5,521	Mackay Leisure Centre	QLD

Acknowledgements

Tenpin Bowling Australia thanks Caboolture Bowl, tournament staff, and officials for their delivery of the 2026 Kegel QLD Open. The event’s continued growth across 16 editions is a testament to the dedication of everyone involved in making it one of Queensland’s premier events on the calendar. A big thank you to Kegel and sponsors of the event.

Full results are available via TenpinResults.

Past Champions

Year	Champion
2011	George Frillingos (Mens) (QLD) & Ann Maree Putney (Women’s) (NSW)
2012	Brendan Meads (QLD)
2013	Michael Little (NSW)
2014	Brendan Meads (QLD)
2015	Jarrod Langford (QLD)
2016	Sam Cooley (NSW)
2017	Adam Hayes (VIC)
2018	Sam Cooley (NSW)
2019	Jarrod Langford (QLD)
2020	Jarrod Langford (QLD)
2021	Jarrod Langford (QLD)
2022	Alicia Melton (QLD)
2023	Blayne Fletcher (QLD)
2024	Justin Dinham (NSW)
2025	Ben Pettit (NZ)
2026	Julian Dinham (NSW)