Bernie Grueso Jnr Claims Maiden Melbourne Tenpin Cup Title at Oz Tenpin Epping
By Matt Stevens
Bernie Grueso Jnr is the 2026 Melbourne Tenpin Cup champion
Bernie Grueso Jnr has claimed one of the most coveted prizes in his career, taking out the 52nd Melbourne Tenpin Cup at Oz Tenpin Epping in a dominant match play performance.
Grueso Jnr entered the match play finals in third position and left as champion, winning seven of his nine round robin matches and banking the most bonus pins of any bowler across the entire finals stage. His winning total of 5,387 – built over all three stages of competition – gave him an 85-pin margin over Sam Cooley (5,302) in second and Jarrod Langford (5,206) in third.
It is the first Melbourne Tenpin Cup title of Grueso Jnr’s career, and a major statement from a bowler who will challenge for the Open Rankings title in 2026. Bernie is the first Victorian to win the Melbourne Tenpin Cup in 27 years with Frank Ryan winning the last in 1999.
At A Glance
| Event | 2026 Melbourne Tenpin Cup |
| Dates | 19-21 June 2026 |
| Venue | Oz Tenpin Epping, Epping, VIC |
| Division | Open Division |
| Status | 2026 TBA Nationally Ranked Event A26/0146 |
| Edition | 52nd Edition |
| 2026 Female Champion | Bernie Grueso Jnr (VIC) |
| Full Results | View Here |
Overview
Stage One – Qualifying (10 Games)
When the qualifying smoke cleared, it was Jarrod Langford who stood atop the leaderboard on 2,154 – a fitting result for a five-time Melbourne Tenpin Cup champion on familiar territory. Sam Cooley sat just 33 pins behind in second on 2,121, with Adam Hayes third on 2,108 and Bernie Grueso Jnr lurking in fourth on 2,070.
The big story from qualifying was the defending champion. Julian Dinham – the man everyone had circled as the one to beat, struggled to find his feet on the Epping lanes across the weekend, finishing 16th at the end of Stage One on 1,931. It was a result that, for the first time all season, made the 2026 Melbourne Tenpin Cup genuinely open.
Three women bowlers made the top 32 cut to advance to stage two – Amanda Ferrari (7th – 3,006), Sarah Thompson (15th – 2,922), and Jenny Notman (23rd – 2,830).
Stage Two – Top 32 (5 Games)
If Stage One belonged to Langford, Stage Two belonged emphatically to Sam Cooley. The Shellharbour Tenpin product produced five exceptional games – 213, 210, 232, 254, 246 – to surge to the top of the standings on 3,276, taking a 93-pin lead over Langford (3,183) into the match play finals.
Grueso Jnr continued his quite charge, adding 234, 237, 204, 211, 212 in Stage Two to move into third on 3,168 – 108 pins off the pace Cooley had set.
The story of Stage Two, though, was Amanda Ferrari. The bowler from Oz Tenpin Geelong in Victoria posted an adjusted Stage Two total that saw her climb to seventh on the leaderboard – 3,006, including an outstanding 266 in her final game of the stage. Amanda would be the sole female bowler to advance to the match play finals, a significant achievement in its own right.
Julian Dinham’s tournament ended in 12th place on 2,931 after Stage Two, one spot behind older brother Justin (11th, 2950). Jordan Dinham (ninth, 2997) was the only Dinham to make the final ten.
Stage Three – Match Play Finals (9 Games)
The top ten entered the round robin finals with a combined total carrying through – and it was here that Grueso Jnr made his most emphatic statement.
Across nine games of match play, Grueso Jnr won seven – amassing 140 bonus pins, the most of any bowler in the finals field. His individual game scores told the story: 257, 246, 269, 181, 247, 183, 257, 238, 201. A winning total scorecard of 5,387, one from a bowler in complete control of his game and his nerves.
Cooley, who led into the finals, finished second on 5,302 after banking five match play wins for 100 bonus pins. He found Grueso Jnr’s consistency impossible to overcome, despite posting his own strong scores across the finals.
Langford, the perennial Cup contender, completed the podium in third on 5,206, picking up five match play wins (110 bonus pins) to move back on to the podum. For Langford, it’s another close call at the event he has owned more than any bowler in the modern era – but on this occasion, the title belonged to someone else.
A special acknowledgement is due to Amanda Ferrari, the sole female bowler in the 2026 Melbourne Tenpin Cup match play finals. Ferrari who entered the finals in seventh position, finished 10th after the round robin, with her adjusted total of 4,335 reflecting a hard-fought finals campaign and a reminder of the depth of women’s tenpin in Australia’s Open Division.
Results
Podium
| Position | Athlete | Total |
| 🥇 | Bernie Grueso Jnr (VIC) | 5,387 |
| =🥈 | Sam Cooley (NSW) | 5,302 |
| =🥈 | Jarrod Langford (QLD) | 5,206 |
Top 10
| POS | BOWLER | BONUS | TOTAL | AVG |
| 1 | Bernie Grueso Jnr (VIC) | +140 | 5,387 | 218.6 |
| 2 | Sam Cooley (NSW) | +100 | 5,302 | 216.8 |
| 3 | Jarrod Langford (VIC) | +110 | 5,206 | 212.3 |
| 4 | Nicholas Rajkovic (VIC) | +100 | 5,075 | 207.3 |
| 5 | Adam Hayes (VIC) | +90 | 5,058 | 207.0 |
| 6 | William Zaccaria (VIC) | +120 | 5,005 | 203.5 |
| 7 | Ryan Edgar (QLD) | +70 | 4,887 | 200.7 |
| 8 | Chris Castle (VIC) | +100 | 4,837 | 197.4 |
| 9 | Jordan Dinham (NSW) | +40 | 4,699 | 194.1 |
| 10 | Amanda Ferrari (VIC) | +86 | 4,335 | 187.7 |
Performance Highlights
HIGH GAMES
Bernie Grueso Jnr
288
Stage Leaders
After Stage One: Jarrod Langford (QLD) – 2,154
After Stage Two: Sam Cooley (NSW) 3,276
Final Champion: Bernie Grueso Jnr (VIC) – 5,387
Most Match Play Wins
Bernie Grueso Jnr – 7 wins (140 bonus pins)
Ladies’ Best
Amanda Ferrari – 7th after Stage Two, 10th overall; sole female in the match play finals.
Acknowledgements
Tenpin Bowling Australia congratulates Bernie Grueso Jnr on his first Melbourne Tenpin Cup title, and thanks all bowlers, officials, and volunteers who made the 52nd edition of this historic event possible.
Special thanks to Tournament Director Jason Coates, Tournament Liaison Lisa Martin, and the team at Oz Tenpin Epping for hosting another outstanding edition of one of Australian bowling’s most treasured events.
2026 TBA Open Division Rankings Schedule
- Kegel Queensland Open – COMPLETED
- Australian Open – COMPLETED
- Melbourne Tenpin Cup – COMPLETED
- NSW Open – TBC
- TBA Australian Masters – TBC
MELBOURNE TENPIN CUP CHAMPIONS
| Year | Winner |
| 1973 | Steve Mackie |
| 1974 | Terry Wenban |
| 1975 | Steve Mackie |
| 1976 | Vic Bubniw |
| 1977 | Paul Madden |
| 1978 | Joe Velo |
| 1979 | John Sullivan |
| 1980 | Len Hogg |
| 1981 | Ron Powell |
| 1982 | Brian Bridges |
| 1983 | Dave Davis (USA) |
| 1984 | Gary Kee |
| 1985 | Tom Kury |
| 1986 | Steve Lovell |
| 1987 | Ian Bradford |
| 1988 | Donna Adamek (USA) |
| 1989 | Fred Alsopp |
| 1990 | Peter Selakovic |
| 1991 | Billy Gardiner |
| 1992 | Ian Bradford |
| 1993 | Chris Batson |
| 1994 | Andrew Frawley |
| 1995 | Mike Muir |
| 1996 | Brenton Manning |
| 1997 | Alex Liew (MAL) |
| 1998 | Craig Bourke |
| 1999 | Frank Ryan |
| 2000 | Bill Gardiner |
| 2001 | Mike Muir |
| 2002 | Jason Belmonte |
| 2003 | Carl Bottomley |
| 2004 | Jason Belmonte |
| 2005 | Andrew McArthur |
| 2006 | Brandon Qualischefski |
| 2007 | Jason Belmonte |
| 2008 | Matt Riley |
| 2009 | George Frilingos |
| 2010 | Carl Bottomley |
| 2011 | Jason Belmonte |
| 2012 | Jason Belmonte |
| 2013 | Jason Belmonte |
| 2014 | Robbie Alston |
| 2015 | George Frilingos |
| 2016 | Jason Belmonte |
| 2017 | George Frilingos |
| 2018 | Jarrod Langford |
| 2019 | Jarrod Langford |
| 2020 | Cancelled (COVID-19) |
| 2021 | Cancelled (COVID-19) |
| 2022 | Jarrod Langford |
| 2023 | Jarrod Langford |
| 2024 | Jarrod Langford |
| 2025 | Julian Dinham |
| 2026 | Bernie Grueso Jnr |
